Kingdom of God is NOT the Church(es) but “The Church”

• The “Old Testament Church” as Kingdom of God – The fact that the word “church” does not occur in the Old Testament does not mean that God’s church did not exist during the OT period. We can find the equivalent Hebrew word for “church” by comparing Heb 2:12 with Psa 22:22 as follows: “Saying, I [talking about Jesus Christ] will declare thy name [God] unto my brethren [or the believers], in the midst of the church [ekklesia] will I sing praise unto thee”. Psa 22:22 says, “I will declare thy name [Jehovah] unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation [qahal] will I praise thee”. The Hebrew word qahal (H6951) is frequently translated as “assembly” or “congregation”. The ancient nation of Israel was God’s “congregation” in the OT, and God also calls the whole national Israel the “church in the wilderness”, which God “called out”, or “separated from”, the other nations of the world as a “congregation” or an “assembly” for purposes related to God’s salvation program. Although most of the Israelites did not become saved, God used people in His OT church to write and preserve the Scriptures, to bring forth the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ), to bring about Christ’s crucifixion, and to begin the NT church. National Israel was the first corporate representation of the kingdom of God on earth until Christ fulfilled God’s law on cross. By quoting Psa 118:22-24, Mat 21:42-43 discloses how God’s salvation program was to shift from the Jewish synagogues to the New Testament congregations after Christ hung on the cross because they rejected the corner stone Jesus Christ: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”. Anyone who was identified with Jehovah God of the Bible and salvation was a part of the “congregation” of Israel, which was the forerunner of the many denominations and congregations that made up the NT church. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT churches miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program – especially about end-time events. The Israelites were physically “saved”, or “delivered”, out of slavery in Egypt; and, of course, symbolically this is a marvelous illustration of the nature of salvation. However, those over the age of twenty died in unbelief and ultimately had to pay for their sins in Hell. God had simply allowed them to escape from their oppressors. So we can say that even though the Israelites (except those remnant chosen by Grace) did obtain political freedom, they did not obtain spiritual freedom. Spiritually speaking, to “not enter into His rest” (Heb 3:18-19) is to be banned from entering the Kingdom of God, or salvation, which is pictured by the “promised land” – the land of Canaan.

Acts 7:36-47 “He [God] brought them [Israelites] out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively [or living] oracles [the Word of God] to give unto us: 39To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”

1 Cor 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them [Israel] for ensamples [examples, or types]: and they are written for our [NT believers] admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Heb 3:18-19 “And to whom sware he that they [Israelites] should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

Matt 21:33-44 “Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone [Lord Jesus] which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner [of the Church]: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [Nation of Israel], and given to a nation [New Testament Church] bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Acts 4:10-12 “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Psa 118:22-24 “The stone [Jesus Christ] which the builders [Nation of Israel] refused is become the head stone of the corner [New Testament Church]. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day [Ressurection day, on the basis which New Testament Church formed , when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, Sunday] which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

• The “New Testament Church” as Kingdom of God – God emphatically ended the OT “church age” at the cross when He tore the veil of the temple from top to bottom. Heb 10:20 clarifies for us that the tearing of the veil symbolized the breaking of Christ’s fleshly body to atone for the sins of His people, which opened a “new and living way” into the Kingdom of God. In John 14:6 we read that Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life”. And that everything connected with the former temple and its contents were now rendered useless, though they had served as symbols of the Messiah who would appear one day. Solomon was certainly one of the more prominent pictures of the Lord Jesus in the Bible as he was used of God to build that temple, which was a picture of God building His New Testament church. During its construction, no work involving tools of any sort was permitted inside the Temple, as God informs us in 1 Kin 6:7 “And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building”. This decree points to the fact that salvation is not the work of man – but rather the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ. During the history of the world, there has always been a mixture of saved and unsaved people in God’s earthly churches. New Testament Church built as Jesus Christ as the corner stone, started gloriously on the day of Pentecost but soon sown with tares by the enemy Satan : “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man [Jesus] which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way” (Matt 13:25). In 1 Cor 3:12, wheat, gold, silver, precious stones represent true born-again believers and tares, wood, hay, stubble represent name sake Christians. God has warned Solomon (1 Kin 9:6-9) typifying the New Testament churches and congregations of the real possibility that they might suffer the same fate as Old Testament national Israel and be cut off. Solomon's 1000 wives (typifying the many false doctrines) have turned his heart away: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with JEHOVAH his God, as was the heart of David his father” (1 Kings 11:4). New Testament Church is guilty of putting themselves above the Word of God by adding to the Word of God or subtracting from it. The World and its culture has seeped in. The churches have now become like ancient Babylon, a picture of Satan’s kingdom, as Rev 18:2 reveals: “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird”. As sad as it is, God's warning to Solomon came to fruition in 2 Kin 25:9-10: “And he [Nebuzaradan, the captain of Nebuchadnezzar] burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about”. As far as error and unfaithfulness and rebellion against the Word of God are concerned, they have come to believe that they are above and beyond the judgment of God. But 1 Pet 4:17 declares: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God ...”

