Bible Study Kingdom of God / Heaven

[Quantrill]

Yes, I'm in agreement.
There's nothing above that I can even comment on to make it more clear...
You've made it very clear.

Sounds like you want to continue...OK.
Keep in mind that Matthew always refers to the KINGDOM as The Kingdom of Heaven...
even when he really means the Kingdom of God.

Maybe you'll get to this next.....

Thanks for such a well thought out post.

You're quite welcome. Yes, I will continue. Tomorrow probably.

Quantrill

 

[for_his_glory]

The Kingdom of Heaven 'does' speak to the future kingdom on earth with Israel as the leading nation and Christ ruling in Jerusalem.

That is the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why (Matthew) makes that distinction. His gospel is to the Jews. It concerns Christ rule on the earth as Israel's Messiah.

That rule of Christ on the earth through the nation Israel, is in the Kingdom of God, but is not synonymous with the Kingdom of God. God's Kingdom involves all the angelic realm. God's Kingdom involves all of Heaven and Hell. The Kingdom of Heaven does not.

Quantrill

The third heaven is the pattern of the kingdom of heaven here on earth. Christ in us and we in Christ can mean the same as God within us and we in God as we are made in His image and as Spiritually born again Christians we now see the kingdom of God within the Spiritual realm.

Third Heaven - This is where God, Jesus and the holy angels dwell plus the very breath of just men dwell as when we die it is that breath that returns back to God. It is called “The heaven of heavens,” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4). (1Kings 8:27) - “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. The third heaven is beyond the space and stars. Where no man has seen by telescope. This heaven is the dwelling-place of God (John 3:13).

Rev 4:4 John now sees twenty-four elders seated around the throne of God. The twenty-four elders in the heavenly sanctuary of God are responsible for worship, for the music of worship, and as such they stand as the gatekeepers of the house of God. The Elders in the Church here on earth are patterned after those in the heavenly realm, 1 Chronicles 24:7-19; 25:6-31; 26:12-19. These elders are clothed in white raiment which represents Gods glory in them and they have gold crowns upon their heads as they are Gods royal priesthood. The elders are representative of Gods chosen generations that he has called out of darkness into his marvelous light, 2 Peter 2:9 that are asleep in the grave and those who remain alive as God’s witnesses during the seven trumpet soundings before Jesus returns. We are that royal priesthood here on earth, 1 Peter 2:9.
​

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

 

[daninthelionsden]

"The law and prophets were until John" is past tense. "The kingdom of God has come near". The kingdom is within is new. Time is only a human experience/view.
Jesus didn't say John was "least" of the Old, he said he was "greatest". He didn't say he is least of New, only that the new is greater than the old. He didn't say the Old was greater. (This is not replacement theology which replaces Israel with gentile Christian church. But the New does replace the old. Though it doesn't do away with the law.)
I'm not disputing that Levite priests still had/have a role for Jews etc then/since.

(I'm not allowed by God to comment what I want about Jesus/God not caring....)

Matt 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.
..........(And later He attempted again to mourn)
Matt 14:23 And when He sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
........(I believe Jesus was deeply affected by John's death. Can you show me where He did this for anyone else?)

 

[Quantrill]

The third heaven is the pattern of the kingdom of heaven here on earth. Christ in us and we in Christ can mean the same as God within us and we in God as we are made in His image and as Spiritually born again Christians we now see the kingdom of God within the Spiritual realm.

Third Heaven - This is where God, Jesus and the holy angels dwell plus the very breath of just men dwell as when we die it is that breath that returns back to God. It is called “The heaven of heavens,” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalms 115:16; 148:4). (1Kings 8:27) - “The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. The third heaven is beyond the space and stars. Where no man has seen by telescope. This heaven is the dwelling-place of God (John 3:13).

Rev 4:4 John now sees twenty-four elders seated around the throne of God. The twenty-four elders in the heavenly sanctuary of God are responsible for worship, for the music of worship, and as such they stand as the gatekeepers of the house of God. The Elders in the Church here on earth are patterned after those in the heavenly realm, 1 Chronicles 24:7-19; 25:6-31; 26:12-19. These elders are clothed in white raiment which represents Gods glory in them and they have gold crowns upon their heads as they are Gods royal priesthood. The elders are representative of Gods chosen generations that he has called out of darkness into his marvelous light, 2 Peter 2:9 that are asleep in the grave and those who remain alive as God’s witnesses during the seven trumpet soundings before Jesus returns. We are that royal priesthood here on earth, 1 Peter 2:9.
​

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

That is certainly possible as the Lord does pattern things on earth as they are in Heaven. (Matt. 6:10)

Quantrill

 

[Quantrill]

wondering

So we left off in post #(33) with Christ turning away from Israel. They rejected Him, and He now rejects them. The Kingdom is removed from Israel. His disciples eventually would understand this which is why they asked Him after His resurrection and prior to His ascension, "...wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6)

I think I should define now what I believe the Kingdom of Heaven is, which is the Dispensational view. We know already and mentioned it earlier, that it is not the Millennial Kingdom as that Kingdom was known and expected. This mystery form of the Kingdom concerns things which have never been known before. (Matt. 13:35)

Many view the mystery form of the Kingdom as the Church. And, the Church is a mystery in Scripture, and it certainly plays a large role in the mystery form of the Kingdom, and is in that Kingdom, but that doesn't make it the mystery form of the Kingdom. The Church is composed only of born-again believers in Christ. When the Church is addressed in Scripture, that is the makeup of it. I know in our local churches we have all kinds of people in them who are not Christian. But the universal Church of Jesus Christ is only composed of believers in Christ. And in the parables of (Matt. 13) we will see that the Kingdom of Heaven is composed of believing and non-believing.

