What exactly is God’s grace; what does it do for us; and what are we to do, if anything?

Simply put, God’s grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is the gift of God. It includes manifold facets of God’s undeserved pardon and forgiveness, His mercy and His compassion.

For instance, our heart is established and made firm and becomes totally convicted through grace, preventing us from accepting wrong doctrines (Hebrews 13:9). It is grace with God when we suffer wrongfully for righteousness’ sakes (1 Peter 2:19); after all, when we experience wrongful persecution, our reward will be great (Matthew 5:10-12).

We are to grow in the grace of or favor with Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), as Jesus Himself grew in the Father’s grace or favor (Luke 2:52). And so, John wishes that the grace of Jesus Christ would be with all of those who read and keep what is written in the book of Revelation, and who do His commandments (Revelation 22:7, 14, 21).

Paul adds in Ephesians 6:24 that God’s grace will be given to all those who love Jesus Christ in sincerity, and Christ told us that we love Him if we keep His words and commandments (John 14:15, 23).

God called us out of this world because of His grace—not because of anything we might have done (Romans 11:5-6; compare also Romans 9:11-16).  Ephesians 2:8-9 explains that we were and are saved by grace through faith—not because of our works.

We were freely justified by God’s grace—in that God forgave us our sins following our repentance and belief in Christ’s Sacrifice (Romans 3:23-24).

Being justified by His grace, we should become heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:7).  1 Peter 3:7 clarifies that both husband and wife (male and female) are together heirs of the grace of eternal life. And Romans 5:17, 21 adds that after having received an abundance of God’s grace and the gift of righteousness, it is our potential to finally reign and rule under Christ for all eternity.

Understanding that our salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom and Family of God is being made possible through the grace of God, some conclude that therefore they don’t have anything to do in the process—that God does it all for them, and that their way of living has no bearing on their inheritance of eternal life. This is a fatal and terrible error.

Paul asks the question in Romans 6:1, whether we should continue in sin after we have obtained God’s grace of forgiveness. His conclusion is: Absolutely not. He says that we were once slaves of sin, but that we now have become slaves of righteousness. If we were to continue in the practice of sinful conduct, we would have received God’s grace in vain.

Paul warns in Hebrews 12:15 that we must be diligent not to miss out on God’s grace. He cautions us against becoming bitter, implying that living in such a way can lead to the loss of our salvation. In Jude 4, we read of evil ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, thereby denying Christ. They are described as being twice dead, for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.

The message is very clear: God’s grace is not to be taken for granted, neglected or abused. If it is, it may be taken away from us, and we might not inherit eternal life, but suffer eternal condemnation.

In Titus 2:11-12, we read that God’s grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that we are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we must instead live soberly, righteously and godly in this present evil world. The German Luther Bible is even clearer, emphasizing that it is the grace of God, which helps and motivates us to forsake ungodliness and to embrace a righteous and godly life.

If we refuse to do so, then we would have surely received God’s grace in vain, and God would NOT allow us to enter His Kingdom as a born-again eternal spirit being and immortal member of the God Family.

Lead Writer; Norbert Link


Christ Has Come

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Some people have been so busy trying to figure out that which cannot be calculated and is completely within God’s purview to decide, that they missed the fact that Christ is already here.  They have their noses so buried in their own private interpretations of the Bible that they have missed Christ’s presence here altogether. 

One of the reasons that Christ came the first time to Earth about 2000 years ago, was so that we could have the opportunity to have Him in us (John 6:56, 15:4-5, 17:23). 

If we keep His commandments (John 14:20-21) then we have Christ here with us and in us NOW!  If we as true Christians live by His every Word, we do not need to wait to have a personal relationship with Christ…we can have it NOW!

Of course Christ is still yet to return in power and glory for all the world to see — and for them to begin their interaction with Him on a more intimate level.  But we have the chance through the gift of the Holy Spirit to make the most of that opportunity NOW!

