The Kingdom of Heaven is near

[JesusFollowerForever]

"Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." (Mat 3:2)

As prophesied in the O.T. John the baptist was announcing the coming of the messiah, he was preparing the way for our Lord and was baptizing with water; Mark 1:4; John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mar 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Many people have forgotten that Yeshua, our lord and saviour, son of GOD who came in the flesh, was sent to announce the good news or the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven. Some might dispute this but it is written in Luke 4:43; And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

Yes Jesus did also wonderful things, and paid the price for our sins but it was not his only mission as he preached vehemently the Kingdom of Heaven!
there are many verses in which our Lord Yeshua mentions the kingdom of heaven or Kingdom of GOD, 32 verses in the book of Matthew alone. Here are just a few verses from the new testament;
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Also the disciples of Yeshua were asked as well to preach the Kingdom of Heaven;
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Yeshua also spoke many parables about the Kingdom of Heaven such as;
Mat 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Mat 13:32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Mat 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Yes indeed, Jesus and his disciples were preaching repentance and the coming Kingdom of Heaven! Are you ready?
Blessings

 

[Clare73]

"Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." (Mat 3:2)

The kingdom of God is here now (Mt 12:28, Lk 11:20), within us (Lk 17:21), in the hearts where he rules and reigns.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

The kingdom of God is here now (Mt 12:28, Lk 11:20), within us (Lk 17:21), in the hearts where he rules and reigns.

I think scripure might disagree with you. are you aware of prophecy? unless i am mistaken did you see Jesus return in all his glory, did i miss this? i know what you mean, when Jesus was with us 2000 years ago, you could say heaven was upon us, it will be real on his second advent, soon.


blessings.

 

[Clare73]

I think scripure might disagree with you. are you aware of prophecy? unless i am mistaken did you see Jesus return in all his glory, did i miss this? i know what you mean, when Jesus was with us 2000 years ago, you could say heaven was upon us, it will be real on his second advent, soon.

Any interpretation of prophetic riddles (Nu 12:8), which are subject to more than one interpretation, in disagreement with NT apostolic teaching authoritative to the church, as in Mt 12:28, Lk 17:20-21, is in error.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Any interpretation of prophetic riddles (Nu 12:8), which are subject to more than one interpretation, in disagreement with NT apostolic teaching authoritative to the church, as in Mt 12:28, Lk 17:20-21, is in error.

Claire, you conveniently forgot part of the verses that point to Christ second coming;

Luk 17:20 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:

Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luk 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

Luk 17:23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

Luk 17:24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other partunder heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

Luk 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Luk 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Luk 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Luk 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Luk 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

Luk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.

Luk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Luk 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two menin one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

Luk 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luk 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luk 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

these verses are clearly related to the end times, Jesus announced his return for a later time.

in Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Jesus says here that the Kingdom of God was with them, then at that time since he was GOD and they, his
followers were with him. If you do not believe me look at the different commentaries available in bublehub.

If you look at the state of the world today you cannot say the Kingdom of Heaven is established on earth can you? wars, famines epidemics.... this world we live in now is not the kingdom of heaven this is scriptural and Not my interpretation.

I can concede that the true believers having received the Holy Spirit, as promises by Jesus in John 14:16 are growing into the Kingdom, Jesus left us with many parables about the Kingdom to explain this,

Matthew 13:31-32​

The Kingdom of Heaven will be established on Jesus second advent, with His Glory clearly seen by all, this is what scripture teaches.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I think scripure might disagree with you. are you aware of prophecy? unless i am mistaken did you see Jesus return in all his glory, did i miss this? i know what you mean, when Jesus was with us 2000 years ago, you could say heaven was upon us, it will be real on his second advent, soon.


blessings.

The kingdom is not purely future, it is also present.

Our Lord, when being questioned by the Pharisees said, "The kingdom does not come with observation ... the kingdom is in the midst of you". The kingdom was, in some sense, already present right then and there as Jesus stood there with those disputing and challenging Him.

