There is no doubt we Christians are entering a new era. We are not entering a new Bible or a new revelation. What the Spirit of God is revealing now has always been in the Book. We just could not perceive it—most of us.

To the present hour God has assigned righteousness to us when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus. Minimal emphasis may have been put on any actual change in our behavior. This no longer is the case.

Introduction

Notice (above passage) that Christ must remain in Heaven until it is time for God to restore everything. This does not mean everyone eventually will be saved. It is speaking rather of the promises given through the Hebrew Prophets.

The Hebrew Prophets spoke of a wonderful day in which the Spirit of God would fill the earth and Paradise would be restored. The Prophets spoke also of the coming of the Kingdom of God to establish justice on the earth.

The restoration the Prophets spoke of included actual change, not merely an imputed righteousness or a legal state in which God will see the earth and its peoples "through Christ," but an actual removal of sin from the earth and the establishing of a righteous Kingdom.

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:2-4—NIV)

I know some teach that the above refers to a Jewish kingdom on the earth while there is a Gentile church in Heaven. The concept of two churches, two kingdoms, two elect of God, a Gentile church and a Jewish kingdom, is so manifestly unscriptural that I will not mention this further.

Suffice it to say there is only the one Kingdom, only one Church, only one eternal Tabernacle of God, one olive tree, one Seed of Abraham through whom the nations of the earth are to be blessed. That one Kingdom, Church, Tabernacle of God, olive tree, and Seed of Abraham, is the Lord Jesus Christ and those who are part of Him, whether Jewish or Gentile by natural birth.

I have written much on the subject of imputed righteousness versus actual moral transformation of character, the new creation. However, today I see this issue more clearly than ever. It has come to me forcefully that we are moving into a new era, an era in which Christianity passes from a "heavenly religion" into a solid, substantial transformation of people into Kingdom righteousness, in preparation for the return of the Lord Jesus to govern the earth.

To be continued.