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New World Order, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven? — What's the difference?

New World Order, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven? — What's the difference?

New World Order, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven? — What's the difference?

New World Order, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven?
What's the difference?

The "Kingdom of GOD" & the "Kingdom of Heaven" are synonymous.  Some sectarian folks try, nonetheless, to establish an artificial difference between them.  Of course, for some it is one which suits their lofty "private interpretations"  of where they personally will abide after the Resurrection in the Regeneration.   Notwithstanding, as actually one & the same, they are 2 separate references to the singular domain where The Will of GOD is done & continually prevails. 

For the present, His Kingdom exists only in Heaven (obviously), although, Messiah says it should also exist in our hearts.¹  Messiah (Christ Yeshua/Christ Jesus) taught us to pray, "Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. . ."  The implication, of course, is that we desire & call for the establishment of the Kingdom of GOD on Earth in like manner as it is in Heaven.  Thus, our invocation is that the Kingdom of Heaven come to Earth. 

That quickly approaching eventuality shall indeed represent a welcomed New World Order, one radically different from the present appallingly corrupt order that currently dominates our distressed planet.  After it arrives, the Kingdom of GOD (with Messiah as King) will then exist both on Earth as well as in Heaven.  And for the following 1000 years, that dual arrangement will prevail, until. . .

According to Revelation, chapter 21, the heavenly city, New Jerusalem, embodying the temple & tabernacle (dwelling place) of GOD "comes down. . .out of heaven" to Earth where the Almighty GOD takes up residence with men. . .

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Rev 21:2-3)

The Kingdom of GOD on Earth ( a two-phase design) will be inaugurated when the King arrives to establish it.  It's initial stage will signify the will of GOD at last being done among Earth's peoples under the Rulership of the Messiah (for 1000 yrs.) who has at last redeemed the planet & accomplished our salvation from destruction.  Its final stage (1000 yrs. later) will be the full-fledged Kingdom of Heaven actually being relocated to Earth.  It is then that GOD the Father Almighty Himself in effect establishes His residence here on a completely renovated planet Earth.  (See Revelation, chapters 19-21)  

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Footnotes
¹ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21)  «back
 

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Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

Why do I call it the Millennium of the Child?

After the end of this violence-ridden, child's-horror of an age, the NWO of the Prince of Peace is to be established on Earth as a kingdom & dynasty which will endure for 1000 years.²   This millennium-long Messianic Kingdom will be an absolutely secure haven for children, a period devoted to the procreation & nurturing of children, which is an obvious passion & fancy of the Creator. 

Obvious, you ask?  Let me ask, what was mankind's first recorded commandment from the Creator?  You can find it in the very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible:  "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. . ." (Gen 1:27-28)  From the very beginning His will & desire was to see the Earth replete with children!  At last, His Will  shall be done on Earth in the Millennium of the Child under the rulership of His & our Child,³ the Messiah.  In this NWO of Love, there will be no hurt nor destruction allowed anywhere in that superior dominion & even predatory animals will be so tame that "a little child shall lead them" .⁴

Christ Yeshua reaffirmed this passion & fancy of the Father in this epic declaration about the Kingdom of GOD:

Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (Luke 18:16-17)  And consider too what Yeshua said when his disciples asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? . . . Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:1-6) 

The LORD loves uncomplicated, unsophisticated humility & those who embody it, and the Kingdom of Messiah will be characterized above all by these attributes based in Love & epitomized in childhood.

(Ultimately — as shown in the previous section — this millennium studded with happy children is succeeded by the full-fledged Kingdom of Heaven being established on a recreated Earth.  At that point, all adultist rebellion will have been completely annihilated, never to be the source of terror, horror or death & destruction again.  What I mean by "adultism" is best characterized in the prideful, self-aggrandizing, self-exalting competitiveness at times displayed even by Messiah's own disciples.  Examples are found in such passages of Scripture as Matt.19:13-14, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-16.  In each of these instances the disciples rebuked people for bringing "insignificant" little children to the Master.  In other instances, they actually quarreled about which of them would be "the greatest" in the Kingdom — see Mark 9:34, Luke 9:46 & 22:24.  Covetousness & power lusting are traits fostered and harbored by "sophisticated" adults.  Innocent children become poisoned in an environment corrupted by such sinful adults.  No such corruption will be tolerated in the NWO of Messiah.) 

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Footnotes
² And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. —Rev elation 20:4) «back
³ 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. —Isaiah 9:6) «back

⁴And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse [David], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots*: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They [of that time] shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse*, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. —Isaiah 11:1-10 «back

*Though some of you may not yet accept the New Testament, nevertheless it sheds light on who this Branch & Root is:  "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." —Revelation 22:16  «back

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Who will be welcomed there & inhabit it?

Who will be welcomed there & inhabit it?

Who will be welcomed there & inhabit it?

Who will be welcomed there & inhabit it?

Who will be welcomed there & inhabit it?

Who will be welcomed there & inhabit it?

The reply to this question is best answered in the following series of Scriptures:

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. —Revelation 22:17

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. —Joel 2:32

Jesus . . . said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. —Luke 18:16-30

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. —Yeshua, Matthew 5:17-20

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. —Yeshua, Matthew 7:21-23

And [Yeshua] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 18:3

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. —Yeshua, John 3:3-6

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Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Will there be flesh & bone people in Heaven?

Of course!!  That's what the Resurrection of The Last Day is all about!  It will be the regeneration/reconstitution of our bodies to an immortal state just as physical as we presently experience.  In fact, because the corruption that now resides in our DNA  will be done away with, our physical state will be even better than we have ever known.  Let's consider the prime example:

After his resurrection, Messiah himself demonstrated his very tangible fleshly body to his disciples whom he prompted to touch him and handle him so that they might see that, unlike a mere spirit, he had flesh and bones:  "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke 24:39)  He was as physical as you or I.  This is evident in the fact that his physiological functions were reported to be as normal as anyone else's.  In his Gospel, Luke goes on:  "And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet [which still bore the marks of the nails used at his crucifixion]. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat [the idiom for food]? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them." (Luke 24:40-43)  Do you suppose that was a piece of "spiritual" broiled fish, or maybe spiritual honey?

Now, how about ourselves in our post-regeneration form at the Resurrection, was anything specifically stated?  Most certainly.  Several Prophets and Apostles understood and described that glorious regenerate condition as being exactly that of Messiah's own state of being after He conquered Death:

In Philippians, chapter 3, verses 20-21, Paul writes, "We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself [namely, Death & all form of corruption, mortality & morbidity]."

John confirmed that though for the present we are not able to realize the super-physical state of being that we one day will experience, nonetheless, we should await it with confidence: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (I John 3:2)

Paul clarifies to the Romans that  though our salvation is sealed by the Spirit, yet it is still something we must by faith patiently wait for (we don't have it yet).  And that salvation consists ultimately in our physical redemption: "Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (Rom 8:23-25)

Some purportedly-spiritual folks, not knowing any better & having been poorly instructed by overly zealous spiritualists — themselves of abbreviated understandings — shy nervously away from any suggestion that the flesh might be any element of the world to come.  This is not only truly sad in that it takes the "Good News" out of the Gospel of eternal life, but it strips GOD of His glory and further suggests that He must have been in classic error in the very beginning when He first created mankind (in the flesh).  Although after He did so, according to Genesis 1:31, GOD  considered "everything that He had made" to be "very good."

