THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST - From Commencement to Completion (video series)- Chapter 5, Clarifying Three Major Missconceptions Part 2
by Brett Jacobsen
The focus of this teaching is to promote the biblical truth that Christ’s Kingdom is active and increasing right now on this earth, in this age. Erroneous eschatology has detracted from this truth in many circles of the Christian faith.
All of the major eschatological (study of how things end) passages are covered but the end of the world is not the important issue and true eschatology is merely a means to an end- Christ Himself as King of kings. Though we will look at the glorious end of earthly history from time to time, we will more so continually use the scriptures to interpret the scriptures and arrive at the present victorious Kingdom of Christ.
For most Christians this teaching will challenge you deeply in your understanding of the New Covenant and Christ’s Kingdom as well as liberate you greatly in the truth of His Word.
The Last Days Part 2
Below are the scriptures in this teaching so you can read along:
Read 1 Pet 1:1 – diaspora
Read 2 Pet 2 for context. There is heaps of Olivet discourse terminology etc.
This second epistle, beloved, I now write to you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2 That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall [shall not here] come [erchomai- accompany, appear] in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, [Matt 24:10-12, 2 Tim 3:1-4, Jas 5:5/1-8]
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming [parousia- being near, presence]? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth [ge] standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world [kosmos] that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men [AD 70, and also the final judgment in the lake of fire].
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.[Time is irrelevant to Him]
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [v4 “the promise of His coming” Matt 24:3, 27-28, 30, 37-39,42, 44, Matt 26:62-64] [“longsuffering” to give that generation a good chance to repent]
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night [Matt 24:40-44, 1 Thess 5:1-2]; 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. [de-creation terminology = destroying a nation]
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for [prosdokao- anticipate, expect] and hasting [pseudo- speed, to await eagerly] unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements [stoicheion- something orderly in arrangement] shall melt with fervent heat? [Hag 2:6-9/Heb 12:25-29– shake the heavens and the earth]
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness [Heb 11:10, 16 look for]. (2 Pet 3:1-13)
* Heaven and earth
Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matt 24:34-37)
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For truly I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matt 5:17-18)
- Israel, the then captive exile, was to be God’s vehicle of establishing the heavens and the earth correctly:
And forget the LORD your maker, that has stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and has feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile hastens that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. 15 But I am the LORD your God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth, and I have covered you in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, you are my people. (Is 51:13-16)
- Israel referred to as heavens and earth and Sodom and Gomorrah (all clearly figurative):
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled [Israel] against me. 3 The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel does not know, my people does not consider. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward. 5 Why should you be stricken any more? you will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. (Is 1:2-10)
- New heaven and earth referring to new covenant order and heavenly tabernacle:
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. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And 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. 4 And 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. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. (Rev 21:1-5)
- Heavens and earth removed = prophetic language- destroy Babylon by Medes etc:
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2 Lift you up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts musters the host of the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. 6 Howl you; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: 8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. 14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man takes up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. 15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined to them shall fall by the sword. 16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them… (Is 13:13)
- He’s not shaking literal heaven and earth but the covenant order is being shaken and replaced:
But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. 25 See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved… (Heb 12:22-28)
Last times
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these [ho] last [eschatos] times [chronos] for you, (1 Pet 1:20)
But, beloved, remember you the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. (Jude 17-19)
Little children, it is the last time [hora- hour, day season]: (1 John 2:18)
The end of the age
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now [nun] once in the end [sunteleia- consummation] of the world [aion- age] hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Heb 9:26)
The end of the world [aion- age] (Matt 24:3)
But the end [telos- the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by impl.) the conclusion of an act or state] of all [pas] things is at hand [eggizo- near]: be you therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Pet 4:7) [Luke 21:36 Olivet dis- “watch…pray”]
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