Before Pilate, our Lord said, "You are correct to call me King, but My kingdom is not of this world"

As we look through all four Gospels we see that this kingdom, the kingdom of God/of the heavens, can be put another way: This is what it is like for God to be King. If we want to understand what the kingdom of God is, we need to answer that question: What does it mean for God to be King? What does God being King mean, what does it look like?

And the answer to that question is found throughout Jesus' parables yes, but throughout His entire ministry. When He heals the blind and the lame, when He cures lepers, when He drives out demons, when He declares sins are forgiven. When He says "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" that's what the kingdom looks like. When He says, "the greatest among you is your slave" that's what the kingdom looks like. And most importantly, the culmination of all of this, if we want to know what the kingdom of God looks like, it's the beaten, battered, and crucified body of the Son of God hanging from the cross; and it's the empty tomb three days later.

It's the ancient promise of God as we see in Daniel, the Son of Man taken up in the clouds before the Ancient of Days. It's when St. Paul says that our Lord Jesus Christ "though God, did not exploit this, but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a slave" and also "and God has exalted Him".

For the Lord, having been crucified, having risen from the dead, and now ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father in glory and majesty is the Son of Man before the Ancient of Days, given everlasting dominion. Our Lord said what before He ascended? "All power and authority has been given to Me". What did St. Stephen the Protomartyr see in his vision just before he died? "I see the Son of Man at the right hand of God"

The King--the Messiah--having suffered and died, and risen from the dead, has ascended and taken up His Throne. He is the Enthroned Messiah, who rules and reigns with a kingdom that can never be shaken.

Jesus Himself said this, on more than one occasion, for example:

"Then Jesus said to them, 'You are foolish and slow to realize what is true. You should believe everything the prophets said. They said that the Messiah must suffer these things before He enters His glory.' Then Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about Himself in the Scriptures. He started with Moses, and then He talked about what all the prophets had said about Him." - Luke 24:25-27

His suffering, His death on the cross, His resurrection, His ascension--that was all said beforehand, though they did not see it until He opened their eyes. For the Messiah--the King--must suffer before entering His glory, taking His throne on high at the right hand of the Father, with all power and authority in heaven and on earth.

So the kingdom of God is even now. As the Lord Himself rules and reigns from heaven, through His Church, and in us by the Holy Spirit. And He shall come again, to subject all things, and destroy the last enemy, death itself.

"For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." - 1 Corinthians 15:25-26

For in the end, when He returns in glory, and "death is swallowed up in victory", this will be the case: God will be all in all.

And our ancient prayer, which the Lord has taught us, shall be not only our reality now through faith, but shall fill the whole world,

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"

For the heavenly city shall descend upon the earth, heaven and earth united, God shall dwell with men. He will be our God, we shall be His people. There is need for neither sun nor moon on that glorious Day, for God and the Lamb shall be the light. And as it was written so long ago, "The knowledge of the glory of YHWH will cover the earth as waters cover the seas" (Habakkuk 2:14). And justice shall flow like an ever-flowing stream.

The kingdom is not entirely future; nor entirely present. It is both.

Christ rules and reigns now, and when He returns, all things shall be made as they ought to be: New heavens and new earth. God's Light and Glory filling all of creation, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor suffering, every tear shall be wiped from our eyes.

Till that Day, Christ reigns as Lord.
And on that Day, Christ shall reign as Lord.
For His kingdom has no end.

The Kingdom and the Cross are the same Gospel.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

What will the kingdom of heaven will be like.

The book of revelations gives us a glimpse of what the final kingdom of heaven will look like, it describes the kingdom of heaven where GOD will dwell. That would be after the millennial kingdom of Christ's second coming on earth. the description of the new Jerusalem is simply incredible the size of it will be absolutely HUGE! it is why Jesus said in John 14:2;
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you.

Th size if the new Jerusalem would be 1500 miles long x 1500 miles deep x 1500 miles high!!indeed a new earth will be needed!

Below is the physical description from the book of revelations chapter 21:9-27 and 22:1-7;

The New Jerusalem
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The River of Life
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Peace be upon you.

