Matt 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." If heaven and earth haven't passed away, it is imperative that we begin sacrificing animals, stoning adulterers, and following the Law to its letter. What did "heaven and earth" mean to every First Century Jew? Simple Answer: The Temple...which passed away (destroyed by the Romans) in AD 70. Conclusion: "Heaven and earth" passed away LONG AGO!
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The Earth's Apocalyptic Annihilation through a Divine Temper Tantrum has never been God's Will or method for bringing Peace, nor does He delight in "peace" through bullets, bombs or bullying! Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Psalm 115:16 "The heavens are the heavens of the LORD; But the earth He has given to the sons of men." Ecclesiastes 1:4 "A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever." Psalm 78:69 "And he built his sanctuary like high [palaces], like the earth which he hath established forever." Psalm 104:5 "Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever." Psalm 37:29 "The righteous will inherit the land, And dwell in it forever." Ephesians 1:21 "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end (an unending age). Amen." "Heaven and Earth" (See Matthew 24:35- Herod's Temple and Jerusalem as people of the First Century knew it) passed away and the "Elements" (See 2 Peter 3:10,12- The basic doctrines and commands of the Old Covenant World of Israel...to most definitely include the priesthood and its practices) were destroyed by "fire" way back in 70 A.D.. To lack an understanding of ancient metaphors is to misinterpret the Bible and totally misunderstand God's original and ultimate Intention for planet Earth. Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth (The New Covenant Church/Temple of the Holy Spirit/Body of Christ): for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea (Perhaps...The Large, Bronze Bath in the Temple used for ceremonial washings...because the New Covenant, Royal Priesthood is clean through the finished work of Christ...and/or this speaks of an abolishment of the concept of a "Sea" of "Gentile outsiders".). Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of PEACE. 7 Of the increase of [his] government and PEACE [there shall be] NO END, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." Luke 2:10 "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and ON EARTH PEACE, good will toward men." Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Blessings! ~Joe Apocalyptic, eschatological views (such as Dispensationalist Christian beliefs and Radical Islam) which look for ever-increasing war and destruction are incompatible with God's Kingdom Message of Love's ever-increasing rule and PEACE!
Mixing that error and worldview with politics conflates God's Will with a morbid expectation of ever-increasing evil, death, different brands of "Jihad" and the ultimate destruction of planet Earth...along with an overwhelming majority of its inhabitants. This is very sick and twisted stuff from the Gates (wisdom) of hell (Hades- which literally means "to not see")...which Jesus said would NOT prevail against His Church. It ultimately WON'T! An ignorance of History (especially of the events surrounding 70 A.D. and the writings of Josephus) has lead so many well-meaning, professing Christians to a worldview that is in direct opposition to God's Will. You can't take specific warnings about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (along with specific, corresponding instructions) and apply them literally to the present or the future any more than you should be warning people about the imminent threat that dead Roman Emperors are to the world today! Much of what we see in the world today isn't fulfilled, Biblical prophecy, it's just the self-fulfilled "prophecy" of religious mindsets which are in great need of being renewed through His Spirit, His Word, and a good History lesson! Strongholds in the collective mind of the Church are greatly responsible for much of our bad history...which has repeated itself over and over. Nevertheless, the prophet's words still ring true! Isaiah 9:7 "There will be no end to the increase of His government or of PEACE, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this." Ephesians 3:21 "unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Ecclesiastes 1:4 "One generation goes and another generation comes, But the earth remains forever." Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on EARTH as it is in heaven! Blessings! ~Joe Friends,
You may not know this, but Jerusalem and her Temple were referred to as "Heaven and Earth" by the Jewish people during and prior to the First Century. An understanding of this, along with a historical understanding of what happened in and around 70 AD, will allow you to read the New Testament through a completely different lens than Dispensationalism has allowed. I submit to you that there are many present "New Heaven and New Earth" realities which have been untapped due to the error of many who have mistaken historical events for imminent or future apocalyptic happenings. The answer to the question, "Who is God's Temple and New Jerusalem now?", will help you to unlock the mystery of "The New Heaven and New Earth". Christ in us is the Hope of Glory! The following verse will also come in handy...when you realize that "this generation" was THAT generation (The Generation of Jesus' original audience). Mt. 24:34 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." Additional note: This is NOT "replacement" Theology. It has always INCLUDED both "Jew & Gentile"..."The ONE NEW MAN"! Blessings! ~Joe 1) To rightly divide the Word...with the Cross as my primary line of demarcation. 2) "This generation" in Matthew 24:34 was THAT generation! 3) The History, Biblical significance, and prophetic fulfillments of 70 AD. 4) The "In Christ" Realm/Ascended Life is real, literal, and for right NOW. He who is joined to the Lord REALLY IS "One Spirit"! 5) The Gospel Message (His Love for us and acceptance of us) predates earth, satan, Adam, sin...and all created things! 6) The only Blood that God was ever thirsty for was His Own! He Loves us that much...and knew mankind's entire story long before it ever began! God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself! "He who has seen Me has seen the Father"! From before the foundation of the world, God provided HIMSELF as the ultimate sacrifice. Love humbled Himself, became one of us...and chose to submit Himself into the hands of angry sinners...in order to reconcile our thinking with His! His Love and desire for us have always been beyond measure! Jesus didn't come to change Father's mind about us. He came to change our mind about the Father! 7) Jesus didn't go on vacation and leave us as orphans with a self-help book. 8) The Holy Spirit didn't go on vacation or lose any power once the entire Bible had been written. 9) The Incarnation of GOOD will always be infinitessimally greater than any human expression of evil. Don't believe the lie that Adam's sin had a greater impact on mankind than Jesus' Righteousness. 10) The Church is the Earth's barometer...not the nightly news! 11) No attribute of the Fruit of the Spirit can ever be humanly manufactured or earned. Everything in Christ is freely given and readily available...after having been freely received. 12) His Word is a Mirror where we behold our truest identity in Him. We're mirror gazing, not window shopping for stuff we don't possess and can't afford. (Thanks to Francois Du Toit for that one!) Shalom! ~Joe |
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