By Michael Harley

There are three realms in which power and authority over the earth emanate: God’s throne in the “uttermost parts of the north,” The heavens, and the earth itself. In the near future, two of these realms, the heavens above the earth and the earth itself, will have a change of government.

God rules in an overall Kingdom over the universe. God delegates power over parts of His Overall Kingdom to angels.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job1: 6,7[i])

God in time past delegated power and authority over the earth to Satan and his angels. Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the Kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:5,6)[ii]

In time past Satan became disqualified to rule the earth, by seeking to exalt his throne above God’s throne.

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High: yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit (Isa 14:12-15[iii]).

The earth is the only place in God’s universal Kingdom which Scripture states that disobedience has entered. God then set about to replace Satan and his angels by creating a new creature: Man. Man made in God’s own image and likeness, was created to have dominion over the earth. Stan knowing the reason man was created set about to disqualify man from having dominion over the earth, and succeeded, causing man to fall. But man’s fall has not caused God to change His mind aoubt the reaon He called man into existence.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29[iv])

Man made in the image and likeness of God, called into existence to replace Satan and his angels, though in a fallen condition, will be brought back into a condition in which he will replace Satan and his angels. In the age to come, man will rule over the earth, instead of angels.

For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. (Hebrew 2:5[v])

The Bible is a book of redemption. It’s about bringing man back into a condition in which he will be able to rule the earth. It begins with God creating man to rule over the earth, then ALL Scripture moves toward the time when man realizes the reason he was created in the beginning: “let them have dominion.”

There are two realms in which governmental control over the earth will change from angels to men, and the Gentile nations to the nation of Israel: the heavenly places over the earth and the earth itself. This change will take place a the end of this age.

“Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13: 40-43[vi])

Then in the Book of Revelation, among others, we see the heavenly realm’s governmental powers changing.

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (Rev 12: 7-10[vii])

“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev 12:12[viii])

During the coming Great Tribulation war will break out in heaven. Angels will fight angels over the heavenly realm above the earth. The current rulers, Satan and his angels will be over powered and cast down to the earth. The heavenly realm will have been taken. Then Satan among other things will gather the whole world together to Armageddon and this is where the earthly realm will be taken.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Rev 16: 13 -14[ix])

And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Rev 16:16[x])

Jesus Christ Himself will come forth, the beast and the false prophet will be captured and cast alive into the lake of fire, the armies of mankind will be killed with the sword which proceeds from Christ’s mouth, the Devil will be bound and shut in the bottom less pit during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ, and Christ and His co-heirs will rule with a rod of Iron over the earth and bring all disobedience to an end.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that on one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in Heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on White horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: K ING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of Kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. “And I saw the beast, the Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness ot Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 19:11-20:6 [xi])

First, the heavenly realm will be taken, then the earthly realm. Christ will then set up His Kingdom and rule the earth from a heavenly realm along with His co-heirs who overcame and sat down with Him on His throne, Israel will be the head of all the Gentile nations and rule from an earthly realm. This rule will last 1,000 years and will deal with one place in God’s overall universal Kingdom. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit during this time. At the end of the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ, Satan will be released and gather those of mankind who are tired of being ruled by Christ together once more, God will rain down fire on them and devour them. The devil will then be cast into the lake of fire and all disobedience will be a thing of the past. Jesus Christ will then deliver the kingdom up to God. God will move His throne from “the farthest sides of the north” to the new earth, and the throne of Christ’s glory will change to a universal throne: “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Rev. 22:3-6[xii])

 

 

 

 

[i] Job 1:6-7New King James Version (NKJV)

 

Satan Attacks Job’s Character

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[a] also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

[ii] Luke 4:5 – 6 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him[a] all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

[iii] Isaiah 14:12-15New King James Version (NKJV)

The Fall of Lucifer

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,

O Lucifer,[a] son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will be like the Most High.’

15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

To the lowest depths of the Pit.

