In verse 5, we find another Christian characteristic: to receive a divine blessing, which is “the meek.” In the NASB version of the Bible, we see the word “gentle” used instead of meek. The word meek can have different meanings. It may be used to refer to patient endurance of persecution or attack. Another use of the word meek relates to someone who is cowardly, timid, or weak. The word meek in verse 5 does not refer to any of these meanings.
Jesus fashioned this beatitude from Psalm 37, particularly Psalm 37:11. The Psalm talks about evildoers and how God will not forsake believers and that the children of God should trust in the Lord and do good (Ps. 37:3). This chapter of Psalms speaks of patience and self-control, and righteous living and states that those who practice these characteristics “shall inherit the land” (Ps. 37:9, 10, 22, 29, 34). In the Old Testament, “the land” probably refers to the promised land, often a type or a foreshadowing of heaven or eternal life, which is the new heaven and the new earth that is to come at the second coming of Christ.
“Blessed are the meek.” The meaning of the word meek in verse 5 is someone who patiently, obediently, and humbly submits to the authority and will of God and who is gentle and courteous to others and not easily provoked to anger (Ti. 3:2). The meek would instead forgive the pernicious offenses of others rather than seek revenge for them. However, the meek may, on occasion, respond to the transgressions of others but always in a cool and measured manner with their passions under control. We pattern our character after Christ regarding this characteristic of meekness or gentleness. Jesus referred to Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29).
The apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Galatians of the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22) and included in the list of characteristics common to Christians the characteristics of gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22). He indicated that these two characteristics along with several others that He mentioned would bless these Christians in that they would inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:21).
“for they shall inherit the earth.”
The establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth at Christ’s first advent removed Satan’s dominance from the lives of those who would follow Jesus. The earth was formerly Satan’s bailiwick in which Satan dominated the world as Satan told Jesus (Luke 4:6). But much to the dismay of Satan, the arrival of Jesus and the establishment of His church in the world put Jesus and His saints in possession of earth in time, and this possession would continue through the end of the world and the new heaven and new earth where the citizens of the kingdom of heaven would remain for eternity.
Jesus came, and the beginning of His ministry marked the establishment of the kingdom of heaven, that spiritual kingdom in its terrestrial manifestation on earth. He then set about populating this kingdom with citizens in the temporal world. Those citizens began to populate the kingdom as the church began at Pentecost, and at the end of the world, they will all be citizens of the consummated eternal kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth.
Therefore, the meek inherit the world now as the heirs of God who owns the earth (Ps. 24:1, 2; 1 Cor. 3:21, 22, 10:26; Eph. 4:6), and they will ultimately inherit the new heaven and new earth. But first, they possess the current earth as only those of the kingdom of heaven in its spiritual manifestation on earth possess the earth. Secular humanity substantially possesses nothing of the earth. They are mere interlopers.
