The state of the Kingdom, which is the same as the church, finds various views of millennial theories becoming increasingly popular. My main point is not about the church and kingdom being the same, but that is an important part of my understanding of this doctrine. I just ask you to read the following passages which point this up so vividly: Matthew 16:18[/b], Col. 1:13[/b], and Hebrews 12:28[/b].
Revelation Chapter 20[/b] is central to the millennial controversy, and probably is the most disputed text in the Bible. This is the crucial paragraph. "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the old dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be fulfilled, after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given to them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon his foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.' Revelation 20:1-6.
In connection with this passage please also read John 11:25[/b]. Col. 2:12[/b], 3:1[/b], [/b]also Romans 6:3-5.[/b] The thousand years appears nowhere in the sixty-six books, 1,189 chapters, 31,173 verses of the Bible except in this one passage where it occurs six times in six consecutive verses.
It is not solid study to build an entire system of beliefs about the end of the world, and the status of the kingdom on such a highly symbolic passage. More especially when that interpretation conflicts with other plain passages of scripture. In a book that is highly symbolic, we face certain difficulties accepting a theory of a thousand year reign of Jesus on earth, when we consider the total view of the book. There are some things not mentioned in this chapter. First, it does not mention the second coming of Christ. Second, it does not mention a reign on earth. Third, this passage does not mention a bodily resurrection. Fourth, it does not mention Christ on earth. And fifth, it does not mention us, it says "they" lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The passage speaks of they, that is the souls of them that had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus. In Revelation 6:9-11, the picture is of the souls of martyrs who had been slain for the word of God under an altar crying for vengeance. Here the martyrs are on thrones, God's inevitable judgment has come. The victory came in the spirit world, God assured their victory. The passage also mentions the first resurrection, which is in contrast with the second death. The point is not that the righteous are raised a thousand years before the wicked, for a physical reign on earth, but that the cause of Christ for which the martyrs died is triumphant. Evil is not forever on the throne. God has overcome.
"The state of the Kingdom, which is the same as the church,"
The church and the kingdom are not one and the same. The kingdom includes all the saved on earth at any given time(Col. 1:13;Jhn. 3:3,5;Mrk. 10:13-15), while the church is composed of baptized believers. One enters the kingdom by the new birth, yet one enters the church by profession of faith and baptism(Acts. 2:41). One's place in the kingdom is eternally secure(Jhn 5:24;II Tim. 4:18), but, he can be excluded from a church(I Cor. 1:2). Lost people cannot enter the kingdom(Jhn 3:3), yet they can enter the church as Judas did. The kingdom is a monarchy over which Christ is the King; the churches are democracies over which Christ is the Head. The dominant use of the word "kingdom" is singular in the New Testament. The dominant use of the word "church" is singular and plural, but, both emphasize many
THe kIngdom of Heaven is not a promise to the church, the kingdom of God is a continuation of the Davidic Kingdom, although the cHurch(saved believers) will participate of it, It does not come because of them but because of the unfulfilled covenants to abraham and david,
Scripture prove:
The second unconditional covenant regarding Israel is known as the Davidic Covenant (some would put the 'Palestinian Covenant', Deut. 30:1-10, here which is really a recomformation of the Abrahamic Covenant):
[blockquote]12 When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
15 but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.
16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before you: your throne shall be established forever.
2 Sam. 7:12-16
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The first four verses (12-15) refer to David's son Solomon whilst the last (v. 16) is directed specifically to David. These five verses promise to David that he will always have a descendant whose right it is to the throne and that it will be an everlasting throne.
Referring to Solomon, God says that He will punish him for his iniquities but that He would not leave him and that God would establish the throne of Solomon's kingdom forever. This is not to be thought of as establishing Solomon or his lineage forever but rather the throne of the kingdom that he inherited from his father David which is in agreement with verse 16 which promises an everlasting dynasty, kingdom and throne to David. That these promises to David are everlasting shows that it is an unconditional covenant as nothing David nor his descendants after him can do to break it. This is confirmed, even after all the transgressions of the kings of Judah, by the angel Gabriel when sent to Mary:
[blockquote]30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name Yeshua (JESUS.)
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end of his kingdom."
Lk. 1:30-33
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By telling Mary that Jesus would be given the throne and kingdom of David, Gabriel was confirming the continuance of the Davidic Covenant and thus proving that it was indeed an unconditional covenant.
