What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

On another forum, the following remark was posted concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. ...

Quote:

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I believe it is God's plan is to restore his kingdom government here on earth as he had in the past. ...

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I tend to agree ... however in answer to a Negative Rebuttal to it, I wrote the following ...

Dear xxx, you need to have another look of what the Scriptures speak of concerning the Kingdom of GOD and its Message/Gospel as preached by Jesus the Christ. The above quote is scripturally correct. The Gospel began with Abraham [Gal 3.8] and it concerned the Promised Seed [Gal 3.16] and the Promised Land [Gen 12.1, 13.14-17, 15.7,8,18; 17.6-8, etc]

This is the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant. However, the fact & dilemma is 'Abraham never ever did inherit the Land'. More on that later.

The covenant was then expanded thru David concerning his lineage. [2 Sam 7.12-14, 1 Chr 17.11-14, 22.10, 28.5-7, Psa 89.36-37, etc]

(1 Chr 17:14) But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

This Davidic Kingdom was GOD's Kingdom [2 Chr 9.8, 13.8], its headquarters being in the Promised Land, its capital being Jerusalem, whereby GOD's viceregent ruled on the throne of David. [1 Chr 28.5-7] This Kingdom was the Kingdom of YAHWEH on earth. This is the basis of the Davidic covenant. Sadly in the process of time, Israel fell repeatedly in sin, which resulted in Israel being thrown out of the Land, and the throne/viceregency vacated. [Ezek 21.27] However, from that point onwards, GOD through the prophets, has always promised that He would restore the Kingdom, and that His chosen King, the Messiah, will one day be enthroned upon David's throne; which will inaugurate worldwide peace, justice & righteousness. [Ezek 21.27, Isa 9.7, Jer 23.5-6, 33.15-17, Luke 1.32-33, Psa 89.35-37, Isa 2.1-4, Micah 4.1-4, etc]

(Ezek 21:27) I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.

GOD made some awesome Promises to Abraham, David & the Nation of Israel ... GOD keeps His promises ... Jesus came to confirm all these Promises. [Rom. 15.8]

GOD's Kingdom is all about "Restoration Planet Earth, Restoration Promised Land, Restoration Jerusalem, Restoration the throne of David"

Therefore, when Jesus came ... he came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD ... [Mark 1.14-15, Mat 4.17, 23; 9.35, 24.14, Luke 4.43, 8.1, 9.2,6] (BTW, Kingdom of GOD and Kingdom of Heaven are identical and synonymous. Kingdom of Heaven is simply a Jewish circumlocution of the same term used solely by Matthew) ... Christ's audience already knew from the OT what was meant by such a Kingdom. Jesus and his disciples were simply teaching and preaching the requirements needed for one to enter the coming Kingdom. Hence, when Jesus was near geographical Jerusalem, his disciples assumed that the Kingdom was to now appear; thus, the Messiah gave the parable about the nobleman [Christ] going to a far country [Heaven] to return with a kingdom. It is at his return with the kingdom, that the nobleman rewards his faithful servants with rulership over cities. [Luke 19:11ff, cp. Rev 2.26-7] The disciples' concept of the Kingdom and its appearing wasn't wrong ... just the timing was wrong ... it wasn't yet to be. Christ had to go away to return. Again after Christ's resurrection, after a 40-day seminar on the things concerning the Kingdom of GOD [Acts 1.3], the disciples asked

(Acts 1:6) When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Jesus answered: (Acts 1:7) And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Again, there was nothing wrong with their question, neither was there anything wrong with their concept of the Kingdom (how could there be after being taught by the Messiah himself, the King de jure of the coming Kingdom). They understood the concept that the Kingdom of GOD was to be restored to Israel. It was just the timing wasn't now ... it was yet be ... namely at the Return/Parousia of Christ. And they were not to know when that time would be!

Therefore, when Christ returns, he will raise the faithful dead, and reward them with immortality, and rulership in the worldwide Kingdom of GOD, its headquarters will be in the Promised Land, capital city being Jerusalem. From hence, GOD's Kingdom will be worldwide. The world will be filled with the righteousness and peace of GOD. [Isa 11.8]

How about Abraham? He never ever did inherit the land. As Stephen said,

(Acts 7:5) And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

How then shall Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, inherit the Promised Land?? Since ...

(Heb 11:13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

(Heb 11:39-40) And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

None of them receive their promised inheritance, none of them received the promises. How shall this be resolved? Answer: At the return of Christ, when he resurrects the saints, when Christ is enthroned upon the throne of his glory in Jerusalem; it is then that the saints including Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, shall receive their inheritance.

Truly, Abraham will be heir of the world. [Rom 4.13] Truly, the meek shall inherit the earth. [Matt 5.5]. Truly, the saints shall judge/administer/govern the world. [1 Cor 6.2]

(Mat 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.

(Luke 13:28 ) ... shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God ...