Other Sheep; God’s Gracious Gifts

 

Pentecost Services

On May 27, 2012, is the annual Holy Day of Pentecost. Dave Harris will give the sermon in the morning from Colorado, titled, “Other Sheep.” Norbert Link will give the sermon in the afternoon from California, titled, “God’s Gracious Gifts.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm Pacific Time, respectively (which is 11:00 am Mountain Time; 12:00 pm Central Time; 1:00 pm Eastern Time for the morning service; and 3:00 pm Mountain Time; 4:00 pm Central Time; 5:00 pm Eastern Time for the afternoon service). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Norbert and Johanna Link and the entire family are saddened to announce the death of Norbert’s mother, who died peacefully on May 8 from congestive heart failure on their flight from Denver to San Diego. A Memorial Service in honor of Frau Link will be held on Sunday, June 10, at 12:00 noon, in the Ramona Women’s Club, where Frau Link attended services, when visiting the US. We welcome your continued prayers for strength and comfort, as well as your attendance at the Memorial Service.

Norbert Link’s most recent video-taped sermon, “Why?”, which was recorded on May 12, 2012, was posted on YouTube.

Proposed Feast of Tabernacles Newspaper

As decided during our recent conference and as previously announced, we would like to publish a special news edition for the Feast of Tabernacles 2012. As we are bombarded by negative news these days, signalizing the soon-coming end of this present evil world, we would like to concentrate on the news as it might be announced once Jesus Christ has returned and begun to establish God’s government on this earth. We would like our readers to contribute to this special news edition by  communicating first with and sending proposed articles to Mr. Brian Gale.
 

Set forth below are some guidelines:

* Assume that the date of the newspaper is 20 years into the Millennium

* No undue speculative situations

* Suggest a maximum number of words to 250 – 400 words per article

* All articles to be uplifting and encouraging for the future we are all looking forward to

* Anyone to be able to submit an article including children and teens

* It would be helpful if anyone who has an idea, to let Brian Gale know the subject so that he can try and avoid unnecessary duplication.

* All articles to be submitted to Brian Gale at bgofderby@btinternet.com

* Brian Gale to collate all of the articles and submit to Mr. Link and/or the editorial team.   Karen Myers has agreed to put the project together

* It would be helpful if articles could be submitted sooner rather than later in order to facilitate this project

Some suggested subjects:

• Churches in every area – Sabbath and Holy Days to be kept – only worship of the true God to be allowed

• Education – rewritten curriculum – evolution discarded

• Importance of marriage stressed – living together, rape, homosexuality  and other wrong sexual activities banned

• Food production upgraded

• Health – hospitals no longer needed

• War a thing of the past

• Crime rates drop to zero

• Urban renewal

• Property

• Finance

• Sports – and sportsmanship reintroduced

• Style/Fashion/Clothing

• Cruelty eliminated

• Improvement in technology (spam eliminated)

To help you see what we are envisioning, we are setting forth below two proposed articles:

Sportsmanship in Vogue Again

by Brian Gale

Towards the end of man’s rule, sportsmanship had been overtaken by the necessity to achieve results, seemingly, at all costs due to the rewards received by the “winners.” In fact, sportsmanship was rarely seen and when this happened, it  was looked on as something abnormal. Money ruled and fairness in play, and graciousness, were seen as weaknesses and not to be either encouraged or embraced. Money dominated and standards deteriorated badly.

Wikipedia had made these comments just a few years before Christ’s return: “Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors. A sore loser refers to one who does not take defeat well, whereas a good sport means being a ‘good winner’ as well as being a ‘good loser.’”

However, as those who lived at that time will attest, theory and practice were often poles apart. Grantland Rice, a 20th century writer had written in his poem “Alumnus Football”: “For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes not that you won or lost – but how you played the game.”

Now that the “One Great Scorer is in charge of events” on earth, sportsmanship is the order of the day. Sports are played by participants who perform to the best of their ability. If they win, they are modest in their achievements and are praised by their opponents; if they lose, they praise their victors. And that’s the way that sports should be played, and will be played, for the rest of the Millennium for the benefit of all concerned.

Irrespective of the result of any game or match, as the result of sportsmanship having been compulsorily reintroduced in the new regime, everyone is a winner.

Animal Cruelty Now a Thing of the Past

by Brian Gale

Much has been achieved in the past 20 years since Jesus Christ returned and set up the Kingdom of God on earth.  Many of those achievements are chronicled in this newspaper and one of the most encouraging is the way that animals are now treated.  Of many examples we could consider, let us review just one – that of dogs.

In the age of man, dogs were often badly and shamefully treated; many bought as a gift and soon discarded.  Specifically, many greyhounds who were used for racing which itself was primarily for betting purposes, were often abandoned when they were no longer able to race!  Worse was the fact that some of these had their legs broken and left in the wild to die when they became of no further use–such was the cruelty dished out to man’s “best friend”.  Pit bull terriers had been used in dog fighting so that illegal online gambling operations could flourish.

