@stunnedbygrace, I am going to continue in sharing the scripture relating to the subject, and if you have anymore things you would like to share here please feel free to do so, thank you for taking time to share what you did.
@Robert Gwin, it is really amazing that now today, we have the very Holy Spirit of God living with-in us, and that the kingdom of God resides with-in us according to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is what he said in Luke 17,
- Luk 17:20 And having been questioned by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God comes, He answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation;
- Luk 17:21 nor will they say, Behold, here; or behold, there; for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”
Some people think I am odd for already accepting the Lords Return for that day in age, but even so what is important to continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Yeshua, and to learn from the principles that are shown and shared in the Bible from the Old Testament, Apostolic record, and the Letters that were written.
It is all about love, and edifying others and not to become dividing and hating others because of differences, as some people may desire to go down that road it is very lonely road I use to walk myself, hating God, Jesus, hating other people, even my family...
God is good, and when we turn and look towards His Son it changes everything, and we are given the Holy Spirit of God himself that lives with-in us, according to the scriptures, Romans 5:1-6! What a great hope, that is not just a feeling, it is a knowing that the Holy Spirit has been given to us by God through faith which is a gift of God for us believing on the death, burial and resurrection.
Love to you, and to all, and to any enemies out there, of me just trying to share what I have learned from the Bible and the internal evidences. No one has to believe me, but we can at least love each other despite the differences!
- Matthew Gallagher
Matthew, I hope you read this carefully considering what is being said. I'm doing this because I think you are a young man who has a heart for God, and by that, I don't think I'm wasting my time with you!
God chose Abraham to be the father of a nation that God would create for the soul purpose of introducing the Messiah to the world.
That nation is called Israel, God's chosen people. Israel was to evangelize the world. Of course God knew they would fail miserably in this calling (rejecting the Messiah) and had another plan to put His chosen people on the back burner, so to speak, so He chose the Church to temporarily replace Israel in that calling to evangelize the world.
Paul said in Rom. 3:1-2
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
The "oracles of God" is the Law of Moses. No law was given to the rest of the world, only to the Jews. This was to prepare them for their calling to evangelize the world, introducing the Messiah. Through the Law Israel was to live a consecrated life to God, being a peculiar people, different from the rest of the world. Again, to introduce their Messiah to the world. That responsibility has now been given to the Church through Israel's failure.
Not only that, but the Messiah was to be one of them, a Jew. So Israel was given the Law and the Messiah in preparation to guide the world to God.
When John the Baptist came preaching, "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," he was the chosen of God to introduce Israel to the Messiah. When Jesus came, he also preached, "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." He was saying, John has told you I'm coming, and here I am!
Now here is the key to this whole thing of spiritualizing the Kingdom of God/Heaven.
What did Jesus mean when He cried out through the streets of Jerusalem, "repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?" He was telling them, you have been prepared for this moment, accept me now and introduce me to the world. He was going to set up His literal throne (the Kingdom of Heaven) on this earth for the purpose of Israel to introduce Him to the world.
Look closely at Jn. 18:36.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Do you see that? Jesus is telling Pilate that His Kingdom is not on this earth now, physically! It couldn't be because the chosen nation to introduce Him to the world has rejected Him. But His Kingdom will be on earth when His chosen people, Israel come to Christ during the Great Tribulation. That will be the literal Millennial reign of Christ on this earth in God's original plan with Israel accepting Christ.
One other point to be made.
Luke 17:20-21
"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold,
the kingdom of God is within you."
When Jesus told the Pharisees that "the kingdom of God is within you" He certainly wasn't telling the Pharisees the kingdom of God was within them. He was telling them the kingdom was among them, in the midst of them.
In the KJV and NKJV the bolded in the verse is translated "within you." In the NIV, NASB and NET it is translated "among you." In the NLT and HCLB it is "in the midst of you."
There is quite a bit of difference in "within you" and "among you/in the midst of you."
Jesus was telling the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was "among them/in the midst of them" and "within" the hearts of the believers. But as I have shown, the Kingdom will be literal on this earth when Israel comes into the fold. Then we have come full circle of God's original plan for Israel and the Gentile world.
When Christ told them "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation" He was referring to the kingdom of God already being here in the hearts of all believers, in the Spirit. Of course they were looking for a conquering Messiah that would overthrow Rome, and had no idea what He was speaking of.
What is amazing to me is that Israel will be what God originally called them to be in the Millennial reign of Christ on this earth. For 1000 years they will be the bearers of the Gospel and priests to the world, as generations are born into this world during that time.
God's plan has come full circle to it's destiny! Despite the unbelief of man!
All this begs the question: What would have happened if Israel had accepted Christ in His first advent. That is a moot question, and we can discuss that later. In fact, I'm looking forward to discussing that question!