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Author Topic: Kingdom of God - of the heavens  (Read 23622 times)

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Kat

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Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« on: February 01, 2015, 05:57:33 PM »

Here is a brief study from excerpts in articles and emails concerning heaven.
 
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2772.0.html ---

God lives in a different "realm" from us. If we must use
physical analogies, I suppose we could say that we live in the physical
subject to death; whereas God lives in the spirit and never dies. We
live in a world of wickedness; whereas God lives in a world of
righteousness.  We live in darkness;  whereas God lives in light.
God's elect are making the transition and transformation from evil
to good; from physical to spiritual; for darkness to light.


http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4138.0.html -----

The "Kingdom of God" also known as the "Kingdom of the heavenS," is God's domain, where He resides.  To the degree that we have God's Spirit is the degree to which we reside in this Kingdom. At present we are merely begotten, awaiting a new birth into His Kingdom. This Kingdom has no end after the physical has passed away. Etc.


http://bible-truths.com/lake13.html ------------------------------

SEA, EARTH, AND HEAVEN

There are three realms spoken of in Revelation: sea, earth, and heaven:

"And the angel which I saw stand upon the SEA and upon the EARTH lifted up his hand to HEAVEN, and swore by Him that lives for ever and ever, [for the eons of the eons], who created HEAVEN, and the things that therein are, and the EARTH, and the things that therein are, and the SEA, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer [no longer a time of delay]" (Rev. 10:5-6).

The angels [messengers] of God communicate things from heaven to both the earth and the sea:

"And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the ANGEL which stands upon the sea and upon the earth" (Rev. 10:08).

There are three realms of humanity and three realms of spiritual understanding. The lowest of all is the sea. Those with at least some spiritual understanding are those who dwell in the earth. And those who have the very mind of Christ are those who dwell in heaven. ALL REALMS will give honor and glory to God:

"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, [need I explain that ‘fish’ do not have the mental capacity to comprehend what is being taught here—these are MEN, MANKIND, HUMANITY] and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sits upon the throne, and upon the Lamb for the eons of the eons" (Rev. 5:13).

Is this not saying the identical thing that Paul teaches in Phil. 2:10-11:

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should BOW, of things [them] in heaven, and things [them] in earth, and things [them] under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

More proof:

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and [inhabitants] of the sea! …" (Rev. 12:12).

Next notice that:

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast into the earth , he persecuted the WOMAN [the Church] which brought forth the man child [the manifest sons of God]" (Rev. 12:13).

Where is the Church? Does she dwell in the spiritual realms of heaven? No. Is she located in the sea? No. She dwells in the earth. She is higher than the sea, but lower than heaven; she dwells in the earth. These are the three realms spoken of in Revelation. If we can’t get our thinking above the symbols themselves, we will never ever understand the book of Revelation.

The saints have left the earth in their spiritual walk with God. Those who are now ‘spiritually-minded;’ dwell in heaven—a much much higher realm than that of the earth.


http://bible-truths.com/lake9.html -------------------------

GOD’S HEAVEN IS HIGHER THAN MAN’S HEAVEN

Satan is the god of this world (I Cor. 4:4). Satan possesses ALL the kingdoms of the world (Matt. 4:8-9). Satan appears to the heads of his nations as an angel of light (I Cor. 11:12). It was Satan who appealed to the heaven of Eve’s mind. It was Satan that caused the people to build a tower that would reach MAN’S concept of heaven. The heaven of the minds of those conceiving of such lofty things. It was Satan who caused the king of Babylon to be lifted up in his own heaven, his own mind. Listen to his own words:

"At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, is not this GREAT BABYLON, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of MY power, and for the honour of MY MAJESTY?"
v
God has a heaven. It is a SPIRIT REALM. It is where God lives and has His Being. Men too have a heaven. It is likewise, the REALM where they live and have their being—they spiritually live in their own minds, their own heavens.

