It is near

RandyPNW · Feb 2, 2026

The Kingdom is near. The Bible speaks of the impact of God's heavenly Kingdom today, and even always. But it does not say that the eschatological Kingdom is already realized. By definition it comes in the Eschaton, and not before.

And so, the Kingdom is a process, the steps of which make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the eschatological sense.

What did Jesus mean when he said God's Kingdom was "near?" Albert Schweitzer thought Jesus was mistaken. Others have thought the same.

What Jesus actually meant is that he was the King of this coming Kingdom, and his presence was the initial step in preparing for the eschatological Kingdom to come.

If Jesus was near in proximity to his people, being present with them on earth, then in a sense the Kingdom itself, spiritually, was near them. And he made another "hour" click off the clock in preparation for his final Coming, since his earthly work prepared the way for it to come.

The Gospel is an advance warning, providing the warning of an almost imminent event. In fact, Christ's 1st Coming means that we already have a choice to make, once we've heard that message. It in that sense makes the coming of the Kingdom near to every one of us.

The main point here is that since Jesus brought the Kingdom "near" in his 1st Coming, his work of redemption has brought his Spirit near to all of us when the Gospel is preached to us as an advance warning. When he came he brought his Spirit with him. And when he left, he left his Spirit with the Church. Jesus in that sense remains "near" to us. And it renders his judgment "near" to all of us.

We are all "near" the judgment. We have an immediate need to respond to the message and to deliver the message. That's what we should be doing.

keras · Feb 3, 2026

Ezekiel 12:21-28 A proverb- “Days pass and visions perish”. The Lord will put an end to this proverb, instead it will be said: The Days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. There will be no more false prophecies among the Israelites, for what I, the Lord, says, will be done. For it will be in your days, in your lifetime, you rebellious people, that I shall carry out all that I decree.

Ezekiel 12:25 is most interesting, as it means that in the days that Judah is in possession of the Land, within a lifetime, that is 70- 80 years from 1948 that the Lord will carry out what He has decreed. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:32-34,.... the generation present who sees Judah living again in part of the Holy Land.

Firstlightdawn · Feb 3, 2026

RandyPNW said:
The Kingdom is near. The Bible speaks of the impact of God's heavenly Kingdom today, and even always. But it does not say that the eschatological Kingdom is already realized. By definition it comes in the Eschaton, and not before.

And so, the Kingdom is a process, the steps of which make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the eschatological sense.

What did Jesus mean when he said God's Kingdom was "near?" Albert Schweitzer thought Jesus was mistaken. Others have thought the same.

What Jesus actually meant is that he was the King of this coming Kingdom, and his presence was the initial step in preparing for the eschatological Kingdom to come.

If Jesus was near in proximity to his people, being present with them on earth, then in a sense the Kingdom itself, spiritually, was near them. And he made another "hour" click off the clock in preparation for his final Coming, since his earthly work prepared the way for it to come.

The Gospel is an advance warning, providing the warning of an almost imminent event. In fact, Christ's 1st Coming means that we already have a choice to make, once we've heard that message. It in that sense makes the coming of the Kingdom near to every one of us.

The main point here is that since Jesus brought the Kingdom "near" in his 1st Coming, his work of redemption has brought his Spirit near to all of us when the Gospel is preached to us as an advance warning. When he came he brought his Spirit with him. And when he left, he left his Spirit with the Church. Jesus in that sense remains "near" to us. And it renders his judgment "near" to all of us.

We are all "near" the judgment. We have an immediate need to respond to the message and to deliver the message. That's what we should be doing.

And so, the Kingdom is a process. Its steps already make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the full eschatological sense. Wherever justice replaces exploitation, wherever truth replaces payola, and wherever people are treated with dignity instead of being used, we see the early signs of that Kingdom. My comments aren’t about being pro‑ or anti‑any leader. They’re about the difference between exploitation and justice, and about how God’s Kingdom ultimately removes every system built on corruption.”