Mat 27:50-51 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Heb 10:19-20 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

John 4:20-23 “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”

1 Kin 9:6-9 “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.”

1 Cor 3:10-17 “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day [judgement day] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned [wood, hay, stubble], he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are+.”

Matt 13:24-30 “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25But while men slept, his enemy [Satan] came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

• Spiritual and “Eternal Church” as the True Kingdom of God – King David diligently gathered much of the raw materials for the construction of the Temple, at the site of Ornan’s threshing floor, where he built the initial altar to sacrifice to the Lord. His heir, King Solomon, finished the project in seven years. Both of them typify a much greater King – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – Who in “three days and three nights” would build the Eternal Church, which He came to redeem for Himself. God’s building of His eternal church is the focus and controlling factor for all of human history from the beginning to the end. Down through the ages, the OT and NT visible, physical and temporal “churches” have contained the invisible, spiritual and eternal “Church”. The eternal church is the invisible, eternal body of true believers, starting with “righteous” Abel, who are the elect of God and who have been given eternal life in Christ through God’s salvation program. “Church” is translated from the Greek word ekklesia (G1577), which comes from ek, “out of”, and kaleo, “to call”. Thus, the eternal body of elect believers are those whom God has “called out” of the world (or Satan’s kingdom) and placed in His eternal kingdom – the Kingdom of Christ, as confirmed by Col 1:12-13. It is the true Church, which is an integral part of the heavenly kingdom of God. This is the “church” that God has refers to in Mat 16:18 : “... upon this rock [the rock is Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. In 1 Cor 10:4, the water that flowed from the rock in the wilderness typified the Spiritual Drink of God’s Word – the Gospel of salvation by grace – which flows from the Spiritual Rock, Jesus Christ, upon Whom the Eternal Church is built : “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ”. The individuals, who have become born-again (John 3:3) and who have entered into this eternal Church, as God has drawn them to salvation, are the very ones in view in 2 The 2:13. To what “beginning” is this referring? It is from before the beginning of time – before the foundation of the world, The harsh truth is that if one is not in this eternal Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, then he is in the kingdom of Satan.

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

John 3:3-6 “Jesus answered and said unto him, 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 [typifies Word] 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.”

2 The 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”

Eph 4:1-6 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

The “City” Whose Builder and Maker is God

• I will Dwell in the House of the LORD for Ever - The phrase of Psa 23:6 emphasizes the eternal character of salvation, “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever”. Do we dwell in the “house of the LORD” now? Yes, we do if we are truly saved. This does not mean that we live in a church building. This does not mean that our home is in some kind of a physical temple. God spoke by the Apostle Paul to the people of Athens (and us) in Acts 17:24-28: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing... For in him we live, and move, and have our being ...”. The “house of the LORD” is Jehovah God Himself, as we also read in Psa 90:1, “LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations”. The “temple” refers to Jesus’ body in John 2:21, “But he spake of the temple of his body”. In 1 Cor 6:19-20 God makes the following assessment with regard to every believer: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”. The eternal body of believers (born-again) are those whom God has “called out” of the world (or Satan’s kingdom) and placed in His eternal kingdom – the Kingdom of Christ. Psa 65:4 is another beautiful illustration of God’s mercy in choosing and drawing His people to Himself: “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple”. There is an intimate relationship between God and His people – He is in them and they are in Him. They are considered the “body” of Christ, which is a living “temple of God”.  The word “abide” means “dwell”. When we are in Christ, we dwell in Him forevermore.

