On Earth as it is in Heaven

     Daniel’s 70^th week ends with the victorious return of the Son of Man.

   

      Matthew provides a wonderful account of Jesus’ return.

     “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another…”  Matthew 25:31-32

     Those on the right called ‘sheep’ had given the Master food, drink, clothing, and visited Him when sick and in prison.  They had done those things indirectly by caring for those in need, i.e. those others of His brethren.

     Their reward?

     “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…”  Matthew 25:34

     Those who did not care for the needy of Christ’s brethren were cursed.

     “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and angels.’ …And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Matthew 25:41, 48

     Everyone on earth will witness Jesus’ return which will occur immediately after the 7 year tribulation period, i.e. Daniel’s 70^th week.

     “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”  Matthew 24:27, 30

     The Greek word for ‘mourn’ is kopto which means lament, or sorrow over their rejection of Jesus at His first advent.

     Jesus’ return is also described by John in the final book of the Bible.

     “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.  He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”  Revelation 19:11, 15

     When Jesus returns He will kill the followers of the anti-Christ with the sword, but not the anti-Christ or the false prophet.  They will be captured alive.

     “These two were cast alive into the lake of fire…”  Revelation 19:20

     But their leader, the devil himself, will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit and be used one last time to deceive any in the kingdom who will not adhere to the laws of the king.

   “He (an angel) laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years…”  Revelation 20:22

     Then John saw the souls of those who were martyred for the sake of the word.

     “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God…and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:4

     Therefore, Christ will end the great 7 year tribulation and rule the nations from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. 

     “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet…Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 

1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 28

     Now the question (where is the kingdom?) has also been answered.

     The kingdom is presently in the heart of believers, but will subsequently be totally physical and visible for 1,000 years in preparation for the next and final stage of God’s plan.

     “For behold, I create new (renewed) heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”  Isaiah 66:17

     “Now I saw a new (renewed) heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…”  Revelation 21:1

    

    

    

    

Your Kingdom Come. Your Will be Done...

     The title words are included in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples.  That prayer confirms that God’s future Kingdom was a reality.  In that kingdom God’s perfect will would be done on earth as it is presently in heaven.

     The Old Testament has much more to say about the future kingdom than the New Testament.  It would take a separate book to adequately describe the attributes of the future kingdom, but we’ll list a couple of examples.

     “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains…and all nations shall flow to it.”  Isaiah 2:2

     The phrase ‘latter days’ refers to the future millennial kingdom.  Jerusalem will be the capital and center of Israel from that time to evermore. 

     Recall when Ezekiel relayed God’s words when He entered the millennial temple.

     “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.”  Ezekiel 43:7

     One wonders why there is so much unrest when President Trump announced that his administration would begin the process to make Jerusalem Israel’s capital.

     “…Your eyes will see Jerusalem…a tabernacle that will not be taken down…(for the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King…)” Isaiah 33:20, 22

     The above passage settles the question of the separation of church and state.  That premise can be expressed during this Christmas season with the words: Bah! Humbug!

     But the kingdom described in Isaiah is in the future, how about the present?

     “Now when He (Jesus) was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered…‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation…For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (in a person’s heart).’”  Luke 17:20-21

     The kingdom of God presently resides within the hearts of the Disciples of Christ by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the kingdom of God is invisible during the dispensation of the church. 

     However, the day will come when the invisible will become visible.  Present day believers embrace the invisible by faith, and such faith is a gift of God.

     “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…”  Hebrews 11:1

     Jesus also spoke of the reality of the future kingdom to His disciples.

     “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at my table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  Luke 22:28-30

     The disciples were excited and confident of the kingdom; however, they didn’t know the timing so they asked Jesus right before His ascension.

     “…Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  Acts 1:6

     Jesus told them that the timing was strictly in the hands of the Father and would not be made known to them.

     At that time the disciples didn’t understand that there would be a wide gap of time between Jesus’ departure and His return.  The disciples thought that the future kingdom would be established immediately.  Jesus did, however, explain it to them.

     “…A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come…’  And so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.”  Luke 19:12-13, 15

     Jesus would return to heaven for several thousand years, and while he was gone He gave His servants spiritual assets to put to work.  When He returned He would judge their stewardship of the assets He had left with them.

     The time He would be away is the present time gap between Daniel’s 69^th and 79^th week.

For Unto Us a Child is born...

     The title is perhaps the most popular words on religious cards of the season.

     Let’s review where the history of these words began.

     Approximately 1,000 years before Christ was born, a revelation was given to King David introducing the child.

     “When your days are fulfilled…I will set up your seed after you…and I will establish his kingdom…and the throne of his kingdom forever…”

2 Samuel 7:12-13

     David’s son Solomon fulfilled that prophecy in the short term; however, the offspring of Solomon would fulfill that prophecy in the long term.