Notice Prov. 23:7, "For as he THINKS in his heart, SO IS HE." The ‘heart’ is the innermost seat of our deepest emotions, but it is accessed through the MIND. It is what one thinks that determines what one is. When the king of Babylon THOUGHT that he had ascended into heaven in his mind, then that is where HE WAS, "so IS he." But ... BUT, it was man’s heaven and not God’s. No ‘man,’ no ‘carnal man’ has ever ascended into God’s heaven of spirit,

"And NO MAN has ascended up to heaven [God’s heaven], but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man WHICH IS IN HEAVEN [right at the very time He was speaking these words]" (John 3:13).

Jesus could live "on earth" and "in heaven" at the same time! But carnal men live in the heaven of their minds all the time. Man’s heaven is a place of spiritual delusion; whereas God’s heaven is a place of spiritual enlightenment.

"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the EARTH [of man] and the HEAVEN [of man] fled away; and there was found NO PLACE FOR THEM… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. And I saw a NEW heaven and a NEW earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." (Rev. 20:11, 16 & 21:1).

It would be mind-boggling enough to think that the entire UNIVERSE could "flee away," but it would be quite another to then suggest that, "there was found NO PLACE FOR THEM." That would be absurd if taken literally. ALL THESE THINGS ARE SPIRITUAL! In the white throne judgment there will be no more a place for the flesh, for the carnal mind, for man’s heaven. There will truly be no place found for them. They will be annihilated in God’s "CONSUMING FIRE" (Heb. 12:29 & I Cor. 3:15)!

God will give man a new earth and a new heaven, and as for the great sea of carnal, God-defying humanity, "…and there was NO MORE SEA."


http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,1696.0.html ---

I've come under more frequent spiritual attack. I know within my heart that I must stand strong in the Lord and know that nothing can hurt me unless it is His will. But I am very immature in my spirituality and it's very difficult to deal with these things at times.

Dear Bill:

  "Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God...." (Eph. 6:1-17). 

I don't know what else to tell you.  We all do battle against this spiritual realm.


http://bible-truths.com/lake11.html ---------------------------------

In Hebrews 10:25 were are admonished as follows:

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching."

That this is speaking of believers congregating together to worship and study God’s Word, there can be no doubt. However, there is a much deeper meaning to this "assembling" that few have ever seen. I never saw it myself until I read a paper by J. Preston Eby, entitled: "FORSAKE NOT THE ASSEMBLING."

I will quote an excerpt or two from his paper:

"The Greek word for ‘assembling’ is EPISUNAGOGE. The word, literally, is a verb meaning to synagogue. It is a compound of the Greek prefix EPI with the word SUNAGOGE from which we get our transliterated English word Synagogue. EPI means super – imposition – that which is above, higher than, highest, upon. SUNAGOGE means a meeting, assembly, or gathering. Putting these two words together, EPI-SUNAGOGE means THE ABOVE SYNAGOGUE, THE HIGHER MEETING, THE HIGHEST ASSEMBLY, THE HIGHER-THAN-ALL-GATHERINGS!

It bespeaks of something far greater than merely collecting so many breathing bodies together in one place.

It is a meeting in a higher realm, on a higher plane, in the high places of the Spirit, and in the heights of Truth. It is a gathering together in a dimension above. It indicates an assembling IN THE SPIRIT…"


(All Caps belong to Mr. Eby).

This Greek word episunagoge is used only one other time in Scripture, and that is in II Thes. 2:1:

"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together [Gk: episunagoge] unto Him."

In Hebrews 10 we are admonished to "assemble" in an high meeting, a meeting in the SPIRIT! In II Thes. 2 this meeting in the Spirit will become a literal meeting with our Lord.

