So there was a post
@Thunderian you wrote that I was in the middle of replying to but was erased. I have some time atm so I have decided to revisit it and answer what you have written. I hope one day you go back to the multitude of posts I have written and begin to answer the many questions I have posed to you sir...
It's just that we disagree on what the kingdom of God is.
Clearly, you say that you read things literally then say the Kingdom of Heaven is actually the literal physical kingdom of Israel on Earth some time in the future. That isnt being intellectually honest my friend, Heaven is Heaven and Earth is Earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is Spiritual and it is the same as the Kingdom of God as I pointed out earlier, Jesus used the 2 synonymously.
You're basing your interpretation of the Bible on one verse. No doctrine of the Bible is based on one verse. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. There will always be at least two or more foundational verses for any doctrine.
Absolutely not, I have based this on many different verses of the Bible and ones that are outright specific. If you dont believe that there is a Kingdom that Jesus Christ is ruling over right now and then gives over to the Father then how do you interpret or make of this verse that outright say that is exactly what He will do?
1 Cor 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
This is at the end of all things, Jesus who now is over all things, having been given the Authority over it all by the Father, then delivers up the Kingdom to the Father, and becomes subject unto Him.
How can you tell me THAT isnt what happens when THAT is exactly what Scripture tells us will happen?
I can tell you when I held your belief this was an extremely tough verse for me to try and wrap my head around, it didnt make sense or fall inline with my Theology at the time. Why is Jesus who is God giving the Kingdom to the Father when Jesus is to rule over it all forever cuz Millenial Reign and what not. It didnt and still doesnt make any sense in your Theology.
However in my Theology it makes perfect sense, the Father and Jesus set up an agreement before time existed, where Christ would set out of Heaven and usher in His Kingdom, in which He is continually transforming us who were essentially trapped or bound in the kingdom of Satan, into His Kingdom.
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Whose Kingdom have we been translated into again? Oh that is right, the Kingdom of the Son.
And at the end, when Christ has subdued ALL THINGS and destroys Death, by Resurrecting everyone, and casts all the offending into the Lake of Fire, THEN in the New Heaven and New Earth, He hands the perfected Kingdom over to the Father, just as Scripture tells us.
So no I do not base this off of one verse, I base it off of many different verses, including the one that outright tells us that is what is going to happen...
For instance, a foundational verse for the doctrine of a literal, earthy reign of Jesus Christ is Isaiah 2:
I disagree that this has anything to do with a literal earthly reign of Christ. Lets look at Isaiah 2:
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Lets start with last days, to you that is some 1000 yr literal reign of Christ on the Earth, however when are the last days according to Scripture?
How does the Apostle view the term last days? Is it some 2000+ time far removed from them?
Heb 1:1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds
God in the PAST spoke by the Prophets but in THESE last days speaks by the Son, the last days started when Christ came! We have been in the last days since Christ!
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
This Prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost, Joel said that it would come to pass, it would be fulfilled in the last days, Peter says this has already been fulfilled, therefore we KNOW without a doubt that the last days spoken about in the Old Testament refer to NOW, to when Christ came. THAT is the last days, not some future 2000+ year from them and the last days culminate at Christs coming!
So now that we have established how the Apostles viewed the last days, which is NOW and SINCE Christ came, we can look at Isaiah and see WHEN this is to take place which is?
NOW and SINCE Christ has come, so we know this isnt talking about some future event and has nothing to do with Christ literally on Earth, it is speaking about the Church and Christs Kingdom since His 1st Advent.
Isaiah 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
You think this means people will literally go to the middle east into a mountain into the house of Lord and that is how they will be taught His ways and how to walk in His path. So how does Paul see Jerusalem? Is he looking for a city in the middle east? No sir he doesnt view Jerusalem in that manner as you do:
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Paul isnt ever going to be directing anyone to look at this city in the middle east, that is to have them look at BONDAGE, instead he is telling us to look to Jerusalem which is ABOVE because it is free. Guess where THAT Jerusalem is? It is above all the mountains!
