The "tabernacle of God" is the Church, the Body of Christ, the Wife of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem. The "men," of the same verse, are the nations of saved peoples of the earth.

The Kingdom of God, the "rest" of God, is the rule of God in the earth. It has nothing to do with permanent residence in a "heaven" separate from the earth. The Kingdom of God is in Heaven now because the Lord Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. When Jesus returns from Heaven accompanied by the saints in whom He is dwelling, whose Life He is, then the Kingdom of God no longer will be in Heaven but upon the earth.

The Kingdom of God is the rule of God in Christ in the saints through the Holy Spirit. It is this incarnation of God, this government, this fullness of the Holy Spirit, this revelation of God through Christ, that will come into the earth and rule the nations of the earth. This is the goal, the end result of the Divine redemption.

The concept that these verses are referring to Jews who will have an earthly kingdom while Gentiles will govern a heavenly kingdom is totally false. This idea has destroyed coherent biblical interpretation. There is only one olive tree, one Kingdom of God, of Heaven, one Body of Christ, one Church, one holy city, the new Jerusalem.

So then, our objective each day is not that of waiting to die in order to go to Heaven. Our objective is to press further into Christ, into the Kingdom of God, in anticipation of the Day when Christ returns and reveals to the world the glory He has developed in us. This is the new covenant of God with man and is for the Jew first and after that for the Gentile. It is the new creation.

As we have said, our land of promise includes the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth. These are the inheritance of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are coheirs with Him.

God created Adam and Eve to live in the earth. The intention of God never has changed and never shall change.

Satan and his legions left Heaven and invaded the earth. They spend their time "going to and fro in the earth, and . . . walking up and down in it" (Job 1:7).

The presence of evil, rebellious spirits in the earth is an abomination to God and ought to be an abomination to men. All day and all night the creatures of darkness infiltrate the thinking, the emotions, the nerves, the flesh and bone of men and women, boys and girls. The effect of their presence is to ruin all that is good, all that is beautiful, all that is worthy, all that is creative, all that is healthy, all that is godly, all that is pure, all that is lovely, all that is wholesome, all that brings righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Every vestige of satanic, demonic presence, thinking, and power is totally destructive. There is nothing of worth in it. It corrupts, warps, perverts, inflames, and defiles every person whom it influences, everything it touches.

To be continued.