REDISCOVERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD

The Two Future Eras:

The Messianic Era (Kingdom) = Utopian era in this world. Revelation 20

They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the FIRST RESURRECTION. Rev 20.4-5

A thousand year Kingdom of world peace and prosperity and heightened spirituality when Israel is reunited with Judah and the Ezekiel 37.15-28 is fulfilled.

World to Come King of Israel, the Son of David, rules the restored nation.

The World to Come (The Olam Haba; Eternity) = The new heavens and new earth. Revelation 21

It is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, what Elohim has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2.9

Two views of the above currently competing:

Premillennial – The belief that Yeshua returns to reign on earth for 1,000 years before the final judgment and the World to Come.

Amillennial – Belief that there is no millennium or literal reign of Messiah in this world.

How We Lost the Kingdom as Christianity’s Church Fathers moved away from Hebraic Roots

Origen 184 – 253 CE – Such are the views of those who, while believing in Christ, understand the divine Scriptures in a sort of Jewish sense, drawing from them nothing worthy of the divine promises. Origen, De Principiis 2.11.1-2

Both Judea and Jerusalem were the shadow and figure of that pure land, goodly and large, in the pure region of heaven, in which is the heavenly Jerusalem. And it is in reference to this Jerusalem that the Apostle spoke… [for he] had found a truth which formed no part of the Jewish mythology. Origen, Against Celsus 7.23-29

Moreover there are so many prophecies spoken of [the people of} Israel and Judah, which relate what is going to happen to them. And when we think of the extraordinary promises recorded about these people…is it not clear that they demand an allegorical interpretation? Origen, De Principiis. 4.3.6

Gaius – Early Third Century – The author of the Book of Revelation by means of revelations which he pretended were written by a great apostle, also falsely invented wondrous things, as if they had been shown to him by angels, asserting that after the resurrection there would be an earthly and physical kingdom of Christ in which men, again inhabiting Jerusalem, will experience physical desires and pleasures…Being also an enemy to the divine Scriptures, intending to deceive men, he said that there would be a space of a thousand years for celebrating wedding banquets. Gaius the Presbyter, Ecclesiastical History 3.28

Dionysius 230-265 CE – The author of the Book of Revelation intentionally affixed the name of John to his own forgery. For one of the doctrines that he taught was that Christ would have an earthy kingdom. And he was a hedonist, and altogether sensual, for he conjectured that the kingdom would consist in those things that he craved for gratifying his own appetite and lust…namely that there would be eating drinking, and marrying, and he spoke of such things as he supposed these sensual pleasures might be presented in more decent terms: festivals, sacrifices, and slaying of animals. Dionysius of Alexandria, Ecclesiastical History 3.28

Jerome 347-420 CE – If one of the Christians…reckons that the prophecy of Jerusalem’s restoration is not yet completed, let him know that he falsely bears the name of Christ and that he has a Jewish soul, lacking only circumcision of the body. Commentary to Zephaniah 3.14-18

Belief in a literal kingdom on earth is Jewish madness, since they seek to satisfy their gluttony, lust for marriage, and longing for circumcision, sacrifices, and the Sabbath. Jerome, Commentary to Isaiah 54.1-14

Those who claim that the stock of faithful Israel in the Church of Christ (Jewish Christians) should observe the ceremonies of the old law (Torah) also anticipate a golden Jerusalem which will stand for a thousand years, where they will offer sacrifices and be circumcised, that they may sit on the Sabbath, sleep, become sated, drunk, and rise to frolic. Their (Sabbath) amusement is offensive to God. Jerome, Commentary to Isaiah 53.12

Augustine 354-430 CE – I myself, too, once held this opinion. But, as they assert that those who then rise again shall enjoy the leisure of immoderate carnal banquets, furnished with an amount of meat and drink such as not only to shock the feeling of the temperate, but even to surpass the measure of credulity itself, such assertions can be believed only by the carnal…They who do believe them are called by the spiritual “Thousanders”, which we may literally reproduce by the name Millenarians. It were a tedious process to refute these opinions point by point: we prefer proceeding to show how that passage of Scripture should be understood. Augustine, City of God Book 2.20.7

As we see in the above writings these early Church Fathers not only exhibit anti-Semitism and misunderstanding of the written word, but they have no desire to understand any Scripture from a Hebraic understanding.

How the Church Lost the Kingdom Message:

Replacement theology teaches that the church replaces Israel, therefore, the prophecies cannot be literally about Israel, they must be about the church.

The problem with replacement theology is that it completely ignores the FACT that Gentile believers are grafted into Israel! Ref: Romans 9-11, Ephesians 2.11-3.7, Ezekiel 47.22-23

The ancient Kingdom of Israel split after Solomon’s death (1 Kings 11 and 12). The ten northern tribes formed Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah became the Jews. The northern Kingdom of Israel was removed, replaced, and taken captive by the Assyrians never to return losing their identity among the Gentile nations to this day (Hosea, 2 Kings 17.22-41).

The southern Kingdom of Judah were later taken into captivity by Babylon but were allowed to return to the land and rebuild the Temple by the Persian kings (Daniel 9, Ezra and Nehemiah).

The Christian Church at large has no knowledge or understanding of the Old Testament and these prophetic truths. The same goes for the early fathers quoted above.

The Mystery of the Kingdom was explained by Yeshua in parables: The kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring forth and grow up, he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle because the harvest is come. Mark 4.26-29

And when he was asked of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation; neither shall they say, Behold it here! Or, Behold it there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17.20-21

Ezekiel 36.8 – But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home!

Reunion is near!

The reunification of ALL Israel (Jew and Gentile) will soon become a physical reality when the Messiah Yeshua returns to establish His Kingdom on the earth: Then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity and have mercy upon thee and will return and gather thee from all the peoples where the LORD thy God has scattered thee. If thou hast been driven out unto the outmost parts of the heavens, from there will the LORD thy God gather thee and from there will he take thee, and the LORD thy God will return thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt inherit it; and he will do thee good and multiply thee more than thy fathers. Deuteronomy 30.3-5

And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that thou may live. And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on those that hate thee, who persecuted thee.

 And thou shalt return and thou shalt hear the voice of the LORD and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. And the LORD thy God will make thee abound in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy beasts and in the fruit of thy land, for good; for the LORD will turn to rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers…Deuteronomy 30.9

And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36.28

These promise are for the reunited Kingdom of Israel which is made up of both Jew and Gentiles who have been grafted into Israel. We will become “one new man” in Yeshua our Messiah. Read Ezekiel 37.15-28

The Future Kingdom of God and Features of the Messianic Era

The Jewish people, lost Tribes, and Grafted in Gentiles once again become ISRAEL

ISRAEL becomes prosperous and the cities are populated

The hearts of all ISRAEL are transformed

ISRAEL’S enemies are punished

Obedience to God’s Laws (Torah) become worldwide for all nations

Prosperity is abundant and there is righteous justice for all

Jews are confirmed as God’s people

Temple stands, inhabited by the Divine Presence of Yeshua

World Peace

And it shall come to pass in the last of the days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be confirmed as the head of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all the Gentiles shall flow unto it. And many peoples 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 Gentiles and shall rebuke many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2.2-4

To watch a 3 part video on this topic visit:  https://torahclub.ffoz.org/malchut/