[iv] Romans 11:29 New King James Version (NKJV) For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

[v] Hebrews 2:5New King James Version (NKJV)

The Son Made Lower than Angels

5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

[vi] Matthew 13:40-43New King James Version (NKJV)

40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

[vii] Revelation 12:7-10New King James Version (NKJV)

Satan Thrown Out of Heaven

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them[a] in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

[viii] Revelation 12:12New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

[ix] Revelation 16:13-14New King James Version (NKJV)

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and[a] of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

[x] Revelation 16:16New King James Version (NKJV)

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

[xi] Revelation 19:11-20:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

Christ on a White Horse

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had[a] a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean,[b] followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp[c] sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

 

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

 

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,[d] 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free[e] and slave, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Satan Bound 1,000 Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

[xii] Revelation 22:3-6New King James Version (NKJV)

3 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. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy[a] prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.
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Governmental Change In Two Realms Over The Earth | Prison Apologetics

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The title of this Sermon is Keeping the commands of Christ. But, I think a good subtitle might be learning to be a complete servant of Christ through life experiences.

Let me share this with you, it will get us into the right mindset for this lesson.

B-I-B-L-E, basic instructions before leaving Earth.

Let’s consider a couple of things, first and obviously, Christianity means being a disciple, or follower, student of Christ, and that infers that He (Christ) is the one we follow, who we are a student of, disciple of; and keeping His commands means He is the boss, the great Scottish preacher Peter Marshall referred to Him as the “chief”.

We do what He says for He is the teacher/ Leader. In Short, giving up our life, or dyeing to self, and picking up our own cross means being His servant, or slave, so let’s look at the Greek word for slave

Which is doulos and means:

• a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
• a slave, one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
• devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests; a servant, attendant

Meriam Webster Dictionary defines Disciple this way:

Someone who accepts and helps to spread the teachings of a famous person

• That statement comes with the assumption of spreading that teaching as taught, correctly, without making your own changes. Be a Servant
  “Matthew 20:26–28Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ²⁷ And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” .

Matthew Henry commentary: That man who labours most diligently, and suffers most patiently, seeking to do good to his brethren, and to promote the salvation of souls, most resembles Christ, and will be most honoured by him to all eternity.

So how life’s experiences can be used to better understand this.

In an earthly sense, when we have a boss, when we follow the commands of another, we expect a reward for it, such as a paycheck.

We want that paycheck so we can sustain life, for ourselves and sometimes for others.

So why would it be any different when we follow the commands of Christ? We expect a reward at the end of the day, and in this case namely, Heaven.

What is another reason we have a boss? Or a manager, or leader? To show us the way, to give us instructions on how to do our job correctly.

For instance, I spent many years, in fact most of my working life,  with AAMCO transmissions as a customer service manager. My main job was to work with customers. AAMCO taught me what to say, in fact it was a 5,000 word track that had to be followed by the exact word, they taught us what to say, to the letter, in each stage of our relationship with the customer, from the time we answered the phone, until the time we handed them their keys. Why? To maximize the amount of sales, to make sure the customer was not misled in anyway, and understood perfectly what their cost would be, and exactly what they were paying for.

Of course, the technicians had a different role, but they were also taught exactly how to proceed in their work when it came to the diagnostic aspect, and what to say if a customer should be involved.

We had extensive diagnostic forms that had to be completed in an exact manner, so there would be no confusion to what was wrong with the car or truck, what was required to put it back into proper working conditions, and if there were any extenuating problems, or options to the repairs.

And then of course we had quality control in place when it came to the actual repair. We even had what was referred to as AAMCO “cops”, that would come into the centers and make sure we were repairing cars to the standards set forth by AAMCO home office.

And, why did we do that? Why would we put up with such severe micromanagement?

Because the pay was very good, and provided us a means to support our families.

Most importantly, It helped us do our job as close to perfection as possible.

So how does this apply to being a Christian? Christ, through the scripture gives us detailed information on how to arrive in Heaven someday. We memorize the “track” which are bible verses, and even hand out bible tracks don’t we?