 

[Clare73]

Claire, you conveniently forgot part of the verses that point to Christ second coming;
Luk 17:20 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:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luk 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

Luk 17:23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

Luk 17:24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other partunder heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

Luk 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Luk 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Luk 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Luk 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Luk 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Luk 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

Luk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.

Luk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Luk 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two menin one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

Luk 17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luk 17:36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Luk 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

these verses are clearly related to the end times, Jesus announced his return for a later time.

in Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Jesus says here that the Kingdom of God was with them, then at that time since he was GOD and they, his
followers were with him. If you do not believe me look at the different commentaries available in bublehub.

If you look at the state of the world today you cannot say the Kingdom of Heaven is established on earth can you? wars, famines epidemics.... this world we live in now is not the kingdom of heaven this is scriptural and Not my interpretation.

Right. . .Jesus said the kingdom is here now, Mt 12:28, within you (Lk 17:20-21).
God's NT kingdom is not physical--as the Jews thought from their literal interpretations of prophetic riddles--it is spiritual--invisible and within (Lk 17:20-21).

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

So the book of revelations written by APosthe John is all make believe, a Jewish invention? what about Daniel the prophets?

 

[Clare73]

So the book of revelations written by APosthe John is all make believe, a Jewish invention? what about Daniel the prophets?

The prophecies of John, like those of the other prophets, are riddles (Nu 12:8), not authoritative teaching, and are subject to more than one interpretation.
All interpretation of prophetic riddles not in agreement with NT apostolic teaching authoritative to the people of God are incorrect interpretations.

 

[ViaCrucis]

What will the kingdom of heaven will be like.

The book of revelations gives us a glimpse of what the final kingdom of heaven will look like, it describes the kingdom of heaven where GOD will dwell. That would be after the millennial kingdom of Christ's second coming on earth. the description of the new Jerusalem is simply incredible the size of it will be absolutely HUGE! it is why Jesus said in John 14:2;
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you.

Th size if the new Jerusalem would be 1500 miles long x 1500 miles deep x 1500 miles high!!indeed a new earth will be needed!

Below is the physical description from the book of revelations chapter 21:9-27 and 22:1-7;

The New Jerusalem
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The River of Life
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Peace be upon you.

I'd encourage you to avoid taking the Apocalypse of St. John too literally.

There isn't a literal city in heaven, and there won't be a literal cube landing on planet earth. That's missing the forest for the trees. The language is apocalyptic. Apocalypse is an entire genre of ancient literature, one that uses big, loud, graphic imagery to convey meaning. The beast that rises out of the sea isn't literally a monster, the prostitute that rides upon a scarlet beast isn't literally a prostitute. Jesus, as the Lamb seated on the Throne, isn't literally a four-legged juvenile sheep with multiple eyes. The devil isn't a literal dragon.

Even as we read in the Apocalypse that in the new heavens and new earth there is no more sea doesn't mean there won't be an ocean, a place where fish and whales and all manner of marine life will flourish; to understand what is meant by "no more sea" it's important to understand what the sea often means in the larger context of Scripture. New heavens and new earth indicates the renewal of what we see above in the skies--the heavens--the sun, moon, stars, etc; but we also read of no need for sun or moon because God and the Lamb are the source of light. It's not that there won't be any sun or moon, literally; it's that God's Light, His glory, His full and divine Presence shall be right here with us--recall how St. Paul had said that God "dwells in unapproachable light"--not literal light, but the Uncreated Light of God's Glory and Presence. What has also been called God's Shekinah. Recall also how Moses, beholding only a glimmer and glimpse of God's Glory ends up having a face that shines so bright that he had to wear a veil so that people wouldn't be blinded by seeing him. The Light that is mentioned on Mt. Tabor, at the Lord's Transfiguration. This isn't about photons.

Yes, God's kingdom will be in absolute and perfect fullness in the Age to Come. But not as a literal city, or a plot of land with borders; but as the full and actualized finished result of God's grand and glorious design to redeem and heal all of creation. The kingdom is never about a where, but a Who.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

The prophecies of John, like those of the other prophets, are riddles (Nu 12:8), not authoritative teaching, and are subject to more than one interpretation.
All interpretation of prophetic riddles not in agreement with NT apostolic teaching authoritative to the people of God are incorrect interpretations.

the reason they look like riddles is because they are destined and to be revealed in the end times, Knowledge is increasing, some is not most of these prophecies are now coming to light;

Prophecy of the End Time​

1“At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting [a]contempt.
3Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.