Because the Kingdom of Heaven includes both believing and non-believing I believe Arno Gaebelein has given a good definition of it. "In one word the kingdom of the heavens in Matthew is equivalent with Christendom. It includes the whole sphere of Christian profession saved and unsaved, so-called Romanists and Protestants, all who are naming the name of Christ." (Gospel of Matthew, Arno Gaebelein, Loizeaux Bros., 1977, p. 262-263)

So, the Church is in this Kingdom but is not the Kingdom. This is important as the parables in (Matt. 13) describe the Kingdom and not the Church. The Church will be found at times in these parables, but that doesn't make them the Kingdom of Heaven. The church is the Body of Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven is the entire profession of Chrstianity, true or not true.

This Kingdom of Heaven involves the time of Christ's absence from Israel and ends when He returns to the earth at the 2nd Coming. At which time the Millennial Kingdom will begin. The parables in (Matt. 13) describe this time period of the Kings absence.

Quantrill

 

[GodsGrace]

Matt 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.
..........(And later He attempted again to mourn)
Matt 14:23 And when He sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
........(I believe Jesus was deeply affected by John's death. Can you show me where He did this for anyone else?)

Wasn't Jesus also very sad when Lazarus died?
Maybe more so by John's? (the Baptist).

 

[daninthelionsden]

Wasn't Jesus also very sad when Lazarus died?
Maybe more so by John's? (the Baptist).

Yes, I believe you're right on with that. As I recall He even wept. I believe the Lord experienced most if not all the emotions afflicting mankind.

 

[GodsGrace]

wondering

So we left off in post #(33) with Christ turning away from Israel. They rejected Him, and He now rejects them. The Kingdom is removed from Israel. His disciples eventually would understand this which is why they asked Him after His resurrection and prior to His ascension, "...wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6)

I think I should define now what I believe the Kingdom of Heaven is, which is the Dispensational view. We know already and mentioned it earlier, that it is not the Millennial Kingdom as that Kingdom was known and expected. This mystery form of the Kingdom concerns things which have never been known before. (Matt. 13:35)

Many view the mystery form of the Kingdom as the Church. And, the Church is a mystery in Scripture, and it certainly plays a large role in the mystery form of the Kingdom, and is in that Kingdom, but that doesn't make it the mystery form of the Kingdom. The Church is composed only of born-again believers in Christ. When the Church is addressed in Scripture, that is the makeup of it. I know in our local churches we have all kinds of people in them who are not Christian. But the universal Church of Jesus Christ is only composed of believers in Christ. And in the parables of (Matt. 13) we will see that the Kingdom of Heaven is composed of believing and non-believing.

Because the Kingdom of Heaven includes both believing and non-believing I believe Arno Gaebelein has given a good definition of it. "In one word the kingdom of the heavens in Matthew is equivalent with Christendom. It includes the whole sphere of Christian profession saved and unsaved, so-called Romanists and Protestants, all who are naming the name of Christ." (Gospel of Matthew, Arno Gaebelein, Loizeaux Bros., 1977, p. 262-263)

So, the Church is in this Kingdom but is not the Kingdom. This is important as the parables in (Matt. 13) describe the Kingdom and not the Church. The Church will be found at times in these parables, but that doesn't make them the Kingdom of Heaven. The church is the Body of Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven is the entire profession of Chrstianity, true or not true.

This Kingdom of Heaven involves the time of Christ's absence from Israel and ends when He returns to the earth at the 2nd Coming. At which time the Millennial Kingdom will begin. The parables in (Matt. 13) describe this time period of the Kings absence.

Quantrill

Hi Quantrill,
I'd like to say more on the above....
Too later here now.

I'll only say this:
As Jesus explained it...(will post verses) He meant that THE BELIEVERS make up the Kingdom of God.
IOW,,,the Body of Christ.

Matthew interchanges the wording...in some places he means this but calls it the Kingdom of Heaven...
and in some verses he calls it the Kingdom of Heaven, but means an actual place --- not a place in our mind/heart.

Sorry I have such little time.

 

[Quantrill]

Hi Quantrill,
I'd like to say more on the above....
Too later here now.

I'll only say this:
As Jesus explained it...(will post verses) He meant that THE BELIEVERS make up the Kingdom of God.
IOW,,,the Body of Christ.

Matthew interchanges the wording...in some places he means this but calls it the Kingdom of Heaven...
and in some verses he calls it the Kingdom of Heaven, but means an actual place --- not a place in our mind/heart.

Sorry I have such little time.

No problem. No hurry. I will wait.

Quantrill