For these moralists, the flesh in any shape or form is strictly taboo.  Seriously misunderstanding such Pauline passages as one from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, about earthy vs. spiritual, mortality/immortality and corruption/incorruption, they consider any and all flesh a matter for utter abolishment.  Spirit is all they supposedly care for.  On the basis of such verses as Romans 14:17, where Paul deemphasizes the importance of food & drink in favor of the more significant values in the Kingdom, they claim a super spiritual posture that sets them above such "base" physiology.  According to them, I suppose, GOD should have never dabbled with flesh to begin with!  What a mistake!  But, as they seem to presume, He'll fix it by getting rid of it altogether and transitioning to pure spirit in the end, as He should've from the beginning.  (But how does one explain away Messiah's promise to His disciples that they will feast with Him in His kingdom, or as He put it in Luke 20:22, "That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  Leave it to the holier-than-thou moralists — they will!)

So sad & too bad.  No wonder they're so unwilling to "forsake all" for Christ!  They evidently cannot deal with giving up the pleasures of the flesh now in this present world, and then "never ever" getting to enjoy them.  They seem to figure that, if they don't indulge all they can now in this present existence of decrepit flesh, which they supposedly so disdain, then they never will.

Yet, consider the words of other Holy Men of the Bible:

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." (Job 19:25-26)

The prophet Isaiah declared, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isa.26:19)

King David's famous song of Psalm 16 testifies to his clear understanding and hope for the world to come:  "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Sheol/Hades]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Ps.16:8-11)

And the Scriptural evidences go on and on. . . And so, yes, of course there will be flesh & bone people in the New World of Messiah who will enjoy life & all its pleasures in the way it was originally meant to be enjoyed before Adam & Eve screwed up & spoiled it.  Let us not forget that Death was not part of the original equation.  Adam & Eve, and all of their children, would not have experienced anything but eternal life had they not entertained lofty, covetous ideas & disobeyed GOD to pursue them.

(Oh gosh! What a terrible thought — all that flesh for ever! . . Beware the pseudo-spiritual moralists who would also have you to believe the original sin was sex.  They have created GOD in their own corrupt self-righteous image!  Read the Bible for yourself & don't let their muddied impure minds distort your understanding of it!  The way things were in the beginning was the way GOD wanted it all to be.  See Genesis, chapter 1.  At the conclusion of the Creation series — which includes the forming of man & woman & the mandate to procreate/multiply — in verse 31, we read the declaration, "And GOD saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good...") 

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Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Where will the children come from?

Besides those that are resurrected from Death's ugly vengeance, there will be children born in Messiah's New World.  There will be so many born in the land of Israel alone that Isaiah says in one of his prophecies about the Kingdom of Messiah that the children themselves will even express a sense of overcrowding.  The prophet Isaiah says:

The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other [such as those orphaned, estranged or perished in the Holocaust, or otherwise bereaved], shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. (Isa 49:20)

In another of Isaiah's Kingdom prophecies where he speaks of human life spans so long that our offspring will remain children as much as 100 years he writes of the Kingdom inheritors: "They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD." (Isa 65:23-25)

This same Offspring theme is reconfirmed in Isaiah, chapter 61:  "And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed." (Isa 61:9)

Then also the prophet Ezekiel, in an almost identical strain, writes: "And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." (Ezek 37:25)

Jeremiah tosses a huge monkey wrench into the tenuous doctrines of the anti-flesh spiritualists in one of his prophecies about Messiah's Kingdom:

Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD. (Jer 33:10-11)  Yet Messiah says in Luke 20:34-36 (Matthew also reports this) that in the future world of the resurrection from the dead the children of that world "neither marry, nor are given in marriage."

Oh my!  So how then do we reconcile the apparent contradiction (that seems to present itself as such) in the paragraphs above?  Having children?!  Offspring?!  Voice of the bridegroom & bride?!  My LORD, what are we to do?  What are we to think?  Well, that's just it, we need to think!  We need to meditate on the Word & allow it to transform our minds.  As Paul says, "And be not conformed to this world [esp. its concepts]: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  (Romans 12:2)

We need to ask the LORD for understanding & open accepting  minds like children (which most Christians have abdicated to their indoctrinators).  I pray that the LORD will show you an "acceptable" answer, even if it flies totally afoul of so-called Christian (or Judaic) orthodoxy, which a close study of shows to be far from truly orthodox anyway.  (Just read the Scriptures carefully & compare.)  And while you are searching out the answers , please check out a couple of mind-expanding passages from both Old & New Testaments — Isaiah 55:8-9 & Matthew 25, beginning esp. with verse 1.

The following bonus Scripture from the prophet Zechariah doesn't say anything much about where the kids will come from, but for all you "Millennium of the Child" aficionados  I'd like to share it's inspiration:

Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. (Zech 8:3-5)

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Will there be private families in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Will there be private families in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Will there be private families in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Will there be private families in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Probably only among the remnant Gentile peoples who survive & repopulate Earth after the massive annihilation of the global anti-Christ establishment.  Extremely doubtful, though, that such will be so among the resurrected children of GOD.  Consider the following quote wherein Messiah rules out any private ownership of husbands or wives:

The Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection . . . asked him, saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. —Matthew 22:23-30

It wasn't because the Sadducees didn't know the Scriptures that they erred.  It was just that they did not "know" the Scriptures!  They couldn't relate (intimately) to them.  Having stubborn, contrary minds, they were blinded to the illumination offered in the Scriptures.  They didn't possess the symbiotic spark needed to ignite the fuel that would produce the flame of  light.  Oh, they certainly knew the Scriptures well enough to formulate a very astute "trivia" question dug out of the volumes of Mosaic law; they just didn't have the resonance with them to tune in to their power — which they also had no regard for. 

Just as the Sadducees erred, because they could not relate well with the teachings of the Scriptures, so do the great majority of today's Jewish and Christian "sadducees" also fail to "know" the Scriptures, or their power.

The private family of one's birth was categorically stripped by Yeshua of its conventional worldly rank in His epic teaching about what really ranks:

"And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:27-28)  And on another separate occasion, "It was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.  And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it." (Luke 8:20-21)

Imagine no private families, if you can!  It takes a lot of Love — the most wonderful Power of GOD, who is LOVE.

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Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Will there be sex or fleshly pleasure in the Kingdom?

Let me respond by posing some other questions, and a brief quiz, if I may. . .

We (esp. in the West) hear so much about the "Gospel" & everywhere there are preachers of the "Gospel" and churches of one sort or another given to its proclamation.  There are even Full Gospel Businessmen.  And indeed, a very classic endtime quote from Jesus declares: "This gospel  of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come."  (Matt.24:14)  In harmony with this, John in the Apocalypse says he saw an angel "fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. . ." (Rev 14:6)  But what in the world exactly is this "Gospel?  And indeed, how do we know that the Gospel Christ referred to in the verse quoted above is the same "gospel" being traditionally preached by all the sources we often hear it from?

My quiz for you is this: Take a sheet of paper & pencil and write down what you believe the Gospel to be.  What does it mean to you?  Use pat answers if you wish (or "cheat" if you want). . . Okay, what did you come up with?  How many different aspects of the Gospel are contained in your answers.  Did you come up with 10 features, maybe 20 or 50, or maybe 5?  Maybe some of you simply answered, Jesus Christ!

