What IS the Kingdom of Heaven? To whom does it relate?

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eph3Nine

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WHAT IS "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN"?

Sometimes the "kingdom of heaven" is thought of as simply being a reference to heaven itself, and that what the Lord and the 12 apostles were preaching about was simply the issue of heaven and how to get there. With others it is thought to be a reference to a spiritual reigning of God in the hearts of men which results in transformed lives and eventually in a transformation of society. What the Lord and the 12 apostles were therefore preaching about, it is said, was the issue of men needing to repent and let God and His will reign in their hearts. In so doing, God's will will be done on this earth.


Though these are commonly accepted ideas as to what the "kingdom of heaven" is, they are at variance with what the Scriptures themselves declare it to be. The testimony of God's word is that the "kingdom of heaven" is not a reference to heaven itself, or to a spiritual reigning of God in men's hearts, but rather to the literal reigning of God Himself on and over this earth in fulfillment of the covenants God made with the nation of Israel.


ISRAEL'S COVENANTED KINGDOM

According to the covenant God made with Abraham and his seed, the nation of Israel is to be a "great nation" on this earth, and as such the means through which "all the families of the earth shall be blessed". (Gen. 12:1 3) They have land covenanted to them by God in which they are to dwell as this "great nation" and provide for the blessing of the world by God. (Gen. 13:14 18; 15:7 21; 17:1 8) As was later confirmed to them in the Law, they are designed by God to be "a peculiar treasure unto (Him) above all people"; a "kingdom of priests, and an holy nation". (Ex. 19:1 6)


God's plan and purpose with the nation of Israel is for them to be that "great nation" and "kingdom" in which they functioning as God's priests to the rest of the world will provide for the blessing of the world and the administering of God's dominion over it. Isaiah, therefore, prophesying about the fulfillment of God's plan and purpose with Israel, proclaimed...
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:" (Isaiah 2:2 4a)
Israel in her kingdom and in fulfillment of God's covenant with her will provide for the subjection of the world to God's ways and for the establishment of His paths for it to walk in. The will of heaven will reign and rule on this earth in Israel's covenanted kingdom.
 

eph3Nine

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The testimony of God's word is that the "kingdom of heaven" is not a reference to heaven itself, or to a spiritual reigning of God in men's hearts, but rather to the literal reigning of God Himself on and over this earth in fulfillment of the covenants God made with the nation of Israel
 
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eph3Nine

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Jesus teaches the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. It's accessable now. Follow the teachings and you'll discover the joy and peace of the Lord. Stand against the teachings and you create your own hell. Let go and let God run the world.
When Jesus, during His EARTHLY ministry, spoke of the Kingdom of heaven...it was a LITERAL kingdom of heaven that would come to the LITERAL earth. It also dealt specifically with a LITERAL NATION of people who were the JEWS.

The RISEN Christ spoke thru Paul, who is OUR apostle today. We (the church which is His BODY)
dont HAVE an EARTHLY calling and hope, but a HEAVENLY ONE. We find OUR instructions in his letters, and nowhere else.
 
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eph3Nine

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When Jesus, during His EARTHLY ministry, spoke of the Kingdom of heaven...it was a LITERAL kingdom of heaven that would come to the LITERAL earth. It also dealt specifically with a LITERAL NATION of people who were the JEWS.

The RISEN Christ spoke thru Paul, who is OUR apostle today. We (the church which is His BODY)
dont HAVE an EARTHLY calling and hope, but a HEAVENLY ONE. We find OUR instructions in his letters, and nowhere else.
:)
 
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jeffweeder

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Do you expect that God could keep a straight face if the Jews were to build a literal temple , and then slaughter an animal, for the forgiveness of sin -for 1 year?

After what Jesus went through for them (and us) , i think this would be the last straw,- I can see those nostrils flaring, even as i type this. As if God could honour them doing that now....IT IS FINISHED.

Mystery= Christ in you the hope of glory-
Why?
Because Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, and Man was made in Gods image. This is God's purpose for man, and he is redeemed by the blood of his only begotton image/son.- Who WAS JESUS CHRIST of nazerath, according to what the prophet had spoken.
 