     Approximately 250 years after David’s death, the prophet Isaiah provided more details on the promise God had made to David.

     “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government will be upon His shoulder…”  Isaiah 9:6a

     The word ‘government’ in that statement implies there would not be a separation between church and state.  Could that be?

     Let’s read on further.

     “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever…”  Isaiah 9:7

     The words government, throne, and kingdom are closely related.  Those three words refer to dominion, sovereignty, royal rule, and reign.

     About the same time that Isaiah wrote, the prophet Micah provided more specific details.

     “But you, Bethlehem…though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel…”  Micah 5:2

     Thus Micah revealed where the future Ruler (government leader) of Israel would be born, i.e. Bethlehem.

     And then approximately 150 years after Micah, the prophet Ezekiel also spoke about David’s offspring.  Ezekiel prophesied at the beginning of Judah’s 70 year deportation to Babylon.

     “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations…and I will make them one nation in the land…David My servant shall be king over them…they, their children, and their children’s children, forever…’”  Ezekiel 37:21-22, 24-25

     Ezekiel proclaimed that the divided nation of Israel would some day be reunited into a single nation and ruled by a descendant of David, who had died approximately 400 years earlier.

     The Psalmist, however, said that the future Ruler would reign not only over Israel, but over all the nations of the world.

     “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession…You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.”  Psalm 2:8-9

     The Psalmist proclaimed that God would give His anointed (David’s Offspring) all nations on earth for His own.  He would govern them severely without compromise.

     The date of the above psalm or its author is not known; however, it is known that approximately 600 years after Ezekiel spoke, the Angel Gabriel spoke to the Virgin Mary, confirming Ezekiel’s prophecy. 

     “…and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  Luke 3:31-33

     Thus Gabriel proclaimed that Mary’s Son would be the Son of God and would be named Jesus. He would be given the throne of His father David and rule over Israel forever.

     Thus Jesus was born to be King as prophesied by Isaiah, Micah, and Ezekiel and confirmed by Gabriel.

     Jesus was subsequently crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended to His Father.  After His resurrection and ascension, He was proclaimed to be the head of the church.

     “…as also Christ is head of the church…therefore…the church is subject to Christ.”  Ephesians 5:23-24

     Several questions remain at this point.

     Is it possible that Christ could be head of the church and also be the government leader of the whole earth?  That isn’t consistent with contemporary thinking.

     And also, where is the kingdom?

    

From East to West

      The Bible has much to say about the ‘East.’

      It began when God planted a garden eastward in Eden where He subsequently placed Adam.  Then as part of the curse for Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God sent them out of the garden to the east.

     “So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden…”  Genesis 3:24

     Therefore, the only way to be returned to God’s presence was to reenter from the east.

     And then recall God’s instructions to Abraham two thousand years later.

Abraham was to leave his home on the east of the Euphrates River and travel westward to a new land that God would show him.  Abraham and his family had worshipped pagan gods east of the river.

     Now fast forward to the time of King Solomon.  Solomon built a magnificent temple for God per God’s instructions.  However, Solomon loved many foreign women from the east who worshipped foreign gods.  God had forewarned Solomon that such women would turn his heart after their gods, but Solomon clung to his foreign wives.

     The result was that God left that majestic temple.

     “And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.”  Ezekiel 11:23

     Therefore, the presence of God departed from Solomon’s temple and stood on the Mount of Olives just before returning to heaven.  The timing was approximately 931 BC.

     Immediately east of the Mount of Olives is the little village of Bethany.  It was here that Jesus presented Himself as Messiah in the triumphal entry.

     “And it came to pass, when He drew near to …Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples…into the village…to find a colt…”  Luke 19:29-30

     Then forty days after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, He ascended to be at the right hand of His Father.

     This would be the last minutes Jesus spent with His disciples.

     “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” Luke 24:50-51

     Thus Luke recorded Jesus’ ascension from the Mount of Olives at Bethany.

     Approximately 530 years before Christ ascended into heaven, the prophet Zechariah had foretold of Jesus returning to the same Mount of Olives.

     “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming…And in that day His (Messiah’s) feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.  And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west…”  Zechariah 14:1a, 4

     A more detailed historical account of Jesus departing from the Mount of Olives, confirming His return to the Mount, is recorded in the Book of Acts. 

     “...while they watched, He was taken up…And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’”  Acts 1:9-1

     Then the narrative states that the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.

     But that is not the end of the story.

     In 573 BC, an angel of the LORD provided the prophet Ezekiel with explicit details of the temple to be erected in Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom from which Jesus would rule the nations.

     The angel also explained that Jesus would arrive from the east to enter His temple.

     “And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east…and He said to me, ‘Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.’”  Ezekiel 43:4, 7

     The LORD will arrive with the rising of the sun and enter the millennial temple through the east gate.