The point of this exercise is purely to probe into how effective the Christian churches & Gospel preachers have been, or even how effective your own personal studies of the Scriptures have been in educating you about the Gospel.  After all, the Bible specifically mentions the word "gospel" a total of 102 times, all in the New Testament.  And the Gospels (of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) themselves make up very nearly 54% of the NT (the word "gospel" found 15 times therein).  So we should have a great deal of information about the Gospel — both in which to place our faith as well as to share with others.

As I suggested, however, lots of folks are content with the simplistic attitude that is copped from Apostle Paul when he said to the high-minded Corinthians, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified."  But, my friends, Jesus Christ & him crucified is a very deep subject.  In fact the very same Apostle admonished the Hebrews who were "dull of hearing" that simplicity was a mark of those who were "unskillful in the word of righteousness, " who were stunted in their spiritual growth and in "need of milk and not of strong meat."  He went on to exhort them to graduate from the basic principles and to "go on unto perfection" not repeatedly "laying again the foundation. . .of faith."  (Heb.5:11-6:1)

So in light of all this, and when you take into account the fact that Matthew and Mark (Etc.) beat such a loud drum about Jesus preaching "the gospel of the kingdom" everywhere He went, doesn't that beg the question, what exactly was He preaching?—What was the "gospel of the kingdom?" 

Then besides the NT gospel message, if we are exceptionally well taught and studied, we find that the Old Testament is loaded with teaching about the gospel, which in fact is all that the 1st century Apostles had available to teach from, as far as written texts, beside the oral instruction they'd gotten from Yeshua/Jesus.  And even then, that too was in large part instruction from the OT scriptures (mentioned 24 times in the Gospels).  A quick look at just a few examples of the significance of the OT to Christ & the Disciples — which we must not forget was all they had (since the NT wasn't even written yet):

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27)

"And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32)

"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. . ." (Luke 24:45)

"When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." (John 2:22)

You may remember that Apostle Paul clearly stated that the Gospel was preached to the OT church and the patriarchs as far back as when they were in the wilderness with Moses (see Hebrews chapters 3 & 4).  His words were, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Heb 4:2)  I hate to, but I must ask again, what "gospel" would that have been?

Before we go on, let's pause to trace the meaning of the word "gospel."  Many of you probably already know it commonly means good news.  Actually, the NT, written in Greek makes this most clear from its original term, eu)agge/lion/ (euangelion), meaning "good message or tidings."  This is where we get the English word evangelism & evangelical, etc.  But the English etymology of "gospel" traces it back through Middle English to an Old English form, godspel, which was a compound of god (for good) + spel (tale or spell), or essentially "good tale."

So, can we then begin to explore now the content and essence of the "godspel" or "good spell?"  Exactly what is spelled out for us in the "Good Tale?"  And, do we stick to the simplistic "milk" of the very basic rudimentary matters relating to such elementary teachings as repentance and salvation from sin by grace, or shall we "go on unto perfection, not laying again" this foundation?  Frankly, the Gospel is not really "strong meat" at all as much as it is simply the greatest hope of all humans who have seen "the light of men" — namely, LIFE!  That's right, Life!  A hugely simple matter actually exploding with meaning, yet easily comprehendible to a child.  And yet, as John says, "In Christ was the life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:4-5)

There is absolutely no reason why anyone should choke or gag on the substance of the true Gospel unless they have been dumbed-down by darkness-dogma demagogues.  ("Dumbing-down" being a contemporary term that refers to how educational mediums & channels actually stunt & stifle intelligence, often deliberately, to facilitate the manipulation of the unwitting —  the worst perpetrators frequently found in pulpits of piety.)  But then again that depends on what the Gospel actually happens to be, and whether perhaps it is the darkened, dumbed-down version stripped of its vitality & life, or whether it's the true version exploding with huge meaning, which the dumbed-down are unable comprehend, or swallow, as it were.

Well, I can only hope you will not choke on the meat of this thesis, or stumble anew on the "Gospel Stone" as the Stone's crucifiers did, and/or perhaps even join anew in the taking up of stones against someone else who brings good tidings!  Hey, as I said on the very first page of this web site, I am not given to compromise in holy matters.  My commitment, obligation & great honor is to "preach the gospel." (Mark 16:15)  In the process, I will try to do so wisely, since I have been sent forth as a "lamb in the midst of wolves" (Matt.10:16) and just simply pray that I am not "casting pearls before swine" who may only "trample them under foot & then turn again and tear me in pieces!" (Matt.7:6)

In any event, why go to all this tedious length on the subject of "pleasure in the Kingdom" and how it relates to the "godspel?"  Because sincere, inquiring minds want to know!  Because those that are not "dull of hearing," or those that are not of "eyes that cannot see" nor of hearts that are "hardened & waxed gross," those who seek GOD & want to worship Him in spirit & in Truth care to know.  And, truth is not for the dull or the hardened, or the blind, but for the pure in heart who can see & accept GOD for what He Is, just as He Is, and not for what his misrepresentatives make him out to be — namely, a false god carved out & fashioned according to the fancy & imagination of presumptuous, puny-minded men.  GOD Almighty cannot & will not be boxed, packaged  and labeled neatly by any denominational endeavor of any kind or from any pulpit or platform of supposed piety anywhere!  And HE is the author of  the "godspel," which He expressed from the very beginning  when He concluded that everything that He had made was "very good."  The "good news" is that the Garden of Eden was the original intent of GOD Almighty!  And yes, we are at last getting around to the relationship of pleasure in the Kingdom of GOD & to that very "good news" splashed across the pages of both the Old & New Testaments.

But digging into the Old yet a bit more, let's please venture all the way back to ‎ראשׁית (reshiyth, the beginning) and the garden we read of there.  Does that Garden of Eden spoken of in the Book of Beginnings (Genesis, chapters 2-4) conjure up any particular images in your mind that might rank it as a "godspel" or "good tale" to you?  Do you have any idea what the name of this heavenly garden means?  Have you refreshed yourself lately on the description of this nearly mythical realm, enough to constitute a meaningful conception of it in your mind's eye? 

Well, if you're a student of the Bible, you already know for starters that the first two humans would have lived in that Eden condition for ever!  O GOD, what a life — without death, corruption or destruction!  They would still be alive today had they not embraced an idea (an image & picture, or vision) that was in conflict with the Creator's vision & will for how things on Earth should be. 

What was that image they pictured?  Nothing less than the idea (presented by the Serpent) that they could be "as gods."  This new image of themselves becoming gods was a vision they could not resist, apparently. 

So, rather than contentedly accept the Edenic plan & will of The CREATOR just as it was — namely, "very good," according to Genesis 1:31 — they naively opted for a "better" idea & a "loftier" plan.  Alas, this newly "exalted" state of being, to be achieved by partaking of the intimate knowledge of good & evil, would take them to new horizons of power & abilities, a new sense of self.  They — now "as Gods" no longer content to be merely the carefree children of GOD — could be the moralists and decide like GOD what was right or wrong, good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable; could they not, now that they had accessed the intimate knowledge of both good & evil?  Doesn't examining the narrative closely, reveal that no particular hindrance, except death had been imposed to prevent this scenario?

