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| God's Kingdom, Now or to Come? |
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I received this from the Holy Spirit this morning pertaining to the Kingdom of God. One of my favourite topics yet I learned new things too.
Joh 5:37 And He sending Me, the Father Himself, has borne witness of Me. Neither have you heard His voice at any time nor seen His shape.
Joh 5:38 And you do not have His Word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He has sent.
Joh 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. And they are the ones witnessing of Me,
Joh 5:40 and you will not come to Me that you might have life.
Joh 5:41 I do not receive honor from men.
Granted, this was addressed to the Pharisees but for many I believe this to be a admonition to us all.
Kingdom:
Here are some well known kingdom texts.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent! For the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God.
Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God.
Mat 5:10 Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Mat 5:11 Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
Luk 17:20 And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation.
What is meant here by observation?
G3907 παρατήρησις paratērēsis par-at-ay'-ray-sis
From G3906; inspection, that is, ocular evidence: - observation.
Clearly Jesus was admonishing them for awaiting the arrival of some future event. Bear in mind at this stage, the Messiah was supposed to be a conquering king to free them from the oppression of the Roman empire. W/o detail, is is fair to assume the Jews by this stage were nothing less than slaves/captives to Caesar and his legions, the Jews no longer ruled themselves. Even if Pontius Pilate was Jewish, he was one who had forsaken the Hebraic tradition and now served his new master Ceases.
Luk 17:21 Nor shall they say, Lo here! or, behold, there! For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.
What did Jesus mean here?
I cannot use the concordance as the KJV renders it inside of you, the MKJV renders it in your midst. Now we can argue semantics here but in the context of the verse and the conversation, Jesus was declaring Kingdom Now. It had arrived, they just could not perceive it and recognise Jesus as King.
Luk 17:22 And He said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it.
If you do a study on "Kingdom of" you will find all references to heaven and kingdom, the kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are the same thing.
The famous Born-again texts
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Now this is where most folk trash it up. There are two key words and Jesus spoke and said essentially the same thing but changed one word the second time.
When we become born again (from above) we see the kingdom not with physical eyes. Carnally this is interpreted as if you are not B-A you will never see (in this lifetime of the next) the kingdom of heaven (pie-in-the-sky interpretation).
The 2nd is also interpreted as if you are not B-A, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Notice I used heaven instead of God. This was deliberate as this is how it is traditionally taught, that only B-A believers will make it to heaven.
The fact of the matter is when we understand this from a Spiritual context, we now, this age see the kingdom and we now this age have already entered the kingdom thus as a body, we are the kingdom now and thus the kingdom is in each of us.
During and before Jesus' ministry, the Holy Spirit only manifested in men occasionally and even in donkey's. Jesus promised the comforter the Holy Spirit which would come after He had gone back to the Father and this only happened with Pentecost.
Just look at how Peter blew it, the one whom the RC's claimed is the 1st pope et al. yet even walking 3-1/2 years with Jesus, only after Pentecost and subsequent vision of unclean animals and later the Holy Spirit falling of Gentiles did he finally get the message of Jesus. Now why did Jesus choose the dumbest of all his disciples to say upon this rock...?
New revelation, it was not about Peter's proclamation that Jesus was the Son of the Living God, it was as a result of Jesus' knowing how much Peter would have to deny him, and be told over and over again before he grasped the real meaning of Jesus' message.
Lets look at his errors after the Proclamation
Denies Jesus needed to die
Cuts off a servants ear
Denies Jesus 3 times
Restoration
The do you love me after Jesus had risen, feed my sheep....
The vision of unclean animals
The seeing of the Holy Spirit falling on Gentiles
Three times and three times.
Now look at Saul, --- BANG --- it happened instantaneously (by comparison), he immediately when He fell down prostrate recognised Jesus and who He was. After he was baptised, he immediately began to preach Jesus Crucified, why? He had the Holy Spirit and was devoid from the carnal expectations others had of Jesus.