And so, back to our question once more: Which denomination should we join? Where should we go to Church? Where should we "forsake not the assembling of ourselves together?" In a physical building of some physical denomination? No. WE are to episunagoge (assemble) on a higher plane, in a higher realm, in a spiritual assembly, IN THE SPIRIT!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


So how do we relate to 'heaven' now in our lives... as Ray shows in Scripture Prov. 23:7, "For as he THINKS in his heart, SO IS HE." It is what one thinks that determines what one is. We need to seek that high realm as much as possible... I believe study (private and with others), meditate and pray is how we do that.

John 14:2  In My Father's house (3614) are many mansions (3438); if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

G3614 house - properly residence (abstractly), but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively); by implication a family (especially domestics): - home, house (-hold).

G3438 mansions - a staying, that is, residence (the act or the place): - abode, mansion.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (3438) with him.

2Cor 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house (3614) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house (3614) not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
v. 2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house (3613) which is from heaven:
v. 3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

G3613 house - a residence (literally or figuratively): - habitation, house.

What I'm trying to show is all these words in the Scripture "house," "home," "mansions" all mean the same thing, it's talking about our body that holds the spirit of life. You can see in 2 Cor. Paul calls our physical body an "earthly house."

Now God's house/abode is the Kingdom of God/Heaven - the spiritual realm. In John 14:23 Jesus said He and the Father would "make Our home with him," this is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that a chosen few receive in this lifetime... heaven comes to those few now.

Luke 17:20  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
v. 21  nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

John 6:56  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

So in John 14:2 when Jesus said "I go to prepare a place for you," isn't that actually when the Holy Spirit/Christ comes to dwell in and begin preparing the Elect, getting those few ready for the first resurrection? I certainly think so.

John 14:26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

mercy, peace and love
Kat
« Last Edit: February 02, 2015, 01:22:07 AM by Kat »
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lilitalienboi16

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Re: Kingdom of God - the heavens
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2015, 08:20:23 PM »

Yea this stuff was always such a spiritual treasure chest. Loved it, thanks for putting it all together kat!

Let me add this verse that came to mind which makes me think of what Christ said about us being with Him:

Ephesians 2:5-7 "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

Yes, He is indeed preparing a place for us. Now in part but soon in full!

1 John 2:28 "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

1 John 3:2-3 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

As ray said; "To the degree that we have God's Spirit is the degree to which we reside in this Kingdom. At present we are merely begotten, awaiting a new birth into His Kingdom."

I think he absolutely nailed it!

God bless,
Alex
« Last Edit: February 01, 2015, 08:22:37 PM by lilitalienboi16 »
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1 Cor 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

microlink

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2015, 12:18:50 AM »

Very fine post Kat. Nicely condensed. thank you.
Joe
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Kat

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2015, 02:56:25 PM »

I remembered this conference about 'What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom?'... when I was searching for this topic goggle advanced search usually does not pick up the transcripts. This article is so full of good stuff, but here is a few excerpts from it.


http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6142.0.html ----------

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM LIKE ?

But I want to clear up this thing with the kingdom of God is ‘like.’
It’s like a king…
it’s like a laborer…
it’s like a treasure…
it’s like leaven…
it’s like a fishnet cast into the sea. 
What is all that? What are all those parables saying the kingdom of God is? What is all of this it’s like, it’s like, it’s like, etc.? It’s like there are many called, but few chosen! That is what every parable is. That’s what the parables are or some form of that. Who would have ever thought.

You have the mustard seed? It’s something that is very small and grows into something very strong. 

1Cor. 1:26  For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

The nobodies - the nothings - the mustard seeds. That’s what God calls us. But they grow. 

Christ is the King who is gone into a far nation. To do what? What does the parable say, what is He going to get there? A kingdom! 

Where is Christ now? He is in heaven. But what is He doing on the earth? He’s getting Himself a kingdom. It started with the Apostles - the few. He said to ‘you’ it’s given to understand, you are the few. But to ‘them’ - the many, it is not given, but to the few. Many called - a lot of seeds scattered around, but only some seeds fall on the good ground, the few. 

