The following text puts the kingdom into the future: Matt 7:21 ?Not everyone who says to me, ?Lord, Lord,? will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ?Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?? 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ?I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!?.
The passage comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount and functions as the ground for the warning to respond by doing what Jesus has taught in chps 5–7. The text following this one supports the thrust of this passage.
1. As with other references, “kingdom” is not overtly defined so we are left to the meaning of the term — and here one falls to the default position: Davidic kingdom and its future, final manifestation.
2. Entrance into that kingdom is the focus of this passage: entrance is limited to those “does the will of my Father who is in heaven” — and one can assume the will of God as revealed by Jesus since doing his teachings is the focus of the next passage.
3. Some will be banned from that kingdom. Jesus is no universalist.
4. Some banned will call Jesus “Lord, Lord” — they at least know Jesus’ role in history.
5. Some banned will appeal to their charismatic deeds — prophesying, exorcising demons and doing miracles.
6. Those banned will be told by Jesus that he has never known them and that they were evildoers.
OK, the words of this text teach that entrance into the kingdom is based on doing God’s will.