4“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

I'd encourage you to avoid taking the Apocalypse of St. John too literally.

There isn't a literal city in heaven, and there won't be a literal cube landing on planet earth. That's missing the forest for the trees. The language is apocalyptic. Apocalypse is an entire genre of ancient literature, one that uses big, loud, graphic imagery to convey meaning. The beast that rises out of the sea isn't literally a monster, the prostitute that rides upon a scarlet beast isn't literally a prostitute. Jesus, as the Lamb seated on the Throne, isn't literally a four-legged juvenile sheep with multiple eyes. The devil isn't a literal dragon.

Even as we read in the Apocalypse that in the new heavens and new earth there is no more sea doesn't mean there won't be an ocean, a place where fish and whales and all manner of marine life will flourish; to understand what is meant by "no more sea" it's important to understand what the sea often means in the larger context of Scripture. New heavens and new earth indicates the renewal of what we see above in the skies--the heavens--the sun, moon, stars, etc; but we also read of no need for sun or moon because God and the Lamb are the source of light. It's not that there won't be any sun or moon, literally; it's that God's Light, His glory, His full and divine Presence shall be right here with us--recall how St. Paul had said that God "dwells in unapproachable light"--not literal light, but the Uncreated Light of God's Glory and Presence. What has also been called God's Shekinah. Recall also how Moses, beholding only a glimmer and glimpse of God's Glory ends up having a face that shines so bright that he had to wear a veil so that people wouldn't be blinded by seeing him. The Light that is mentioned on Mt. Tabor, at the Lord's Transfiguration. This isn't about photons.

Yes, God's kingdom will be in absolute and perfect fullness in the Age to Come. But not as a literal city, or a plot of land with borders; but as the full and actualized finished result of God's grand and glorious design to redeem and heal all of creation. The kingdom is never about a where, but a Who.

-CryptoLutheran

First, the millennial kingdom on this current earth when Jesus returns
Then after the millennium kingdom and war with satan, the new Kingdom of heaven ( new Jerusalem) will be on the new earth, I think all is possible to GOD who created all things.

 

[Clare73]

the reason they look like riddles is because they are destined and to be revealed in the end times,

1) Which end times, the end of the OT, or the NT?
2) The entire NT is end times.

 

[ViaCrucis]

So the book of revelations written by APosthe John is all make believe, a Jewish invention? what about Daniel the prophets?

All of Scripture should be read contextually, using good hermeneutical principles in order to do good exegesis. A part of that is recognizing what we are reading. Usually we're pretty good with this, we recognize that the Psalms are different than the Epistles of St. Paul; we recognize that Proverbs and Ecclesiastes isn't the same thing as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The trouble often happens when we fail to recognize what we are reading when we get to books like the Apocalypse (aka the Revelation) or the book of Daniel.

We're pretty good recognizing poetry, or epistle, or narrative, etc. Those are types of writing which we have a lot of familiarity with. When I read one of Shakespeare's sonnets or plays, I don't get that confused with, say, a biography about Winston Churchill. A book on the history of the American Civil War is a kind of writing I get, and so is poetry by John Milton or T.S. Elliot.

But a form of writing which we are far less familiar with is apocalypse. It's not a literary form that exists in modern times. And when we come across it, as we do in the Bible, we don't necessarily know what to do with it--not without learning about it. Apocalypse, as a form of writing, doesn't really fit into any of the boxes that we are more familiar with: poetry, history, biography, etc. It's a very different kind of writing, one that relies on symbols and loud, graphic imagery to convey meaning--symbols and imagery which very often would have been very familiar for the original target audience, but which be very difficult for us to understand. And that leads us to wildly diverse interpretations. So when it comes to apocalypse, in a lot of ways it's even more important to focus on context, and to not try and take it too literally--because it's not meant to be literal. it's meant to be loud, big, and describe people, places, things, and ideas with highly impactful language: Jesus as a Lamb with lots of eyes; or the devil as a terrifying dragon, Jesus returning in judgment as riding a horse into battle with a sword coming out of His mouth.