Furthermore, they could even implement their new knowledge and perpetuate their new theology & planetary ideology indefinitely & pervasively, as far as we are aware (except for the newly imposed limitation of death, a now terminal life span).  There was at that time no existing regulation imposed on the exercise of their own independent will, except for the singular prohibition of partaking of the one certain tree.   The only "thou-shalt-not" we know of involved not partaking of this very fruit of the knowledge of good & evil.   They were already rulers & virtual sovereigns of Planet Earth, or at least it was intended & clearly stated that they should have sweeping & thorough domination. . .

Thou madest [man] to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: —Psalm 8:6

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. —Genesis 1:26-28

They could now become gods unto themselves, and even compete with GOD for who was to be supremely holy and most sovereign on Earth.  You may think, "Oh nonsense, there is no competing with The Almighty!—Who would attempt such a thing?"  Ah, but sweet delusion, how gratifying is the savor of the bread of self-aggrandizement & self-delusion.  People do this all the time, and the "people of God" & the "Christians" are as culpable as any other group of supremacists.  The classic scriptural example of this very  thing involves the chosen Israelite people who were castigated by the Prophet Isaiah (chapter 65) for their holier-than-GOD presumptuousness.  The Scribes and the Pharisees, the Jewish oligarchy, the established religious orders of Christ's day made themselves the self-anointed moralists of that era, and they finally conspired to murder the Lamb of GOD under their holier-than-YHWH supremacy mandate.  They decided what was good & what was evil.  And Jesus of Nazareth was not only not moral enough to be the Christ that they had defined for themselves, but He was evil.  He didn't conform to the image of God they had carved out for themselves of what God & goodness should be.  They called Him "the chief of devils!"  They hated His Gospel.  It did not conform to their "tale" of what was good.  He did not conform to their supremacist religiosity and self-declared piety.  He was Bad News, and their theology of self-love & self-righteousness dictated that He had to be exterminated like a toxic snake!

Well, just like Adam & Eve, those holier-than-GOD religionists will only "die in their sins," as Jesus proclaimed.  As a result of pursuing a corrupt, self-exalting idea, the first humans were cursed to die, to be terminated from the intended life eternal that was originally meant to be (in Eden)!  And such will be the fate of any who presume to impose their own individual concept of good or evil on GOD's good earth!  The Lamb of GOD exhorted with purposeful reiteration that, "Many shall come in my name, saying I am (or we are) the appointed authority & way of life, and shall deceive many."  That is precisely the perverse pattern of put-on piety that Messiah prophesied: religious or supposed holy people, self-anointed & self-appointed, setting themselves up as the "good & evil" authorities — i.e., as Gods — in His very own name!  Thus, their competitive menace threatens to pervert the goodness intended by GOD & their defiant, misdirected lives will necessarily be cut short (of the opportunity to live without end).

Adam & Eve had become a malignant threat!  What else would you conclude from the the conclusion stated by YHWH Elohiym (the "LORD God") in Genesis 3:22-24:

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

That's right, He drove him out of Eden, put him to work struggling miserably to survive, and set up a flaming force field barrier to prevent him from any access to the tree of life, lest he should access the means of preserving his life in its newly enlightened/empowered state.  The implication seems to be that man could now present himself as a considerable menace difficult to be reckoned with & capable of perverting the entire planet over which he'd been given dominion.  Or what do you suppose the LORD was apprehensive about?

Do you think He was worried that they would go out an have lots of sinful fun and pleasure & still live forever by accessing that tree?  Well, I think it's time we examine the meaning of the word "Eden"  to see if there may be any Good News in it for you and me.

Interestingly enough, and perhaps to the utter dismay of the graven-image theologists and self-anointed moralists, Eden literally means pleasure, as well as delight, luxury, delicate, dainty, finery, etc.    Eden is derived from the root word "adan," which means "to be soft or pleasant, to live voluptuously, to luxuriate, to delight oneself,"  according to more than one respected Hebrew lexicon.

So, when we are taught by Messiah to pray, "Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. . .," what do you suppose we are asking for?  Do you suppose that the GOD who says, "I am the LORD, I change not (Malachi 3:6)," has indeed lately changed His will and intentions for us and for Planet Earth to something different than what He originally intended?  "Woops, I AM made a cosmic creative mistake. . .Overrated Myself, it's not so 'very good' after all. . .Need to go back to the drawing board to revise the design. . .Really should get some counsel and advice from some pious, religious leaders of high moral standards this time around."  Meanwhile, as GOD revises His plan to conform to the ideals of the theologians & deans of divinity, why don't we revise the LORD's prayer to "Our fathers which art in religious institutions, hallowed be...... your images of God.  May your will be done on earth as it is in your hallowed institutions?"

Well, the moralists who love to create God in their own image would do well to heed this admonition from Isaiah:

Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?  With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? . . . To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?  The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold. . . . —Isaiah 40:13

But no matter finely you grave it & work it, or how finely you deck it with glory and glitter, your image of God is still only an idol, the worship of your own vain imagination, and ultimately the worship of self!

**But let's not lose sight of GOD Himself, of whom Apostle Paul affirms:

The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man. . . —Romans 1:20-23

Finally, let me ask you to ponder another couple questions related to life in the Kingdom:  When Yeshua asked for something to eat after His resurrection, do you suppose it was because He might have perished without life-sustaining nourishment?  In other words, did He need to eat to sustain His life and prevent death by possible starvation?  Why do you think He requested food?  And, do you think He may have enjoyed the fish & honey & perhaps even took pleasure in consuming it?  Or was it merely an anti-starvation instinct or physiological necessity?  In our case, it most certainly is, but is that the only reason we eat?

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.  And he took it, and did eat before them.  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. —Luke 24:36-44

Please, I have yet another brief series of questions for you:  What event did baby Yeshua/Jesus experience on the 8th day after His birth?  Did observance of that painful custom signify anything in particular about the anatomical nature of the Messiah?  That is, may we definitively conclude from His parent's observance of that 8th-day Mosaic statute that Jesus was indeed every bit a male human child?  Did Messiah's crucifixion later on change any of these physiological facts?  Do you think His resurrection from the dead resulted in an alteration of His basic human physiology?  We read that He bore the scars of His piercing and lancing by the Roman soldiers.  Do you think He still bore the scars of His 8th-day covenant ritual, and do you suppose He still does? 

Well, I have a few more very poignant questions to pose to you along this line.  Perhaps, though, I should let you draw your own conclusions and decide for yourself whether the Gospel (Good News) of the Kingdom should include any suggestion of pleasure related to our GOD-ordained physiology. 

I'm sure you can tell where this line of inquiry is leading.  But dare we pursue the Truth?  Do you dare defy the holier-than-thou cult of the modern-day Pharisees & their exalted traditional graven image of God — the idol of their own imagination — which has "made the Word of GOD of none effect?"  (See Matt. 15:6 & Mark 7:9)  This vein of truth will most certainly be qualified as "pornographic" by the misguided moralists of the school of anti-carnal self-righteousness.  Their picture of Eternal Life is one of (anti-GOD) sterility and disdain for His very own physiology and all that attends it.  Their super pseudo-sanctimonious belief system paints godliness as a condition stripped of all flesh & pleasure, completely contrary to all the work and exercise of creativity that GOD Almighty devoted Himself to and sacrificed His Son to redeem & ultimately restore.

Where does your image of GOD originate?  Is the one you worship the Traditional Graven Image brought to us courtesy of the pseudo-pious GOD-hating Pharisees?  (You can be assured it is only themselves they love with all their heart, soul & mind, and not GOD!)  Or is your image the one that originates with the Prophets that brought us the Word of GOD — prophets (may I remind) who were routinely hated, rejected, persecuted & killed by the so-called "holy people of God?"