Acts 17:24-28: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring”

John 15:4-6 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

• The House of the LORD built on the Rock “Christ” - The “house of the LORD” or “Temple” symbolizes the eternal kingdom of God. Again, this is a picture of the elect of God who make up the house of the Lord or temple – both of which are representative of the eternal church. Although Paul spoke of himself as a “masterbuilder” in 1 Cor 3:10, we know that he often typified Christ in the New Testament just as Joseph, Moses, David, and others often typified Christ in the Old Testament. As the God-Man, Jesus has many dual roles – for example, He is both the Lamb and the Shepherd, the Sacrifice and the High Priest, the Savior and the Judge, and so on. Thus, we see Jesus Christ in 1 Cor 3 as the Foundation of God’s Building and also the Chief Masterbuilder, who is the Creator (Who “brings forth” everything). Thus, Christ (typified by Paul) is building (or bringing forth) His eternal church one living stone at a time, as we read in 1 Cor 3:10-11: “According to the grace of God which is given unto me [Paul], as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”. The Lord Jesus is even typified by the pagan king, Cyrus, in Isa 44:28, “…He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid”. In 1 Pet 2:6 “Sion” (or “Zion” in the OT) refers to the spiritual Kingdom of God, and in verse 8 the “rock of offence” is referring to the Spiritual Rock – Jesus Christ: “Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded”. In Mat 16:18 we see that Christ is the Spiritual Bedrock upon which He is building the eternal temple of God in Sion. This concept is further emphasized in 1 Cor 10:1-6: “... for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ ...”. We read more about that “Spiritual Rock” in the OT passage Exo 17:5-7. The “church” in the wilderness refers to the whole nation of Israel, which God “called out”, or “separated from”, the other nations of the world as a “congregation” or an “assembly”. The Greek word for “examples” in 1 Cor 10:6, is tupos (G5179), which means “type”, or “pattern”: “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted”. In other words, God is telling us that the things that happened to the Israelites were historical parables, or actual historical events that point us to various spiritual aspects of God’s salvation program. Sadly, God’s “congregations” who represented God's Kingdom on this earth have always rebelled against His Word in the “wilderness” of this world, during the OT and NT periods. However, God has been saving a people for Himself out of this whole miserable mass of humanity and has laid the strong foundation of His Spiritual House of believers upon that Spiritual Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. The “house” that God is “building” is the eternal, invisible “church”. It is the “household of God”, which is also called “an holy temple”. Thus, the Spiritual Body of Christ is the “habitation” (or “dwelling place”) where Triune God dwells.

Exo 17:5-7 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted [or tested] the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”

Acts 7:37-38 "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively [or living] oracles [the Word of God] to give unto us:”

1 Cor 10:1-6 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”

Eph 2:19-22 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

• The Gates of Hell shall not Prevail Against It - The eternal church is the body of true believers, who are the elect of God and who have been given eternal life through God’s salvation program. It is the True Church, which is an integral part of the heavenly kingdom of God: “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” (Heb 12:22). God’s building of His eternal church is the focus and controlling factor for all of human history from the beginning to the end. The foundation “Rock” upon which the church is built can only be Jesus Christ Himself. He is the firm Foundation and also the Chief Master Builder as we have seen above. Mat 16:18 speaks of the “gates of hell” that cannot prevent God’s plan to save those who constitute the Eternal Church: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. Jesus Christ is called a “Precious Corner (Stone)” in Isa 28:16 (quoted in 1 Pet 2:6): “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”. Just as Christ is the “Cornerstone” of the Temple, those individuals whom He has purchased with his blood (or life) are also referred to as “living stones” in 1 Pet 2:5, “Ye also, as lively [or living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. Since “rocks” and “stones” are inorganic and, as such, are inanimate (non-living) objects, God is obviously using parabolic, or figurative, language when speaking of both Christ and His people as “living stones” in this passage. Indeed, it is abundantly clear that the Apostle Peter is not the foundation “rock” upon which Christ’s “church” is built, as misinterpreted by theologians. He is just one of many “living stones” in God’s spiritual house. Each of these believers has the incomparable awareness that his body is now the temple of God. As incredible as that may seem, a true believer has become the dwelling-place of the living God, as Rom 5:9 teaches: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. John 14:1-2, 23 also teach that God dwells in His people: “In my Father’s house are many mansions [mone:G3438]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode [mone:G3438] with him”. The Greek word mone (G3438) that is rendered as “mansions” and “abode” in these two verses indicates that true believers themselves are “dwelling places” – that is, they are God’s “tabernacles”. 2 Cor 5:1-5 also brings out that our physical bodies are merely “tabernacles”, or tents that are used briefly during our earthly pilgrimage; but our eternal home is God Himself: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens ...”. Of course, the “city which hath foundations” that Abraham looked for was this spiritual “New Jerusalem”, the eternal body of believers: “By faith he [Abraham ] sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles [tents] with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb 11:9-10).

