INTRODUCTION
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? {grave: or, hell}
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
(KJV)
Really there are three approaching kingdoms which we can see now not too far in the distance:
1) The kingdom of the Antichrist, the first rising: the kingdom of the Antichrist. Also called "the Beast". He will rule a kingdom in Europe and advance into the Middle East. It will be composed largely of what was the Roman Empire. He doesn't rule the whole world. But the whole world pays for his kingship. Decimation characterizes his rule. Such is the disaster that the time is dubbed the Tribulation. Nations will be destroyed; age old cities crumbled in ruin. His companion, the False Prophet, will found a religion around him. His seven years of rule brings the world to the point of complete destruction from the hand of man and nature's unrestrained fury.
2) But Christ returns to rule in the Millennial Kingdom. He and a 144, 000 Jewish converts from the Tribulation rule this era and the Law is applied with an "iron fist." The age of mercy is gone: the age of obedience with punishment for failure arrives for a thousand years, hence the kingdom's name. It ends when Satan, who was bound at the end of the Tribulation, returns to tempt humanity and many apparently fail the test.
We discussed them all in our previous blog, Final Flesh, and we will reference some of that here. Our focus here is the Eternal Kingdom to come and on living to prepare for it today so we assure avoiding being here for the other kingdoms.
In the above verses, we find our pattern for THE APPROACHING KINGDOM.
We know the Lord is returning soon so we aim to live out lives to be ready when He returns. With that in mind, our posts will first concern ourselves with things happening that speak to the fact Jesus will return soon. Events that touch on parts of prophecy predicted to occur before His arrival or looking toward things after His arrival.
Many sites do that so we will not stop there. We will also concern ourselves with the preparation for His return, with encouragement and guidance in moving away from the things that might hinder us in our walk. We take as a guideline for things to avoid:
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 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.
(KJV)
1 Corinthians 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
(KJV)
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(KJV)
As we go on, Galatians 5 will become more and more important.
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. {disobedience: or, unbelief}
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
(KJV)
And Ephesians touches on the same truth as Galatians: following Jesus. Being ready for his witness, for his return, ready to inherit that which was meant for all of us humans but which only some of us will receive.
And the rewards of the privilege of service now:
1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
(KJV)
We want to understand that there are signs of his coming, warnings that the time is near and we should live that it is near so we are ready to witness in persecution and ready to receive the gift of eternal life.
I pray this helps all of us in our walk with him.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? {grave: or, hell}
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
(KJV)
Really there are three approaching kingdoms which we can see now not too far in the distance:
1) The kingdom of the Antichrist, the first rising: the kingdom of the Antichrist. Also called "the Beast". He will rule a kingdom in Europe and advance into the Middle East. It will be composed largely of what was the Roman Empire. He doesn't rule the whole world. But the whole world pays for his kingship. Decimation characterizes his rule. Such is the disaster that the time is dubbed the Tribulation. Nations will be destroyed; age old cities crumbled in ruin. His companion, the False Prophet, will found a religion around him. His seven years of rule brings the world to the point of complete destruction from the hand of man and nature's unrestrained fury.
2) But Christ returns to rule in the Millennial Kingdom. He and a 144, 000 Jewish converts from the Tribulation rule this era and the Law is applied with an "iron fist." The age of mercy is gone: the age of obedience with punishment for failure arrives for a thousand years, hence the kingdom's name. It ends when Satan, who was bound at the end of the Tribulation, returns to tempt humanity and many apparently fail the test.
3) What follows is a new Heaven and a new Earth. The last kingdom.
Our purposes through this blog are to prepare the readers, show the signs and occurrences that point to the arrival of the Tribulation and expand on our description of all the events related to the first kingdom and the ones that follow.
The first kingdom has the most signs and the most descriptions in Scripture. It will take the most time for presentation.
We discussed them all in our previous blog, Final Flesh, and we will reference some of that here. Our focus here is the Eternal Kingdom to come and on living to prepare for it today so we assure avoiding being here for the other kingdoms.
In the above verses, we find our pattern for THE APPROACHING KINGDOM.
We know the Lord is returning soon so we aim to live out lives to be ready when He returns. With that in mind, our posts will first concern ourselves with things happening that speak to the fact Jesus will return soon. Events that touch on parts of prophecy predicted to occur before His arrival or looking toward things after His arrival.
Many sites do that so we will not stop there. We will also concern ourselves with the preparation for His return, with encouragement and guidance in moving away from the things that might hinder us in our walk. We take as a guideline for things to avoid:
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 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.
(KJV)
1 Corinthians 6:8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
(KJV)
Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(KJV)
As we go on, Galatians 5 will become more and more important.
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. {disobedience: or, unbelief}
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
(KJV)
And Ephesians touches on the same truth as Galatians: following Jesus. Being ready for his witness, for his return, ready to inherit that which was meant for all of us humans but which only some of us will receive.
And the rewards of the privilege of service now:
1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
(KJV)
We want to understand that there are signs of his coming, warnings that the time is near and we should live that it is near so we are ready to witness in persecution and ready to receive the gift of eternal life.
I pray this helps all of us in our walk with him.
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