No — an unbeliever will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven; entrance requires the new birth.
Jesus told Nicodemus that unless a man is born again he cannot see or enter the Kingdom of God. Les Feldick makes the same point when he speaks of the setting of Matthew 25: the tribulation survivors who remain unbelievers cannot go into the Kingdom, while believers go in. Les also shows that in Acts the Kingdom was offered to Israel on a condition: every Jew had to repent, be baptized, and be converted. Because Israel rejected the offer, the Kingdom was postponed, but the standard never changed — no one enters the Kingdom without faith in Christ.
John 3:3 — Jesus states the absolute requirement for seeing the Kingdom: a man must be born again.
John 3:5 — Jesus names the new birth as the condition for entering the Kingdom of God.
Scripture sets the condition for entering the Kingdom. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3), and "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). In Matthew 25, the King separates the nations gathered before Him: to those on His right hand He says, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," while those on the left are told, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:34, 41). The passage concludes, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:46). Peter's call in Acts was equally direct: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you" (Acts 2:38), and "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19).
Les Feldick teaches that entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven is limited to those who are born again. He quotes Jesus to Nicodemus — "Except a man be born from above, or born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" — and he applies that to the setting of Matthew 25, where survivors of the Tribulation are divided: the believers go into the Kingdom, while those who are still unbelievers cannot go in. Les emphasizes that the requirement was not vague. In Acts, Peter told the nation of Israel to repent and be baptized, and Les stresses the two words "every one" — every Jew had to be converted and accept Christ as the Messiah in order for God to send back the King and establish the Kingdom. Les further shows that the offer was real. If Israel had repented, God would have sent Jesus Christ to fulfill all the covenant promises made to the nation. Even so, Les points out that the Tribulation had to come because it was set in prophecy from Daniel 9; but had Israel repented, God would have instituted the Tribulation and then sent the King. The Kingdom was therefore promised to a believing nation, and no unbeliever was to enter it.
Jesus answered Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). In the next verse He said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Les Feldick directly applies this to the Kingdom of Heaven: the new birth is the condition for entrance. He then points to Matthew 25, where there are survivors of the Tribulation who are still unbelievers, and those who are not born again cannot go into the Kingdom — only the believers go in.
Les makes much of the precision of Peter's answer in Acts 2:38: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you." He says the next two words, "every one," are crucial — every Jew living at that time would have had to come to a place of regeneration, a salvation experience through repentance and water baptism. Then Christ could have returned and given the Kingdom to Israel. Peter continued the same call in Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," and Peter later told them that God had sent His Son Jesus to bless them in turning every one of them from their iniquities.
Les teaches that Peter was still hoping, against hope, that the nation of Israel would wake up and realize that the One they killed was the promised Messiah. If the nation had repented — especially the national sin of rejecting the Messiah — God would have immediately instituted the Tribulation and then would have sent back the King and set up the Kingdom. Every Jew would have had to be converted and accept Christ as the Messiah. Les also notes that the Tribulation still had to come because it was determined back in Daniel chapter 9, but it would have led straight to the Kingdom for a repentant Israel.
Les points to the setting of Matthew 25 to answer who goes into the Kingdom. There are survivors of the Tribulation, and some are still unbelievers; those cannot go into the Kingdom. The believers go in. The separation is between the righteous and the unrighteous: "the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:46). Les describes this by saying the righteous enter into life eternal, and that life eternal begins in the Kingdom.
The Prophesied Tribulation
Les says the Tribulation had to come because it was in prophecy, determined in Daniel 9, so it could not be set aside even if Israel repented.
Born Again and the Kingdom
Les teaches that the new birth is the gate into the Kingdom; survivors of the Tribulation who remain unbelievers cannot go in, while believers go in.
Repent and Be Baptized
Les shows Peter's Acts 2:38 answer was not just for a few — 'every one' of Israel would have to repent and be baptized.
Every Jew Must Believe
Les emphasizes Acts 3:26: every Jew had to believe and be converted; then God would send the King and set up the Kingdom.
Peter's Audience Was Israel
Les says Peter was still hoping Israel would realize Jesus was the Messiah; the message was to Israel first because they had to believe first.
Sins Blotted Out and the Sending of Christ
Les ties Acts 3:19-20 to the offer of the Second Coming: repent and be converted so God can send Jesus Christ.
Regeneration Through Repentance and Baptism
Les says every Jew living then would have to come to regeneration 'through repentance and water baptism' before the Kingdom could be given.
Prophets Foretold These Days
Les says Peter plainly told Israel that if they repented and were converted, God would send Jesus to fulfill all covenant promises.
John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus states the absolute requirement for seeing the Kingdom.
John 3:5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus names the new birth as the condition for entering the Kingdom.
Matthew 25:34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
The King invites the righteous to inherit the prepared Kingdom.
Matthew 25:41: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
The King sends the cursed away from His presence.
Matthew 25:46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
The unrighteous go to punishment while the righteous enter life eternal.
Acts 2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Peter's answer to Israel's question about what to do.
Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Peter calls the nation to repentance and conversion.
Acts 3:26: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
God sent Jesus first to Israel to turn them from their iniquities.
No. Jesus said a person must be born again to enter. Les Feldick applies that to Matthew 25: the tribulation survivors who are still unbelievers cannot go into the Kingdom, while believers go in.
According to Les, every Jew had to repent, be baptized, and be converted. That would have allowed God to send Jesus back and set up the Kingdom. Nothing less than national repentance would open the way.
Yes. Les teaches that if Israel had repented, God would have instituted the Tribulation and sent the King. Every Jew would have had to be converted and accept Christ as the Messiah.
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