Hi Dwight,
If Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have to go through the LOF, then why did Jesus say, " Matthew 8:11 - And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." Unless there is more than one kingdom; which I don't think there is. But then in the very next verse, Jesus says, "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
I was thinking about this, and the scripture say some will enter the kingom before others. Here is scripture on the same subject.
Luk 13:27 But He shall say, I tell you, I do not know you; from where you are. Depart from Me, all workers of unrighteousness!
v. 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves being thrust out.
v. 29 And they will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and will recline in the kingdom of God.
v. 30 And behold, there are last ones which will be first, and there are first ones which will be last.
So if you consider that some will enter the kingdom before others, as in the last (Strong: lowest) in carnality, will be first to enter, and the first (Strong: chiefest) in this present world will be last to enter the kingdom. Now I would think that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets would be among the first to enter the kingdom out of the Lake of Fire.
So I can see the many coming to sit with them in the kingdom are those coming out of the Lake of Fire after them.
Now about verse 12, "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:" What came to my mind is that God referred to Israel of the Old Test., as the children of the kingdom.
Exo 19:6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the sons of Israel.
Jesus had already referred to Israel in Mat. 8:10. And as you said the children of Israel were a shadow of things to come, yet they still were a literal people. So there will be those 'children' that will cast into the Lake of Fire and have a longer stay there than Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So does this seem to be a possible way that this can be understood?
Are there other people outside of the New Jerusalem?
Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her Husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
Seem like New Jerusalem is the elect, as it says the bride, this is the kingdom of Christ coming to the earth.
When christ's kingdom first comes to the earth all nations/people will be outside of it, until they have been purged and given the truth and brought to salvation.
Anyway that is how these scripture seem to go together to me. It would be great if someone could give more scripture or help with this
mercy, peace, and love
Kat