Something would happen at AAMCO occasionally. A Customer Service Manager would decide he knew a better way to deal with customers than the AAMCO track

And before long sales would start going down.

We have the same thing in our Christian walk. Christ, gave us the “track” to salvation. He refers to it as the narrow path. He gave us the words we needed to follow the track perfectly, yet some decide they know a better way, and what happens? they are found teaching a false gospel, misleading people to an eternity in a hell without reprieve.

And we have bible “cops” just as AAMCO had their “cops”, and who are those cops? Me and You, we are to study the scripture daily (Acts 17:11) to see if what I teach or others like me teach are the truth. And, honestly, if you think I am teaching something in error, I truly want you to point it out to me, and why you think I am in error, and if I find you are right, I will change my view and teaching, in fact I found two things I have been wrong about in just  this last  week, and in the future, when I speak concerning those things,  those corrections will be in place.

Christ, being the “head” of the church, the leader, the “boss” if you will, gives us the instructions needed to make the right decisions, to do the right things, that will end in a successful journey.

In this physical life, we are talking about completing a project, maybe like an AAMCO rebuilder; building a transmission. Without instructions, it would be difficult to complete, at least correctly, and without a supervisor, it might be very difficult to understand the instructions, or how to follow them, and execute them properly.In the spiritual sense this is exactly what we have in Christianity.

1. First, we have a goal: Heaven
2. We have the blue print or the track for obtaining the goal: The Bible
3. We have instructors: Preachers and teachers
4. And we have the author: God
5. And we have quality control in place: Us; studying God’s word; the Bible, to make sure the Preacher is teaching the Scripture properly.

Now let me put this in a more personal sense, I’m neither the dumbest nor the brightest guy you will ever meet. As everyone in this room, I have enough intelligence and talent to get me through the day, and for the most part through life, however you would be amazed at the mistakes I make, and have been making for 69 years.

When I was young, I had so much chatter going on in my brain, it was literally making me crazy, often I would use booze to slow it all down, a bad decision.

I still get lots of “ideas” maybe I should do this, or that, it’s like I am almost 70 years old and still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.

And when I would change the AAMCO track because I had a “better” idea, things would get all confused, sales went down, the boss got mad at me, the techs got mad at me because it affected their income and job security as well.

But I found an answer, a solution to all this confusion… I quit making decisions on my own, and decided to just follow the track, and that is the same decision on my spiritual track, the narrow path, to heaven, to lay down my life and pick up my cross. And, what I mean by that, is I have two things I focus on in life now… paying the bills, and reading my blueprint or map to heaven, knowing the track, and sticking to it. It simplifies all other things.

 Let’s, keep one thing straight here; there is nothing we can do to enter heaven, it is by grace we are saved, and not by our own work, but we do have work to do, God has given each and every one of us a purpose, an assignment and that is found in Matthew 28: 18-20.

Ephesians 2: 8-10 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

So heaven is the reward, but it is by no means a gimme, yes, it’s a free gift, maybe we should refer to it as a free opportunity to all who would accept and follow through,

Allow me to share a quote from C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity:

“[To have Faith in Christ] means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Keep My Commandments

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Titus 1:10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,(NKJV)

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.(NKJV)

1 John 2:4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.(NKJV)

Revelation 21:8 says, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

As Christ says in

Matthew 7:13-15 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

Do you see the connection? We are to “follow the track” and not just follow it, but with the right heart, with diligent study, so we can be a pure, as perfect as possible.

In the past I have taught, or compared knowing the scripture to an FBI agent spotting phony money, the way they are taught to do this, is simply teaching them to know the real thing so well, they spot the phony immediately, and it is the same thing in our spiritual walk, if we teach a false doctrine, those who know the scripture will spot us immediately, and the same holds true for me, if I know it, teach it, practice it perfectly I will spot the phony/ false teacher and Christ tells us the same thing. Go to verse 15 of Matthew 7:

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

We are warned of false prophets, but why? If all we had to do is believe, would it really make any difference whether the preacher was telling the truth or not, and he may be honest, repeating a false doctrine he had been taught.

