Where Heaven Meets Earth

A look at how God manifested His presence on earth.  Initially in the Garden of Eden, then in the Tabernacle, then as Jesus and now through the Holy Spirit within Christians.

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Scriptures:

• Mark 1:14-15
• Genesis 2:7-9
• Hebrews 9:1-9
• John 2:18-21
• Matthew 1:23
• John 1:14
• Ephesians 5:1-2
• Hebrews 9:11-14
• 1 Cor 3:16-17
• 2 Cor 6:16
• Hebrews 10:19-21
• 1 Cor 15:20-26
• Revelations 22:1-5
• Revelation 21:22-23

Outline:

• The Gospel of God
• About the Kingdom of God
• The Garden of Eden
• Abraham and Israel
• The Tabernacle and the Temple
• The Conclusion of the Old Testament
• Jesus Replaced the Temple
• The Church is the New Temple
• Jesus Inaugurated the Kingdom of God
• The New Jerusalem
• Conclusion

Themes

• Kingdom of God
• God Communing with Man
• The Garden of Eden
• The Tabernacle / Temple

The Gospel of God

Does the Bible portray Jesus as:

• A holy man bringing a new religion
• A bearded revolutionary confronting the Jewish leaders fighting for social justice
• A powerful Messiah and casting out demons and healing the sick
• A spiritual and moral guru
• A great philosopher
• A Jewish prophet
• A rabbi
• An atoning sacrifice

Mark 1:14-15

 14Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

• This is The beginning of Jesus’ public ministry
• “Gospel” is good news

What is the Good News?

Salvation

We can focus on Jesus’s birth and death on the cross

• Jesus died for our sins so that we could go to heaven
• Just have faith and believe and you’re good
• We need to caution ourselves that we don’t see what  in between as inconsequential
• Caution ourselves that we don’t see the 4 gospels as merely the prelude  to the real meaning of Christianity given by Paul

Love

We can focus on the social works of Jesus

• We need to feed the poor and clothe the naked
• Love everybody
• We need to caution not to have the thought what a pity it is that Jesus died so soon

Power

We can focus on the Holy Spirit power that Jesus displayed

• Jesus told us we can do all the Works He did and more
• We have the power heal the sick,  cast out demons and raise the dead
• The caution here is not to think that God’s will is that no one ever gets sick or dies
• Or thinking that it is our responsibility to bring Heaven to earth

The good news is about God’s plan for humanity and how He will accomplish it

• It is about a plan to get back to what He initially intended

The Book of Revelation does not end with us going up to heaven

• Revelation ends with God restoring the earth to it’s perfected state

Viewing the Bible as a Whole Story

• Today we will view the Bible as a whole story
• Not just a collection of stories or a disparate collection of verses

We’ll examine the Bible narrative describing a plan and its fulfillment.

• The biblical narrative is not about getting rid of earth so that we can eventually go to heaven.
• It is about God’s plan to rule along side and commune with man here on earth.

About the Kingdom of God

What We’ve learned

• Kingdom of Heaven is equivalent to Kingdom of God
• Kingdom means “reign”
• Kingdom of God means the Reign/Rule of God

The Jews were awaiting a Messiah

John the Baptist saying that the Kingdom of God is here is him saying that the Messiah is here

• John new that He was supposed to announce the arrival of the Messiah
• The one you’ve been waiting for is here

Jesus’ announcement that the Kingdom of God is here is Him saying that the Messiah that you have been waiting in is here in your midst

• He is here among you right now
• It’s me!!
• Whenever He referred to Himself as the The Son of God He was making a claim to be the Messiah

The Garden of Eden

God created the Garden of Eden as a place on earth where He could commune with man

• God’s plan was to implement His will (His rule) on earth through mankind

Genesis 2:7-9

7Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

• The Garden of Eden was where Heaven meets earth

God Wanted to Commune With Man

• The Garden was the place on earth where God’s presence dwelled
• God created the Garden to commune with man

Ruling

• God created Adam as His “image-bearer” on earth

Humans were supposed to represent God on earth.

