Most people claim we have to wait to "go to" heaven till we die. However, Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Am I supposed to believe most people or am I supposed to believe Jesus?
We have to wait? Says who?
- Thread starter Bob Estey
- Start date
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Unfortunately we remain in our fallen state until we have been raised up - you won't find heaven here.
Maybe we need to develop an understanding of what heaven is.
Is heaven a beautiful place or is heaven peace of mind? Which would you rather have?
Ritajanice
Born-Again
Commentary.
Jesus’ answer was that the kingdom of God was not coming in the manner the Pharisees were expecting. The kingdom would not be inaugurated with spectacle or splendor; there would be no great and magnificent leader who staked out a geographical claim and routed the Romans; rather, the kingdom would come silently and unseen, much as leaven works in a batch of dough (see Matthew 13:33). In fact, Jesus says, the kingdom had already begun, right under the Pharisees’ noses. God was ruling in the hearts of some people, and the King Himself was standing among them, although the Pharisees were oblivious to that fact.
Various translations render the Greek of Luke 17:21 various ways. The phrase translated “within you” in the KJV and NKJV is translated as “in your midst” in the NIV, NASB, and NET; “among you” in the NLT and HCSB; and “in the midst of you” in the ESV. Earlier versions of the NIV had “within you” with a marginal note suggesting “among you.” There is obviously a difference between saying “the kingdom of God is within you” and “the kingdom of God is among you.”
“Within you” comes off as an unfavorable translation, seeing that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees at the time. Jesus was surely not saying that the kingdom of God resided within the Pharisees’ hearts. The Pharisees opposed Jesus and had no relationship with God. Jesus in other places denounced them as “whitewashed tombs” and “hypocrites” (Matthew 23:27).
The better translation would be “in your midst” or “among you.” Jesus was telling the Pharisees that He brought the kingdom of God to earth. Jesus’ presence in their midst gave them a taste of the kingdom life, as attested by the miracles that Jesus performed. Elsewhere, Jesus mentions His miracles as definitive proof of the kingdom: “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20).
There are three popular interpretations of Jesus’ words in Luke 17:21 that the kingdom of God is within you (or among you): 1) the kingdom of God is essentially inward, within man’s heart; 2) the kingdom is within your reach if you make the right choices; and 3) the kingdom of God is in your midst in the person and presence of Jesus. The best of these interpretations, it seems, is the third: Jesus was inaugurating the kingdom as He changed the hearts of men, one at a time.
For the time being, Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). One day, however, the kingdom of God will be manifest on the earth (Isaiah 35:1), and Jesus Christ will rule a physical kingdom from David’s throne (Isaiah 9:7) with Jerusalem as His capital (Zechariah 8:3).
Jesus’ answer was that the kingdom of God was not coming in the manner the Pharisees were expecting. The kingdom would not be inaugurated with spectacle or splendor; there would be no great and magnificent leader who staked out a geographical claim and routed the Romans; rather, the kingdom would come silently and unseen, much as leaven works in a batch of dough (see Matthew 13:33). In fact, Jesus says, the kingdom had already begun, right under the Pharisees’ noses. God was ruling in the hearts of some people, and the King Himself was standing among them, although the Pharisees were oblivious to that fact.
Various translations render the Greek of Luke 17:21 various ways. The phrase translated “within you” in the KJV and NKJV is translated as “in your midst” in the NIV, NASB, and NET; “among you” in the NLT and HCSB; and “in the midst of you” in the ESV. Earlier versions of the NIV had “within you” with a marginal note suggesting “among you.” There is obviously a difference between saying “the kingdom of God is within you” and “the kingdom of God is among you.”
“Within you” comes off as an unfavorable translation, seeing that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees at the time. Jesus was surely not saying that the kingdom of God resided within the Pharisees’ hearts. The Pharisees opposed Jesus and had no relationship with God. Jesus in other places denounced them as “whitewashed tombs” and “hypocrites” (Matthew 23:27).
The better translation would be “in your midst” or “among you.” Jesus was telling the Pharisees that He brought the kingdom of God to earth. Jesus’ presence in their midst gave them a taste of the kingdom life, as attested by the miracles that Jesus performed. Elsewhere, Jesus mentions His miracles as definitive proof of the kingdom: “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20).
There are three popular interpretations of Jesus’ words in Luke 17:21 that the kingdom of God is within you (or among you): 1) the kingdom of God is essentially inward, within man’s heart; 2) the kingdom is within your reach if you make the right choices; and 3) the kingdom of God is in your midst in the person and presence of Jesus. The best of these interpretations, it seems, is the third: Jesus was inaugurating the kingdom as He changed the hearts of men, one at a time.
For the time being, Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). One day, however, the kingdom of God will be manifest on the earth (Isaiah 35:1), and Jesus Christ will rule a physical kingdom from David’s throne (Isaiah 9:7) with Jerusalem as His capital (Zechariah 8:3).
Union with God Eternal life a transformation from this fallen state to a state of grace and you can't completely have that while here but the veil will be lifted..We will become like him his thoughts his ways we can't enter heaven the way we are.
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If heaven is a beautiful place, then we'll probably have to wait till we die before we have it. If heaven is peace of mind, then all we have to do is repent, as Jesus instructed (Matthew 4:17), and we have it - now.
Ronald David Bruno
Well-Known Member
Spiritually we have entered into the kingdom of heaven, we are members of heaven but not in it's location. Can you see what heaven looks like? No because you aren't there yet. If someone told you they were already in heaven, ask them to describe it, what it looks like. Some have been allowed to visit heaven while still alive, whether they were out-of body or it was a vision, but it was brief, then they came back.
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows."
2 Cor. 12:2
Is heaven a beautiful place or is it peace of mind? Which would you rather have?
If you'd rather have peace of mind, how do you attain it? Jesus told us in Matthew 4:17: Repent. Right?
Ritajanice
Born-Again
Ritajanice
Born-Again
By becoming Born Again by the Spirit Of God...peace of mind comes by walking in faith, which is a gift from God/ manifestation of the Spirit.
Philippians 4:6-7KJV Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Peace of mind is not instantaneous ,as in what we face in our lives....we can only trust and look to God as he is our Spirit Father and we his spirit children....hence we must be Born Again to see the Kingdom Of God...we have spiritual eyes and ears, which the Spirit grows and develops in us.once we are Born Again..
The closer we get to God and trust him, the more peace of mind grows in us..we know the Spirit by divine revelation.
Peace in knowing we have been saved from eternal damnation @Bob Estey ...that is instantaneous the moment the Spirit of God gives birth to our spirit.
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Jesus has said it; it's finished. "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is hand."
Ritajanice
Born-Again
He also..said what I quoted his word to say...only God can bring us to repentance, just as his word says.
Ritajanice
Born-Again
Lease explain what you are talking about?
I said Got commentary, explaining the Kingdom Of God..by their own commentary.
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