Many pedigree dogs had suffered from genetic diseases following years of inbreeding and had suffered acute problems because looks had been emphasised over health when breeding dogs for shows.  Examples had been of spaniels with brains too big for their skulls and boxers suffering from epilepsy. 

But that has all changed in the last 20 years.  Cruelty is now, quite simply, not allowed in any sphere of life.  And in the case of dogs, all breeds are now properly cared for and proving what a wonderful pet they are. Good pets enhance the nature of a child or pet owner, and whether they are large or small, they offer a special kind of companionship.  Dogs, and other pets for children, are important for youngsters to learn many important traits including compassion and responsibility.

Someone wrote that “Pets have more love and compassion in them than most humans” and that may have been true in the age of man.  But now, with right government and love permeating the whole of society, the nature of mankind has been transformed and our animal friends are now treated as they should be.

Pets are never critical and accept us for what we are and, at last, they are being rewarded for that approach.   Cruelty is out and care for others, including animals, is in.   What a great change that has been in society!

Where is the Ark of the Covenant today? Will it be found prior to Christ’s return?

Numerous theories exist as to what happened to the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant. Some claim, based on the uninspired Second Book of the Maccabees, that Jeremiah hid it in a cave on Mount Nebo in Jordan when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem.  The non-inspired book of 1 Esdras claims that the Babylonians carried the “ark of God” to Babylon. There are also those who say that it is located today beneath the Temple Mount.

Others state that it was transported to Ethiopia, South Africa or another African country. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant not far from the border with Eritrea. It states that the object is currently kept under guard in a treasury, and that it was allegedly brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, who, it is postulated, left a forgery in the temple of Jerusalem.

Some Shiite Muslims believe that the Ark of the Covenant will be found by the Mahdi at the Lake of Tiberias, while some Catholics believe that it is kept in the Vatican’s Basilica of St. John Lateran, after having  survived the pillages of Rome by Genseric and Alaric I.

The Bible does not confirm that any of these ideas (and there are many more variations) are accurate. If there was evidence for the accuracy of any of those theories, it would have to be based on archeological and historical facts, but so far, none have been produced.

A popular idea postulates that the Jews will find the Ark of the Covenant prior to the coming of the Messiah, and that this occurrence will prompt the Jews to commence sacrifices in Jerusalem.

The Bible does not endorse this idea, either. It is strictly the product of man’s imagination, without any biblical evidence. Even though it is true that the Jews will bring sacrifices in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return, and that the biblical evidence strongly suggests that they will be brought at a newly-constructed temple, there is no evidence that that temple will contain the original Ark of the Covenant, which was built under Moses.

Rather, it is to be assumed that the new temple will contain newly constructed things, such as an altar. Whether it will contain a newly constructed Ark of the Covenant, we cannot know for sure. It is interesting that the new millennial temple, as described in the book of Ezekiel, does not mention the Ark of the Covenant.

This is in harmony with a profound statement in Jeremiah 3:16 that when Jesus Christ rules in Jerusalem and the people of Israel and Judah multiply in the Promised Land, the Ark of the Covenant will no longer come to mind nor be remembered nor visited.

There are those who believe that the physical Ark of the Covenant, which had been built under Moses, was somehow transferred to God’s third heaven, and that it is located there today. This concept is based on passages such as Revelation 11:19 and 15:5 where we read that the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle will be seen in heaven.

However, this is a misunderstanding of Scripture.

What will be seen in heaven are spiritual things, which will apparently be manifested to the human eye for a short time. The ark, which will be seen, will not be the physical ark (there are no physical things in the third heaven, nor could there be), but these are the spiritual things after which the physical things were patterned. (For further information on this intriguing subject, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”).

When God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle in the wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant, He told him that he had to make it exactly according to the pattern that had be shown to him (Exodus 25:9).

Paul explains in the book of Hebrews that these physical things were indeed copies of the spiritual things. The Bible does in fact teach that there is a spiritual Ark of the Covenant, as well as a tabernacle and even a temple, in God’s third heaven, and that it is these spiritual things (not the physical copies), which will apparently be manifested to the human eye for a very short time, just prior to Christ’s return.