Isaiah says that from Mt Zion shall go forth the Law, you think this means literal Zion in the middle east, but Paul tells us what Mt Zion we belong to:
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
We have come to Mt Zion, the city of the Living God and the Heavenly Jerusalem, THIS is how Paul interprets all of these things you say are talking about this physical city. He in no way EVER is looking at that place in the middle east he is ALWAYS looking at the REAL Mt Zion, the REAL city of the Living God, the REAL Jerusalem which is above, which is in Heaven, which is free, which is SPIRITUAL!!
So when we understand HOW the Apostles interpreted these Scriptures we see clearly that Isaiah 2 is NOT speaking about people literally going up to some literal mountain in literal bondage Jerusalem, but instead Isaiah was Prophesying Christ, who has opened the REAL Mt Zion, the Real city of the Living God, the REAL Jerusalem which is above, to ALL the nations, so that we ALL can flow freely to it.
The same can be said concerning the affect of going to that Mt Zion, in these last days we go to Christ and flow to THAT Jerusalem and He teaches us His ways, this has zero to do with humans walking on this earth to a city and learning about how to do things Gods way...
Another foundational verse is Jeremiah 25:5
I am glad that you happened to mention Jeremiah, I was reading from his book recently and as I was reading over and over I kept thinking of our conversation.
You meant Jer 23:5, but when I was reading it was further along and it says in 33:
Jer 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.
17 For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
20 Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
You want to put the fulfillment of Jer 23:5 at some future time with Jesus on the Earth, however reading in 33 and knowing BOTH of these are intertwined, we see that it CAN NOT be speaking of Jesus on the Earth some 1000's of years after His coming. Why? Because then God would have broken His Covenant with David!
Since we know God cant and hasnt broken His Covenant with David, we can be assured that THIS Prophecy is fulfilled IN CHRIST, at His 1st Coming. Jesus sits on the REAL Throne of David, which again is where? In the REAL city of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem. Since Christ came He has sat on the Throne of David, and WE are the Priest and Ministers and the Prophecy is fulfilled and not broken.
You insist that the Kingdom of Heaven is heavenly in nature, so maybe you can tell me what the Bible means when it says that Jesus Christ will reign on earth.
As I have shown NEITHER of your proof texts mean a literal reign of Christ on Earth and instead are BOTH fulfilled in Christ at His 1st coming...
It is actually pretty amazing how Christ has fulfilled all of this and what it means for us now, it will change how you view your relationship with Jesus NOW as opposed to thinking you need to wait till you die and He comes back for any of this to actually mean something to you...
You're taking verses and applying them to your theory, but there is nothing in those verses that go against what I'm saying, and there is nothing foundational in any of them.
However, there are many verses in the Bible -- whole books, even -- that are at terrible odds with your interpretation.
What is foundational to you then? Only verses that you believe support your ideology?
When we can see clearly there is a distinction between the Kingdom of the Father and the Kingdom of the Son, that is foundational. When texts literally say the Son HANDS OVER His Kingdom to the Father, that is foundational. I really dont know how much more blatant or foundational texts can be.
And no there is nothing you have brought up that goes against what I have shown and every time you try, I have shown exactly how what you are saying is not interpreted in the manner you suggest. You have yet to show how anything I am saying is wrong, you just declare it and then give your own proof texts, which I again show arent really saying what you want them to say..
Everyone else looks at this as a prophecy of the rebirth of Israel, which literally became a nation overnight in 1948.
Who is everyone else? The tiny % of Christians throughout Church History that believe as you do?
Obviously this is meant to be a picture of the peace of Jerusalem flowing like mother's milk to the nations of the earth. Read verses 10 and 11 in context with verse 12.
I read it in context of the whole Chapter and have given the interpretation that has been held for centuries, how long have people been interpreting it as you do?
Since 1948?
1830?
Show me prior to that if more than a handful of people IF that, viewed it as you do...
I agree, except it's figuratively flowing from literal Jerusalem.
You must mean in the future because it definitely isnt now. So what do we do now?
Do you just reject everything I have quoted of Paul that speaks of the REAL Jerusalem and Mt Zion? You know the one that you are going up to according to HIM?
Is the second coming of Jesus Christ literal, in your opinion, or figurative?
Come now, you know the answer, the Bible is specific, Jesus is coming back AMEN!
It is getting late so I will continue when I have a chance...