1 Pet 2:3-9 "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively [living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded [or disgraced]. 7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [purchased] people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

2 Cor 5:1-5 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”

Rev 3:12 “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

• Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it - Mat 16:18 is just one of many verses in the Bible that has been tragically misinterpreted by theologians and church leaders over the centuries in order to establish the authority of the “church”, saying that the Apostle Peter is the foundation “rock” upon which Christ’s “church” is built: “And I [Jesus Christ] say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [Jesus Christ] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. The foundation “Rock” upon which the church is built can only be Jesus Christ Himself. Apostle Peter is just one of many “living stones” in God’s spiritual house. Another example of how church leaders of our day have elevated themselves above the authority of the Word of God can be seen in the way they interpret 1 Tim 3:14-16: “... thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth ...”. It is clear from what we have learned that the “pillar and ground of the Truth” can only refer to “the Living God” and not to the earthly, institutional “church”. Just as the Old Testament Israelites were overcome by error and apostasy, so too were the New Testament churches; and there is now a great “falling away” from the True Gospel during the current Great Tribulation period. While Christ is the “pillar and ground of the Truth”, Satan is a Counterfeit Christ – deceptive show as an imitator of Christ. We read that he comes as “an angel [or messenger] of light” with his counterfeit “ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor 11:14-15) and he sits (or rules) in “the temple of God [the institutional churches], shewing himself that he is God” (2 The 2:3-4). Sadly, this is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isa 14 “abomination of desolation…” standing “… in the holy place”. Thus, the “earthly” Spiritual Body of Christ, which is the “habitation” (or “dwelling place”) of the Holy Spirit during the NT church age have become a “habitation” of demons. In Rev 18, God is speaking about the apostate churches and congregations of the world (which He calls Mystery Babylon) that have made their own doctrines and put themselves above the authority of the Bible and have become a “habitation” of demons. In the Bible God often refers to His “temple” in two ways: (1) the invisible, eternal body of true believers since “righteous” Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, who comprise the heavenly Bride of Christ, built by God on the strong foundation of Spiritual Rock – Lord Jesus Christ. (2) the visible, temporal congregations and denominations that have represented the Kingdom of God on earth. God refers to both types of temples as being “holy”, or “set apart” for God’s service. Sadly, God’s “congregations” have always rebelled against His Word in the “wilderness” of this world during the OT and NT periods. The temple, which is earthly, is built with two kinds of building blocks mixed together – durable materials (“gold, silver, and precious stones”) that represent saved – true believers and combustible materials (“wood, hay, and stubble”) that typify unsaved – false believers (1 Cor 3:12). Of course, the “fire” refers to the eternal wrath of God which will burn up the “wood, hay and stubble” in Hell. The eternal Church that Lord Jesus Christ built with himself as rock referred to in Luke 6:47-49, stands the test of the God's wrath.

2 Cor 11:14-15 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

2 The 2:3-4 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away [apostasia:G646] first, and that man of sin [Satan] be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God [the institutional churches], showing himself that he is God.”

Rev 18:1-5 “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great [apostate churches and congregations] is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5For her [as opposed to the Bride of Christ] sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”

1 Cor 3:9-17 “For [believers] are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16Know ye not that ye [believers] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Luke 6:47-49 “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: 48He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

Psa 127:1 “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

Gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ “by Promise”. Read more...

• Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God first called Abram in Genesis 12 and 13 to leave his country and go to a land that He would show him. God promised in verse Gen 12:3, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” and in Gen 13:15, “all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever”. God repeated that promise to Abraham many times afterwards. Moreover, after Abraham’s death, He reassured Isaac of that promise in Genesis 26 and to Jacob in Genesis 28. Back in Genesis 13, when Abram and Lot separated, and later in Genesis 17, when God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (which means “father of a multitude” ), He said in verse 5, “for a father of many nations have I made thee”.

Gen 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee [Abraham] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Gen 17:5, 8 “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Gen 13:14-15 “And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”

Gen 26:2-4 “And the LORD appeared unto him [Isaac], and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

Gen 28:13-14 “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou [Jacob] liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

• Father of Many Nations have I Made Thee - What did God mean, when God promised Abraham in verse Gen 12:3, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”? or in Gen 17:5 “thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee”? Notice that with both Isaac and Jacob, God linked the giving of land, to His promise that in them shall all nations be blessed. Actually, that was also a reiteration of what God had previously promised Abraham. In Gal 3:8, the Bible is giving us a tremendous statement saying that it has always been God’s plan to save the heathen, the non-Jewish people, through faith in Jesus Christ. Foreseeing that, or anticipating that, the word of God announced in advance the Good News or “The gospel of Christ” to Abraham by telling him, “in thee shall all nations be blessed” (Gal 3:8). Actually, Abraham was by no means the only one who was preached the gospel of grace in the Old Testament. We read in Heb 4:2, that “unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them”. The Gospel was preached to “them” referred to the millions of Israelites that perished in the wilderness. They were preached the gospel, but they did not profit, or benefit, from it because of their unbelief.

Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Rom 9:27, 30-31 “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel [as a nation], which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”

Heb 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them [Israel as a nation]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

Rom 4:16-17 “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law [remnant of Israel], but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham [remnant of Gentiles]; who is the father of us all, 17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

• Promised Land, for an Everlasting Possession - In verse Gen 17:8, it’s highly significant that the promised land was to be given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed for an everlasting possession. That’s because they never received the promised land in their lifetime. Since God is faithful in fulfilling all His promises, He will have to raise them up at some point to give them the land. When might that be? Four times in John 6, Christ says that He will raise up those who have become saved on the last day. The last day, of course, is the final day of this earth’s existence, as 2 Pet 3:10 puts it: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up”. The land that God promised to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed thus has to be the new creation, eternal new heavens and new earth. Only then will they have it for an everlasting possession. So “Canaan” is a picture of the Kingdom of God. Dan 4:3 acknowledges, “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation”. And Dan 7:27 insists: “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”. Inheriting the New Holy city - “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”, of course, is the ultimate outcome of the salvation of all believers (Heb 11:8-16). The Bible is thus saying that there is no difference between Old Testament and New Testament believers, they are all saved by the same gospel of grace; they all have “obtained a good report through faith”, and their salvation will be all consummated on the last day, when they will all receive the promise.

Heb 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise [earthly], as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Heb 11:13-16 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city [new Jerusalem].”

Rev 21:1-2 “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. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

John 6:39, 40, 44, 54 “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

2 Pet 3:10, 13 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

• Beneficiaries of the Everlasting covenant, The SEED - Abraham, of course, is the progenitor of national Israel. The Jewish people have, therefore always assumed that they are the seed of promise. Since the Old Testament Scriptures make up over 70 percent of the Bible, those who fail to recognize the typology between the OT and NT miss out on much of what God has to teach us about His salvation program. For eg; in Gal 4:22-28, Hagar and her children and Sarah and her children are two covenants, “Which things are an allegory”, typifying the two Gospels, the gospel of works where people trying to get right by keeping the law of God and the Gospel of grace where people are saved by God’s grace and mercy. In Genesis 17 God further told Abraham that he is making “everlasting covenant”. The word “everlasting” immediately tells us that “thy seed” there refers to those who are in Christ, because they are the only ones who will inherit the new heaven and the new earth. Everything on this earth will be destroyed by fire on the last day (2 Pet 3:10). The seed in Christ are who are saved by grace through faith, which is the gift of God. God specified in His will that the beneficiaries were to be Abraham and his seed. In Gal 3:16, the apostle calls particular attention to the word “seed”, as distinguished from “seeds”. And that singular seed that God had in Christ, NOT all the blood descendants of Abraham. The promises, as we learned earlier in this lesson, is the free gift of eternal life. As the testator of the will, Christ had to die to activate the bequest. But because Lord Jesus Christ is testator of the Will and also a beneficiary of that Will and because the Lord Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham, all those who are in Christ are joint heirs according to the promise.