We read in Hebrews 9:11 that Christ came as a high priest by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, which is not made by human hands, and which is not part of this physical creation. Hebrews 9:23-24 adds that as the pattern of the physical things were purified, so the heavenly things had to be purified with even better sacrifices, and that Christ did not enter the holy places made with hands, which are just figures or copies of the spiritual, but He entered the third heaven itself.

It is in this context that we must understand the passages in Revelation 15:5 that the temple of the tabernacle of the covenant in heaven will be opened, and in Revelation 11:19 that the temple of God will be opened in heaven and that in His temple the Ark of the Covenant will be seen.

One of the reasons for this remarkable miracle might be that God will re-emphasize the continuing force and effect of His Law. Remember that under Moses, the two tablets of the Covenant, containing the Ten Commandments, were placed in the Ark of the Covenant.

We see from the foregoing that the Bible does not tell us whether or not the original Ark of the Covenant is still in existence today, and it does not suggest that it will ever be found. The prophecy in Jeremiah 3:16 appears to state the opposite. To base prophetic propositions and speculations on the concept that the original Ark of the Covenant WILL be found in the future is not in accordance with the pure Word of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Where will the marriage supper between Christ and His Church be held?

Revelation 19:7-9 states the following about the marriage between Christ and His Church: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb [Jesus Christ, compare Revelation 5:1-14] has come, and His wife [the Church, compare Ephesians 5:31-32] has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”‘…”

Please note that this Scripture does not say where the marriage supper will take place. Other Scriptures strongly imply that it will take place here on earth, after Christ’s return.

Christ gave a parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22, presupposing that the wedding feast or marriage supper will take place here on earth. We read in verse 11: “But when the king [who had arranged the marriage for his son, verse 2] came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.” In the parable, “the king” represents God the Father, and “the son” represents Jesus Christ. If the marriage supper were to take place in heaven, the guest without a wedding garment could not have been there — neither as a physical being nor as a fallen spirit being. He could not have been a disqualified saint, as there are no physical beings in heaven and as the disqualified saint would not have been changed to spirit. Nor could he have been a “fallen” spirit being, i.e., Satan or a demon, as by that time, Satan and his angels will have no more access to God’s throne in heaven. Revelation 12:8 speaks of a time, before the marriage supper, stating, “…nor was a place found for them [Satan and his demons, verse 7] in heaven any longer.”

Christ tells another parable in Matthew 25, comparing the Church with five wise and five foolish virgins, “who went out to meet their bridegroom” (verse 1). While the five foolish virgins tried to buy oil for their lamps, the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) came, “and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut” (verse 10). We then read that “afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!'” Christ, though, refused them entrance to the wedding supper. Where did the five foolish virgins go? Obviously, as physical humans, they could not go to heaven to try to get entrance there. Christ’s parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins clearly presupposes and implies that the events take place here on earth.

Nevertheless, some have suggested that the wedding supper will take place in heaven before Christ returns to the earth to establish the Kingdom of God. It has been suggested that Christ will come back to take His saints to heaven, have the marriage supper in heaven with them, and then return with His saints to establish the Kingdom of God.

However, the Bible does not teach that Christ will return “twice.” The Bible is consistent that Christ comes back a second time to reward His saints and, at the same time, to punish the wicked that are still alive (Matthew 24:27-39; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10). God’s saints will be resurrected and changed to immortality at the time of Christ’s return and at the sound of the seventh and last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). However, at the same time, that is, at the sound of the last trumpet, Christ will also begin His reign over the world (Revelation 11:15-18). There can only be ONE seventh and last trumpet. There cannot be a sound of the seventh trumpet to signal the resurrection of the saints and their “going to heaven with Christ” for the marriage supper, and ANOTHER seventh or last trumpet to signal the subsequent return of Christ with His saints from heaven to set up the Kingdom of God.

Rather, we read that Christ will return; that at that time, the saints will be resurrected and changed and meet Christ in the air; and that Christ and His saints will descend immediately together on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). That particular day is a twenty-four-hour-day, as Zechariah 14:6-7, 9 reveals.

Some have suggested that Revelation 14 speaks of a marriage supper in heaven. However, Revelation 14 does not mention a marriage supper. It states that the Lamb and 144,000 of those “who were redeemed from the earth” stand on Mount Zion (verse 1), and that they are “without fault before the throne of God” (verse 5). Although “Mount Zion” can refer to a spiritual mountain in heaven (compare Hebrews 12:22), it can also refer, of course, to the physical mountain here on earth. The saints might be standing, on Mount Zion, before God’s transportable throne, which was on earth before (compare Ezekiel 1). Or, verse 5 might just express the thought that they are without fault “in the sight of” God. The Greek word for “before,” i.e., “enopion,” literally means, “in the sight of” or “in the face of.” (Compare, Luke 1:15; 16:15; Acts 4:19). Even today, we appear daily “before” God’s throne in heaven, through prayer.