We are told the way is difficult, and few actually find it, what difficulty is there in just saying I believe?

Sounded easy to me. But in truth it is not very easy, we must give up self, literally die to self, and that is difficult, giving up any worldly desires, dreams of wealth or power you might harbor, … but even more than that, you must give up all your personal ideas, convictions, hatreds, partialities, in other words you must come to Him with a childlike readiness to serve Him, to Learn of and about Him and His commands.

You must give it all up, pick up your cross and follow Christ, and picking up that cross is work, it’s difficult work, but on the other hand, it’s serving your Lord, it’s a work of love.

Allow me to quote C.S. Lewis once more….

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him.

The principle runs through all life from top to bottom, Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life.Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

Matthew 7:16-20New King James Version (NKJV)

16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Luke 20:

³⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; ³⁶ nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

in Luke 20:35 Jesus states . ³⁵ But those who are counted worthy

So what does being counted worthy mean? What is that work, what must we do, once we have come to the realization Christ is exactly who He claimed to be, and we are serious about being His disciples.

• Choose the Narrow Way
  “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”(Matthew 7:13–14).

• Take My Yoke
  “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”(Matthew 11:28–30).

• Deny Yourself
  “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”(Luke 9:23–25).

 

Let’s wrap this up with a description of the goal: Heaven, and I think we can all agree it is worth following correctly, it is worth diligent study in order to know the commands, to know the pitfalls, it is worth accepting correction when we are wrong.

But, not just heaven, but eternity in Heaven, where there will be no more death, but continuous life forever, in a place we will want to be.

Matthew 6 and John 14 teaches us it is an actual place, we will have bodies, not just spirits floating around. It’s a place of great treasures, and prepared for those who seek it seriously, diligently. We are told in Matthew 25 that we will enter the joy of our master, and Luke 20 tells us we will be like angels, in fellowship with one another, and ultimately with God.

Matthew 6: ¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Let’s take a look at Revelation 21, and we will wrap up this lesson.

in Revelation 21 we are told there will be a new heaven and a new earth, There will be a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, and that God will dwell there with us, that there will be no more tears, death, sorrow, nor crying, for all these former things will pass away, and it will be forever and ever. It tells us this place is made of beautiful stones, and the gates of the city will be made of pearl, and the streets will be made of Gold like transparent glass. There will no longer be night, but light all the time; coming from God, and Christ, and we will walk in that light, no longer wearing these filthy rags of sin we bear now.

Only those written in the book of life shall dwell there….

Let’s make sure we are written in the Book of Life, by accepting Christ as our savior, without argument, following the script He has provided, following it as perfectly as we can, searching it daily for errors of the teachers, and of ourselves making the necessary adjustments to our beliefs and our behavior daily as needed, let’s lay down our lives, give it all up for Christ, the Lamb of God, being faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I will see you there….

Thank you for your time, and the lesson is yours.

By Michael Harley

When Jesus was in the world, 2,000 years ago, He spoke, taught, and preached one thing – the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, or the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Two phrases with the same meaning. He spoke over and over about the coming Kingdom, when the Son of Man would sit on His own throne and reign over the world. [i]

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17)

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, (Matthew 4:23)

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. (Matthew 9:35a)

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14)

And He was preaching in their Synagogues throughout all Galilee (Mark 1:39a)

Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And, He preached the word to them. (Mark 2:2)

Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. (Mark 2:13)

And, again He began to teach by the sea (Mark 4:1)

And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. (Mark 6:2a)

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. (Mark 6:34)

And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by al. (Luke 4:15)

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching. (Luke 5:17a)

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. (Luke 6:6a)

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. (Luke 8:1a)

But when the multitude knew it, they followed Him, and He received them and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. (Luke 9:11a)

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. Luke 13:10)

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. (Luke 13:22)

According to two verses, Jesus states that the very purpose He had come forth from heaven was to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of heaven/ the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

When they found Him, they said to Him, “
Everyone is looking for you.
But He said to them,
let us go into the next towns, that I may preach three also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” And He was preaching in their Synagogues throughout all Galilee. (Mark 1:37 – 39a)

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him and tried to Keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them,
I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also because for this purpose I have been sent.” (Luke 4:42, 43)

Luke in his second book to Theophilus, The Acts of the Apostles, states that Jesus was speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and that this was “all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up.”

