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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)
Probably better translated "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ."
There probably is not a more revealing passage in the Bible. Let us see what it is telling us.
For so many hundreds of years the churches have taught that to be saved is to go to Heaven to live in the spirit realm forever. Eternal life, that which Jesus preached, was thought to be equivalent to eternal life in Heaven. The Kingdom of God, which Jesus also taught, was felt to be Heaven.
God had a good reason for not going into detail about the inaccuracy of these thoughts. It wasn't time to do anything about them. Both God and Satan are terrifically practical. They both deal with the nowwhereas we humans tend to concentrate on the past and the future.
We have come to a truly momentous time in the history of the world. The Lord Jesus is soon to return and set up His Kingdom on the earth. Therefore the Spirit of God is teaching us about the Kingdom.
To be saved is not to go to Heaven and live in the spirit realm forever. To be saved, in its primary sense, is to be spared from destruction when the Lord returns to set up His Kingdom on the earth.
Eternal life has nothing to do with being in Heaven. Eternal life is life lived in the Presence of God and Christ wherever we are.
The Kingdom of God is not Heaven. The Kingdom of God is God in Christ in the saints governing the works of God's hands.
The redefining of these three familiar expressions are enough to make one's head swim. But if you keep the old definitions you will not have the foggiest notion of what is taking place today. You will not understand Kingdom teaching.
The Kingdom of God began when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. Christ was the Firstborn of the Kingdom of God. Since then the Kingdom has been "taken" by those who cared enough to press into it. Many who are last in time will be among the first to enter the Kingdom.
Being "saved," as we customarily use the term, means you have been forgiven and now are authorized to press into the Kingdom. But no sin is permitted in the Kingdom. Therefore entering the Kingdom of God consists largely of a struggle against sin. Can you see that? This is why Paul said that if you continue in sin you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In order for Christ to be formed in us we must be faithful in keeping the commandments of Christ and His Apostles. As we have said on many occasions, if we do not do what we have been commanded in the New Testament Christ will not be formed in us. We may be in a state of forgiveness and imputed righteousness but we are not pressing into the Kingdom of God.
To be continued.