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christianmomof3

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The Difference between the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Kingdom of God


"We must also see from the Scriptures that the kingdom of the heavens is different from the kingdom of God. Most Christians think that the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God are synonymous terms. When John the Baptist came, he told the people to repent for the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near (Matt. 3:2). This meant that up until the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom of the heavens had not yet come but was at hand. Then when the Lord Jesus came out to preach the gospel at the beginning of His ministry, He said the same thing: “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near” (Matt. 4:17). Later in Matthew 10:7, the Lord sent the first group of disciples and told them to say the same thing, that the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near. When the Lord came out to preach the gospel, the kingdom of the heavens had not come yet. On the one hand, the kingdom of God was already among the children of Israel. On the other hand, the kingdom of the heavens was coming.
Matthew 12:28 says, “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is come upon you.” In this verse the Lord refers to the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of the heavens. Even then, the kingdom of the heavens had still not come, but the kingdom of God was there by that time.
Another important passage showing this distinction between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God is Matthew 11:11-12: “Truly I say to you, Among those born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is smallest in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and violent men seize it.” This word indicates that up to this time “the kingdom of the heavens” had not come, and John the Baptist was not in it because the smallest in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than John. Also, from the time of John until the time the Lord spoke this word was the period of time in which people could endeavor to get into the kingdom of the heavens. In Matthew 16:19 the Lord told Peter that He would give to him “the keys of the kingdom of the heavens.” Even at the time of Matthew 16 the kingdom of the heavens had not begun because the keys had not been given. The Lord gave the first key of the kingdom of the heavens to Peter on the day of Pentecost. The kingdom of the heavens started on the day of Pentecost when the church began to be built up. Peter used one key to open the gate for the Jewish believers to enter the kingdom of the heavens on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-42), and he used the other to open the gate for the Gentile believers to enter the kingdom of the heavens in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:34-48). "

quoted from "A Brief Definition of the Kingdom of the Heavens" - found here - http://www.ministrybooks.org/categories.cfm#xKx
under the category of the kingdom.
 
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A Brother In Christ

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WHAT IS "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN"?

Sometimes the "kingdom of heaven" is thought of as simply being a reference to heaven itself, and that what the Lord and the 12 apostles were preaching about was simply the issue of heaven and how to get there. With others it is thought to be a reference to a spiritual reigning of God in the hearts of men which results in transformed lives and eventually in a transformation of society. What the Lord and the 12 apostles were therefore preaching about, it is said, was the issue of men needing to repent and let God and His will reign in their hearts. In so doing, God's will will be done on this earth.


Though these are commonly accepted ideas as to what the "kingdom of heaven" is, they are at variance with what the Scriptures themselves declare it to be. The testimony of God's word is that the "kingdom of heaven" is not a reference to heaven itself, or to a spiritual reigning of God in men's hearts, but rather to the literal reigning of God Himself on and over this earth in fulfillment of the covenants God made with the nation of Israel.


ISRAEL'S COVENANTED KINGDOM

According to the covenant God made with Abraham and his seed, the nation of Israel is to be a "great nation" on this earth, and as such the means through which "all the families of the earth shall be blessed". (Gen. 12:1 3) They have land covenanted to them by God in which they are to dwell as this "great nation" and provide for the blessing of the world by God. (Gen. 13:14 18; 15:7 21; 17:1 8) As was later confirmed to them in the Law, they are designed by God to be "a peculiar treasure unto (Him) above all people"; a "kingdom of priests, and an holy nation". (Ex. 19:1 6)





God's plan and purpose with the nation of Israel is for them to be that "great nation" and "kingdom" in which they functioning as God's priests to the rest of the world will provide for the blessing of the world and the administering of God's dominion over it. Isaiah, therefore, prophesying about the fulfillment of God's plan and purpose with Israel, proclaimed...
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:" (Isaiah 2:2 4a)
Israel in her kingdom and in fulfillment of God's covenant with her will provide for the subjection of the world to God's ways and for the establishment of His paths for it to walk in. The will of heaven will reign and rule on this earth in Israel's covenanted kingdom.

the kingdom of heaven is the 1000 yr reign of Christ


believers prior to cross and after the rapture are here ruling on earth .... there children need to believe in God

the church is ruling with Christ from the heavens...
 
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eph3Nine

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the kingdom of heaven is the 1000 yr reign of Christ


believers prior to cross and after the rapture are here ruling on earth .... there children need to believe in God

the church is ruling with Christ from the heavens...
And that reign has to do with 12 tribes, ruled by 12 apostles (note that Paul is NOT one of them as he is in a different location with the BODY OF CHRIST) who sit on 12 thrones.

It is the AGES to COME that the Bible speaks of when God RESUMES HIS dealings with the Nation ISRAEL ....after we, who are His BODY are taken UP to meet OUR Lord in the AIR!
 
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A Brother In Christ

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And that reign has to do with 12 tribes, ruled by 12 apostles (note that Paul is NOT one of them as he is in a different location with the BODY OF CHRIST) who sit on 12 thrones.

eph 4:11 And He gave thee, apostles; and thee prophets; and thee evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, for a work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.


where are the thrones ... in the New Jersalem... where is the body...In THE NEW JERSALEM

same place
It is the AGES to COME that the Bible speaks of when God RESUMES HIS dealings with the Nation ISRAEL ....after we, who are His BODY are taken UP to meet OUR Lord in the AIR!

I said this.... ???
 
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