The former account I made, o Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given Commandment s to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3)

Then referring back to the Gospel According to Luke, Zacchaeus and others thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately, but Jesus taught them that this was not the case. Jesus would have to return to heaven and receive the Kingdom and then return.

Now as they heard these things He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said, “ a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return. (Luke 19:11,12)

Then in Acts, Jesus after speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God ascended into heaven to receive the Kingdom.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And, while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1: 9-11)

Then in the book of Daniel, Daniel sees the same event in the verse above, but from a heavenly perspective, from the dwelling place of God.

“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14)

When Jesus disciples looked steadfastly toward heaven as Jesus went up, two men suddenly appeared in white apparel, and stated: Jesus will return just as He went up. And this is what will occur when the Son of Man comes in His glory, He went up into a cloud,  He will return with the clouds of heaven; two men in white apparel were present when He went up, two men in white apparel will be present when He returns. In both accounts of Luke and Matthew, when Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and led them up on a high mountain they actually witnessed something that has not occurred to this day, the Son of Man coming in His glory. God transcends time and is able to take man and move him forward and back in time and this is what occurred in these verses. This explains Christ’s statement, “there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God. And when they went up on a high mountain, who was there? Two men in white apparel, Moses and Elijah!

“When He comes in His own glory, and in His Fathers, and of the holy angels, but I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Kingdom of God”…But Peter and those with Him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him (Luke 9:26b,27,32)

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. (Matthew 17: 1 – 3)

Then Peter years later when writing his second epistle still had this event foremost in his mind and among other things stated, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were EYEWITNESSES OF HIS MAJESTY”. Peter and the others were moved forward in time and were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ return.

Jesus Christ spoke of one thing during His earthly ministry, from the time He began until the day in which He was taken up – The Kingdom of God. The whole of the New Testament is about the Kingdom of God. The whole of the Bible is about the Kingdom of God, If one is instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven, he will have the key to understanding ALL Scripture. The one not instructed concerning the Kingdom of Heaven will not understand Scripture.

And He said, “To you it has been given to Know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ … Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” (Luke 8:10,18)

Christian’s are to have their complete focus on the Kingdom of God. They are to have their minds set on Christ returning, teaching other Christians these things, and positioning themselves and others in positions of power and authority in the coming Kingdom. They are to have their complete focus on the same thing, the word of God has it’s complete focus, on the Kingdom of God. Christians are to take their focus off the present Kingdom, under Satan, and to focus on the coming Kingdom when the Son of Man Comes in His glory, with His Holy Angels, and sits on the throne of His glory.

[i] Verses used in this lesson are as follows:

Matthew 4: 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.;9: ³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people

Mark 1: ⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins., ³⁹ And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Mark 2: 2 Immediately[a] many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.’ 13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.; 4:1  And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.,; 6:2 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!, 34  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

Luke 4:15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all; Luke 5: 17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.; 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,; 9: ¹¹ But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.

By Michael Harley

“But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ;12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. (1 Tim 5:11a, 12,15)[i]

Many Christians have a false belief that Satan has no power over them, but according to Scripture this is not the case. The Scripture above clearly states that Christians can and do grow wanton against Christ, cast off their first faith, and turn aside after Satan.

In Matthew chapter 10[ii], Christ calls His twelve disciples and gives them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and commands them not to go to anyone except the lost sheep of the house of Israel and once again commands them to cast out demons. The house of Israel was a nation of saved people.

Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

” Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said: Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, (Deuteronomy 33:1,2a,29a)[iii]

O God of Israel, the Savior! 17 But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever. (Isaiah 45:15b;17)[iv]

The nation of Israel during Christ’s ministry was just as saved as any Christian during the last 2,000 years is saved. And, during Christ’s ministry to the Jews you find that almost every time Jesus or His disciples cast out demons they were casting them out of saved people.

Even Judas Iscariot was empowered by Christ to “heal the sick cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Judas was just as saved as any other Israelite during his time, or for that matter, just as saved as any Christian today. Then after this empowerment by Christ, Judas is shown to have Satan enter him. And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him.[v] (John 13:26b;27a)

In Matthew chapter 16[vi], Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him, and Jesus said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Christians today, just as saved Jews in Christs time can be taken captive by the devil to do his will.

What man may think about having power and authority over the devil is one thing, and is of no importance whatsoever, but what is important is what God and His Word has to say about the matter. Everything that Christians do, whether in a gathering of worship or in the world at large should be carefully considered, for Christians doing things and having bitter envy, and self-seeking in their hearts is earthly, sensual, demonic.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there”. (James 3:13-16)

 

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[i] 11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ;12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. (1 Tim 5:11a, 12,15)

[ii] Sending Out the Twelve

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,[c] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. Mathew 10:5-10

[iii] Deuteronomy 33New King James Version (NKJV)

Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. 3  Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. 4  Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5  And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together. 6  “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.” 7 And this he said of Judah: “Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him,

And may You be a help against his enemies.” 8 And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, 9  Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children;

For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. 10  They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. 11  Bless his substance, Lord, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him,

And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.” 12 Of Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.” 13 And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,

And the deep lying beneath, 14  With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, 15

With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16  With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’17  His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.” 18 And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! 19  They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.” 20 And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. 21  He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the Lord, And His judgments with Israel.” 22 And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.” 23 And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.” 24 And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. 25  Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be. 26  “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. 27  The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ 28  Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. 29  Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”

[iv] Isaiah 45: 15  Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior! But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever

[v] John 13:26-27 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

[vi] Matthew 16:22-23 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

By Michael Harley

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” Hebrews 3:1a[i]

Christians have been called to a place of rulership which is in the heavens. This is the place which the nation of Israel had been called, but rejected. This heavenly calling was taken from them, and a new creation, a new nation, the Church was brought into existence to be the recipient of that which Israel rejected.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. (Matthew 21:43)

This place in the heavens during Israel’s past calling was ruled by angels – Satan and his angels, is currently ruled by Satan and his angels, and will continue to be ruled by Satan and his angels until the return of Jesus Christ.

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him[a] all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4: 5–6)

 the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 3:10b)[ii]

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. (Revelation 12:10)

God Himself appointed Satan and his angels rule over the Kingdoms of the world from the heavenly places.

the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. (Dan 5:21b)[iii]

Christians are currently being called out of the world to heavenly positions of power and authority, over the nations, with Christ.

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’(Revelation 2:26,27,29)

But just as the nation of Israel 2,000 years ago, found themselves completely at home in the world and doing all the things that the world did, Christians today, find themselves completely at home in the world and doing all the things that the world does.

For our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20a)[iv] The Greek word for “citizenship” is “politeria”[v], in which we get our English word politics. For our politics are in heaven. Our involvement or concern is in the change of power in the heavenly places, not the change of powers of flesh and blood. Christians should be completely focused on being faithful toward God and being obedient to His commandments so that when Christ returns that which He said will be fulfilled:  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.( Matthew 24: 46-47)

But today Christians involvement and concern are in the change of power with the current governments of this present world – authority ruled over by Satan and his angels. No Christian should be in places of government in this present world, nor should they be placing persons in governmental positions in this present world. The time for Christians to rule is future with Christ, not present under Satan and his angels. Christians are not to be exalting themselves in the present world, but are to be humbling themselves and teaching other Christians how to conduct themselves in the present world of darkness so that they will be exalted in the world to come.

“ For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” (Heb.2:5)

In the world to come angels will be cast out of the heavens above this world and Christ and Christians found to have overcome will then move into these positions and rule during the Messianic Age.