Another Scripture that has been used to suggest that the marriage supper will be in heaven, is Revelation 15:2. Again, this passage does not even remotely suggest a marriage supper. The passage states that saints are “standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.” This is another vision (verse 1), which, simply judging by its wording alone, without consideration of other Scriptures, does not have to take place in heaven. The sea of glass could very well be a reference to a sea of glass before Christ’s throne which will be here on this earth. In addition, we find in Ezekiel 1:22, 26, that Christ’s transportable throne has a firmament or crystal, in other words, a sea of glass. Note, for instance, that we read in Exodus 24:9-10: “Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.” In addition, the saints in Revelation 15:2 are portrayed as standing on a sea of glass, singing the victory song of Moses. This reminds us, of course, of God’s victory over the Egyptians, when they drowned in the Red Sea. Therefore, this vision might very well picture the saints’ symbolic victory over the beast power (compare verse 2), as ancient Israel was victorious over Egypt. This is especially true in light of the fact that Exodus 15:18 conveys a future victory of God and His people over God’s enemies: “The LORD SHALL reign forever and ever.” One must be careful not to deduce an entire teaching from a symbolic phrase.

A third Scripture quoted to support the speculation that the marriage supper takes place in heaven is Revelation 7:9-17. Again, nothing is mentioned in this Scripture referring to a marriage supper. We are told that a great multitude of all nations stands before the throne and before the Lamb. This is clearly another vision — such as the vision of dead souls under God’s altar that cry out with a loud voice (Revelation 6:9-11). Still, even when analyzing carefully the text of the vision in Revelation 7, we find that the described event does not occur in heaven. Revelation 7:14 says that the saints “washed their robes and made them white.” Verse 15 says, “Therefore they ARE before the throne of God, and SERVE Him day and night in His temple.” This cannot be happening in heaven, as the last part of the verse says that God “WILL dwell among them.” If this passage described a situation in heaven, God would ALREADY dwell among them.

The passage conveys, however, that those of the great multitude, who had to go through the Great Tribulation to become spiritually clean, will from that time on serve God daily in His temple — the Church, a spiritual organism, the bride of Christ. We are today the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 2:21). But we are not in heaven.

The idea that the marriage supper will be held in heaven is nowhere taught in the Bible. All Biblical passages strongly imply that it will occur here on earth, after Christ’s return to this earth.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Pentecost will be observed on Sunday, May 27, 2012, with morning and afternoon services.
 
A reminder for those wishing to attend the Feast of Tabernacles with us for 2012–please review details posted on our website under the “FEASTS” heading. Our locations for this year are Pismo Beach, California, and Deganwy, North Wales.

Doesn’t the Bible say that we will enter the kingdom of heaven? Doesn’t this show that we will go to heaven when we die?

The Bible teaches indeed that we are going to enter the kingdom of heaven, but this does not mean that we will go to heaven. We need to understand what is meant by the term, “kingdom of heaven.”

First of all, we should note that only Matthew uses this expression. The other gospel writers use consistently and exclusively the term, “kingdom of God.” It is therefore obvious that both terms describe the same thing.

We explain in our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” that the kingdom of God is the Family of God, ruling over others, consisting at this point of two members of the God Family—God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Every Christian in whom God’s Spirit dwells is a begotten member of the Family or Kingdom of God, but he is not yet a born-again member. He will be born again at the time of the return of Jesus Christ, when he will be changed to immortality.

We read in 1 Corinthians 15:50 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and that we must be changed to incorruptibility and immortality (verses 51-54). Before that time and occurrence, a human being cannot enter or see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). He must be born of the Spirit and BE Spirit (verse 6), to be able to enter the Kingdom of God and become a most powerful Spirit being (verse 8). Then he will be a God being—invisible to the human eye (same verse).