The Scribes, Pharisees & Lawyers of old have never died out or forever just evaporated into thin air.  They always condense & precipitate out of the religious atmosphere to artificially impose themselves upon the dumb-sheep landscape of humanity.  They are quite alive & well and leading the charge of traditional "piety" in churches, seminaries, synagogues, divinity schools & on religious TV.  And today they occupy the very same institutions of religion & counterfeit morality established by tradition as they did in the time when they orchestrated Christ's crucifixion. 

In the same old traditional fashion, they act the same, they essentially talk the same, and in the very same tradition hate the image of GOD that is found in the Scriptures because it confers no glory, honor or power to themselves.  They are not exalted, and so they feel compelled to exalt themselves.  That, of course, is what they covet most and why they go to such great expense and effort to deck themselves in fine clothes (& religious vestments), build uncalled-for buildings of holiness, sanctuaries and grandiose temples that are completely unscriptural (the Temple in Jerusalem being the only sanctioned congregational structure ever — in fact, a tent was all that YHWH ever asked for).  They prefer & promulgate their own image of God by the usurped "authority" of their institutionalized establishmentarian traditions based on materialist constructs of ecclesiastical superstructures & self-styled sanctimonious organizational institutions.  I ask again, is the graven image these cunning craftsman so cleverly carve out your God just because it's the establishment's traditionally accepted one?

Again, too bad & how sad they would choose to deny GOD in such self-righteous fashion; and to blaspheme His Name, His Word, His Wonderful Works, His Truth & His Will by such confused , hypocritical sanctimonialism.  And then they have the audacity to consider themselves orthodox, fundamentalist, Bible-believing & evangelical!  What a travesty of Truth!

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Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Where will the Kingdom of Heaven be?

Remember the answer Messiah gave His disciples when the Pharisees began to  press Him about the manifestation of the kingdom GOD in Luke, chapter 17 (vs. 20-37)?  Of course, the Pharisees didn't seem to be so much in doubt about where as much as about when.  It was the disciples who seemed to need assurance about where, and so they asked, "Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together." (Luke 17:37)  The answer may have seemed cryptic, but it really wasn't.

Fact of the matter is that where the King is is where the Kingdom will be.  That is to say, the kingdom is made up of citizens & subjects headed by a king.  A king without "subjects" (or "eagles" which gather 'round the body) is a king over nothing and merely a landlord without tenants.  The answer in this passage of Luke was not specific about where.  But then, the disciples should have already known where, just as the Pharisees certainly did, because the Prophets & their Scriptures made it abundantly clear. . .

Two prophets of the 8th century BCE (Before the Common, or Christian Era, equivalent to BC), both contemporaries, echoed one another in nearly identical writings:

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. —Ps 48:1-2

This is the same Branch prophesied by Isaiah in chapter 11: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. . ." (Isa.11:1-2)  Nearly 600 years later, at the time of the conception of this Branch of righteousness, the angel Gabriel announces the coming of this Great King to His mother (as her son, David's son & GOD's son):

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What (activities) will be done there?

What (activities) will be done there?

What (activities) will be done there?

What (activities) will be done there?

What (activities) will be done there?

What (activities) will be done there?

What (activities) will be done there?

Well, what activities were intended for the garden of Eden?  There will most definitely be an emphasis on gardening & enjoying the fruits of it, a basically agrarian lifestyle.  Adam was put into the garden "to dress & to keep it."  From all indications, generally fruitless lives of metropolitan-style consumerism & exploitation, such as prevails in our world today, will not exist.  A renewed interaction & relationship with all of the animals will also occur.  We all know how much children love to interact & play with animals.  Well. . .

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. —Isaiah 11:6-8

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.  And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. —Micah 4:1-4

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.  But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.  There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days [very long lives]: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. —Isaiah 65:17-25

As already introduced thorough in an earlier section, some of the most wonderful activity will be related to the keeping of the first commandment ever given to mankind in the Book of Genesis.  There'll be lots of getting to know & love one another and the absolute joy of raising all the progeny that will result.  Playful, curious, loveable children & infants everywhere, "for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven!" 

There will be lots of feasting, socializing, appreciation of natural surroundings without the horrible ruination and destruction of Earth that has resulted from technological advances.  Most certainly there will be complete freedom from war  & all its ravages, as the passages above confirm. 

Construction of houses & cities will also take place, but of a much more limited scale than the gargantuan metropolises for which BABYLON THE GREAT is so infamous.  (See Revelation, chapter 17 & 18, and chapter 4 of Voice of the 7th Angel.)

No need for all the high-rise office buildings and skyscraping monstrosities in which the vain world of mankind now glories.  More particularly, no tolerance for the so-called "industries" housed in these overblown cities and buildings of BABYLON.  Those industries mostly consist of corporate-class, profit-scheming, money-manipulating, rip-off-promoting, telephone-talking, meeting-holding, paper-shuffling, button-pushing, computer-operating middle-men busy doing little but getting their cut out of the exploitation of those who do produce & those who consume by capitalizing on the moving & marketing of merchandise.  The products of this metropolitan nightmare (pretending to be "civilization") are covetousness & corruption, excess & exploitation (I repeat), abuse & avarice, division & strife, conflict & criminality, rampant litigiousness & lawbreaking, perversion & political confusion (a.k.a. correctness), pathology & illness (physical, mental & spiritual), depravity & drug-addiction (legal & illegal), violence & lasciviousness,  egotism & estrangement, abortion & infanticide, and the list goes on and on (and on).

(of the great merchants & corporate rip-off artists of the many sundry sorts of so-called "industries")

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How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

How & when will it come?

Immediately after the Tribulation of those days [of the end] shall  the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all of the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. —Matthew 24:28-29

For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.  For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. —Isaiah 66:15-16

It will come with overwhelming power & magnificence, and by force in the face of mass planetary resistance to it's arrival at the end of the Times of the Gentiles.  The "Times of the Gentiles" spoken of in the Bible (Luke 21:24) represents the sum of human history since its inception (& corruption) in the beginning of time when Satanic influence and ideology was entertained and introduced to planet Earth by Adam & Eve.  This very long era of Earth's history (now about 6000 years) dominated by the Gentiles under pervasive satanic influence finally comes to its end at the renowned  Battle of Armageddon.

By that time, the influence of Satan will no longer be merely the underlying motive force driving mankind but the pervasive, prevailing global political power of the day.  As discussed in Voice of the 7th Angel, mankind will be rallied to actually attempt to engage the Almighty GOD in a massive military campaign at the end of days.  This supremely prideful endeavor will, of course, be executed under the inspiration and leadership of the infamous Antichrist — the "Son of Perdition," "The Man of Sin," "The Beast" of Revelation chapter 13 empowered by the mighty, extraterrestrial Lucifer.  The encounter will be futile, fateful & furiously vanquished ending in the conquest and repossession of Planet Earth by its Creator.

Biblical history makes it clear that since the very early centuries of time ungodly, rebellious Gentile peoples have dominated the course and development of human affairs.  The term "Gentile" is simply a term that is nearly equivalent to the word "generic" as applied to people groups.  It simply means "people" or "nation" in the completely non-specific, generic sense.  It is used in the Hebrew scriptures to refer to "foreign" peoples or nations, not regarded in the Scriptures as the Chosen People specifically.  The Chosen People — around which the entire biblical narrative revolves — embrace an entirely different ideology & theology than the more generic people of Earth, one that comes into severe conflict with the Gentile agenda.  In general, the generic gentile nations (of various stripes and strains from Egyptians to Romans, etc.) have been the masters of world affairs & adversaries of the People of YHWH God.