__________________________________________________________________________

[i] Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, Hebrews 3:1

[ii][ii]  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

[iii] 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses. Dan 5:21

[iv] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Phil. 3:20

[v] πολίτευμα (politeuma 4175) conversation [KJV] the being or the result of being a πολίτης (politēs 4177) (a member of a free city or state); citizenship, life as a citizen. Reference(s) Politeia; From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: According to Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon a meaning of politeia is “the conditions and rights of the citizen, or citizenship”, analogous to the Latin civitas.[1]

Politeia,[2] in Greek means the community of citizens in a city / state. It should not be confused with “regime” that is meant by politeuma[3] or “Status quo” that is meant by kathestos.[4] The regime is the word describing the political situation of the community of citizens in a city/state, and “kathestos” means also the general situation of an object, an agreement, or something else.

“Politeia” is derived from both the root word Polis meaning city/state,[5] and from the root verb “politeuomai” that means I am acting as an active citizen of the city state.

 

By, Michael Harley

God’s Throne is in “the farthest sides of the north” (Isa. 14:13)[i] If a person could travel north from Earth, leave our galaxy, and pass north of all other galaxies, he would reach God’s holy mountain. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. (Psalms 48: 1,2) This is why God is the God Most High, “For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth (Psalms 47: 2)”

Jesus Christ in time past left the dwelling place of God, in the northern most parts of the universe, a place of universal rule, to the earth, the only place in the vast universe in which Scripture states that disobedience entered God’s universal Kingdom. Jesus came from the farthest sides of the north to accomplish that which man, who was created to rule the earth, was not able to accomplish. Jesus came as a Man and was completely obedient to God so that man could realize that which he was created for in the beginning – to rule the earth.

“Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things”. (Ephesians 4:10)

Jesus came from heaven as a Man and was completely obedient to God the Father and overcame all things, Therefore God has given Him rule over the part of God’s overall Kingdom in which rebellion has entered – the earth. This is the gospel which Jesus spoke of continually. The gospel of the Kingdom of heaven. The good news of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God which Jesus Christ when he returns will rule – The Kingdom over this earth. One place in a vast universe. Christ will sit on His own throne. He will leave a universal throne, at God’s right side, return to earth and sit on His own throne and rule over the earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years.

“Then comes the end, when He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24 – 25).

It will take 1,000 years for Christ to put an end to all disobedience. This is why Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 7 state the Kingdom being 1,000 years six times – because that’s exactly what it means: 1,000 years. [ii]

When Jesus commanded Jews, who were a saved people, to follow Him, He meant to follow in His footsteps, and just as He found Himself in a position to rule over the earth, those who followed Him would also find themselves in a position to rule over the earth. And this is exactly what you find in the Scriptures: They forsook all and followed Him.

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4: 18-19)

11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:11)

27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. (Luke 5:27-28)

11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, [iii] (Luke 9:11a)

And because they left all and followed Him, Jesus promised them positions of power and authority in the Kingdom of heaven.

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[a] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:27-29New King James Version NKJV)

It is impossible for anyone to be where Jesus is unless they follow Him, for He is “the Way.”

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10: 37 – 39)

Just as Jews 2,000 years ago followed Christ will find themselves in positions of power and authority in the coming age, Christians today who follow Christ will find themselves in of positions of power and authority in the coming age, in the Kingdom of heaven, when that in Matthew chapter 25, verse 31 comes to pass, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”

 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21)

26: And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; (Revelation 2: 26-27).

Man was created to rule the earth. Scripture begins this way, and Scriptures ends with man realizing that which he was created for in the beginning. The Man Jesus Christ will rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and those who deny themselves and follow Jesus will also sit on His throne and be given power over the nations. Christians minds need to be off the world and set on the age to come. This age is passing away and everything with it, but the coming Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom.

