Who is the New Earth for? Though there is not much language directly related in Scripture concerning Israel’s eschatology, there is plenty of inference in the prophecy of Scripture relating to the end times of God’s people Israel! After all, God has been dealing with Israel for four millennia, and the Bible is about ninety percent Jewish; which demonstrates the significance of God’s care for Israel—who will always be “His people—on the New Earth;” a position and state which will be far inferior to that of Christianity, which are God’s children—inheriting the New Heaven!
NC
The Gospels are complex almost beyond any other portion of Scripture (Christ taught some in all three dispensations—OT, NT and millennial kingdom), since they are a composite of the teachings of Moses, of grace and of the kingdom. From a brief consideration of the four Gospels it may be concluded that those teachings of Christ which confirm the covenants made unto the fathers, or Israel, will be found primarily in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt-Luke—NC), and that the kingdom teachings are crystalized in the first portion of the first Gospel (Christ was sent only “unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”; His Apostles and disciples were used to reach the rest of the world - Mat 15:24). The position of this kingdom portion in the context of the Scriptures is also significant—following immediately, as it does, on the OT.
The OT closed with its great hope unrealized and its great prophecies unfulfilled. These hopes were based on covenants with Jehovah, to which He had sworn with an oath. These covenants guarantee to the nation Israel an earthly kingdom in their own land, under the abiding reign of Messiah, sitting on the throne of His father David. No such kingdom situation existed when Christ was born. It is expressly declared that Israel’s great hope and consolation was yet in expectation when Christ came (Lu 1:31-33; 2:25). The children of Israel were then largely scattered among the nations and their land was under the authority of Rome.
At this point and under these circumstances, a new message went forth: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (not as Israel going to heaven but the millennial kingdom coming to the earth; “Thy kingdom come,” what is being done in heaven being done on earth, which has yet to occur - Mat 3:2; 4:17; 10:7—NC). It was proclaimed by the forerunner, John the Baptist (Mat 3:1, 2), by Christ (Mat 4:17) and by His disciples (Mat 10:5-7). The strongest prohibition was imposed against the giving of this message to any Gentile, or even to a Samaritan (Mat 10:5, 6; cf. 15:24). The message, though brief, was calculated to arouse all the national longings of the people to whom it was spoken. The messengers needed no analytical training to sense the exact meaning of their theme. As instructed Israelites, the kingdom hope had been their expectation and mediation from birth.
Later on, and in contrast to this, their utter slowness of heart to understand the new facts and teachings of grace is most obvious. Even when, after His resurrection, Christ had given forty days of instruction (Act 1:3) in things pertaining to the kingdom of God, they asked,” Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel” (Act 1:6)? So little had they at that time grasped the meaning of His death (Jhn 20:9) and the immediate purpose of grace. On the other hand, there is no record that the messengers needed or received one moment of exposition on the meaning of the message relative to the Gospel of the kingdom before they were sent forth to deliver it. It was evidently Israel’s hope.
The phrase, kingdom heaven, is peculiar to the Gospel of Matthew and refers to the rule of God in the earth. In that particular, it is to be distinguished from the kingdom of God, which is the rule of God also throughout the bounds of the universe. One, in certain aspects, is included in the other, and there is therefore much that is common to both (God’s rules in both—NC).
The Messianic rule of God in the earth was the theme of the prophets; for the prophets only enlarged on the covenants which guaranteed a throne, a King and a kingdom over regathered Israel, in that land which was sworn to Abraham. The term kingdom of heaven, was used by Christ (Mat 4:17) to announce the fact that the covenanted kingdom blessings were “at hand.” This good news to that nation was the “Gospel of the kingdom” (millennial kingdom - Mat 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Mar 1:14—NC), and should not be confused with the Gospel of saving grace (which only involves faith in Christ, different from faith in God which many Jews had - Jn 14:1—NC).
—L S Chafer (1871 – 1952)
MJS daily devotional except for October 26
“Time is a prime factor in one’s assurance of the Father’s leading. Rush and agitation are the prime factors in the Enemy’s leading. God will give us time to watch and make sure; Satan demands action, right now!”-MJS
“There is a way to distinguish between the Father’s leading and Satan’s ‘angel of light’ leadings. The Father’s promptings never nag, or worry, or harass. Satan’s do just that. If one has a seeming ‘leading’ to do something that in itself is good, yet with the impulse there is a sense of nagging disquiet, and being driven in a certain direction, that is the Enemy’s trademark; and his false leading is to be immediately recognized and rejected. The Holy Spirit’s leadings come with a sense of peace and quiet, even if they point in a really difficult direction which only the grace of the Father can enable one to follow.” -C.G.T.
“Be careful who takes you up into the high mountain! When the devil takes you into the heights, he always shows you the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them; when the Lord Jesus takes you up, He is always transformed before you.”
“It is because our life is hid with Christ in God that it is beyond the reach of Satan. The Enemy cannot touch our life in its source, for the Father is its Source and he cannot touch Him. He cannot touch our life in its channel, for the risen Lord Jesus is its channel, and he cannot touch Him. He cannot touch our life in its power, for the Holy Spirit is its power, and he cannot touch the Spirit. He cannot touch our life in its duration, for eternity is its duration, and he cannot touch eternity. The child of God is eternally safe.” -J.E.C.