• Adam was given dominion on earth
• Adam was supposed to reign on earth and serve as God’s representative

God’s original intent was to reign on earth through the dominion of man

Man was supposed to bring the Kingdom of God to earth through his dominion

Summary:

• The Garden of Eden was the place on earth where God’s presence dwelled
• The Garden of Eden was created as a place where God could commune with man
• Adam was given dominion to reign over all living creatures on earth
• Adam lost all or part of his dominion when he sinned against God
• Adam’s sin changed our relationship with God

Adam and Israel

Humans lost access to Eden (Heaven on earth)

The Tower of Babel was man’s attempt to bring earth to Heaven

• Man wanted to do things his way and not God’s way so God destroyed the tower

Abraham

God chose Abraham to start a new family that would be God’s chosen people

God chooses to have a relationship with Abraham

• God communed with Abraham
• Abraham talked with God
• Abraham bargained lives with God

Adam Similar to Abraham

God told Adam

1. Be fruitful and multiply
2. Tend to the land I have given you

Abraham

1. I will make you exceedingly fruitful a creator of many nations
2. I will give you a Promised Land

Israel

Israel became God’s chosen nation

God desired to commune with Israel

• God instructed Israel to build a tabernacle

Summary

• God chose the nation of Israel as a people of His own
• God had them create a tabernacle so that He could commune with them

The Tabernacle and the Temple

The tabernacle is the place where God communes with his people.

• God descended upon the Ark of the Covenant
• The tabernacle is where heaven and earth come together.  
• The tabernacle was the shadow of what was in Heaven

Tabernacle Layout

Hebrews 9:1-7

1Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. 2For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. 3Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

6Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, 7but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.

Outer Court

Brazen Altar

• was used for blood sacrifice and burnt offering

Bronze Laver

• Which was for cleansing.  
• The water used here was pure and would be like a mirror so you could see yourself before entering the inner court.  

The Holy Place / Inner Court  

The Holy Place resembles what we described in Revelation

Table of showbread

The table of showbread had 12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel

• This symbolizes the 24 elders we see in Revelation

Lampstand / Menorah

• The lampstand doesn’t produce light, it holds the light
• Revelations tells us that the lampstand represents the church
• The lampstand symbolizes the 7 churches

The Seven Lamps

• Symbolizes the 7 Spirits of God in Revelation
• We discovered that the 7 Spirits of God were the Holy Spirit

The Altar of Incense

• The altar of incense represented the altar of incense in Heaven
• The high priest stood before the altar of incense interceding for the prayers of the Israelites.  
• The incense added an aroma that purified the prayers and  “made them acceptable to God”

The Veil

• The veil was embroidered with cherubim
• Cherubim guarded the entrance to the place where God is
• Similar to the cherubim placed to guard the entrance to The Garden of Eden

The Gate –  the entry point into the Outer Court of the Tabernacle
The Door –  the entry point into the Holy Place; and
The Veil – the entry point into the Holy of Holies

Holy of Holies

• This is a replica of the throne room of Revelations
• The Holy of Holies can also be seen to represent the garden of Eden
• This is the place in the tabernacle where God’s presence dwelled
• Only the high priest with enter the Holy of Holies and this happens once a year

The Ark

The Holy of Holies held the Ark of the Covenant where God Himself descended and the Glory of God made came.  

• the arc represents God’s throne,

The Temple

Solomon built the temple

The temple was of similar construction as the tabernacle and served the same purpose

One distinction was that the temple had two large cherubim that stood behind the arc of the covenant

• The four cherubim symbolize the four living creatures in Revelation

Function of the Tabernacle / Temple

God dwelled in the tabernacle

The Tabernacle Provided a Method to Communicate to God

• High Priest was The Mediator
• The high priest takes the role of Adam and Eve in the original creation  

Sacrifice and offering for

• Offerings were made daily and yearly
• unintentional sins
• Sins against your brethren
• Sins against God
• National sins
• Individual sins

Summary

1. The tabernacle / temple is where God dwelled with His people on earth
2. The tabernacle is where Heaven meets earth
3. God interacted with the people  through the High Priest
4. God’s presence was only in the Holy of Holies
5. This is where sins were forgiven
6. The Garden was partially restored

The Conclusion of the Old Testament

Later in the Old Testament, God’s presence leaves the temple because of sin

• Similar to Eden
• Israel was allowed to be put into captivity by Babylon
• The temple was destroyed

The book of Ezekiel anticipates a restoration of the temple and God’s dwelling with His people

The temple we rebuilt, but it didn’t contain the Ark of the Covenant

• And thus it didn’t contain … God

At the time of the New Testament hadn't heard from God in hundreds of years

The Old Testament ends with open questions:

• Has God abandoned Israel?
• How will God restore His presence with His people?
• Will there be a Messiah to save them?

Jesus Replaced the Temple

This is the environment in which Jesus arrives announcing that he is the Messiah

• Announcing the Kingdom of God is here
• Announcing the Gospel of God

Jesus At Odds With the Temple

Jesus was in opposition with the temple

• The number one opposition to Jesus Christ wasn’t sinners or Gentiles
• It was the religious people

Whenever Jesus went into the temple after he started his ministry you came to expect that there was going to be a confrontation

• The scribes and Pharisees tried to trap Him
• Jesus went and turned over the tables and disrupted the temple

Destruction of the Temple

John 2:18-21

18The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

• Jesus predicted the soon coming destruction of the temple
• Jesus’ body is the temple

Throughout the gospels Jesus was warning them about the massacre and the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D.