RandyPNW · Feb 3, 2026

Firstlightdawn said:
And so, the Kingdom is a process. Its steps already make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the full eschatological sense. Wherever justice replaces exploitation, wherever truth replaces payola, and wherever people are treated with dignity instead of being used, we see the early signs of that Kingdom. My comments aren’t about being pro‑ or anti‑any leader. They’re about the difference between exploitation and justice, and about how God’s Kingdom ultimately removes every system built on corruption.”

Yes, ungodly political leaders are given space to present their views and their sins. The people are complicit in the sin.

However, the truth is still marching on, with a lot of good things being done by good people. There's still hope!

Jan001 · Feb 4, 2026

RandyPNW said:
The Kingdom is near. The Bible speaks of the impact of God's heavenly Kingdom today, and even always. But it does not say that the eschatological Kingdom is already realized. By definition it comes in the Eschaton, and not before.

And so, the Kingdom is a process, the steps of which make an impact on our world today, even before it arrives in the eschatological sense.

What did Jesus mean when he said God's Kingdom was "near?" Albert Schweitzer thought Jesus was mistaken. Others have thought the same.

What Jesus actually meant is that he was the King of this coming Kingdom, and his presence was the initial step in preparing for the eschatological Kingdom to come.

If Jesus was near in proximity to his people, being present with them on earth, then in a sense the Kingdom itself, spiritually, was near them. And he made another "hour" click off the clock in preparation for his final Coming, since his earthly work prepared the way for it to come.

The Gospel is an advance warning, providing the warning of an almost imminent event. In fact, Christ's 1st Coming means that we already have a choice to make, once we've heard that message. It in that sense makes the coming of the Kingdom near to every one of us.

The main point here is that since Jesus brought the Kingdom "near" in his 1st Coming, his work of redemption has brought his Spirit near to all of us when the Gospel is preached to us as an advance warning. When he came he brought his Spirit with him. And when he left, he left his Spirit with the Church. Jesus in that sense remains "near" to us. And it renders his judgment "near" to all of us.

We are all "near" the judgment. We have an immediate need to respond to the message and to deliver the message. That's what we should be doing.

Randy,

God's judgment is indeed very near to all of us here on earth right now. When we die, we are immediately judged, and then we will go to the place that has been prepared for us to await the second coming of Jesus Christ and his eschatological kingdom, which will be at the end of time. Hebrews 9:27, Acts 1:25, Hebrews 9:28

RandyPNW · Feb 4, 2026

Jan001 said:
Randy,

God's judgment is indeed very near to all of us here on earth right now. When we die, we are immediately judged, and then we will go to the place that has been prepared for us to await the second coming of Jesus Christ and his eschatological kingdom, which will be at the end of time. Hebrews 9:27, Acts 1:25, Hebrews 9:28

Yes Jan, I had tried to somewhat hint at that. The Kingdom is near in the relative sense, because chronologically, it is next on the agenda. But it is equally near because since the Kingdom is next in the sequence, what we do today has immediate need for attention. Not only could we die but what we are doing is having either an eternal positive effect, or it is an utter waste of time we may forever regret.

Firstlightdawn · Sunday at 7:56 AM

RandyPNW said:
We are all "near" the judgment. We have an immediate need to respond to the message and to deliver the message. That's what we should be doing.

Is anyone talking about the Kingdom of God? People get mad at me when I talk about it. God's Kingdom must have something to do with justice. We know that God's justice is not the same as man's justice. In fact, I am told it is against the law to teach God's justice in law school. AT least the school my sister in law went to.

Justice as God defines it: restoring what was broken, healing what was damaged, and setting creation back into alignment. The Kingdom of God is described as:

God’s presence revealed
God’s justice made visible
the world restored to its intended order
evil removed from the community
boundaries re‑established
people transformed, not punished

keras · Sunday at 1:46 PM

Firstlightdawn said:
Is anyone talking about the Kingdom of God?