The psalmist also confirms that the Davidic Covenant was everlasting and therefore unconditional:
[blockquote]3 "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David, my servant,
4 'I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations.'"
Selah.
19 Then you spoke in vision to your saints,
And said, "I have bestowed strength on the warrior.
I have exalted a young man from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant.
I have anointed him with my holy oil,
21 With whom my hand shall be established.
My arm will also strengthen him.
22 No enemy will tax him.
No wicked man will oppress him.
23 I will beat down his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my lovingkindness will be with him.
In my name, his horn will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also on the sea,
And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call to me, 'You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation!'
27 I will also appoint him my firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my lovingkindness for him forevermore.
My covenant will stand firm with him.
29 I will also make his seed endure forever,
And his throne as the days of Heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law,
And don't walk in my ordinances;
31 If they break my statutes,
And don't keep my commandments;
32 Then I will punish their sin with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 But I will not completely take my lovingkindness from him,
Nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
34 I will not break my covenant,
Nor alter what my lips have uttered
4748 Once have I sworn by my holiness,
I will not lie to David.
36 His seed will endure forever,
His throne like the sun before me.
37 It will be established forever like the moon,
The faithful witness in the sky."
Ps. 89:3-4, 19-37
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The final unconditional covenant is the New Covenant:
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31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:
34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that the waves of it roar; the LORD of hosts is his name:
36 If these ordinances depart from before me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.( We can see then the kingdom is a covenant to Israel, not the church)
37 Thus says the LORD: If Heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD.
38 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
39 The measuring line shall go out further straight onward to the hill Gareb, and shall turn about to Goah.
40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.
Jer. 31:31-40
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Many Christians in their mind have replace Israel and its covenants with God as if were meant for the church.
This is a large error in view of the clear scriptures, which say God will alaways hold his word and covenants and promises to Israel.
The Kingdom is the continuation of the Davidic Kingdom ,held by Yeshuah,(Jesus).
Wheter it is 1000 years or not, certainly the word says teh seat of David will be held by teh Messiah forever, so th Israeli entity will exist forever.
Have you not read, that even the New Jerusalem has 12 gates, each one named after the 12 tribes of Israel ? Why is That ?
How come the church is not named in this city which will be from where Jesus will rule in the New earth ?
Go on an study the word, Shalom
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Boy !if you all only knew how difficult Satan made it for me to write that short lesson above.
He came short of attacking me ,physically while I wrote it.
He does not want people to have true knowledge of these truths, he rather have people ignorant of the covenants of God to Israel.
But I will go on telling these truths until I die.
Shalom
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
The new Jerusalem (21:9)
[blockquote] Rev 21:9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
So what tribe is the Church ?
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"Blessed is He who Comes in The Name of The Lord"
Where in the Bible does it ever say that Judas was in the church?
Trae, the church was founded by Christ and was already in existance while Judas walked with the Lord. Math. 16:18 "Upon this rock I will build my church" Math. 18:17 " tell it to the chuch"
Now there must have already been a church to tell it to right? Judas I used as an example but many if not most churches have lost people in them that creep in on false testimonies etc.
Quote:
One enters the kingdom by the new birth, yet one enters the church by profession of faith and baptism(Acts. 2:41).
So according to your doctrine, one must do more to get into the church than one does to get salvation????? While I believe baptism is a church ordinance and should be a requirment for church membership, I do not believe it is required for salvation. Our profession of faith is our validating and acknowledging the Lords regenerating work in us.
Dabow, we just don't get each other do we? [&:] I don't know if we agree on anything! God bless you anyway! Oh come on Trae, I know we agree on quite a bit. And I sure would not fall out of fellowship with you over this point
(I'm sureyou know I am just picking and I respect your opinion.) No, I was picking on you first, but did not mean it in a unkind way. I know you even mentioned this was not your point
So In your understanding, one must do more to get into the church than to gain salvation?
Quote:
While I believe baptism is a church ordinance and should be a requirment for church membership, I do not believe it is required for salvation. Our profession of faith is our validating and acknowledging the Lords regenerating work in us.
Dabow, would you clear this up a little for me. Are you saying that a person must do more or less to get saved from sin?
Trae
P.S. - And I am also sure we agree on alot more than we disagree on. You're a great example to us all here, of how to disagree with kindness and still be firm in your beliefs. Thanks!
The 1000 Years of Revelation 20