Paul himself says his conversion was a model for all.
We know Peter & Co. were simple fisher folk but one tends to overlook guys like Philip who had a far greater revelation of Jesus than Peter ever had. He was the evangelist. Study for yourself and you will see this. Peter the RC pedestal saint aka 1st pope blew it even after the three corrections/lessons. Paul had to correct him of his errors, why? He was trying to drag the old covenant into the new covenant and Paul knew the former had passed away. If you read what is alleged to be the Acts of Peter, he really did not move to the next level.
I guess this is why Jesus had to appear to Paul. Even as a young Christian, I could see that Paul was chosen to complete that which Jesus had tried to convey to the 12.
Paul as we know was a Pharisee and he did a complete 180. Little is known if Paul was privy to Jesus' teachings 1st hand as it does not say, needless to say, word of mouth witness must have gotten through to him yet it was only after the Damascus road experience when he changed.
And what a change that was PTL.
Many assume John the beloved wrote John and the epistles and Revelation but most scholars cannot confirm this. By inference only is it assumed Matthew and John were of the disciples, Matthew as he was a tax collector hence must have been learned and John, I do not know why, he don't feature much as a stand-out disciple in the synoptic gospels apart from being one of the three favorites and the beloved.
Anyway, most Paul's writings predate that of the gospels and so too does Revelation and the Epistles.
Back on topic. Well I guess the early church really grew from the Gentiles side more so than from the Jews and where ever churches were planted, they were interspersed with both Jews and Gentiles.
From there it all went pear shaped with the introduction of Greco-Roman paganism leading to the dark ages up till the reformation. What happened for 1600 years, we only have access to the RC archives and even that is inconclusive. The RCC today is by no means remotely representative of the early church and more so the recent reformed and protestant churches. It would take many years post the printing press and leading up to today's literacy and mass distribution of bibles. Yet many survived in the dark ages much like the remnant of Israel and we should assume that these folk walked by the Spirit and not by doctrine, the non RC's. How can I make such a claim, yes I have no proof.
Read the story of Zacharias in Matthew and particularly Simeon in Luke.
This is a very significant story:
Luk 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him.
Luk 2:26 And it happened to him, being instructed by the Holy Spirit, he was not to see death before he would see the Christ of the Lord.
Luk 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And as the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do according to the custom of the Law concerning Him,
Luk 2:28 even he received Him in his arms and blessed God, and said,
Luk 2:29 Lord, now You will let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word.
Luk 2:30 For my eyes have seen Your Salvation
Luk 2:31 which You have prepared before the face of all the peoples,
Luk 2:32 a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel.
Luk 2:33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken by him.
Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against
Luk 2:35 (yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
This is what I was alluding to earlier of other men being filled with the Holy Spirit. Simeon who plays such a minor role should be a big clue to all that would imagine their baptism in the Holy Spirit is special. Here is an ordinary man, not a Pharisee, more than likely not a learned man but someone to whom the salvation of all had been revealed.
Here is the clue
Luk 2:33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken by him.
Now if this was a Pharisee, they would have expected it. Here was most likely a complete stranger just as the wise men from the east were.
Then he prophesies
Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against
Luk 2:35 (yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also), so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
Angel talks to Mary, angel talks to Joseph - 1st witness
Wise men form the east - 2nd witness
Simeon - 3rd witness
All the while the 2nd and 3rd witnesses are Holy Spirit led.
Let us focus on the wise men.
Key verse
Mat 2:11 And coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother. And they fell down and worshiped Him. And opening their treasures, they presented gifts to Him, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Now does that sound like gifts for a baby or a King?
The Kingdom had arrived. Sorry for the walk around, but the Holy Spirit talks to me this way.
Lets back up to Zacharias
Luk 1:11 And an angel of the Lord appeared to him as he was standing on the right of the altar of incense.
Luk 1:12 And seeing this, Zacharias was troubled, and fear fell on him.