If you cast the net into the sea and you pull in all these fish. But you throw a lot of them away, because only a few are the good ones that you save. That’s what the parable are all about... all of them. God choosing out the few for His kingdom. The kingdom of God is like this, it’s like that, it’s like, it’s like… it’s like US and what God is doing through us.

Rev 5:10  And You made US kings and priests to our God, and WE will reign over the earth.

WE are the kingdom! You are going to have to do a little rethinking in your minds here maybe. We are the kingdom.

Rev 2:26  And he who overcomes (that’s us) and keeps My works (that should be us)  to the end, to him (that’s us) I will give power over the nations.
v

Mark 1:15  and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel."

Mark says the kingdom of God is at hand, now that should tell us something. The kingdom of God was at hand. Well then His Apostles went out after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and they taught the kingdom of God is at hand. Then the second generation of church leaders taught the kingdom of God is at hand. Here I am are sitting before you today and I am telling you the kingdom of God is at hand. How is it at hand? It is at hand for you!

“Repent, and believe the gospel." It’s at hand for YOU! It’s at your hand right now, for you! It wasn’t at your hand before you were born. If some of you die this week or next month or next year or whatever, it won’t be at hand for you then. The kingdom of God is at hand NOW. When you hear this message, that’s when it is at hand for you. This is God telling you, repent the kingdom of God is at hand, right now, while you are sitting there, right now it’s at hand. 

How is it at hand? Because Jesus Christ is, was and He will be! 
It is at hand for us now. 
It was at hand for them when it was preached back then. 
It will be at hand if there is generations beyond us, before our Lord returns.
v

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creation waits…

This whole world, this whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain. Is waiting for what?

Rom 8:19 …for the manifestation of the sons of God.

That’s us, the sons of God or the kingdom of God. They are the heavens in which the Spirit of God dwells and will rule the nations.

Obadiah 1:21  And saviors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau (this is them); and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

The “saviors” are going to rule from mount Zion, not over there in that ugly swill of a city called Jerusalem. But from spiritual mount Zion. He is going to rule them, "Esau" is them, "and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s." What kingdom? The kingdom of what, in this context? Kingdom of saviors, plural saviors. Who are these saviors? That’s us, we’re saviors. Well this sounds a little odd, I mean we’re saying we’re going to be the saviors of the world. Well we do have a leader though, King of kings, Lord of lords, Savior of saviors and Son of sons. We’re sons right, He’s the Son of the sons. He will always have a name superior to every other one.
v

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God.

1Peter 2:9  …so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

So the kingdom of God is what? The Israel of God! It’s those who through the faith of Abraham… that is the same faith that God gave to Abraham He gives to us, that’s the faith of Abraham. We become this peculiar, special people to God. 

Now get this. Here's what He said we are. He said I will have a nation and I will have a people and it didn’t happen... but it was a type, a shadow of something that will happen. 

The writer of Hebrews tells us that there is an "Israel of God," those who are baptized in the Spirit, circumcised in the Spirit and they are now spiritual Israel - Jews. They are the real Jews, the ones that are converted in heart and mind and spirit. Then Peter comes right out and says, you are that royal family, that special people, that kingdom of priests, that holy nation, that’s what you are. 

So what is it? It’s the gospel of the kingdom. What is the kingdom? YOU - WE are the kingdom! How about that. We are the kingdom. It’s the gospel, the good news of the kingdom. When you are spiritually converted and you are holy and you are circumcised in spirit and mind and soul and heart you are a spiritual Jew. You are the one that He said back there, I’m going to make you a holy nation, Israel... but not that Israel, that was a type. That was a shadow, that was only going to be a nation of people living in a certain land. 

This kingdom is going to what? Bless all the nations. This is a big kingdom and it’s a spiritual kingdom, because the more we do away with the flesh, the more spiritual we get. The more we die to the flesh, the more we grow to the spirit. 

