Since the time John the Baptizer came until now, the kingdom of heaven has been going forward strongly. {\cf2\super [138]} People using force have been trying to get the kingdom.
Jesus saw the many people. So he told his followers to get a small boat and make it ready for him. Jesus wanted the boat so that the many, many people would not push against him.
Another time Jesus began teaching by the lake. Many, many people gathered around Jesus. So Jesus got into a boat and went out on the lake. All the people stayed on the shore next to the water.
Many thousands of people came together. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to the people, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast {\cf2\super [221]} of the Pharisees. {\cf2\super [222]} I mean that they are hypocrites. {\cf2\super [223]}
The Jordan River near the desert is their western border. Lake Galilee [16] is north of this area and the Dead Sea [17] (the Salt Sea) is to the south. It is at the bottom of the cliffs of Pisgah. They are to the east.
He also ruled over the eastern side of Jordan Valley from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea (Salt Sea). And he ruled from Beth Jeshimoth to the south to the hills of Pisgah.
That land included the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon. All the other land that Sihon, the king of Heshbon, had ruled was included in this land. This is the land on the east side of the Jordan River. The land continued to the end of Lake Galilee.