The Kingdom of God (part 2)

What We know and what we don’t know

There are many things in scripture that I was once very dogmatic about, not wavering on my point of view because I was taught a certain way. Throughout the years I’ve come to learn that we should not be so bold into thinking we have it all figured out, leave room for God to blow your mind because He often dose and no matter how much we think we know, we really don’t know. Not everything we learn in Church and Sunday school is the gospel truth. And if the Kingdom is not preached and taught in your church and Sunday school then the Gospel is not being taught. The gospel is the good news of the Kingdom! For Jesus said; “I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth.” (Luke 4:43) The Good news is all about redemption through Christ and restoration of a land that was cursed, in which the Kingdom of God takes it’s rightful dominion over everything. God’s Kingdom is not about how we as Christians can make the world a better place, but how transform lives brings the reality of heaven to earth. When we realise that everything we read in scripture is not about us but about Him and His kingdom, we take on a whole new perspective on our mission as Christians. Everything was written for man to search out and study for themselves. The bible is a volume of books that is beyond what we could imagine or think. When it comes to God and His kingdom we must think beyond the scope of what we think is logical and right in our own eyes. When He says that our thoughts are not His thoughts and our ways are not His ways, we must believe that is so! (Isaiah 55:8-9) Therefore, let us continue where we left off in part 1 of the Kingdom of God with an open heart for God to show us great and awesome things we do not know.

Revelations to Genesis

In studying one of my favorite books, the book of Genesis, I often marvel at the way the supernatural is so evidently revealed. Revelations is an unveiling of what is going on in the supernatural since the beginning of time. For the Greek word “apocalypse” means “to take the lid off” or to pull the curtain back to reveal something that has always been there! Interesting, right? What we read in Revelations has always been around. I heard it said that if you read the book of Revelations backwards it will somehow mirror the book of Genesis! So now when I study Revelations I always go back to Genesis. Don’t you find it interesting that Revelations ends with a new heavens and a new earth, and Genesis begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth? As we move forward in Genesis we see a world that has been desolate, void, and darkness over the surface of the deep. Gen.1:2, In the next few verses we see a separation of light and dark. Have you ever wondered how light and dark can be separated? What is this light in verse three?

The word “light” in Gen.1:3 is translated from the Hebrew verb (‘or) and it means to “illuminate,” to see, to perceive, to comprehend, to be enlightened by acquiring knowledge”… I believe it was the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord being brought back to the earth (2 Cor.4:6) because at this point of time the earth was under some kind of judgment. (Job 26:11-13) (Jer.4:23-28) In the last few chapters of Revelations we read of a Judgment given to those who died in their sins. Also in chapter 20 of Revelations we read of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan bound for a thousand years. Here’s the interesting part that always got to me when I read this, it says that “he (satan)Must be released for a short time” why? So that he can deceive the nations… there will be a time when the world will be in the presence of the King of Glory for a thousand years. It will be a perfect place, just like the garden of Eden yet, satan has to be released so that he could tempt the ones who are born on the earth at the time of the millennium reign and have not been given the choice to accept God’s will or their own. This is a covenant choice given to all man, and this will prepare the world for the next phase, the new heaven and the new earth.

Now, going back to Genesis, I have always found it interesting that the old serpent mentioned here in Genesis 3:1, suddenly appeared in the perfect garden. Why do you think that is? So that he could tempt and deceive mankind! There seems to be a sense of symmetry throughout scripture don’t you think? Could it be, that Satan was bound for a thousand years while man walked with God in the cool of the day? Knowing that the Sabbath rest represents the millennium year. Note, that the pattern of all six days always ended with “there was evening and there was morning” but on the seventh day there was no evening or morning recorded. Why? Because this was God’s millennium with man, teaching man to rule and reign. (Gen. 2:2, Gen.1:28,) Both man and his wife were naked and not ashamed. Why? Because they were clothe in God’s glory! He spoke His light into the world, He recreated the heavens and the earth and God told man to multiply and fill the earth (replenish) subdue it and Rule and Reign! (Gen.1:3) (Gen.1:28) But man blew it and sinned, and the Kingdom was then put on hold you could say, as God began His redemptive work on the earth once again.