• There was a Jewish rebellion from  66 AD - 73 AD
• The temple was destroyed in 70 AD
• 10k - 20k casualties
• 1.1 million died from multiple causes [Josephus]

The significance of the temple be in destroy and 70 A.D. was the sign that God is starting something new

• God was no longer going to dwell in the temple

Jesus’ Body Became the Temple

Jesus connected Heaven to Earth.  

In the new kingdom of God God  will dwell in a building.

• It will be on a different type of temple.

Matthew 1:23

23“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.”

• Jesus is “God with us”
• Jesus is where Heaven meets earth

John 1:14

 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

• Skénoó: dwell (3), dwelt (1), spread His tabernacle (1).
• Tabernacled among us

Through Jesus Christ God now dwells with his people

• Jesus was the new temple

Jesus Replaced the Temple Functions

• In the Gospel Jesus becomes the temple.  

Jesus acted as if He was the temple

• If you want forgiveness you don’t go to the temple you go to Jesus
• If you want healing you don’t go to the temple you go to Jesus
• If you wanted salvation you didn’t go to the temple you went to Jesus
• If you want to communion with God you don’t go to the temple you go through Jesus

Jesus Became the Sacrifice

• the Altar of Burnt Offering
• the Altar of Incense

Ephesians 5:1-2

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

• Jesus’ death and resurrection replaced not only the blood sacrifice, but also the altar for incense
• Jesus makes our prayers sweet smelling to God by removing our sins
• Jesus purifies our prayers and makes them holy

Christ is the final sacrifice for forgiveness of sins

Forgiveness of sin is now found in Jesus Christ and not in the old tabernacle system

Jesus Became our High Priest

Hebrews 9:11-14

  11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

• Jesus now serves as our High Priest
• The Tabernacle was a reflection of what is in Heaven.  
• Jesus is a superior priest
• Jesus Christ serves in a tabernacle that is a heavenly and a physical

Summary

• God had a goal to commune with mankind
• God had to come down Himself and become the perfect human
• Forgiveness is no longer associated with the tabernacle but now it is associated through Jesus

The Church is the New Temple

• Through Jesus we are becoming the house of God

1 Cor 3:16-17

16Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

• The church fulfills the role of the temple

2 Cor 6:16

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

“The kingdom isn’t something that we enter at death. The kingdom is something that we enter when Jesus enters us.”

Summary

• The church is being seen by Paul as the fulfillment of the old testament text.
• Now it is the church who is the dwelling of the God instead of the temple.

Jesus Inaugurated the Kingdom of God

Jesus uses language “When I be lifted up and I will draw all men unto me”.  

• Jesus was lifted up on the cross.
• This is the moment that God‘s kingdom gets inaugurated.

When Jesus was lifted up he was exalted as king.

• The apostles were now spreading the good news that Jesus had been crowned as king.

Summary

• The Kingdom of God was represented in Jesus Himself
• It’s the stitching together of God and man
• The reign of God was realized in the person of Jesus

The New Creation

Hebrews 10:19-22

19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

• Jesus inaugurated a new way of living
• This is Kingdom living - this is living in the Kingdom while here on earth

The Kingdom of God - the being that we become because of the Holy Spirit indwelling us

• We have partly become the tabernacle
• But we must also rely on Jesus

Holy Spirit Dwelling Within us Empowers Us

• We are more than we were once the Holy Spirit indwells us

The Kingdom of God It is being a new creation and accepting Jesus as your king

The Now and Not Yet

Inaugurated eschatology means that it has been put in some ways in place now but in other ways it won’t be completed until the future.

 The Ultimate enemy that is going to be destroyed is death.

In his person Christ being raised from the dead is the first fruit.  

1 cor 15:20-26

 20But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

• His reign has already begun
• All things will be put under subjection to Jesus

No matter how close we get to becoming the complete tabernacle, the tabernacle is still merely a shadow of what is in Heaven.

When we become the new creation and get partially back to where Adam was

• We have begun the change, but not completely
• Some consequences of Adam’s sin are still in place
• Some of the the curses are still in place.
• The earth is cursed
• We are cursed from the fall
• Death still exist for now

Summary

• To enter the Kingdom of God is to become the new creation that Jesus has enabled us to become
• The Kingdom of God is living with the power of the Holy Spirit
• Because of the curse we cannot fully attain the original Adamic state
• At the second resurrection we will become the humans God envisioned us to be

The New Jerusalem

We will eventually experience the Eden that God intended for us

The Eternal Reign of Christ

The Garden of Eden will be restored.

