The physical kingdom

[B-A-C]

When people talk about the kingdom of God... it's usually in one of two extremes.
There are a few other points of view as well.

1. Heaven isn't on earth at all, it's a place out in the universe that we can't see. It may be a real physical
place, or it may be a strictly spiritual place, but either way, it's where the Father and Jesus are seated
right now and they are far away from us. It's where the angels are. It's a place where the dead saints
go when they die.

2. The kingdom of heaven isn't really a physical place, so much as it's a membership. If you're a
Christian you're in the kingdom of heaven. The Father and Jesus may be seated in heaven, but the
kingdom of heaven is all around us. So they are near to us.

I believe both extremes are right.. and wrong.

Part of the Lord's prayer says... "Your kingdom come.. your will be done... on earth as it is in heaven".
Who's kingdom? Who's will? The Father of course. I believe every time we do the Father's will here
on earth, His kingdom is manifested here on earth. It is like a membership, and when we become
believers we have a membership.... a joint inheritance (inheritance to what?) to the kingdom.

But is that it? What about eternal life? The millennial reign? The New Jerusalem?
I believe heaven is a place that takes up space either in the physical world, or the spiritual world,
and possibly both. If the kingdom of heaven is only membership for now while our physical
bodies are alive... is there no eternal life? If our physical bodies return to the dust, where does
our spirit go in the resurrection? (some believe the resurrection to be our physical bodies ).

You often hear "Jesus is within you", or "the Holy Spirit" is within you. Perhaps they are in all believing
Christians, but is that the only place they are? If all humans ceased to exist, would they cease to
exist? Of course the trinity/Godhead existed long before humanity was created.

Is there a real heaven, a place where Jesus and the Father are seated? Will everyone stand before
this throne? Will every knee bow before this throne? Will we be judged before this throne?
Will some of us judge others (the angels for example) in heaven.

What about the New Jerusalem.. it has physical dimensions, it has physical characteristics, physical
materials it is made out of. It comes down "out" of heaven. But it says that God's throne will be there
and He will dwell among men again. It says Jesus will reign over all the earth "with a rod of iron" for
1,000 years. Some believe this already happened, some believe we are in the midst of this reign now.
Yet there are many ungodly people and false religions on the earth... so how could Jesus be reigning
over them? If this is happening now, what happens at the end of the 1,000 years?

... to be continued ...

 

[Dovegiven]

When people talk about the kingdom of God... it's usually in one of two extremes.
There are a few other points of view as well............
........But is that it? What about eternal life? The millennial reign? The New Jerusalem?
I believe heaven is a place that takes up space either in the physical world, or the spiritual world,
and possibly both.

That's what it must be, both.
2 Kings 6:15-23 (KJV)
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

Now tro speculate based on what I know. I have no reason to believe the spiritual realm is all a distance away. We each have the Father and the Son represented inside us. An amazing spiritual realm may easily be filling the air, touching our skin, on the tip of our tongue, a short reach out. Spirit is unseen. The material world is made of things created by spirit, from parts unseen. I can feel electricity by touching a hot wire, but can't see that force making me tremble. I know its there. I can measure it. It's possible to cross wires and see it spark. Electricity can manifest itself, as in lightening bolts. The city of God, and Heaven itself can't be confined to the visible spectrum, as much of God's creation is present but not in the visible spectrum humans have, as in that passage above. If wicked men could locate Heaven and that city, would not many seek to send bombs there? Would they not wage war against God, led by Satan? By now there would be no people possibly no earth left.

But all of it is but a prayer away. From Daniel 10 we learn that angels sent out from God can encounter heavy resistance between Heaven and earth, as did Michael prevail against after 21 days. He might have been dispatched from a hidden asteroid location in the asteroid belt, where heaven is kept for now, of from behind any planet men have not yet explored. Even so, a starship might pass within a few feet of Heaven, with no instrument detecting it, no eye beholding The equipment would have to be set to detect known signals, like a metal detector can't detect a plastic knife. I see the results of reflected light energy, but have never seen with my eyes UV rays, though they are entering my eyes outdoors.