So it’s not as negative as it seems when you get old and decrepit like me. The flesh is dying, but hopefully the spirit is growing. Where as I use to be dead in my spirit and soar in my flesh, now I’m almost dead in my flesh and soaring in my spirit. That’s good, that’s the way it should be. Do you see that in your life? You should see the flesh dying.
v

So what is the kingdom? We are the kingdom of God... we are the kingdom of the heavens. Where does God reside? In heaven. God resides in heaven, but it is not called the kingdom of heaven in the Greek, you can check Rotherham and all those, it’s kingdom of the heavens, plural. We are the temple of God... God resides in His temple... God resides in heaven. We are the heaven in which God resides, where He dwells. But don’t get to haughty, because the Scriptures say, not even all the heaven of the heavens can contain Him.

2Chron 6:18  …Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.  How much less this temple which I have built!

But never the less it is true, He does dwell in the heavens. But they can’t even contain Him, He’s bigger than that. But He does dwell in His heavens, we are His heavens, we are His spiritual kingdom. But it does not yet appear what we shall be, we only have the earnest, down payment of His spirit.

Eph 1:14  which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of His glory.

We have the down payment, but John says we will eventually see Him as He is, because we will be like Him. We will be like Jesus Christ!

1John 3:2  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

So we are the kingdom of God. Christ is going to return with a kingdom... what does He return with?  What is the symbolism of how Christ returns? He returns on... what is He riding? A white horse. Is anybody with Him? An army! Are they walking? They are riding on white horses too!

Rev 19:14  And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

What is that army? The kingdom of God... IT'S US! We are coming with Him, He is going to gather US up. Gather up what? His army, His kingdom! 
v

Psalms 119:165  Great peace have they who love Your law (and we know that God‘s Law is spiritual), and nothing (not anything) shall offend them.

If you are living by God’s Law, you can’t be offended. You will only pity the poor slob who tries to put you down. If you are not offended, truly not offended, you will be a king who will bring judgment to that person one day. Then they will learn to be humble like you. 

So God has great things in store for the few, the called, the chosen, the humble. The ones that are like little children, just wanting to do the will of their Father. 

Kings - lords - priests - a royal nation - a peculiar people - a special people to God. It’s all at hand, that how close it is, it’s at hand.
----------------------------------------------------------------

mercy, peace and love
Kat
« Last Edit: February 03, 2015, 09:29:07 PM by Kat »
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lilitalienboi16

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2015, 08:06:41 PM »

Very good stuff kat. I need to go back through that audio, its been a while but its definitely filled with wisdom!
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1 Cor 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

indianabob

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2015, 11:47:58 AM »

Very helpful and interesting study Kat,

Now what is the next step?
How will Christ's Kingdom deal with the remaining mortals on the earth?
How will human society be organized? Will it have a new pure language?
Is there a plan that we can think upon and learn from?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Regards, indianabob
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dave

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2015, 02:38:01 PM »

Wonderful! Excellent offering! Glory!
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Kat

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2015, 06:26:15 PM »


Well Bob, let's see Christ will have an "army" of elect (Rev 19:14) that will be raised to glory as Christ was, we can certainly comprehend that they will be given great power to enforce Christ's government on earth. Also there is the whole host of heavenly servants of God (Rev 19:10; 22:9)... not hard for me to envisions these fearsome angels would be of great help as well.

Another thought is that there have been many righteous men and women that died through all those centuries before Christ came and since as well. The Scripture mention some of them.

Gen. 7:1 And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

2Pe 2:7  and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

1Ki 15:11  Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David.

2Ki 18:1 ...Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
v. 3  And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.

2Ki 22:1  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem...
v. 2  And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

There is also those mentioned in Hebrews 11 from OT times; "all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise," (Heb 11:39). As well as John the Baptist I guess he was almost in NT times.