Jesus’ ministry and the Kingdom of God

Every since the fall of man, God has never stopped working. Even Jesus said “My Father is always at work to this very day, and I too, am working.” John 5:17 When sin entered the world, God’s Sabbath rest ended, and now there is a future day of rest, one in which we should all desire to enter into. Heb.4:1-9 It was the Father’s plan from the beginning to dwell with man here on the earth. The expansion of the kingdom was brought forth at the garden, and man’s inheritance was to to rule and reign forever on this earth. But as we know man sinned and forfeited all that was given to him over to the god of this world. (Luke 4:6) Now the Father fulfills His promise to redeem mankind by sending His son to the world. John 3:16 This was His work from the beginning, to realign and reestablish His kingdom back to the order from which it was created for. Jesus (Yashua) is the entrance to this kingdom. When Jesus began His public ministry He began the establishment of the kingdom of God! After His crucifixion and work on earth was done, He ascended and left us His Holy Spirit so that we could expand His kingdom to the uttermost parts of the world! Jesus’ ministry was all about the Kingdom of God!

From Genesis to Revelations we see a pattern of reaping and sowing towards the kingdom. We are all born of sin with deep rooted strongholds that God wants to brake. These are spiritual strongholds that are here from the beginning of time until now. The world is under a curse that Jesus broke off of His people with His blood on the cross. Have you ever wondered how He did so? How does His blood cover and attone for the worlds sin, and why is Jesus the only one who could do so? Let’s go back to the garden where the serpent tempts Eve. Man and his wife was living in the Glory of the Lord, where they were created to bear His image and live among the supernatural realm of God. Everyday they walked with God and talked to angels and saw this world like no one has ever seen it before. The kingdom was at hand! The serpent, a crafty little devil, came on the scene, here he came to Eve, who by the way was not the head and spiritual leader but Adam’s helpmate. The serpent knew the disorder that would bring, and so played with Eve’s emotions for he said, “Indeed has God said… “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:5 This tree was not a magical tree that suddenly opened their eyes, but this tree was a kind of contract to seal the next phase of the covenant. Had they taken the tree of life they would have lived forever and we would now be in glory. So from this point, all through history there is a pattern of reaping and sowing to the flesh or for the kingdom.

Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done:

Jesus (Yashua) came to destroy the works of the devil. John 3:8 It’s crazy but the more I learn of God’s appointed times, the more I can see how everything point to Christ and all that He has accomplished through His ministry on the earth. Blood sacrifice has been the link to attoning the covenant that was broken long ago. But God makes it clear that this was but a shadow of the good things to come. Heb.1:4 In no means can the sacrifices of bulls and goats take away sin! This was just temporary atonement, a substitutionary covering of sin. But Praise God, the bible tells us that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who TAKES AWAY the sin of the world!!” Every act that Christ did on this earth was to undue what the first Adam (man) had done. Beginning with the Temptation of Christ, this was the time of the feast of trumpets where the Jews would remember the anniversary of the creation of the world. They remember the garden and the temptation of man and how sin was brought into the world. Now it says in Matt.4:1 ” Then Jesus was LED UP BY THE SPIRIT into the wilderness TO BE TEMPTED by the devil!” This was something that was appointed… it had to be done. Satan was sent forth to do what he had to do and Jesus won the victory! What the first Adam failed to do the second Adam (Yashua) did once and for all! Listen, little by little, Jesus was taking back the land, the people, the kingdom! It was His to take back, but He will seal it on a tree with His own blood! And that is why He is forever worthy, that is why He is King forever, and that is why He alone deserves our worship forever!

Jesus said, to pray ‘ Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” This is our longing for His kingdom to come, if we seek first His kingdom, than all these things will be added unto us.’ Matt.6:33 “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

“The Time has come, He said. The kingdom of God is at hand. (Is in your mist) Repent and believe in the gospel!” Mark 1:15

Shalom