We pray for Gods Kingdom to come in the Lords Prayer.
It will come first as The Kingdom of Jesus, then after 1000 years, Jesus will hand the Kingdom back to the Father 1 Cor 15:24

Firstlightdawn · Sunday at 3:22 PM

keras said:
We pray for Gods Kingdom to come in the Lords Prayer.
It will come first as The Kingdom of Jesus, then after 1000 years, Jesus will hand the Kingdom back to the Father 1 Cor 15:24

Rulers — “They lived and reigned with Christ” (Revelation 20:4).
Judges — “You shall judge the world” (1 Corinthians 6:2).
Priests — “They shall be priests of God and of Christ” (Revelation 20:6).

WE know so little about the Kingdom age in terms of Government and justice. That is why I am trying to learn about God's Justice. I am told it is against the law to teach God's Justice in law school.

Ezekiel 45:7–8 describes the Messiah’s territory:

land on both sides of the holy district
stretching east and west
directly adjacent to the Temple area
designated as the royal allotment

This is the Messiah’s residential and administrative zone.

Ezekiel 48:21–22 repeats the same boundaries, confirming that the Prince’s land wraps around the Temple district.

RandyPNW · Monday at 2:19 AM

Firstlightdawn said:
Is anyone talking about the Kingdom of God? People get mad at me when I talk about it. God's Kingdom must have something to do with justice. We know that God's justice is not the same as man's justice. In fact, I am told it is against the law to teach God's justice in law school. AT least the school my sister in law went to.

Justice as God defines it: restoring what was broken, healing what was damaged, and setting creation back into alignment. The Kingdom of God is described as:

God’s presence revealed

God’s justice made visible

the world restored to its intended order

evil removed from the community

boundaries re‑established

people transformed, not punished

I don't know why you should think that God's Justice does not require the "punishment" of ungodly people?

As for how the Bible defines the "Kingdom of God," it is not just a general sense of God's Justice. It has a much more technical definition as applied to the hope of Israel, along with the hope for the world.

Abraham was promised a family of faith consisting of the Israeli nation, along with many other nations dedicated to God. I suppose them all to be Christian nations, ultimately, even though Israel has not yet achieved that.

Once these goals are met in the Millennial Age I think the Kingdom of God will assume a completely different form, when the mortal passes completely into immortality.

Firstlightdawn · Monday at 5:29 AM

RandyPNW said:
I don't know why you should think that God's Justice does not require the "punishment" of ungodly people?

As for how the Bible defines the "Kingdom of God," it is not just a general sense of God's Justice. It has a much more technical definition as applied to the hope of Israel, along with the hope for the world.

Abraham was promised a family of faith consisting of the Israeli nation, along with many other nations dedicated to God. I suppose them all to be Christian nations, ultimately, even though Israel has not yet achieved that.

Once these goals are met in the Millennial Age I think the Kingdom of God will assume a completely different form, when the mortal passes completely into immortality.

God’s justice does require dealing with the ungodly, but Scripture shows that His justice is bigger than simple punishment. It’s the way God removes evil, protects the righteous, and brings creation back into alignment with His covenant purposes. The Kingdom of God isn’t just a general idea of fairness—it’s a technical, covenant term tied directly to the hope of Israel and the blessing of the nations promised to Abraham.

Abraham was promised a physical nation (Israel) and many nations brought into the blessing. That promise hasn’t been fully realized yet, but the prophets describe a future age where Israel is restored and the nations walk in God’s ways. That’s the Millennial Age, where the Messiah rules, justice is immediate, and the covenant promises reach their earthly fulfillment.

Once those purposes are complete, the Kingdom shifts into its final form. Mortality gives way to immortality, the old creation passes, and the New Heavens and New Earth begin. At that point the Kingdom of God is no longer tied to mortal nations—it becomes fully eternal.

Jipsah · 2026-02-10T12:22:45-0600

RandyPNW said:
I don't know why you should think that God's Justice does not require the "punishment" of ungodly people?

The churches I was dragged to in my youth thought of little else. The "old time hellfire preacher" was the kind of minister most in demand in the churches where I grew up. It was all strictly "get Jesus to save you from being tortured forever".

