Kingdom of God

Christ’s Inheritance of Israel and The Nations

Christ’s Inheritance of Israel and The Nations

In Psalm 2, we read: “Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession” (Psalm 2:8). It should be clear that the Father is speaking to the Son, for it says in the preceding verse, “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have begotten You” (Psalm 2:6-7). Jesus, the Son of God, has been set upon the hill of Zion, which represents God’s Kingdom, and will physically establish His Kingdom from Mount Zion, in Jerusalem. He will take the nations for His inheritance and the ends of the earth for His possession.

Israel, America, and The Kingdoms of This World

Israel, America, and The Kingdoms of This World

Before landing at Plymouth in 1620, the Pilgrims signed what is known as the Mayflower Compact, whereby they acknowledged God as the reason for their voyage. They stated that they were undertaking the journey for the Glory of God and the Advancement of the Christian Faith, and covenanted together to establish a civil government under God. The Puritans believed they were entering into a covenant with God, like that of ancient Israel.

Israel, the Church, and the Transcendence of God’s Kingdom

Israel, the Church, and the Transcendence of God’s Kingdom

For nearly two thousand years, the church has wrestled over its identity with Israel. I say “identity” because, if we truly knew the inheritance the church has in Christ, we would not desire anything else. Paul said, “Indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Our failure to understand who we are in Christ will continue to lead to confusion and immeasurable conflict. Thus, it should not be surprising that the church is becoming increasingly divided over one of the most controversial theological issues since the Council in Jerusalem—the identity of Israel and the church.

The Beatitudes from The Sermon on The Mount

The Beatitudes from The Sermon on The Mount

The Beatitudes are a series of nine blessings that are part of a more extensive order of teachings, including the Lord’s Prayer, called “The Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). The Beatitudes describe the virtues and attitudes of those who will inherit God’s Kingdom. The Latin beatitude derives from the Hebrew word ashrei (אֲשֶׁרִי), meaning blessedness or supreme happiness. Today, the Church of the Beatitudes is built on the traditional site where Jesus spoke.

The Millennium and The New Heaven and Earth

The Millennium and The New Heaven and Earth

The return of Christ to establish His eternal Kingdom initiates an exciting time of restoration for much, but not all, of the earth. After the final battle of Armageddon, some places will never be inhabited again. We read, “It [Babylon] will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there” (Isaiah 13:20).

Israel and The Church

Israel and The Church

The Lord spoke to Jacob, saying, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Here in Genesis, for the first time, we hear the name “Israel” given by God Himself to Jacob, the patriarch of twelve sons who would become the twelve tribes of Israel.

Are We In The Kingdom?

Are We In The Kingdom?

Yeshua ministered throughout all Judea, Samaria, and the Galilee, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). Was He inferring that the Kingdom of God had arrived and that we are now living in it? Not exactly.

Entering The Kingdom

Entering The Kingdom

The arrival of the Messiah and His death and resurrection is unquestionably the most significant event in human history. Jesus-Yeshua, the Son of God, was born of a woman conceived by the Holy Spirit. He lived a perfect and sinless life, and in God’s time, He gave His life to atone for the sins of humanity.

Healing of The Nations

Healing of The Nations

We read about the New Jerusalem: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2).

Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains

“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

How many times have I read this verse conjuring up images of large mountains plunging into the ocean? Now, I have never seen this happen nor witnessed my prayers causing even a pebble to move out of place. Or have they?

The Fullness of Time

The Fullness of Time

The Bible tells that, "when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5). This verse speaks to the First Advent of Christ. It also speaks to the redemption of Israel. But what about Christ's second Advent and Israel's final redemption?

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The Gospel of The Kingdom

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The Gospel of The Kingdom

I never expected to write about the gospel. And yet, I find myself needing to clarify the biblical gospel in the light of a rising movement, even within the church, trying to redefine what the Bible says about this subject.

If you search on the internet, you will quickly discover some of the many other gospels out there. There is a social gospel, also called social constructivism. There is the gospel of science, Christian humanism, and list goes on and on.