NC
The Gospels are complex almost beyond any other portion of Scripture (Christ taught some in all three dispensations—OT, NT and millennial kingdom), since they are a composite of the teachings of Moses, of grace and of the kingdom. From a brief consideration of the four Gospels it may be concluded that those teachings of Christ which confirm the covenants made unto the fathers, or Israel, will be found primarily in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt-Luke—NC), and that the kingdom teachings are crystalized in the first portion of the first Gospel (Christ was sent only “unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”; His Apostles and disciples were used to reach the rest of the world - Mat 15:24). The position of this kingdom portion in the context of the Scriptures is also significant—following immediately, as it does, on the OT.
The OT closed with its great hope unrealized and its great prophecies unfulfilled. These hopes were based on covenants with Jehovah, to which He had sworn with an oath. These covenants guarantee to the nation Israel an earthly kingdom in their own land, under the abiding reign of Messiah, sitting on the throne of His father David. No such kingdom situation existed when Christ was born. It is expressly declared that Israel’s great hope and consolation was yet in expectation when Christ came (Lu 1:31-33; 2:25). The children of Israel were then largely scattered among the nations and their land was under the authority of Rome.
At this point and under these circumstances, a new message went forth: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (not as Israel going to heaven but the millennial kingdom coming to the earth; “Thy kingdom come,” what is being done in heaven being done on earth, which has yet to occur - Mat 3:2; 4:17; 10:7—NC). It was proclaimed by the forerunner, John the Baptist (Mat 3:1, 2), by Christ (Mat 4:17) and by His disciples (Mat 10:5-7). The strongest prohibition was imposed against the giving of this message to any Gentile, or even to a Samaritan (Mat 10:5, 6; cf. 15:24). The message, though brief, was calculated to arouse all the national longings of the people to whom it was spoken. The messengers needed no analytical training to sense the exact meaning of their theme. As instructed Israelites, the kingdom hope had been their expectation and mediation from birth.
Later on, and in contrast to this, their utter slowness of heart to understand the new facts and teachings of grace is most obvious. Even when, after His resurrection, Christ had given forty days of instruction (Act 1:3) in things pertaining to the kingdom of God, they asked,” Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel” (Act 1:6)? So little had they at that time grasped the meaning of His death (Jhn 20:9) and the immediate purpose of grace. On the other hand, there is no record that the messengers needed or received one moment of exposition on the meaning of the message relative to the Gospel of the kingdom before they were sent forth to deliver it. It was evidently Israel’s hope.
The phrase, kingdom heaven, is peculiar to the Gospel of Matthew and refers to the rule of God in the earth. In that particular, it is to be distinguished from the kingdom of God, which is the rule of God also throughout the bounds of the universe. One, in certain aspects, is included in the other, and there is therefore much that is common to both (God’s rules in both—NC).
The Messianic rule of God in the earth was the theme of the prophets; for the prophets only enlarged on the covenants which guaranteed a throne, a King and a kingdom over regathered Israel, in that land which was sworn to Abraham. The term kingdom of heaven, was used by Christ (Mat 4:17) to announce the fact that the covenanted kingdom blessings were “at hand.” This good news to that nation was the “Gospel of the kingdom” (millennial kingdom - Mat 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Mar 1:14—NC), and should not be confused with the Gospel of saving grace (which only involves faith in Christ, different from faith in God which many Jews had - Jn 14:1—NC).
—L S Chafer (1871 – 1952)
MJS daily devotional except for October 26
“Time is a prime factor in one’s assurance of the Father’s leading. Rush and agitation are the prime factors in the Enemy’s leading. God will give us time to watch and make sure; Satan demands action, right now!”-MJS
“There is a way to distinguish between the Father’s leading and Satan’s ‘angel of light’ leadings. The Father’s promptings never nag, or worry, or harass. Satan’s do just that. If one has a seeming ‘leading’ to do something that in itself is good, yet with the impulse there is a sense of nagging disquiet, and being driven in a certain direction, that is the Enemy’s trademark; and his false leading is to be immediately recognized and rejected. The Holy Spirit’s leadings come with a sense of peace and quiet, even if they point in a really difficult direction which only the grace of the Father can enable one to follow.” -C.G.T.
“Be careful who takes you up into the high mountain! When the devil takes you into the heights, he always shows you the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them; when the Lord Jesus takes you up, He is always transformed before you.”
“It is because our life is hid with Christ in God that it is beyond the reach of Satan. The Enemy cannot touch our life in its source, for the Father is its Source and he cannot touch Him. He cannot touch our life in its channel, for the risen Lord Jesus is its channel, and he cannot touch Him. He cannot touch our life in its power, for the Holy Spirit is its power, and he cannot touch the Spirit. He cannot touch our life in its duration, for eternity is its duration, and he cannot touch eternity. The child of God is eternally safe.” -J.E.C.
