Romans 14:17
King James Version
17 For the kingdom of God
is not meat and drink;
but righteousness,
and peace,
and joy
in the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit led me to an amazing journey today.
I wondered about heaven, and this is where He directed me to.
The "old" heaven was depicted as a "firmament".
Genesis 1:6-10
King James Version
6 And God said,
Let there be a firmament
in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters
from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters
which were under the firmament
from the waters which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven.
And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 And God said,
Let the waters under the heaven
be gathered together unto one place,
and let the dry land appear:
and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth;
and the gathering together of the waters
called he Seas:
and God saw that it was good.
The "new" heaven, at the end of days, lost the sea.
Revelation 21:1
King James Version
21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:
for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;
and there was no more sea.
God was now to dwell in the midst of men.
Revelation 21:2-5
King James Version
2 And I John saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 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.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow,
nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold,
I make all things new.
And he said unto me,
Write:
for these words are true
and faithful.
Prophet Daniel did prophesy about this new kingdom.
Daniel 2:44
King James Version
44 And in the days of these kings
shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
which shall never be destroyed:
and the kingdom shall not be left to other people,
but it shall break in pieces
and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand for ever.
Confirming those who will live there.
Daniel 7:27
King James Version
27 And the kingdom and dominion,
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people of the saints
of the most High,
whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Precisely why the Lord Jesus kept reminding us:
Matthew 4:17
King James Version
17 From that time Jesus began to preach,
and to say,
Repent:
for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.
The Rapture would occur, the Tribulation would follow, and then God's New Jerusalem would be given to His faithful.
Even so, those sincerely seeking the kingdom of God were warned it would be tough.
Matthew 7:13-14
King James Version
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate,
and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate,
and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.
But we are not to cease striving.
Luke 13:24
King James Version
24 Strive to enter in
at the strait gate:
for many,
I say unto you,
will seek to enter in,
and shall not be able.
Jesus warned the hypocrites:
Matthew 23:13
King James Version
13 But woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!
for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men:
for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them
that are entering to go in.
But Jesus spoke of something else, too.
Matthew 12:28
King James Version
28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God,
then the kingdom of God
is come unto you.
Luke 10:9-11
King James Version
9 And heal the sick that are therein,
and say unto them,
The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter,
and they receive you not,
go your ways out into the streets of the same,
and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city,
which cleaveth on us,
we do wipe off against you:
notwithstanding be ye sure of this,
that the kingdom of God
is come nigh unto you.
Luke 11:20
King James Version
20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils,
no doubt the kingdom of God
is come upon you.
The kingdom of God is UNTO us?
And UPON us?
Heaven is not just in the firmament?
There's more.
Luke 17:20-21
King James Version
20 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:
21 Neither shall they say,
Lo here!
or, lo there!
for, behold,
the kingdom of God is within you.
The kingdom of God is WITHIN us?
What could Jesus have referred to?
The Lord did refer to a rock, a church, and the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 16:18-19
King James Version
18 And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee
the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.
Searching some more, Spirit led me to this verse:
1 Corinthians 10:4
King James Version
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them:
and that Rock was Christ.
Which was prophesied by prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 28:16
King James Version
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God,
Behold,
I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,
a tried stone,
a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation:
he that believeth shall not make haste.
No wonder, Jesus said:
Matthew 7:24
King James Version
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them,
I will liken him unto a wise man,
which built his house upon a rock:
And yet, people rejected the Lord.
Psalm 118:22
King James Version
22 The stone which the builders refused
is become the head stone
of the corner.
Not knowing the kingdom of heaven was truly UNTO them, and already UPON them.
Ephesians 2:13-22
King James Version
13 But now in Christ Jesus
ye who sometimes were far off
are made nigh
by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace,
who hath made both one,
and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;
for to make in himself of twain one new man,
so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both
unto God
in one body
by the cross,
having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you
which were afar off,
and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him
we both have access by one Spirit
unto the Father.
19 Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints,
and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple
in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together
for an habitation of God
through the Spirit.
No wonder satan worked so hard to distract us.
He didn't want us to know Christ lived in us, if we so accept the Lord's invitation.
The devil tried to destroy the FOUNDATION of our faith, the SON of God, the SALVATION of our souls.
Until the day of the Lord comes -- the end times -- we need to focus on one thing, if we are to join JESUS in His new kingdom.
All preparation needs to be cultivated in our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits.
Colossians 3:1-2
King James Version
3 If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth.
Of course, Jesus told us of many other ways to inherit His kingdom of heaven.
We have this moment to do so.
Related video:
Tell Me About Heaven | Past: 1 & 2 (Jack Hibbs)
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