RandyPNW · 2026-02-10T13:30:04-0600

Jipsah said:
The churches I was dragged to in my youth thought of little else. The "old time hellfire preacher" was the kind of minister most in demand in the churches where I grew up. It was all strictly "get Jesus to save you from being tortured forever".

I understand. I wasn't raised that way, and our church denomination emphasized Grace perhaps to a fault. I probably could've used some of the Hell Fire preaching, because I took advantage of Grace to test the limits of God's patience!

But yea, it gets to be a bit over the top with the threatening type of preaching that is more "man's rage" than God's rage. And I don't believe God has or ever will "torture people"--not even in "Hell."

I believe Hell is a place of separation away from those who love God--not a torture chamber. People who hate God don't mix well with people who love God.

The fire is simply the symbol of being destroyed from the present environement, like a burn pile--it is not a medieval torture chamber where people will suffer the burning of their flesh for eternity!

An eternal fire is purely eternal separation. The "torture," if you will, is simply being separated from the light of God and from the warmth of His love.

Firstlightdawn · 2026-02-10T15:41:45-0600

Jipsah said:
The churches I was dragged to in my youth thought of little else. The "old time hellfire preacher" was the kind of minister most in demand in the churches where I grew up. It was all strictly "get Jesus to save you from being tortured forever".

I prayed about that and God told me He is a God of absolute Justice, as perfect;y balanced as creation. Which to me means the moral law is as perfect as the laws of physics. I am still learning about God's Justice compared to man's Justice.

Jipsah · 2026-02-10T18:40:32-0600

Firstlightdawn said:
I prayed about that and God told me He is a God of absolute Justice, as perfect;y balanced as creation. Which to me means the moral law is as perfect as the laws of physics. I am still learning about God's Justice compared to man's Justice.

Infinite torture can’t be a just punishment for finite crimes.

Firstlightdawn · 2026-02-10T19:54:23-0600

Jipsah said:
Infinite torture can’t be a just punishment for finite crimes.

I tend to be an annihilationist. What do you think the second death means?

Jipsah · 2026-02-10T20:28:37-0600

Firstlightdawn said:
I tend to be an annihilationist. What do you think the second death means?

Depends on how pessimistic I am at any given time. I generally tend to go with universal reconciliation, since in any other scenario, God's stated will ends up coming to naught. That's a hard one to conceptualize. The Will of God, omniscient, omnipotent, who speaks endlessly complex universes into existence, is defeated by the intransigence of His creatures. Really? THe "Oh, but Free Will" blather is lame. Conditionalism is just, and simply eliminating offenders from time-space means that whatever bad stuff they committed ceases to have existed with them. "I never knew you". equates to "you never were". But there's still the feeling that that's God painting over His mistakes, and that can't be true. Eternal Damnation is a non starter for me, as it requires the belief, and acceptance, of God as a pitiless monster more ghastly than any list of murderous and inhuman fiends that ever polluted the planet rolled together.

The net effect is that I pray for universal reconciliation, to the glory of God and the eternal joy of all humanity, but I accept Conditionalism as just, but not bringing limitless glory to God and our Lord Christ that UR does.

Firstlightdawn · 2026-02-10T21:00:08-0600

Jipsah said:
I generally tend to go with universal reconciliation

I believe every name is written in the Lambs book of life. But Jesus says there are people who's name is blotted out. So in the very least they are not in a covenant with God.

What a covenant gives

Belonging — “You will be My people, and I will be your God.”
Identity — a name, a place, a role.
Protection — God takes responsibility for those in His covenant.
Inheritance — life, blessing, future.
Presence — God dwells with His covenant people.

To be in covenant is to be inside that relationship.

What it means not to have a covenant

No shared identity — you are not counted among God’s people.
No claim on the promises — the blessings of the covenant are not yours.
No protection of belonging — you stand outside the relationship God offers.
No inheritance — you are not written among those who receive life.
No mutual commitment — God offers Himself, but the person has not responded.

It does not mean God hates the person. It means the person is outside the relationship God desires.

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It is near

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