The New Jerusalem, HAS BEEN HERE FOR LONG! - Part #3 - You are the Kings and The Kingdom.

Dear in Christ,

This is the third installment on The New Jerusalem, has been here for long!, you may read Part #1 here and Part #2 here.

 
Believers in Christ became kings and kingdom.

A vast majority of Christians are not even aware of the scripturally provable fact they are kings and are a kingdom. Apostle John writes to the messengers of the 7 churches that existed in Asia in the 1ˢᵗ century:

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

There are no translations that render this passage in future tense. If the 7 churches and the messengers were not in fact made kings and priests, was John misguiding them? Did John tell them that they will eventually, bye and bye, be made kings? If that is the message John wanted to convey to them, was he lacking in Holy Spirit to make it plain?

Peter expresses the same thought like this:

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Paul goes one step further and tells us:

Eph 2:6 And (God) hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

There are a host of scriptures that say you are kings and priests. Unfortunately, churches and preachers were busy preaching how miserable sinners you are. Once in a while they may mention how God gave us victory in Christ. It is rare some preacher / teacher remind you that you are a king and priest. You are a king and priest of the order of Melchizedek, just as Jesus Christ is. (Compare Heb 7:1; Rev 1:6; 5:10 and 1Pe 2:9).

Quite a lot of things happened even while you were not aware. You know that most of the things mentioned above have no literal and physical applications.

• Nothing supernatural happened while you were born from above (born again)
• Nothing outlandish happened happened while you became a new creation.
• You were not physically dead or raised while it is said that you are raised with Christ.
• You have become kings and priests even without your becoming aware of it. You had no diadem or scepter or visible throne!

We can go on and on listing out things that you accept as not having any literal application. This being so, will someone please explain to me why they are looking for a literal fulfillment of earth and heaven passing away?

Kingdom handed over to you.

As we have seen, you have been made kings and priests. (According to some translations, you are made a kingdom.) Prior to your becoming kings / kingdom, someone else were the kings / kingdom. Addressing the scribes, high priests and Pharisees, Jesus said:

Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Yes, it is taken from Jewish religious leaders and given it to you. You are the kings and priests, now the onus is upon you to realize what God and Jesus have done for you, and be grateful.

On Temple & Jerusalem?

Many Christians look forward to the reconstruction of the temple at Jerusalem as a precursor to the fulfillment of events laid out in Revelation, though Rev 21:22 asserts to the contrary.

Rev 21:22 I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

There is absolutely no provision for a temple in God's order of things. God doesn't dwell in buildings made of hand. (Acts 7:48; 17:24).

The thought of the reconstruction of the temple at Jerusalem has its basis in the vision of Ezekiel (chapter 40 onward). In their amazement at the details laid out in those chapters readers of the passage lose sight of: 

• the resumption of animal sacrifices (Eze 40:38-43; 42:13; 43:18-27) which makes Jesus' sacrifice redundant. These are not memorial sacrifices as claimed by some, these are sin offerings.
• the resumption of circumcision of the flesh (Eze 44:9)
• the reinstatement of slavery and slave trade (Eze 46:17)
• the resumption of racism, as the temple is meant only for Jews (Eze 44:9)
• the government being handed over to a prince who has to offer up sin offerings - implying he is a potential sinner.

Once the word of God says that God will not dwell in temples made by hands and you are the temple of God and God Himself is the temple of New Jerusalem, where is the place to accommodate a physical temple?

"Jerusalem is God's Prophetic Time Clock", Oh! Really?!

There are groups or denominations which teach that the nation of Israel and the earthly city of Jerusalem as God's prophetic time clock. But, unfortunately, Jesus strongly disagrees with them!

John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

John 4:23 But 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.

Father seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth, not in Jerusalem or the mount therein. While Jesus said "hour comes and now is" could He have meant a time that is 21 centuries removed from His time? NO.

Do I look forward to a literal fulfillment?

As we have seen, there are many things that we discern spiritually.

• While the author of Hebrews told his 1ˢᵗ century readers that they have already come to the heavenly Jerusalem, could they have desired to see it physically?
• While Apostle Paul said his readers in Ephesus that they are seated with Christ in heavenly places, could they have objected and asked him to show material evidence to such claims?
• While Jesus taught that He is the bread that came down from heaven and whoever eats from it shall live forever, many of his followers stopped following Him. The true disciples continued with Him. Could they have asked for some sort of material proof to prove the veracity of His statement?

My faith is not based on what is seen. I do not start out as spiritual and end up as materialistic.

In Christ,

Tomsan Kattackal