Luke 7:28  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

None of these will be elect in the first resurrection. But what I'm showing here is that these are just those few mentioned in Scripture, there can be no doubt there are many many more not mentions that lived through the centuries that were known as righteous men and women. These people will be in the resurrection of the dead and though they will not know of their Savior, they will need to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. But it should be easy to see they will readily accept this, as they were already servants of the OT God. All these people will already have proven themselves by the lives they lived, so they will be pretty much ready to serve and quite capable as well.

I believe that every government of man in this world will be cast down and remove all those politicians and God will have His own servants put in place to form a proper judicial system. Of course Christ will be head over all, and all the elect directly under Him to function as the spiritual teachers of the world. These elect raised up will now be 'one' with God, perfected, no more carnality, directly connected to the power source of the universe... they will be given whatever is necessary to carry out God purpose.

Isa 30:20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.

There will be no struggling with the wicked of the world, they will cower like helpless puppies when they see the glorified Christ and His elect. There will be no trying to convince people what is truth, there will be no questions about who the elect are and what they say. When Christ appears, with the elect, the world will know who He is and that He is in now in control.

Mat 24:30  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Eze 7:16  Some will escape to the mountains like doves frightened from the valleys. All of them will moan over their sins.
v. 17  Everyone's hands will be weak, and their knees will shake.
v. 18  They will put on sackcloth and they will tremble all over. Their heads will be shaved, and they will all be disgraced. (GNB)

The people of the world will be terrified and probably fear that what they see happening is the literal destruction of the earth... but they will soon learn He is bringing peace and mercy to the weak and helpless, but the wicked cannot hide from His retribution.

Rom 14:12  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

I can see how having one language would be very helpful, many things will be restored at that time and the curses removed.

Rev 22:2  In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
v. 3  And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
v. 4  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
v. 5  There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever to the ages of the ages.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

« Last Edit: February 04, 2015, 08:19:58 PM by Kat »
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dave

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2015, 09:16:36 PM »

A worldly WOW and a Godly GLORY!
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indianabob

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2015, 09:56:52 PM »

Thanks Kat, well stated and helpful.
I know that we will have to wait and see, but taking a hint from how God dealt with Israel can't we speculate a little about what life could be like for my family and other ancestors in their resurrection? I think it could be fun and informative.

Indianabob
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lurquer

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2015, 12:36:20 AM »

I for one would love to see some speculation on that from forum members here..

I have my own personal speculations--in fact I've pondered the idea of a novel to write about this very thing, set in the future Kingdom of God.  When/if I have the time to do so...

But my mind often wonders (and wanders) about such things.
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Kat

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2015, 06:53:39 PM »

I know that we will have to wait and see, but taking a hint from how God dealt with Israel can't we speculate a little about what life could be like for my family and other ancestors in their resurrection? I think it could be fun and informative.

Hi Bob, well I do think on those things... not that I know exactly what it will be like, but some things do seem apparent to me. I know that I was saying in the other posts how terrifying the return of Christ may appear to the world, because it certainly will be a dramatic event... actually the most spectacular thing to happen in the course of human history. So it will and should shake up the people on earth in a big way and it needs to, because of course there will be some extreme changes that will take place... there has to be to set things right. One big change that will happen immediately is there will be no more war and the misery, suffering and heartbreak it brings.

Micah 4:3  He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

That Scripture shows how instead of putting resources, man power and finances into such a destructive thing like war, there will be no more warmongering. Of course farming is a much better and necessary use of all the time and effort and every things. But even farming practices would need to be revised, as many things done to get the highest yield and profit are not the best for the environment and product quality. God will put the manpower now used for destruction towards providing essential needs for the population.

Christ will set things right, but people who have lived for so many years of their lives as reprobates will not be ready or even able to change there ingrained character traits so quickly. It will take time with the elect and the new government of God enforcing peace and people will be taught to live by the 'golden rule' that Jesus spoke of when on earth.

Mat 7:12  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

And eventually the world will learn to live by the commandment Jesus said was most important.