That conflict of agendas has produced an enmity that throughout history has continually expressed itself against the specifically Chosen People in either their oppression & persecution, or in outright aggression, very often at the level of hostile organized national warfare against them.   Very rarely in history have the chosen ones ever risen above this prevailing hostility & adversarial aggression, which most often has overpowered & overwhelmed them.  

The gentile agenda is the legacy of ancient Cain & his me-first spirit.  It is one of egocentrism & self-determination abandoning due obligation to The CREATOR or His will & intended designs for His creation.  The Chosen People, on the other hand, were to be "avouched" (promised or pledged) specifically to YHWH (Yahweh) God "and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice". . ."with all [their] heart, and with all [their] soul."   YHWH's mutual pledge to the Chosen People of  Israel in the same passage reads, "the LORD [YHWH]  hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.  (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)  And just as Cain hated brother Abel for being favored, the gentile agenda still promotes hatred for the Favored People.

Cain's historical hatred for Abel culminates at the end of the Age/Times of the Gentiles in the period of Great Tribulation, just prior to the conclusive Battle of Armageddon.  This historically incomparable Great Tribulation, well documented in Voice of the 7th Angel,  is a brief 3½-year period of intense trial of humanity, and not least of all of the Chosen People and their Christian compatriots (the brotherhood of Abel).  The trial consists largely of an intense & concerted campaign of persecution on a worldwide scale of all who dare refuse the ultimate Antichrist-Gentile agenda — the vicarious worship of self via the adoration of the son of Satan, whose mark of allegiance will be the coded 666.  Those who refuse to bow to the new luciferian order of fabulous hi-tech wonders are "stamped upon," "made war with," "prevailed against," "worn out," "overcome," "betrayed," "given into the hand of the beast," "beheaded," and "shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days."  Such will be the fate of the "remnant of [Israel's] seed, which keep the commandments of GOD, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 12 & 13)  Voice of the 7th Angel (chapter 8) documents the fact that "Israel" is a joint entity that includes the "grafted-in" gentiles who become Christian converts to the faith of the Chosen People, the faith of Abel.  Cain's campaign of spite, however, comes to a crushing conclusion at the Battle of Armageddon.

Right on the heels of the Tribulation period within a matter of weeks, apparently, the furious Battle of Armageddon wreaks a devastating end to the blasphemous domination of GOD-defying gentile peoples who perennially & persistently ravage His People from generation to generation.

The timing of the Great Tribulation is undoubtedly connected to a resolution of the highly contentious & explosive Palestinian conflict (reasons detailed in Voice of the 7th Angel). The Tribulation begins in the midst of a 7-year accord or "treaty" facilitated or brokered by the captivating, compelling (& unbeknownst) spawn of Lucifer.  His rise to fame and power will almost certainly revolve around the brokering of this 7-year "covenant" that brings a large measure of peace & stability to the Middle East, and especially to Israel-Palestine.  The achievement of such an outstanding historical feat, including various other miracles (literally), will rocket this man to global heights of power & influence, which he shortly converts into the currency of charismatic tyranny, quickly capturing the worship (literally) of the entire world.   A world which he, only about 7 years latter, convinces to join him in literal combat against an "invading alien entity" coming to conquer Earth.  That entity will of course be Christ, and the battle itself (in the regions of Armageddon) will be decisive, crushing and final!  (See Revelation 16 & 19 & 14, Ezekiel 38 & 39, Zechariah 14)

Mighty Messiah comes at last in defense of His people, His land, His planet, and His honor against the ultimate Gentile atrocity. 

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How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will it last?

How long will the New World Order of Messiah last?

This question may be best answered by presenting the following passage from the Book of the Apocalypse (taken from Revelation, chapter 19 & 20).  It may seem sort of cryptic because of the figurative language typical to the Apocalypse, but the essence of it's message is really not so hard to decipher.  Of the whole Bible, this New Testament portion is most definitive about the duration of the New World Order of Messiah.  The 1000-year period it briefly describes is the initial phase of the Kingdom of GOD, that which includes the remnant Gentile races left to inhabit & populate Earth after the devastation of the Armageddon conflict.  As you will probably note, the first couple paragraphs relate to the Battle of Armageddon, which immediately precedes the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. 

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. —Revelation 19:11-16  [Notice that He ultimately rules the nations which He wars against and fiercely vanquishes.]

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. —Revelation 19:17-21  [ Here we see the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together after being summoned earlier in Revelation 16:13-16, which reads: ]

["And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. . . .And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."]

[Continuing now with the prophecy from Revelation 20 with the disposition of the chief mentor of the Gentiles after the disposition of his chief henchmen at their defeat at Armageddon. . .] 

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. —Revelation 20:1-3  [Once the chief spirit of evil is banished, unfrustrated righteousness will reign, with conflict & opposition dramatically diminished, and with the former victims of Cain now revived as the authorities & administrators of Messiah's New World Order. . .]

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. —Revelation 20:4  [Yet, after this Messianic Millennium of utopia on Earth, for a brief moment, the Gentiles, fanned once again by the incendiary breath of Hatred, rekindle their undying resentment of Abel. . . ]

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. —Revelation 20:7-10  [The undying evil flame of destructive self-exalting hatred & rebellion is finally & forever quenched & destroyed — itself in the fires of perpetual incineration.]

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. —Revelation 20:11-15

Resentment and hatred, based in implacable love of self and egotistical self-gratification are not the qualities embraced by those whose names are found written in the Book of Life.  Rather, they are the ingredients in the recipe of virulent violence that will ultimately be expressed against the righteous rule of the New World Order of Messiah at the end of the Messiah's Millennium.  Even after 1,000 years of global peace & prosperity, a final & ultimate political uprising is mounted.  Earth's masses revolt against this New World Order with rioting, savage hostility in an untenable attempt to overthrow it.  Under the inspiration of the now released & wholly unrepentant Enemy of GOD & Love, the innumerable masses of billions of resentful, ungrateful humans will revolt in bitterness against the Messiah & His Administration housed in Israel ("the camp of the saints").  That ungrateful resentment & bitterness will ferment rapidly (in "a little season" leavened by Satan) into the vitriol, hostility & hatred that wells up in the hearts of the "the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog," and propels them to rise up against the "dictator" in Jerusalem.

