kingdom of god

Kingdom of God
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 4:25 PM
From: "Carlos Burman"

Good morning eiko onoda,

Yes my last email was especially lengthy...to be honest if i wrote all of it myself,it would likely had been even longer!

Yes Jehovahs witnesses, as the name suggests, really do there very best to uphold Jehovahs standards and bear testimony to people earthwide.

We are not perfect or immune to wrong influences and thats why from time to time you will hear of a bad "witness" but always do Jehovahs witnesses remove such a person from the congregation..we do not tolerate those who disobey Gods laws.

Christendoms churchs today do tolerate and allow all sorts of badness that the bible clearly and specifically tells us not to do.

Jehovah used imperfect people in the past to do his work...many of them erred yet he continued to use such ones to spread and teach his word.

Thus today we do preach the Good news of the Kingdom....no other group of people to the extent that Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19,20 says would be done in our day do this work.

Now you asked about the Kingdom of God.

Who is its ruler or king?

Jehovah God made a Covenant with King David and told him that he would raise up a king through his family line: 1 Chronicles 17:11-14:

11 “‘“And it must occur that when your days have come to the full [for you] to go [to be] with your forefathers, I shall certainly raise up your seed after you that will come to be one of your sons, and I shall indeed firmly establish his kingship. 12 He is the one that will build me a house, and I shall certainly establish his throne firmly to time indefinite. 13 I myself shall become his father, and he himself will become my son; and my loving-kindness I shall not remove from him the way I removed it from the one that happened to be prior to you. 14 And I will cause him to stand in my house and in my kingship to time indefinite, and his throne will itself become one lasting to time indefinite.”’”

Matthew 1:1 indeed tells us:..." The book of the history of Jesus Christ,son of David..."


At John 18:36 Jesus Christ himself said:"...My Kingdom is no part of this world. If my Kingdom was part of this world, my attendants would have fought that i should not be delivered up to the Jews.But,as it is, my kingdom is not from this source."


Yes, Jesus Christ came through Davids family line as expresses at 1st Chronicles 17.

When Jesus came it was evident to all that he was that king mentioned in various other books of the bible canon.

John the Baptizer at Matthew 3:1,2 said:"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying: "REPENT for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near"

The word rendered “kingdom” in the Christian Greek Scriptures is ba•si•lei′a, meaning “a kingdom, realm, the region or country governed by a king; kingly power, authority, dominion, reign; royal dignity, the title and honour of king.” (The Analytical Greek Lexicon, 1908, p. 67) The phrase “the kingdom of God” is used frequently by Mark and Luke, and in Matthew’s account the parallel phrase “the kingdom of the heavens” appears some 30 times.—Compare Mr 10:23 and Lu 18:24 with Mt 19:23, 24;

Yes the expressions "kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of the heavens are PARALLEL phrases...Not different.

The Messiah came when Jesus presented himself to John for baptism and was then anointed by God’s holy spirit. (Mt 3:13-17) He thereby became the King-Designate, the One recognized by Jehovah’s Court as having the legal right to the Davidic throne, a right that had not been exercised during the preceding six centuries. (See JESUS CHRIST [His Baptism].) But Jehovah additionally brought this approved Son into a covenant for a heavenly Kingdom, in which Jesus would be both King and Priest, as Melchizedek of ancient Salem had been. (Ps 110:1-4; Lu 22:29; Heb 5:4-6; 7:1-3; 8:1; see COVENANT.) As the promised ‘seed of Abraham,’ this heavenly King-Priest would be God’s Chief Agent for blessing persons of all nations.—Ge 22:15-18; Ga 3:14; Ac 3:15.


Government with power and authority. Jesus’ disciples understood the Kingdom to be an actual government of God, though they did not comprehend the reach of its domain. Nathanael said to Jesus: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel.” (Joh 1:49) They knew the things foretold about “the holy ones” in the prophecy of Daniel. (Da 7:18, 27) Jesus directly promised his apostolic followers that they would occupy “thrones.” (Mt 19:28) James and John sought certain privileged positions in the Messianic government, and Jesus acknowledged that there would be such privileged positions, but he stated that the assigning of these rested with his Father, the Sovereign Ruler. (Mt 20:20-23; Mr 10:35-40) So, whereas his disciples mistakenly limited Messiah’s kingly rule to earth and specifically to fleshly Israel, even doing so on the day of the resurrected Jesus’ ascension (Ac 1:6), they correctly understood that it referred to a governmental arrangement.—Compare Mt 21:5; Mr 11:7-10.


“Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ.” The apostle John, writing toward the close of the first century C.E., foresaw through a divine revelation the future time when Jehovah God, by means of his Son, would make a new expression of divine rulership. At that time, as in the time of David’s bringing the Ark up to Jerusalem, it would be said that Jehovah ‘has taken his great power and begun ruling as king.’ This would be the time for loud voices in heaven to proclaim: “The kingdom of the world did become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king forever and ever.”—Re 11:15, 17; 1Ch 16:1, 31.
It is “our Lord,” the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, who asserts his authority over “the kingdom of the world,” setting up a new expression of his sovereignty toward our earth. He gives to his Son, Jesus Christ, a subsidiary share in that Kingdom, so that it is termed “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” This Kingdom is of greater proportions and bigger dimensions than “the kingdom of the Son of his love,” spoken of at Colossians 1:13. “The kingdom of the Son of his love” began at Pentecost 33 C.E. and has been over Christ’s anointed disciples; “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” is brought forth at the end of “the appointed times of the nations” and is over all mankind on earth.—Lu 21:24.

Christ “hands over the kingdom.” The apostle Paul also describes the rule of Christ during his presence. After Christ resurrects his followers from death, he proceeds to bring “to nothing all government and all authority and power” (logically referring to all government, authority, and power in opposition to God’s sovereign will). Then, at the end of his Millennial Reign, he “hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,” subjecting himself to the “One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.”—1Co 15:21-28.
Since Christ “hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,” in what sense is his Kingdom “everlasting,” as repeatedly stated in the Scriptures? (2Pe 1:11; Isa 9:7; Da 7:14; Lu 1:33; Re 11:15) His Kingdom “will never be brought to ruin”; its accomplishments will endure forever; he will eternally be honored for his role as Messianic King.—Da 2:44.

These exerpts that i found show that Jesus Chrst is the King of the Kingdom spoken of in the bible countless of times.
For 1000 years Jesus will exercise his Kingship as expressed in the Book of Revelation...after the 1000 years he will hand over the kingdom to his father who ultimately is the creator of all things and persons....he is the ultimate universal sovereign and thus ultimatley the Kingdom belongs to Jehovah God.

As an owner of a large company may give duties and assignments to others to fulfill,Jehovah God as universal owner gives his son for a limited time the kingdom to look after and to bring back to perfection.

His Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom in that the effects of his 1000 year rule where everyone will be brought back to perfection and all things will be made new(Isaiah 65:17) will last forever.

Finally you asked :Where is Heaven located?

I would qat this point like to ask the same question back..where do you think the location of heaven is?

does the bible say?

Isaiah 55:8 and 9 help us to know that the heavens of which God resides in is higher than the earth..that gods thoughts and ways are higher than our ways.

The bible shows that only spirits reside in heaven not physical matter.

Since we are physical, noone of us have ever been to heaven...

the bible does not in any single area describe heaven and what it looks like.

Here is another exerpt you can read:


