Two separate futures

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RichardBurger

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Jan 23, 2008
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QUESTION: Is the kingdom of God different from kingdom of heaven?I think the terms "kingdom of heaven" and kingdom of God" as mentioned in the four Gospels mean the same thing, a physical kingdom that Jesus will physically rule ON THIS EARTH. When Christ returns to the earth His Kingdom will be established upon the earth. HOWEVER, the Body of Christ, the Church being built today, seems to have its position (place) in heaven. The following, written by Tracy Plessinger, and the scriptures he indicates, seem to support this idea.*****This study is set up in three sections;1. GOD'S PLAN ON THE EARTH,2. GOD'S PLAN IN THE HEAVENS,3. THE FULFILMENT OF GOD'S PLAN.by Tracy Plessinger:In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1God presents his creative act as an act that produced a divided universe, a universe that consists of two parts, the heaven, and the earth. In order to fully understand God's plan we must understand how that plan will be carried out in both of these areas.GOD'S PLAN ON THE EARTHAs we continue in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, we immediately see where God's plan is focused initially.And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Genesis 1:14,15It is clear that the creation described in Genesis 1 is focused exclusively on the earth. It is the earth that is said to be "without form, and void". It is the earth that man is told to "replenish" and "subdue". Even the lights that God created in heaven were for the purpose of giving light "upon the earth".After the flood, God gave similar instructions to Noah and his sons.And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Genesis 9:1With the setting aside of Abraham to begin the formation of the nation of Israel, we see that the focus was still on the earth.And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:3The singular message of the prophets is the establishment of God's righteous rule and reign on a renewed earth.The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. Isaiah 35:1Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Isaiah 60:1-3Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. . . . And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Daniel 2:35,44Notice that Isaiah points to the wonderful utopian conditions on the renewed earth and how the Gentile nations will flow into that blessing. Daniel emphasizes the fact that the "God of heaven" will establish a kingdom that fills "the whole earth". These passages are typical of the message that the prophets brought to the nation of Israel. They were continuing God's focus on reestablishing His authority on the earthly part of His creation.The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles continued the prophetic focus on the earth.Christ was presented to Israel as the rightful heir to the earthly throne of David.And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:30-33Christ taught His disciples to pray for the kingdom to come to the earth.After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9,10The apostles tied their message and its returning, triumphant Messiah to the fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures.Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:19-21All of the facts above show us that during the time frame covered from Genesis 1:2 to about Acts 9, the focus of God's message was on the earth.GOD'S PLAN IN THE HEAVENSIn the ninth chapter of Acts we see a significant change begin to take place as Jesus Christ speaks from heaven to a man who would become the Apostle of/to the Gentiles.And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Acts 9:3-5Clearly, Paul had a calling that was from Jesus. The setting aside of Paul, by Jesus, and the formation of the "Body of Christ" marks a change in God's focus from the earth to heaven. God's basic plan to glorify Christ has not changed at all. His purpose is still the same one that He conceived before the foundation of the world. With the ministry of Paul, He is now simply revealing the heavenly aspect of that plan. In the book of Ephesians, Paul makes quite clear that the focus of the "Body of Christ" is heavenly.The Body of Christ is blessed in heavenly places.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Ephesians 1:3The Body of Christ is seated in heavenly places.And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:6Since God's new plan of salvation was not known until He (God) revealed it to Paul, the Body of Christ is ministering (making it known) to beings in heavenly places.to the intent that """now""" the manifold wisdom of God might be ""made known by the Church"" TO THE principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Ephesians 3:10 (see also Eph 6:12 on next page)The Body of Christ has, as its head, a Christ who has ascended above and therefore rules over heavenly places.He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:10The Body of Christ is fighting a war with beings in heavenly places.For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.Ephesians 6:12Paul is also careful to make sure that we understand that our eternal destiny is in the heavenlies, not on the earth.For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20,21For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.I Thessalonians 4:16-18Notice that our comfort is not found in the return of Christ to establish an earthly kingdom, as it was for Israel. Our comfort is found in Christ catching us off this earth to reign with Him for all eternity in the heavenlies. Our eternal destiny and conversation is in heaven, not on the earth.We should note one other important truth about all of this information about God's purpose being fulfilled in heaven. It was all kept secret in the mind and heart of God until it was revealed to, and through, the Apostle Paul.Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Romans 16:25,26Notice that Paul says that the information he is preaching was "kept secret since the world began". This is in marked contrast to Peter's preaching things "which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (See Acts 3:21, quoted above.) God's plans concerning the heavens were kept secret until revealed to, and through, the Apostle Paul.These facts show us that the truth of God's plan being fulfilled in heaven, the truth under which we operate today, is found exclusively in the writings of the Apostle Paul to the Church, the Body of Christ. We must go to those writings to understand how God will fulfill His purpose in heaven, and how we should live based on our place in that heavenly plan.THE FULFILMENT OF GOD'S PLANWe have already seen that in the book of Ephesians God reveals the fulfillment of His plan in eternity future, both on the earth and in heaven, as all things are gathered "together in one . . . in Christ". As God closes out His revelation to man we see that He has in fact brought everything full circle.And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1God's one eternal plan will be fulfilled, both in heaven and on earth. Jesus Christ will be honored and glorified in all the universe.The only way that we can truly understand the entirety of God's plan is to rightly divide the Word of Truth and realize that He is working to carry out that plan in two areas, the heaven and the earth.If you desire to read the entire article, then go to http://www.gracealive.us/misunderstood.htmlI just checked and I do not think that website still exists. Richard