Mark 12:30  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
v. 31  The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

But first the world will need to be won over by Christ and the elect... when Christ was on earth one thing He did everywhere He went that brought people to Him by the multitudes, was that He healed them. Here is where Ray spoke on this at the conference 'What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom?'

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6142.0.html ----------

Mat 4:23  And Jesus went about all Galilee (that‘s a pretty big area and you remember how He went about all Galilee? He walked), teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
v. 24  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Syria, depending on who’s drawing the boundary lines, went all the way from the Mediterranean way across the Salt Sea and way out into the desert. Everything south of Galilee and north of the Dead Sea, where Sodom and Gomorrah was, that whole area. 

Now notice what it says, “and His fame went throughout ALL Syria.” I mean not only, wherever He went people were following Him, but His fame went abroad and they came by the droves. You never see this in the movies about Christ.

Everywhere that man walked, He was mobbed, always. Why? He healed the sick! Everybody knows somebody who was sick, diseased, crippled or whatever. 

Mat 4:25  Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Scriptures say the Apostles also healed many people.

Acts 5:12  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people...
Acts 5:16  Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

A really big thing that Christ and the Apostles were doing is to heal the people, and I believe that will be an important and primary need that will be filled when Christ returns. This world is fulled with sick people with diseases, disabilities, mental disorders, and handicaps of every kind... Christ and the elect will show mercy on these people and heal them all. They will show this world that Christ has returned to heal this world both physically and spiritual... first the physical healing and then the spiritual healing will come.

Today we live in a world that dishonesty is the norm, it's so common that people feel it's just the way it is and why not join in with everybody else. As the world begins to adjust to life under Christ's rule/government of righteousness and that new way of living... when righteousness begins to be the rule of the day/night, then that will become the way people want to be, because it will then be the norm and as Ray quoted so many times...

Isa 26:9  With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

mercy, peace and love
Kat
« Last Edit: February 06, 2015, 12:52:49 PM by Kat »
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indianabob

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2015, 08:13:57 PM »

Thanks very much Kat,
That is the type of response I was hoping to read.

It will be as you say a time of rebuilding and building righteously the destroyed cities and rural areas of the whole world. Why would we need 100 stories office buildings all over the planet?

For example, I think, there will NOT be a great need for "interstate" highways to convey working people to their place of employment each day with all the attendant pollution caused by excessive and unnecessary travel. I commuted over an hour each day in good weather and bad weather and ended up at work already tense from the stress. Not a productive way to start the work day.

Why any need for the preponderance of "get away" vacations to places such as Disney World.
When people are happy in their work and family life there is no need for an expensive and wasteful escape to an imaginary dream world with talking mice and cats or dragons.

I do sort of wonder how the great false cathedrals with phallic monuments will be dealt with. Will they all be demolished or will they perhaps become museums of a failed society to remind us of our errors. Deut. 12:1-4

It is surely going to be an interesting and exciting time for one and all, especially the younger generations.

Thanks again for your post. Indianabob

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John from Kentucky

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2015, 08:31:02 PM »

Sounds boring.

I guess the women will wear long dresses to their ankles, which will be covered in modest black socks.  Their long hair will be tied up in a knot and covered by a head scarf.  No bikini.  The women will clean house and churn butter all day.

The men will be farmers spreading manure over the fields.

I guess they will attend some type of religious service daily to pray to the Lord, read the good book, and keep their minds off sex.

No need for roads.  Why travel?  A veritable local utopia.

No electricity, no T.V., no radio. no internet.  No joking or laughter permitted.  Living religiously is serious business after all.

Sounds like a Christian North Korea.


Please Jesus, if that is what you have planned for the world, send me to hell with some loose women, and no Christians or any kind of religious people allowed.
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lilitalienboi16

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2015, 09:23:21 PM »

Though John is a little more forward in his criticism, I agree that this is becoming way too literal in interpretation of what the next age has to hold. I don't think it will be as literal as some of this is sounding.
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1 Cor 1:10 "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Dave in Tenn

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #15 on: February 06, 2015, 09:31:39 PM »

Any time I've let myself 'speculate' on what is to come, it's told me more about myself than illuminated anyy understanding.