(Mat 19:28 ) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(Mat 25:31) When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

(Rev 5:9-10) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Through the Coming/Parousia of Christ with the Kingdom of GOD, all the Promises spoken of in the OT (as well as the NT) shall be literally fulfilled!!!

Quote from Negative Rebuttal:

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Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world

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(In answer to the above quote I wrote ...)

Christ was saying that his Kingdom was not of i.e. from/ek this world. It is not from this world ... it is from GOD. GOD will set it up. It is GOD's Kingdom. A Kingdom of/from/ek Almighty GOD. Again, look at Daniel.

(Dan 2:34-35) Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

(Dan 2:44) And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

GOD's Kingdom, the stone cut out without hands, will fill the whole earth.

(Dan 7:27) And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

GOD's coming Kingdom will be a Kingdom under the whole heaven. Because this Kingdom will come to the earth from Heaven/GOD at the Coming of Christ. Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is a Kingdom of Heaven, of GOD, i.e. a Kingdom from GOD ... The Coming Kingdom will be a Kingdom of/from Heaven, not a Kingdom in Heaven!!

Abraham [Heb 11.9-10,16], Isaac [Gen 28.4, Gal 3.14], Jacob [Gen 35.10-12, 48.4], Daniel, all the Patriarchs, etc., never ever for one moment imagined that their future Hope, the fulfillment of GOD's promises would be a Land/Kingdom/City in Heaven or any other place removed from this planet. No way! They all had the faith of Abraham [Rom 4.12,16] and looked forward to this planet being restored, renovated and reborn. Hence Joseph's desire for his remains [Gen 50.25] to be placed in the Promised Land. He shared the same Hope. Being resurrected in the Promised Land, the land of GOD's Kingdom, located on this planet. Again, read Matt 8.11.

Quote from Negative Rebuttal:

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Jesus also said this present heaven and earth will pass away.

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(In answer to the above quote I wrote ...)

Indeed this present heaven & earth will pass away and give way to new heavens & earth that will be ushered in at the Coming of Christ and the inauguration of GOD's Kingdom. How will it pass away? This present world will be renewed/restored/reborn in the Age to Come, the New age/epoch that will commence at Christ's coming.

(Mat 19:28 ) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(Acts 3:20-21) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive [retain] until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

This world, this planet, this system of things, will be recreated, renewed, restored, regenerated, reborn! That is why Isa 65.17ff describes a wonderful, earthly paradise, speaking of Jerusalem, longevity, lushness, abundance, and carnivorous and venomous animals being vegetarian and at peace [cp. Isa 11.6-9]. This is a picture of the future Paradise, as it was, in the Garden of Eden. This Planet Restored.

Quote from Negative Rebuttal:

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this present heaven and earth will be burned up on the hour and day of Jesus Christ return. - Jesus return is compared to the day of the flood with Noah (2 Peter 3:5-6)

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(In answer to the above quote I wrote ...)

Look again ...

(2 Pet 3:5-7) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

The scriptures say that the heaven & earth of Noah's time perished:. Amen! So it did. Every living thing perished. There was a mass depopulation. Only 8 humans and an ark full of animals survived. However, was the planet itself destroyed? No! Was planet Earth removed? No! It was the same planet that was under judgment, the same planet overflowed with water, ... it was the same planet that was perished:, that Noah, his family and the animals disembarked on to! Remember,

(2 Pet 3:6) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:.

In like manner, at the coming of Christ, whereby Christ will

(2 Th 1:8 ) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ;

This planet, this world will indeed perish, indeed pass away, indeed there will be a terrible judgment, indeed there will mass depopulation [see Isa 24.1-23]. However, the same GOD that was able to preserve Noah and his family whilst the antediluvian world perished, is the same GOD who will preserve the immortalized, glorified saints, whilst fiery judgment is being meted out on this present heaven and earth at the end of this present evil age. Nevertheless, after the fire, after the judgment, this planet will be renewed & reborn, it will be made fit to be ruled and administered over. The saints will inherit the earth ... alongside Abraham, they will be heirs of the world, they will reign with Christ over the world.

Quote from Negative Rebuttal:

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rather they preach and teach of world peace or some type of paradise here on this present earth.

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(In answer to the above quote I wrote ...)

The Gospel of the Kingdom of GOD, as preached by Christ & his disciples, is about future world peace [Isa 2.4, 9.7, Micah 4.3], the future paradise [Lk 23.42-43], that will come upon this planet in the Age To Come. It will be this earth, restored and renewed ... in such away that this present i.e. the former world, will not be remembered. [Isa 65.17] It will be such a transformation. So, not only will the saints be transformed/changed [1 Cor 15.51-52] ... this planet also is looking forward to its transformation, its change; hence, it groans for the manifestation of the sons of GOD [Rom 8.19-23], which will not happen until the return of Christ. I hope this post clarifies things and helps correct some erroneous assumptions about the Coming Kingdom of GOD. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, I will do my best to answer. GOD BLESS