The Kingdom of God is identical with the “kingdom of heaven”—since God the Father and Jesus Christ are in heaven and rule in and from heaven over this earth and the entire universe. But this does not mean that we will go to heaven to enter the Kingdom there; rather, Christ will return to this earth and restore the Government of God on this earth. The Kingdom of God, through its representative Jesus Christ, will rule here on earth, and we will be ruling with and under Him, as born again members of the God Family, if we qualify. Ultimately, God the Father will also come down to earth to establish headquarters here, after new heavens and a new earth have been created, in which righteousness dwells.

That the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” are identical in Scripture can be seen, for example, when comparing Matthew 5:3 with Luke 6:20. Both passages say that the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God” belong to those who are poor in spirit; that is, who are of a humble and contrite spirit.

Also, when comparing Matthew 13:31-32 with Mark 4:30-32, we read that both the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God” are likened to a grain of mustard seed which grows to become a big tree, to give shelter to the birds (Note too that the kingdom is represented as being established on earth).

In Matthew 19:14 and in Mark 10:14, Jesus said that little children should be allowed to come to Him, for of such is the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God.”

We even find that in Matthew’s account, the terms for “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” are used interchangeably. In Matthew 19:23-24, Christ tells us that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter into the “kingdom of heaven” (verse 23), and that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the “kingdom of God” (verse 24); adding however that with God nothing is impossible (verse 26).

Even though Matthew most of the time uses the expression “kingdom of heaven,” he does use the expression “kingdom of God” on occasion, when special emphasis is intended. We read in Matthew 21:31 that the repentant publicans and the harlots will go into the Kingdom of God before the self-righteous and power-hungry chief priests and the elders of the people. He said in Matthew 21:43 that the Kingdom of God will be taken from them and be given to the holy nation of true Christians who are bringing forth the fruits of the kingdom (compare John 15:1-8; 1 Peter 2:9).

And He stated in Matthew 6:33 that we must first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness as the first priority. In this sentence, the use of the term “kingdom of heaven” would not emphasize quite the same meaning, as it is the Kingdom of God and GOD’s righteousness (which is a stronger term than “heaven’s” righteousness), which we must seek.

Still, Matthew uses the term “kingdom of heaven” most of the time, rather than “kingdom of God.” As some commentaries state and as the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert Armstrong has consistently taught, the reason is partly to be seen in the fact that Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience (who did not want to use the word “God” frequently, while Luke wrote to a Gentile (both in his gospel record as well as in the book of Acts), and Mark and John’s audience is less distinct and distinguishable. (While John never uses the term “kingdom of heaven,” he very seldom uses the words “kingdom of God,” either).

But this is only part of the explanation. Since the four gospel writers quote Jesus Christ, all of them would have quoted His words accurately. None of them would have dared to change His words, by supplementing one term (“kingdom of God”) for another (“kingdom of heaven”), and vice versa. It is clear, then, that Christ used both expressions, and while Matthew chose to quote more frequently Christ’s statements when He used the words, “kingdom of heaven,” the others chose to quote His statements when He used the words, “kingdom of God.” Christ might have used both expressions in sermons or speeches at the same time, or on different occasions. That is the reason why we must look at all Scriptures in the Bible on a given topic to get the entire picture — “here a little, and there a little.”

The question then needs to be answered why CHRIST used the statement, “kingdom of heaven,” when He spoke of the Kingdom of God.

Christ preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God, making clear at the same time that the Kingdom of God originates in heaven and that those who are already begotten of the Spirit, to be born into the Kingdom of God, are a part of a heavenly kingdom. Their names are written in heaven—in the book of life—and they are to build up treasures in heaven. Their citizenship is in heaven as well.

At the same time, John the Baptist and Christ emphasized that the Kingdom of heaven will come down to this earth (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; 16:28). We are also told that Christ will bring down to this earth the reward, which has been stored for them in heaven.

In addition, the term “kingdom of heaven” stresses the fact that the heavenly kingdom is not to be confused with the kingdom of the god of this world—Satan the devil (Matthew 12:25-26) nor with the kingdom of men (Matthew 20:25-27).  It does not originate with man, but with God who is in heaven (Mark 11:30-33). The heavenly kingdom or the kingdom of or FROM heaven will be altogether different. The God of heaven will establish His Kingdom here on earth (Daniel 2:44), and no human being will be in it. Only immortal God beings will rule in the Kingdom of heaven over man—here on earth.

We will not go to heaven when we die. Rather, the Kingdom of the God of heaven will be set up here on earth, when Christ returns, and we will be in it to rule all nations (Revelation 2:26-27).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Why?

On May 12, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Why?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

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