We have recently seen this very phenomenon played out in what has been called the Arab Spring (springtime, 2011).  Hundreds of thousands (perhaps even millions) rose up in various Arab states across North Africa & the Middle East in the name of "freedom & democracy" to oust & overthrow ruling elements they considered dictatorial & antidemocratic.  We should not be surprised at this phenomenon.  It too was foretold by the Bible.  The Prophet Daniel about 2,500 years ago wrote of the End of Days as a brief period (merely feet & toes, as opposed to legs) during which the fourth & final ruling power (of iron, Romans & their legacy Republics) would eventually decay into a divisive mix of iron & "miry potters' clay."  Daniel goes on to reveal that the end-time political dominions of iron would try to "mingle themselves with the seed of men," and yet "not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." (Daniel 2:40-44) 

The meaning of this allegorical prophecy is simply that iron-like governments would be unsuccessful in blending with the easily manipulated, fresh, muddy clay of "the seed of men." This "seed" is nothing other than the youth that has by far & large comprised the uprisings we have seen in this late-breaking scenario sweeping the Arab-Islamic world.  The great majority of these pro-democracy insurgents are the fresh posterity demographic in these countries 25 years of age and younger, some a bit older.  This is the meaning of the word "seed" here in this prophecy, a seed that has been propelled to political rebellion by the leaven that has been spread via the modern networks of what we now call "social  media" such as Facebook & Twitter.  Within a matter of a very little season, massive uprisings were mustered.  The young, tech-savvy, descendent generation in these countries from Tunisia to Egypt, to Libya, Syria & Bahrain, etcetera (not to mention Iran) are not sticking/"cleaving" to the old guard leaders of their countries, but instead revolting against the dictatorial regimes of their respective countries.

And so, in like fashion, after 1,000 years of the firm rule of the Prince of Peace, a spirit of resentment & bitter dissatisfaction will sweep the globe on a scale involving huge masses of unconverted people "the number of whom is as the sand of the sea." (Rev. 20:8)  Please see the section entitled "What type of government will exist there? " for detailed information that might help to understand somewhat why such a revolt could so easily be mustered.

Resentment against the Divine Design is the recipe for redoubled death & destruction.  The only escape from the 2nd infinitely more dreadful death is the embracing of the crucial, indispensable values of loving self-sacrifice, loving your neighbor as yourself, and loving the I AM THAT I AM of the Bible with all your heart, soul & mind.  Isn't it amazing, though, that after a thousand years of these righteous values reigning upon Earth (without tolerance for contravention, incidentally) that mankind can be so easily swayed into uprising & rebellion?

Ultimately, how long the Millennium of Christ will last is really more a matter of how much longer before the burning rage of the penchant for malevolent, anti-GOD, egotistical ways is finally abolished.  That raging egotism will then be converted from a right to choose arrogance & malevolence into a sentence of inescapable screaming torment.  Imagine the perpetually recycled pain of searing molten steel drenching every square millimeter of burning skin without respite.  Such is the head-to-toe fate of the wicked (who never die).  Their own spite and hatred will be catalyzed into a lake of liquid flames without islands or shores.  It seems supremely wise that all should take the future more seriously & turn from the prideful selfishness that will blot their names out of the Book of Life.  A thousand years of the reign of Messiah Yeshua will not please everyone, however.  Nor will it serve successfully to quench the fires of rebellion & egotism that enflame the evil hearts of the prideful wicked.  Evil will prove itself to be exactly that, evil.  The whole universe will witness it's true nature.

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Will everyone be equal there?

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What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

What type of government will exist there?

Who is the Governor & what's his name?

Who is the Governor & what's his name?

Who is the Governor & what's his name?

Who is the Governor & what's his name?

Who is the Governor & what's his name?

Who is the Governor & what's his name?

Let's see what the Scriptures themselves say. . .

From the book of Psalms, c. 1000– c. 962 BC:

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD  [יהוה*] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. —Jeremiah 23:5-6

From the Gospel of Matthew, c. 1st century AD :

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. —Matthew 2:1-5

From the prophet Isaiah, 8th century BC:

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. 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. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. —Isaiah 2:2-4

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. 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 for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. —Isaiah 9:7

From the prophet Zechariah, 6th century BC:

 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD  [יהוה*] shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. —Zechariah 14:9

---

Footnotes:

[*יהוה, or YHWH as transliterated letter-by-letter from Hebrew into the English alphabet, is most often pronounced yehôvâh, but now more commonly as YaHWeH, esp. by Hebrew Roots proponents and some Messianic Jews.  However, there remains yet a fair bit of debate about the actual "proper" pronunciation, esp. since for millennia the name of GOD was considered by the Jews to be "ineffable" and thus not spoken or used in conversation.  There is thus no definitively established, reliable (much less proper) convention upon which to base any claims as to absolute propriety in this regard.   Many argue (pointlessly, in my opinion) about the "correct" name and its "correct" pronunciation, believing vainly that they will somehow accrue greater blessedness, or perhaps righteousness and/or exaltedness upon themselves for their presumed "perfection." --I wish them enlightenment.] «back

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Will there be ownership of property there?

Will there be ownership of property there?

Will there be ownership of property there?

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Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

Will there be taxation there?

The short answer is yes, and of course the Scriptures to support that conclusion will follow shortly.

First, however, I propose a different, more celestial (i.e., godly) and not so secular angle be taken on the idea of taxes.   The word tax /taxation carries with it (thanks to Godless, secular society) a meaning that suggests burden & compulsion.  Indeed, few of us regard taxation as a happy or lovely thing. especially as it is exercised by so many tyrannical governments the likes of which always seem to prevail in this world (of woe & oppression).  In order to adjust the angle, let's begin in the book of beginnings, Genesis, to take a fresh look at this concept. 

How about the story of Cain and Abel in chapter 4 for starters?  What was their view on taxes?  I would say those brothers had two differing & quite distinct views on this matter of "taxation."

But here again, as is so often the case, I definitely do not go along with the traditional teaching we so often hear about the story of Cain & Abel that spills out of seminaries, schools of divinity and their pulpit progeny.  There is virtually no useful, practical lesson to be gained from the mainstream predications we hear from would-be theologians who love to sound and seem so "spiritual," wise & understanding.  They concoct exalted super-spiritual doctrines that speak of the central & crucial importance of bringing "blood sacrifice" in order to find acceptance before GOD.  And then they wax even more "eloquent" about highly theological notions of "figures" & "types" & "shadows."  By all this they presumably reveal (for us) embedded secret knowledge & mysteries related to the sacrificial offering of Christ Yeshua as the Lamb of GOD for the atonement of sins, et cetera.  All in all a very impressive theory, theologically speaking — if one is easily impressed.  But now (coming back down to earth) what exactly is really the point of the story of these two brothers?  Is it just lofty theology being conveyed to us by the Spirit via these Scriptures, or is there some more down-to-earth lesson to be gained — one that even children can grasp and benefit from?

Let us recall the words of the Messiah at this particular juncture:  "Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight."  (Luke 10:21)

To understand taxes and taxation in a better, more useful way and one that is actually quite beautiful from a celestial perspective, we have to pick up a thread here in the biblical tapestry that runs all the way through from beginning to end of its divine design.  It's the supremely beautiful concept of THANKS.  All the evangelical, high-minded, spiritual mumbo jumbo aside, gratitude & giving of thanks, and expressing appreciation is one the most virtuous and lovely things that a person of divine or godly disposition & character can do. That is what is most notable in the story of Cain & Abel and what differentiates the one from the other when one considers their reputations.  That is what Apostle Paul was highlighting about Abel in his epic discourse on faith in the New Testament book of Hebrews (chapter 11) when he said, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous [a characteristic of GOD], God testifying of his gifts [what did he give?]: and by it he being dead yet speaketh [the reverberation of his virtuous reputation lives on]." (verse 4)

You see, the story of Cain and Abel is not about blood sacrifices, but about giving, especially about giving thanks.  It's about saying "Thank you" and showing appreciation for all the goodness and blessing that has, before any action of our own, been first bestowed upon us by the Original Giver, Almighty GOD, the Creator of heaven and earth and all that in them is.  It is about giving back in kind to the benefactor who first blessed and gave to us.