Heb 11:17-18 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him [Isaac] in a figure [figure of Christ].”

Gal 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

Rom 9:6-8 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Gal 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Gal 4:22-28“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh [unbelievers from both Jews+ Gentiles]; but he of the freewoman was by promise [believers from both Jews+ Gentiles]. 24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

Gal 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

• Lord has Remembered His Promise - The promises, as we learned , is the free gift of eternal life in Christ. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. In Zacharias’ song in Luke 1:67-75, even before Christ became flesh, the New Testament reveals that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Luke 1:73). In Luke 1, we read about the birth of John the Baptist. When he was eight days old, he was circumcised and was given the name John. At that point, his father Zacharias, filled with the Holy Spirit, sang a song of praise, Knowing that his son would introduce Christ to the people, he praised God for performing the “the oath which he sware to our father Abraham”. The word 'Zachariah' means “Jah (God) has remembered” and Elizabeth, probably got her name from Aron’s wife Elisheba, coming from that generation, Luke 1:5: “... his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth...”. 'Eliysheba' means 'God of (the) oath'. Let us turn also to Luke to chapter 2, and in this passage we read of a man, a Jew named Simeon. God had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ, and then the baby Jesus was brought into the temple “to do for him after the custom of the law” and we read in Luke 2:30-32: “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel”.  Jesus, Himself, is the embodiment, the personification, everything that salvation is. He is the author and finisher of our faith – It is through His faith that we are saved. Eph 2:8, 12-13 declares: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ...That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ”.

Luke 1:67-75 “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71That we should be saved from our enemies [Satan], and from the hand of all that hate us; 72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.”

Heb 6:17-18 “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

Gal 3:16-18 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

Rev 21:1-5 “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. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride [eternal Church consisting of all born again believers from OT and NT starting from Abel] adorned for her husband. 3And 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. 4And 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. 5And 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.”

2 Cor 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Kingdom of God is NOT the Riches of the World

• You Cannot Serve Two Masters/Ye cannot serve God and mammon - Luke 16:13 lays down an important biblical axiom. This verse along with its counterpart in Mat 6:24 highlight the gigantic fact that every human being is in one of two spiritual kingdoms – the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ or the kingdom of Satan. There is no middle ground! Notice the opposites – love and hate. Jam 4:4 fearfully warns against the love for the World. The “world” is well-defined in 1 John 2:15-17. The kingdom that a person is in actually dominates, or drives, his life with unyielding force. It is rooted in his soul and influences his every thought, word, and action.

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Matt 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Jam 4:4 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity [or hatred] with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

• Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also - Whatever is of utmost value to a person will receive the greatest amount of attention in terms of time, labor, and money. It is that which consumes our thoughts, is the object of our words, embodies our hopes, shapes our goals, molds our future, and ultimately gives meaning and purpose to life. In essence, one will either be serving Christ in the Kingdom of God or Satan and his kingdom.

Mat 6:19-24 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Luke 12:16-21 “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Heb 11:24-26  “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

• Good treasure of the heart brings forth that which is good - Of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaks. Those whose heart have been circumcised (Eze 36:25-27, Rom 2:29) and have been placed in the Kingdom of God by God Himself, identify with Eph 2:8-10. They will, in turn, be speaking about the Bible and the Gospel of Salvation. Their meat and drink will be the Word of God.

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

Eph 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

1 Cor 2:6-7  “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:”

1 Cor 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

2 Cor 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith [or the Spirit of Truth], according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;” 

• Evil treasure of the heart brings forth that which is Evil - Likewise those who are under Satan’s control also speak and act according to their spirit – in other words, “the spirit of the world”or “the spirit of error”. They speak in their own wisdom or the wisdom of the World and NOT in the Wisdom of the Bible. That spirit is typified by the rich man of Luke 12:16-19. As “bread of heaven” and “living water” typify the true Gospel (sin, righteousness and judgement) on which believers will be feeding on, eating and drinking in Luke 17 also typify the false Gospels (health and wealth and prosperity) rampant today, on which unsaved will be feeding on. 

