Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the reign of their Father. He who is having ears to hear, let him hear.

Then will the righteous shine out like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Listen, every one who has ears!

Then will the upright be shining as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him give ear.

Then the just ones shall shine like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

Then will the righteous shine, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, listen.

Then will the righteous shine. What a remarkable consolation! The sons of God, who now lie covered with dust, or are held in no estimation, or even are loaded with reproaches, will then shine in full brightness, as when the sky is serene, and every cloud has been dispelled. The adverb then (tote) is emphatic; for it contains an implied contrast between their present state and the ultimate restoration, by the expectation of which Christ animates those who believe in him. The meaning therefore is, Though many wicked men now hold a high rank in the Church, yet that blessed day is assuredly to be expected, when the Son of God shall raise his followers on high, and remove every thing that now tends to dim or conceal their brightness. It is no doubt true, that the future glory is promised to none but those in whom the image of God already shines, and who are transformed into it by continued advances of glory. But as the life of the godly is now hidden, and as their salvation is invisible, because it consists in hope, Christ properly directs the attention of believers to heaven, where they will find the glory that is promised to them. In order to make a deeper impression on his hearers, our Lord unquestionably refers here to a passage in Daniel, (12:3,) And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. "The Prophet," he seems to say, "when he predicts a future brightness, intimates also that there is a temporary obscurity: and so, if we admit the prediction, we ought to endure patiently that mixture which, for a time, classes the elect of God with the reprobate." By comparing this glory to the sun, he does not determine that it will be alike in all. As Christ now distributes his gifts variously [1] among believers, in like manner will he crown these gifts at the last day. But we must recollect what I have said, that the restoration, which is delayed till the last coming of Christ, is compared with the cloudy state of the world. [2] The kingdom of the Father, as the inheritance of the godly, is contrasted with the earth, to remind them that here they are pilgrims, and therefore ought to look upwards towards heaven. In another passage, the kingdom of God is said to be within us, (Luke 17:21,) but we shall not obtain the full enjoyment of it till God be all in all, (1-Corinthians 15:28.)

Footnotes

1 - "Diversement, aux uns plus, aux autres moins;" -- "variously, to some more, to others less."

2 - "Avec l'estat present du monde, qui est comme tout obscurci de brouillars;" -- "with the present state of the world, which is entirely, so to speak, obscured by mists."

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun,.... The time referred to is, when the tares shall be separated from the wheat: when they that offend and do iniquity, shall be gathered out of Christ's kingdom; when the wicked shall be cast into hell: then the "righteous", not who are so merely in their own apprehensions, and in the judgment of others; nor by their obedience, legal or evangelical; but who are made so, by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them: these, though they have been in this world loaded with reproaches, and attended with many afflictions and persecutions; and have been despised for their poverty and meanness, and want of outward glory, honour, riches, and prosperity; shall now "shine forth" in the robe of Christ's righteousness, in perfect holiness of nature, in all felicity and prosperity of soul; and in the shining dazzling robes of glory, incorruption, and immortality, on their bodies; eves the sun, having no spot in them, or upon them, and without any clouds of darkness: they will be as Christ himself, the sun of righteousness, with whom, and in whose glory they shall appear, both in soul and body,
in the kingdom of their father; meaning either the same with the kingdom of Christ, the Father's and his, being one and the same; or as distinct from Christ's, see Matthew 13:41 the church, and the government of it in this world, in all ages of time, and especially in the latter day, and during the thousand years, Christ and his saints shall reign together, may be peculiarly called the kingdom of Christ; when it will be delivered to the Father, and God shall be all in all: so that the ultimate glory may, though not to the exclusion of the Son, be styled the kingdom of the Father; of God, who is the Father of Christ and of his people; and which is observed, to assure the saints of their interest in it, right unto it, and certain enjoyment of it. Some copies read, "the kingdom of heaven". Much the same images, here made use of, to set forth the glory of the saints, both in soul and body, in the world to come, are expressed by the Jews,
"The faces of the "righteous", they say, (h) in time to come, shall be , "like to the sun", and moon, to the stars and planets, and lightnings, and lilies, and to the lamp of the sanctuary.
And elsewhere (i) they observe, that "God in time to come, will beautify the body of "the righteous", as the beauty of the first man, when he entered into paradise, according to Isaiah 58:11 and that the soul, whilst in its dignity, shall be sustained with the superior light, and be clothed with it; and when it shall enter into the body hereafter, it shall enter with that light; and then shall the body shine, , "as the brightness of the firmament": as is said in Daniel 12:3. And a little after (k) it is said, that when.
"the soul goes out, the body is left, which shall be there built again, , "as the light of the sun", and as the brightness of the firmament.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear; and seriously consider of the several things said in this parable, concerning the wheat and tares, the righteous and the wicked, as being matters of the greatest moment and importance,
(h) Vajikra Rabba, fol. 170. 1. Siphre apud. Ceseph. Misna in Maimon. Hilch. Teshuba, c. 9. (i) Midrash haunealam apud Zohar in Genesis. fol. 69. 1. (k) lb. fol. 70. 1. Vid. Midrash Tillim. in Psal. xi. apud Galatin. de Arcan. Cathol. ver. 1. 12. c. 6. p. 712.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father--as if they had been under a cloud during the present association with ungodly pretenders to their character, and claimants of their privileges, and obstructors of their course.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear--(See Mark 4:9).
Fifth and Sixth Parables or Third Pair: THE HIDDEN TREASURE and THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE (Matthew 13:44-46).
The subject of this last pair, as of the two former, is the same, but also under a slight diversity of aspect: namely--
THE PRICELESS VALUE OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM. And while the one parable represents the Kingdom as "found without seeking," the other holds forth the Kingdom as "sought and found."
The Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44).