Spiritual Heavens. The same original-language words used for the physical heavens are also applied to the spiritual heavens. As has been seen, Jehovah God does not reside in the physical heavens, being a Spirit. However, since he is “the High and Lofty One” who resides in “the height” (Isa 57:15), the basic sense of that which is “lifted up” or “lofty” expressed in the Hebrew-language word makes it appropriate to describe God’s “lofty abode of holiness and beauty.” (Isa 63:15; Ps 33:13, 14; 115:3) As the Maker of the physical heavens (Ge 14:19; Ps 33:6), Jehovah is also their Owner. (Ps 115:15, 16) Whatever is his pleasure to do in them, he does, including miraculous acts.—Ps 135:6.
In many texts, therefore, the “heavens” stand for God himself and his sovereign position. His throne is in the heavens, that is, in the spirit realm over which he also rules. (Ps 103:19-21; 2Ch 20:6; Mt 23:22; Ac 7:49) From his supreme or ultimate position, Jehovah, in effect, ‘looks down’ upon the physical heavens and earth (Ps 14:2; 102:19; 113:6), and from this lofty position also speaks, answers petitions, and renders judgment. (1Ki 8:49; Ps 2:4-6; 76:8; Mt 3:17) So we read that Hezekiah and Isaiah, in the face of a grave threat, “kept praying . . . and crying to the heavens for aid.” (2Ch 32:20; compare 2Ch 30:27.) Jesus, too, used the heavens as representing God when asking the religious leaders whether the source of John’s baptism was “from heaven or from men.” (Mt 21:25; compare Joh 3:27.) The prodigal son confessed to having sinned “against heaven” as well as against his own father. (Lu 15:18, 21) “The kingdom of the heavens,” then, means not merely that it is based in and rules from the spiritual heavens but also that it is “the kingdom of God.”—Da 2:44; Mt 4:17; 21:43; 2Ti 4:18.
Also because of God’s heavenly position, both men and angels raised hands or faces toward the heavens in calling upon him to act (Ex 9:22, 23; 10:21, 22), in swearing to an oath (Da 12:7), and in prayer (1Ki 8:22, 23; La 3:41; Mt 14:19; Joh 17:1). At Deuteronomy 32:40 Jehovah speaks of himself as ‘raising his hand to heaven in an oath.’ In harmony with Hebrews 6:13, this evidently means that Jehovah swears by himself.—Compare Isa 45:23.


This question as to where is heaven is not easy for someone who has never been there personally..all we can do is to look at the scriptures.

I have to say this is a very large topic and this email by no means exhausts the information i could send.

again perhaps thre quite alot to read..but i sure you its not my interpretation but mere Logic and jehovahs holy spirit.

speak to you soon and again look foward to you next questions.

Carlos







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Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 21:39:21 -0700
From:
To:


Hello good morning Br Carlos..

I finished reading your lengthy reply very late last night at around 3 am. Thank you very much for your enthusiasm to defence for your faith. This is not a sarcastic. Bible what is today was written many years ago and it's been 1900 years since the last chapter was completed. Bible has been interpreted in many ways as well, depending on how to interpret the verses. That's fine if you have some conviction based on faith in your direction of life. That not what others say it's wrong or right.

Yes there is an injunction of fat, pork and blood in Old Testament and blood only in New one. You interpret the prohibition of blood is still in effect over all Christians not only as offering, drinking but also for medical purposes. You can use fractions of red and white blood cells, platelets, plasma and other blood derived medicines such as immuno-globulin, etc. according to conscience of each Christians but you mustn't donate blood or receive blood transfusion.

This is a faith matter. Faith relates to how to live and sometimes heavier than life itself.
I understand and I should like to respect your faith.

In many Christendoms Sunday is called Lord's Day which means the day of Jesus or God.
Sun was an object of worship in many ancient Orient civilisations such as Egypt or Babylonia. Jewish Sabbath is taken from sundown on Friday to Saturday night till three stars are visible. So I confirmed it one day and 40 minutes. (So it was not 1.5 days as I thought before in my previous reading.)

Jewish people experienced Egypt and Seleucid occupation from 323 - 198, 198 - 166 BE respectively. It can easily be guessed that the custom of which day the day of rest is shifted from Saturday to Sunday influenced by the traditions of such occupant countries who believe the God of Sun. I think the resurrection of Jesus and baptism as a ritual also come from Sun worship since the sun is the one that repeat birth and death every day.

But officially yeah it was Constantine who implemented Sunday is the holy day adopting sun worship so common among other orient countries. Cross was also adopted from the sign of Sun god in Babylonia at the same time. And this was the reason you exclude Lord's Day and Cross in your Christian belief.

In several ways you excluded some customs major Christendoms implemented after the death of Jesus. Your belief is similar to original Christianity. In a sense it is a restoration movement to original Christianity in the first century. I myself feel Christianity today has been made through many traditions Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestant put into effects.

You seem to be different from Christianity since you don't use cross, don't celebrate Christmas, don't have church, but that's the very reason you are Jehovah's Witnesses.

No questions? Yes, I have. In Kingdom of God, is the King Jesus, not God? Is there difference between Kingdom of God and that of Heaven? Then where is Heaven located ? Since we see two expressions in Gospels.


Sincerely yours,

Mer