That's apocalyptic language. Sometimes, when we are lucky, the authors tell us what some things mean, or maybe just partly. For example, in the book of Daniel we have Daniel as an interpreter of dreams, and so dreams and visions are explained, at least partly. The statue of bronze, iron, etc is plainly described as a series of kingdoms or empires--but doesn't go so far as to identify which. In the Apocalypse of St. John the angel explains to John what the vision of the prostitute riding the beast is, the prostitue--called Babylon--is a city on seven hills (which, I'd argue, is actually a very clear and obvious statement about what city it is, but still many have their own views). Very often, we simply aren't given an answer, or even a hint, as to the meaning of the visions and images: the monsters that come out of the abyss are these monstrous human-faced locusts--what's that about (I have no idea, and I doubt anyone else alive today does either).

So when reading apocalyptic literature, recognize what you are reading. It's not going to fit into any of the boxes that you ordinarily put writing, it's a very special and unique kind of thing, and needs to be recognized as such. That's part of using good exegetical skills to read and understand God's word.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

First, the millennial kingdom on this current earth when Jesus returns

I'm not a Premillennialist/Chiliast.

Then after the millennium kingdom and war with satan, the new Kingdom of heaven ( new Jerusalem) will be on the new earth, I think all is possible to GOD who created all things.

Those are ideas associated with a particular system of eschatology or an eschatological framework known in ancient times as Chiliasm, but which are today usually called Premillennialism (as distinct from Amillennialism and Postmillennialism).

This isn't an eschatological framework which I subscribe to. I don't consider it to be the best framework by which to understand certain parts of Scripture; and that there are better frameworks which are more biblically faithful.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

1) Which end times, the end of the OT, or the NT?
2) The NT end times are the entire NT.

to me when people mention the end times it is the events preceding Jesus return ( second advent) both the O.T and N.T speak of this, revelations goes further and explains the last kingdom of Heaven where GOD will be with us forever. this last Kingdom will come after the millennial kingdom, see rev 20 and onwards.

 

[ViaCrucis]

the reason they look like riddles is because they are destined and to be revealed in the end times, Knowledge is increasing, some is not most of these prophecies are now coming to light;

Prophecy of the End Time​

1“At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Every one who is found written in the book.
2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting [a]contempt.
3Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.

4“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

There's two problems I have with this interpretation of yours here:

1) The assumption that it is about the end of history; rather than perhaps the end of something else. After all, the words written here aren't sealed, are they? You're reading them with your own eyes. So at some point the words were unsealed. This makes a lot of sense if we understand that the principle time-frame for what Daniel is talking about (not EVERYTHING Daniel talks about, but the principle time of a lot of what Daniel is talking about) is the Maccabean era.

2) More important than that, however, is the danger into thinking that I have now some special insight into Scripture, because "it's the end now" (says who?) and therefore even though the Scriptures were not understood by anyone else before me, I now can tell everyone what they "really mean". That's how cults get started.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

I'm not a Premillennialist/Chiliast.



Those are ideas associated with a particular system of eschatology or an eschatological framework known in ancient times as Chiliasm, but which are today usually called Premillennialism (as distinct from Amillennialism and Postmillennialism).

This isn't an eschatological framework which I subscribe to. I don't consider it to be the best framework by which to understand certain parts of Scripture; and that there are better frameworks which are more biblically faithful.

-CryptoLutheran

I am part of NO denomination, I follow the teachings of Christ according to the understanding given to me by the Holy Spirit. I have no negative predisposition to other beliefs but I do use the words and Jesus as my point of reference.
we were thought differently but we can still converse. I am judging no one just trying to understand. for the bibles i tend to follow the one closest to the original texts, to me the KJV, NKJV, and in french, Carmpon and Louis Second versions.