There will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.  The Lake of Fire is in the presence of the Lamb.  He will wipe away all tears from their eyes.  The city of God will not shut its gates, and there will be no darkness.  All that is hidden will be made manifest.  We will see the Glory of God.

Has any of that happened to you?  In some small or growing "earnest of the Spirit" way?  If it has, it's easier to see how Jesus will save the whole world. 

The good works will be refined and the evil and worthless works will be done away with.  We'll 'grow in grace and wisdom' just as He did.  Go from faith to faith.  He is sovereign now...He will be sovereign then.  He'll make all things new. 

The LAST enemy to be destroyed is death.  Satan will be loosed for a period to do his last work the Lord Who formed him has for him to do.  When all have 'passed the test', all will receive the crown of righteousness.

But I don't know what "glory" is.  And I don't know what "new" completely means.  And I don't think there will be any "crowns" to place on our "heads" or "names" written on our "foreheads".  All that is symbolic of spirit--and I try my best to always remember that "spirit" is not symbolic or ephemeral...."Spirit" is what's REAL.  Everything else is temporary. 

We have the tiniest glimpse of what is to come NEXT for the world He has created.  This isn't the end of things to me...it's the beginning.     
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Heb 10:32  But you must continue to remember those earlier days, how after you were enlightened you endured a hard and painful struggle.

John from Kentucky

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #16 on: February 06, 2015, 11:05:55 PM »

Right on Dave.  I like your comments.

Some of the speculation reminded me of old Worldwide Church of God teachings.  I cannot ever go back to those teachings.  However, God used those teachings to humble me.  It's hard to believe I was so stupid as to believe their false teachings.
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Kat

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2015, 12:39:17 AM »


Hi Bob, I do not see why the infrastructure, highways in particular, would not be necessary in the next age and what is going to happen to them anyway?

God created the human mind to have the capability of great and phenomenal things, but what has been done in this age has often been marred by crime and corruption. Remember that God slowed man's progress way down at the tower of Babel.

Gen 11:6  And the LORD said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

When mankind can focused themselves on righteous endeavors, there is no telling where this will carry us in the next age.


John, the next age is for judgment and developing righteousness in a physical world... now of course there will be the need for domestic workers, but who is to say it will be women doing that? As far as women wearing Islam attire or bikinis, you speak as a fool, in the next age there will be no sexism. Christ taught His disciples that lusting after women was wrong... do you think it will be different in the next age? Don't you believe that God is capable of bringing men's testosterone driven sex craze under control (and women too)? Don't you realize the world will be a very different place in the next age? Why no tv, radio, or internet? These all would be very useful, when Christ rules things will be applied towards the betterment of mankind and no immoral application will be allowed... does that bother you?

Anyway even if you're just being facetious, you have a very different way of thinking about things than I do. Legalism used by man can never work, nor has it... you seem to think that I am confusing righteous living with the messed up religions of this age... that is your confusion, not mine.

mercy, peace and love
Kat
« Last Edit: February 07, 2015, 10:45:28 AM by Kat »
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Mike Gagne

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #18 on: February 07, 2015, 09:24:12 AM »

Thanks Kat for the awesome thread!   :)
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Rene

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Re: Kingdom of God - of the heavens
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2015, 11:47:15 AM »

Whenever I try to "visualize" the next Age, my mind just cannot perceive what it will look like.  I know for sure it will be vastly different from the current Age because under God's Kingdom righteousness will rule and that alone is a huge difference. 

This scripture came to mind:

1Cor. 13:12 - "For we see, as yet, through a dim window, obscurely, but then face to face: as yet, I gain knowledge, in part, but then, shall I fully know, even as I was also fully known." (Rotherham)

One thing for sure, we should be excited and happily anticipating the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth.  :)

René
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