Luk 1:13 But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias. For your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
Luk 1:14 And you shall have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
Luk 1:16 And he shall turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
Luk 1:17 And he shall go before Him (The Messiah) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Luk 1:18 And Zacharias said to the angel, By what shall I know this? For I am old, and my wife is advanced in her days.
Luk 1:19 And answering, the angel said to him, I am Gabriel, who stands before God. And I am sent to speak to you and to show you these glad tidings.
Luk 1:20 And behold, you shall be silent and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because you did not believe my words which shall be fulfilled in their time.
Many hidden messages in this text.
Here we have a known priest, gets a vision/visitation and then is struck dumb so that he can tell no one about it. Also the son John that would be born would not drink wine of strong drink, this is not about abstinence.
Heard of being drunk in the Spirit?
Luk 1:40 And she entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
Luk 1:41 And it happened as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
Luk 1:42 and cried out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Luk 1:43 And from where is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Luk 1:44 For lo, as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
Luk 1:45 And blessed is she who believes, for there shall be a perfecting of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Luk 1:46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
Luk 1:47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Two things happened here, both Elizabeth and Mary were filled with the Holy Spirit although it does not say so of Mary.
1Co 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says Jesus is a curse, and that no one can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
So here we already have at least 5 people filled with the Holy Spirit and Jesus is unborn or but a babe. After John was born, we know Zacharias was able to speak again after the name John was given and he prophesied.(Luk 1:63-79)
Luk 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,....
Luk 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests-- the Word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
Luk 3:3 And he came into all the country around Jordan, proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
Luk 3:4 as it is written in the book of the Words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.
Luk 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.
Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
And
Mat 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
Mat 3:2 and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Mat 3:3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."
Now consider this next verse with verse 2 above.
Mat 3:4 And the same John had his clothing of camel's hair and a leather girdle about his loins. And his food was locusts and wild honey.
Does this sound or look like a prophet? Surely they must have thought him to be drunk?
Act 2:13 But others mocking said, These men are full of sweet wine.
Act 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and said to them, Men, Jews, and all who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
Act 2:15 For these are not drunk as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day.
Act 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel:
Act 2:17 "And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
The last days had begun with the conception and birth of Jesus.
I mean John surely looked a mess, he was in the wilderness when the Holy Spirit came upon him a second time. His message was simple, he had not been taught to be a priest (no. 6)
Jesus did nothing before His baptism. John had done what he needed to do, and now it was over to Jesus (No. 7)
The Kingdom had arrived and now Jesus went on to proclaim it.
Heaven is not something only in the future, neither is the Kingdom. It started back then and is still available today, for whom the bell tolls (John 6:44)
When you become born again, you can both see it and enter it now. Yes there is a future kingdom but is just like Jesus' coming. It is perpetual.
One day all will be reconciled to God, we are in the early days of this reconciliation. While many wait for a future event, they will remain in darkness.
1Co 9:8 Do I say these things according to man? Or does not the Law say the same also?
1Co 9:9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox threshing grain." Does God take care for oxen?
1Co 9:10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? It was written for us, so that he who plows should plow in hope, and so that he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
1Co 9:11 If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
1Co 9:12 If others have a share of this authority over you, rather should not we? But we have not used this authority, but we endured all things lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
1Co 9:13 Do you not know that those who minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? And those attending the altar are partakers with the altar.
1Co 9:14 Even so, the Lord ordained those announcing the gospel to live from the gospel.
Although these are used as tithing justification texts, by now we should know that Paul knows, the temple is not made of hands, we are the temple. Read this with a Kingdom mindset.
1Co 9:15 But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it is good for me rather to die than that anyone nullify my glorying.
1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, no glory is to me. For necessity is laid on me; yea, woe is to me if I do not preach the gospel!
1Co 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I am entrusted with a stewardship.
1Co 9:18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
1Co 9:19 For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more.
Not about money folks, it is about the Kingdom of God Now and the Good News.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
Blessings
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