Blessings.

 

[ViaCrucis]

to me when people mention the end times it is the events preceding Jesus return ( second advent) both the O.T and N.T speak of this, revelations goes further and explains the last kingdom of Heaven where GOD will be with us forever. this last Kingdom will come after the millennial kingdom, see rev 20 and onwards.

The New Testament frequently uses the language of "the last days" to refer to this final chapter of human history, from the time of Christ's first coming until His return in glory to Judge. That's why the author of Hebrews can say "in these last days God has spoken to us by His Son", it is comparative--the former times, and now these times. These are the latter days, and it's been the last days since our Lord was walking around Judea and Galilee preaching and healing.

That, of course, could invite scoffing. But St. Peter addressed that, speaking of those who even in his day, just in the decades after our Lord ascended, of those scoffers saying "What of His coming?". Peter gives us the answer: God is not slow, God's way of dealing with time doesn't depend on our limited mortal lifespans--for with God "a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day". The Lord will return, God has promised this and He keeps His promises> When? God only knows, it's been two thousand years, it may be two thousand more. God alone knows, it's not our business to know. So these last days, having gone on for two millennia already, may continue for millennia to come--who can say?

But God is not slow at keeping His promises as men understand slowness; all will be as it should be, in accordance with God's will and purpose.

When people talk about "the end times" it's usually indicative of impatience with God's word and promises; and has been a repeated error made throughout history. To illustrate:

About a hundred years after our Lord founded the Church there came from the region of Phrygia a self-proclaiimed prophet and two female companions of his. His name was Montanus, his companions were named Prisca and Maximilla. And they claimed that it was the time of the end, that they had been chosen to be the instruments of the closing of the Age of the Church, and ushering in a new age of the Holy Spirit. When they prophesied, they acted as though the Holy Spirit personally had taken possession of them; and they acted as though they were the direct mouthpiece of the Spirit. In spite of the Church tirelessly fighting against this new heresy that had sprung up in Phrygia, it attracted a lot of followers. In fact, its most famous convert was a man by the name of Tertullian of Carthage; who prior to his conversion to the Montanist heresy, had been one of the biggest defenders of Christianity. His writings, even today, are still read and studied for his insights--though because we don't know which writings were written before, during, or after his conversion to Montanism, his legacy remains tarnished to this day as well.

I bring this up for a simple reason: People claiming the end is here, that there is a new revelation, a new move of the Spirit, we are living in the end times, etc has been something going on for the last two thousand years--the entire history of Christianity includes a history of people claiming "it's the end times now".

Another example: In 410 AD the Visigoths sacked Rome. This attack at the symbolic heart of the Roman Empire (though the capital had been moved eastward to Constantinople almost a century earlier) and the now slow collapse of the Western Roman Empire was a catalyst leading many Faithful Christians to believe the end was nigh. The world was ending. In fact, many Christians had, going back centuries, been of the opinion that the "restrainer" mentioned by St. Paul in 2 Thessalonians, that which restrained the appearance of the son of perdition, was the Roman Empire. If Rome was weakening, if Rome would fall, then surely the world was going to come to an end.

In response to this St. Augustine of Hippo wrote The City of God, in which he wanted to comfort the Faithful that human institutions are temporal, they aren't to be confused with God's Eternal City. The kingdoms of this world can come and go, but God's kingdom is forever.

When people come claiming "it's the end", it is, like St. Augustine, the responsibility of the Church to remind the Faithful to be sober-minded, to preach sobriety of the mind and that God's things are not man's things or vice versa. The things of man come and go. It is as our Lord Himself has taught us, there will be wars and rumors of wars, nations will rise against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, there will be earthquakes and disasters and plagues--but that isn't the end.

It wasn't the end of the world when Rome destroyed Jerusalem.
It wasn't the end of the world when the Visigoths sacked Rome.
It wasn't the end of the world when the Ottomans took Constantinople.

The end will be when it will be, but it's not our business. Our business is the preaching of the word, and being a city on a hill. To be the faithful servant, rather than unfaithful servant.

-CryptoLutheran