What do I mean by "in kind?"  Well, none of us can duplicate the unspeakably fabulous gifts designed and bestowed upon us by an incomparably great and powerful Creator.  His grand gift of heaven & earth crafted on our behalf can never in any way, shape or form be matched.  He understands and realizes this.  And so what can we give back? 

Well, what did the brothers Cain & Abel give?  And what was the key difference between their particular offerings?  There is a crucial difference, and as I have already asserted it has nothing to do with blood (or the lack thereof).  Not that blood and blood sacrifices do not speak poignantly of cost & value in their own right.  But for the moment, let's get off the dead-end train of trite tradition that transports nothing but stale salt that has lost its savor (as Jesus "proverbialized") and catch the righteous rail to real meaningfulness in terms of our current theme.  Remembering that thanks is at the hub of our thesis on taxation, what kind of thanks did Abel offer as opposed to Cain that gained Abel a timeless, saintly reputation as being "righteous?"

Perhaps the first thing to take note of in the history of these brothers would be their different vocations.  According to Genesis (chap.4), Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And so, naturally, each brought something of his own particular occupational gain or products.  The big difference lies in exactly what slice of their particular pies they brought forward for a thank offering.  It is important to note, I maintain, that the Scriptures specifically state that Abel brought the LORD not just any of his sheep, but rather "of the firstlings of the flock, and of the fat thereof."  Whereas in the other case, the tiller of the ground evidently was not anxious to offer any of the hard-earned first fruits of his produce, but without any outstanding gratitude to mention merely brought "of the fruit of the ground an offering unto YHWH (Yahweh/Jehovah)."   At least this is the testimony given of Cain (as well as of Abel) recorded in the Torah of Moses.  When Abel cut into his pie to bring YHWH an offering of appreciation, he brought Him the first fresh slice of the first fresh pie, according to the testimony.  The same honorable testimony is not given of Cain.

And of course it is safe (as per the volumes of other Scripture) to conclude that the offering — whether lamb, grain, vegetable, fruit, or other offering (probably even prepared & ready to be consumed, as was customary) — was to be burnt (or also partially consumed by any serving priest/priests).  That would obviously render it fully transferred and irretrievably given — no getting it back for personal use or benefit afterward.  It was a gift, after all.  That is most likely the protocol observed by both Cain & Abel.  Yet "the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell." (vs. 4-5)

The traditional religionists argue about the type of offering here being the critical matter at issue.  Yet we understand by the Spirit as well as by other testimony given in the pages of the Bible that when it comes to giving offerings, "If there first be a willing mind, it is accepted according that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." (As per Apostle Paul, in his brief treatise on gifts & offering in 2Corinthians (chap. 8), where he emphasized the key ingredient, which Cain evidently lacked — a willing mind.)  The Torah also teaches that cases of poverty or indigence allow for offerings of lesser cost than those stipulated as ideal (see Leviticus chapters 1, 5, 12 & 14).  Only in the case of the yearly atonement for universal-individual sin (of the nation of Israel) was a "ransom" to be collected at the appropriate season for each and every individual, rich or poor, of half a shekel each— "The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls." (Exodus, chapter 30)

We can only speculate based on imagining what it would be like to be a hard-working farmer such as Cain what went through his mind when time came to reap the first fruits of his sweat-of-the-brow labors.  Personally, I imagine he felt as though he deserved to be the first to partake of the "pie" of all that toil and sweat that went into cultivating the fruit of the ground.  After all, it was his toil and trouble that produced the results he had reaped in the field.  Besides, what need did the Creator GOD have of grain or vegetables to eat?  And so, if there was anybody that should be recognized with appreciation for the outcome of all that hard work, it was himself first of all; which I'm convinced is what he must've thought.  Rather than bring the first of his fruits to GOD for an offering, he figured he'd reward himself before anything else with the joy and satisfaction of being first partaker of the fruits.  Isn't this how we often rationalize our own reluctance & attempt to justify holding back, or holding on to what should be given back?  Well, being that "Cain was very wroth" when his gift was not accepted and eventually "rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him"  (out of resentment) I can safely infer that Cain had an attitude problem — one that Paul nailed down quite well in his second epistle to the Corinthians, referenced above, when he spoke of "first" having a "willing mind."

Finally, as we approach the conclusion of this theme regarding giving back, there is a key principle of major significance (I'd say) to be gleaned from various other portions of the Bible on this subject.  The Scriptures teach (emphatically) of the non-fading beauty & merit of an Abel-style gift.   The unique, noteworthy quality of his offering — easily understood without wading neck deep in theological mumbo jumbo — is that it represented the first, and undoubtedly the best of what he had gained & been blessed with.  The importance to the Creator of offering Him our first fruits is borne out in the fact that the Torah alone, dealing with ordinances respecting offerings calls particularly & specifically for such to consist of "firstfruits" in at least 8 different passages from Exodus (chapters 23 & 34), to Leviticus (chaps. 2 & 23), to Numbers (18 & 28), finally to Deuteronomy (18 & 26).  In one of His earliest precepts issued to His people Israel, He mandates, "Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors [extracted juices]," going on further to also include, "the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me." (Exo 22:29 )

(Please note that for the sake of time and space, I am not including here the numerous passages that detail the ordinances regarding the "firstborn" (of men & animals) and the significance the "firstfruits" of them to YHWH, although the principle involved remains of the same character & essence.)

The Scriptures memorialize King Solomon's understanding of the merit of offering the first fruits of all ones increase in the 3rd chapter of the Book of Proverbs in which he offered this wisdom: "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (Pro. 3:9-10)  What is so splendid about this sagacious jewel of wisdom is its highlighting of the inevitable (& inexorable) outcome of demonstrating due gratitude for the blessings of our Creator -- i.e., multiplication of our bounty!

We must & ought to have great enough appreciation for the magnificence & goodness of our Creator to offer Him nothing less than the first & best of all that we are first gifted with (by no one other than Himself from the get-go).  Even Cain should have had the sense to understand that without the "raw materials" he had been given to "sweat" over in the first place to make it even possible to bring forth anything life-giving out of the soil he would have been faced with famine & certain death.  But like Cain, too many of us take huge, immeasurable gifts for granted while at the same time giving ourselves hugely overvalued volumes of credit for our wellbeing, success & prosperity.  Our pride and self-importance can make us unthankful, resentful, bitter & stingy.  As we se in the section on "When & How Will it End?," Cain's spiritual descendants rise up in resentment one last time in the very end to slay the "Abels" of the New World Order of Messiah.  Please join me there by scrolling down this page or linking directly there from the Table of Contents.

And so to conclude this section on giving thanks by giving back an offering to the Creator (for all His outstanding, incomparable goodness) — call it a tax, if you like — let's look at some Scriptures foretelling of the conditions that will prevail in the the New World Order of the Messiah in this regard. . .

Psalm 72:10-11  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

Psalm 68:29  Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

Isaiah 60:6  The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.

Psalm 76:11  Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

Isaiah 56:7  Even [foreign converts] will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Zephaniah 3:9-10  For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.  From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

Eze 20:40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

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What kinds of technologies in the NWO?

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Will there be crime or sin, or death?

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Will there be religious practice?

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Will animals be predatory  or vicious?

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Will there be war, imperialism, exploitation, political rebellion?

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When & how will it end?

(Details coming soon. . .Please don't despair.)

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