Revelations 22:1-5

1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

• The description given is similar to that of the Garden of Eden
• God will eventually restore His original Paradise
• The saints will rule with Jesus forever and ever
• God will once again reign through His son and a group of people that He has called out

No More Curse

The curse will be removed

• Sin will be eliminated
• We can dwell in the presence of God

No More Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

• Only the tree of Life is mentioned in the New Jerusalem
• No more tree of good and evil

No More Temple

Revelation 21:22-23

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

• There was no temple

Story: soldier looking at a picture when separated from wife

The primary function of the temple was to have God’s presence with the people.

• That was fulfilled in the new testament by having Jesus cries among us.  
• God dwells with the church by his Spirit.
• What the temple had been pointing to all along was now a reality

God can now actually dwell with us because there is no sin to seperate us

• Just like the Garden Of Eden

Summary:

• We look forward to a perfect New Jerusalem which will be the Eden God intended
• There will be no more sin, no more curse, no more tree of the knowledge of good and evil
• We will live eternally in a paradise where we will rule with Jesus
• We will be able to commune with God

Conclusion

God created the earth, and placed within it the Garden of Eden.   The intent was to have a place where he could commune and fellowship with man.  A place from which man could Co-rule with When the fall happened that fellowship was broken.

God had a plan to restore fellowship with mankind.  He created an initial covenant and a religious system through which man could fellowship with Him within the Holy of Holies of the temple and tabernacle.    

God eventually implemented a New Covenant centered around Jesus Christ.  Within the person of Christ, God and man were combined.  The functions of the temple such as atonement for sins and mediation of prayer were replaced by the sacrifice of Jesus.  Jesus’ death on the cross has cleansed us so that we are presentable to be in God’s presence.

This cleansing allows the Holy Spirit to dwell within us allowing us to commune with God thus restoring the intimate relationship between God and man.   As humans with the Spirit of God dwelling within us we are a new creation never before seen on earth.  Only through this new creation are we able to enter the Kingdom of God here on earth.  

This is the good news, this is the gospel.  

The good news is:

• That there was an original creation but now we are a new creation
• That there was an Old covenant, but now we have a new better covenant
• A more excellent promise
• Like Israel, we were in exile but now we’re restored
• They had a Tabernacle and a Temple to house God, but now we have Jesus
• Like God's presence that came upon the Ark, We now have the Holy Spirit residing within us

The 4 gospels describe the inauguration of God‘s kingdom

• God’s rule on earth

Jesus inaugurated a new era of man which will be culminated at His return when the curse created from the fall is removed.

But the Kingdom was inaugurated at Jesus’ death on the cross.

Even atheist have to admit that something happened...something changed

• Something happened 2,000  ago that  changed our calendars
• Something happened 2,000  ago that caused a movement that is still growing worldwide

As Christians we know that at His death something else happened.  Something that

• Changed humankind
• Removed the barrier that prevented us from fully worshiping God

Something happened that it now makes sense to talk about new creation

• It makes sense to talk about a new temple
• It makes sense to speak of a new humanity

Something happened that allows to get closer to the relationship that Adam lost

• Something tore the veil to the Holy of Holies

Something happened that we no longer need to fear death

• Something happened that we no longer need to fear life

The Kingdom of God is among us...

Presenter: Michael Leadon

References

Dr Dave Mathewson - The Temple

https://youtu.be/RTyWBQ4EPn0

Dr. Dave Mathewson, New Testament Theology, Lecture 7, Temple (NT)

https://youtu.be/EZS_Ypr-L9Y

Dr. Dave Mathewson, New Testament Theology, Lecture 8, Temple (Rev 21-22)

https://youtu.be/8hbvzRzlVwg

Dr Tom Wright - St Paul’s Cathedral - the kingdom of God

https://youtu.be/rLiy-WlS9mA

WSCAL Office Hours - Kingdom of God

https://www.wscal.edu/resource-center/kingdom-of-god

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Unchained Disciples)

http://unchaineddisciples.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-gospel-of-kingdom-of-god.html

Kingdom of God part 2 - Tim Mackey (podcast)

Kingdom of God part 3 - Tim Mackey (podcast)

N T Wright - Pepperdine Bible lecture 2016 (Part 1)

https://youtu.be/jV65zBa9xgg

N T Wright - Pepperdine Bible lecture 2016 (Part 2)

https://youtu.be/4sQTUTSOmcI

Extra

The Tabernacle / Temple

The tabernacle/temple was a shadow of what was in Heaven

• The tabernacle and the temple were supposed to represent Heaven on earth
• The earthly tabernacle was a replica of the heavenly one

Revelations 15:5-8

5After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened,6and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 7Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

• There is a tabernacle of testimony and a temple in Heaven

Luke 1:8-13

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

• The High Priest aided getting the prayers to God

This is the theme of the temple of the tabernacle and the garden

The garden was understood as a sanctuary. We find many features of the garden in the temple.  