 

[i] For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north; Isaiah 14:13

New King James Version (NKJV)

[ii] Revelation 20:1-7New King James Version (NKJV)

Satan Bound 1,000 Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

[iii] 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. Luke 9:11

 by Michael Harley

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Matthew 19: 16-29

The preceding verses are about salvation into the Kingdom of heaven (vs. 23); about salvation into the Kingdom of God (v. 24), not salvation from eternal damnation. The one who came to Jesus in verse 16 was a Jew who was just as saved as any Christian is saved today. The nation of Israel had been shedding the blood of lambs since the days of Moses, for the forgiveness of sins, all the way up to the time of Jesus Christ. When this saved Jew asked in verse 16, “what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” he was speaking about life for an age. The Greek word for eternal is aion[i], which means age. An age is a period of time, having a beginning and an end (Ephesians 3:9; Matthew 13:49)[ii]

He was speaking about life in the Messianic Age when Jesus Christ sits on the throne of His glory. He also asked “What good thing shall I do?” Salvation from eternal damnation is “by grace,” “not of works” (Eph. 2:8,9)[iii]. There was nothing that this man could do to save himself from eternal damnation, but to have salvation into the Kingdom of heaven is something that saved man must work for. He must “strive to enter” (Luke 13:24).[iv]

Jesus said to him, “if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (v17) Once again demonstrating that this life is something that the saved individual has to work for himself. The young man said that he had kept all these commandments from his youth and asked what he still lacked (v 20). So Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.” But the young man was not willing to give up his earthly possessions in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Although the young man was not willing to give up his possessions to have salvation into the Kingdom of God, Perter and the disciples were willing and had given up all and followed Jesus. And because of this Peter asked, “Therefore what shall we have?” (vs 27). “So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me, will also sit on the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (v. 28).

The Kingdom of heaven is the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man returns sits on the throne of His glory, and rules over the nations for 1,000 years. And just as the disciples who left all and followed Jesus will sit on the thrones in the Kingdom of Heaven and rule over Israel, Any Christian who leaves all and follows Jesus will sit on Jesus’ throne in the Kingdom of heaven and rule over the nations.  26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; Revelation 2:26-27New King James Version (NKJV)

Man was created to have “dominion over all the earth” and God is not going to change His mind about why He created man “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). Man will realize the purpose for his creation “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. Matthew 25:31New King James Version (NKJV) All Scripture moves toward this purpose.

[i] αἰών (aiōn 165)

ever [KJV]

ages [KJV]

(from ἄω, ἄημι (aō, aēmi) blow, breathe), the life which hastes away in the breathing of our breath, life as transitory; then, course of life, time of life, life in its temporal form; then the space of human life, an age, or generation (αἰών (aiōn 165) looks at a generation from the point of view of duration, while γενεά (genea 1074) does from that of race), αἰών (aiōn 165) always includes a reference to life, filling time or a space of time. Accordingly — the unbounded time, in which the history or life of the world is accomplished; and hence, the world as filling the unmeasurable contents of immeasurable time. Reference(s)

eternal [KJV]

(from ἄω, ἄημι (aō, aēmi) to blow, breathe) the life that hastes away in the breathing of our breath, life as transitory; then, the course of life, time of life, and generally life in its temporal form; then, the space of human life, an age. αἰών (aiōn 165) always includes a reference to the life, filling time or space of time, hence, the unbounded time past and future, in which the life of the world is accomplished; immeasurable time (Genitive plural of ages). Reference(s)

course [KJV]

the life that hastes away in the breathing of the breath, life as transitory, course of life, and generally life in its temporal form; then, the space of human life, a space of time, time as moving, an age, time so far as history is accomplished in it; an age or dispensation. Reference(s)

In phrases:

εἰς αἰών (eis 1519 aiōn 165) ever (for); *with the article, unto the age. [KJV]

εἰς (eis 1519) into, unto.

[ii] Ephesians 3:9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; New King James Version (NKJV) Matthew 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, New King James Version (NKJV)

[iii] Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. New King James Version (NKJV)

[iv] Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 4New King James Version (NKJV)