The seven beatitudes are distinguishing marks of the work of grace. Some profess that the beatitudes describe seven different paths in which the Lord leads His church. On the contrary, the beatitudes are the distinguishing marks of the work of grace in the soul.

When Jesus opened His mouth to bring forth the gospel, He began building the temple of His Kingdom. Let's look at the beauty of this temple. Then we can consider the individual steps the Lord used in fitting each stone into the temple.

This process was what moved the Apostle Paul to Give "…thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet  to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," COL 1:12.

These beatitudes are, in fact, the steps in Christ’s staircase by which believers enter the temple, i.e., the body of Christ, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." REV 21 illustrates the Kingdom of heaven as the heavenly city, which is the New Jerusalem. V:11 speaks of one of the building blocks, or stones He uses in building His temple, which is the body of Christ. "Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal."

This chapter speaks of the stones, the walls, and the gates. These are all symbols of the building of the heavenly Jerusalem wherein is the Temple, i.e., the King, V:22.

Let's consider this as we read REV 21. This chapter refers to the golden reed, the measurements, the wall, and the foundations of the wall. V:20 names the twelve precious stones which point to the twelve tribes of Israel. V:21 says, "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." This chapter shows the twelve separate pearls that are being used to build the wall of the city. Each pearl had a specific place.

V:22-23 says, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." This is showing the Kingdom of heaven in the illustration of a literal city.

Let's look at the individual stones that Christ is preparing for the temple from the Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon, Christ teaches us how He prepares each stone for His Kingly temple.

The body of believers, that is the body of Christ, is the temple. 1PE 2:5 says, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus Christ prepares the stones, which He uses to build His temple. Jesus carves out each individual stone to fit its proper place. This is the preparation of the building of His temple.

The seven beatitudes are the steps the Lord uses to prepare each stone for the building of this temple. I will be referring to them as a staircase. These beatitudes illustrate the steps by which the believers ascend into the temple, which Christ is building.

The seven steps are:

1. Humility - MAT 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

2. Penitence - MAT 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

3. Meekness - MAT 5:5, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

4. Spiritual Hunger- MAT 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

5. Mercifulness - MAT 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

7. Making Peace - MAT 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."