• It was a place where God to dwelled with his people
• Trees and plants are in graved in the temple

• Perhaps to represent the tree of life

• So the lampstand could have represented the tree of life
• Gold is found in both

• Gen 2:10-12

Adam and Eve were going to extend Eden to embrace the entirety of creation

Exodus 40

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out;
37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.
38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

•  God‘s presence was in the tabernacle

1. This is where God dwelled with His people on earth
2. God’s presence was now restricted
3. The Garden was partially restored
4. The tabernacle was supposed to be a microcosm of the entire creation

1. It was never meant to be the final thing

This was the first stage of God restoring his ability to do well with people on earth

This was built with the expectation that one day God’s presence would fill the entire cosmos/creation

In the new Testament we see God’s promise of a restored temple and God’s participation with His people

By becoming God’s people the church becomes the kingdom

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The Jews did not kill the animals on the altar

They killed the animals and put the blood on the altar because the animal was unclean

The animal the goat that was used for forgiveness of sins was not killed but set free into the wilderness

The greatest curse upon Israel was being exiled from the promised land

Psalms 2

7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, 'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.

• They were promised the entire earth

~ The penalty receipt for those who don’t get into the kingdom of God is there exile into the outer darkness

The Passover was a celebration of freedom

Only in the context of being in exile for sin can you see the Passover and Day of atonement can come together

• They needed a new Passover and they needed forgiveness of their sins
• The Passover would als be the redemption- the forgiveness of sin

Jesus Replaced the Temple

1 Timothy 2:5-6

5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

• Who do we need to go through to get our prayers to God?

• only Jesus
• not priests, pastors, angels, saints, Mary

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How to view the last supper

• New Passover
• New Covenant
• New Tabernacle

Jesus is taking the place of the temple

• He forgives sin - you used to go to the tabernacle for it

In the New Testament we have

• Churches who focus on the kingdom (feeding poor,

• What a pity He died so young

• Focus on the cross (getting people to Heaven)

The Kingdom work comes to completion at the cross

• As He starts His Kingdom Work the church and demons come against Him
• Pharisees plot against him

Atonement- God becoming King

Kingdom - The victory which Jesus won on the cross resulting in forgiveness of sins

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The goal of the temple has been fulfilled so I do not see a need for the temple now.  

• There may be another temple built in Jerusalem in the future but I do not see that as a fulfillment of prophecy.  

Hebrews 8:1-5

1Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

3Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”a

• Jesus now serves as our High Priest
• The Tabernacle was a reflection of what is in Heaven.  

Jesus Inaugurated the kingdom of God

Romans 8:26-27

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[b] with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

• the Holy Spirit will also pray on our behalf

The New Jerusalem

Who Will We Rule?

If we’re going to rule with Jesus...who are we going to rule?

1 Corinthians 6:2-3

2Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

We will rule over all living creatures including the angels.

• We will rule over current physical beings as well as spiritual beings
• Some theologians theorize that we will rule over other planets and galaxies as well

Image of God

From The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

Garden of Eden

God created Adam as His “image-bearer” on earth

Genesis 1:27-28

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 1:27 says: "God created man in His own image”

• Adam (and Eve) was created as God’s image
• No other being was created in God's image except man

Humans were supposed to represent God on earth.

Jesus is the New Image of God

God becomes the human that we were meant to be and through him we become the humans that we were meant to be.  

Colossians 1:13-15

13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

• Jesus rescued us from the kingdom of The world
• Jesus was the first image of God
• Since the first man failed Jesus had to become the perfect human to reinstate man's dominion
• He had to take this dominion from Satan

The Church is Being Transformed Into the Image of Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:45-49

45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

• Adam was the earthly man, Jesus is the heavenly man
• We were born into the image of Adam

• We were born in flesh bodies
• We were born with a sinful nature

• We will take on the image of Jesus

• We are being sanctified
• We will receive a glorified body

Summary:

• Adam was originally made in God’s image
• We are taking on the image of Jesus through sanctification

Extra Scriptures

John 9

39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."
40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?"
41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

Hebrews 13

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

• Jesus was on the outside