1 Sam 24:13 “As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked [unsaved]…”

Luke 12:16-19 “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry."

Psa 52:1-7 “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living [heaven]. Selah. 6The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

• Sources of Entanglements - The caution given in 2 Tim 2:4 is to NOT become “entangled with the affairs of this life”. What are the “affairs” of this life? A very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that we can became captivated by “… all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. Luke 17:26-29 has a fitting commentary of our day. Spiritually speaking, this underscores the duty of all believers to sacrificially publish the Gospel as widely as possible until the Lord returns - use our money or riches of the world for the kingdom of God. Could it be that God might so work in each of us that we might affirm along with the Apostle Paul the words of 2 Tim 4:7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

2 Pet 2:20 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”

2 Tim 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…”

Luke 17:26-29 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

Luke 16:9-11 “And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness [make believers by using worldly riches to send forth Gospel]; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon [worldly], who will commit to your trust the true riches [heavenly]?”

Luke 19:31 “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come [entangled with proclaiming Gospel].”

kingdom of God is NOT meat and drink

• The kingdom of God is NOT “Physical” Meat and Drink - God cares for His Saints on Earth. As the “King of saints”, God indeed cares for His dear children on this earth. This does not necessarily mean that they will enjoy all the physical benefits that this life offers. In fact, they might barely survive as in the case of the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16:20-21. And yet Lazarus was a true believer, and finally God took him home to eternal bliss.

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

Luke 16:20-21,25 “20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou [rich man] in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”

Matt 6:25-26 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

• The kingdom of God is “Spiritual" Meat and Drink - Ecc 6:7 makes this point: “All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled”. The “meat [or food] and drink” that is in view here in Rom 14:17 is physical as opposed to the spiritual “meat and drink” that we find explained in John 6:27. Isa 55:1-3 beautifully describes the free gift of “everlasting life” for those who hunger and thirst for it. We are to proclaim the Gospel (that is, the spiritual “meat and drink” of the Bible - Isa 55:1-3) to those who are spiritually thirsty and hungry in obedience to Mat 25:34-40. May God give us renewed zeal to be about His business as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:18-20).

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Isa 55:1-3 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant [or Gospel] with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

John 6:27 “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

John 6:35,48-51 “35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 4:10, 13-14 “10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Psa 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Mat 25:34-40 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” 

• Sign of the Times - Eating and Drinking - A very real and insidious problem of life on this sin-cursed earth is that we can became captivated by “… all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life ...” (1 John 2:16-17). These were the very same temptations that Satan successfully used against Eve in the Garden of Eden. These same enticements are the bases for our sin, which is rooted in our own selfishness. They also form the foundation of how unsaved man thinks, speaks, and acts. The Bible says in Luke 12:34, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Luke 17:26-33 is a fitting commentary of our day where the people are caught up in the Cares of the World. As “bread of heaven” and “living water” typify the true Gospel (sin, righteousness and judgement) on which believers will be feeding on, eating and drinking in Luke 17, also typify the false Gospels in the last days (health and wealth and prosperity) rampant today, on which unsaved will be feeding on.

Luke 17:26-27 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

Luke 17:28-31 “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Luke 21:34 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

Luke 12:29-34 “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” 

• The kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost - A true believer will find that he is happiest when he desires the things of God and not of the world, as we read in Mat 6:31-33, which outlines the attitude of one who has been born from above: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you”. In Matt 5:6 we understand that those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty will be filled. God also promises that He will provide spiritual drink for His elect when there is spiritual drought and, we can say by extension, in times of spiritual famine, according to Isa 41:17-18. The Christian longs for the day when he can “inherit all things” according to Rev 21:6-7. The word “overcometh” in this verse means “to be victorious”. Have you become victorious in Christ?
  

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Matt 6:31-33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matt 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Rev 21:6-7 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Isa 41:17-18 “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”

Luke 11:9-13 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit [indwelling Holy Spirit given in Salvation] to them that ask him?”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”