Major religions are often pictured as mountains in Scripture. Isaiah 2 pictures the later to come Christianity as coming to dominate all other religions.
More than that, it pictures a future time, when ALL nations will voluntarily flow to it. But that has NOT happened … at least YET!
An audio lesson:
It was said of Abraham and the ancient fathers,
“But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. …”
Heb 11:16
A real country, from a new creation; untainted by sin and death and decay. A heavenly country. It is described in this way.
“1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband.”
Rev 21
Further, as we know more about the material world and its components, the more obvious it is how vulnerable it is.
Many misquote the second apostle James to say that we are like a vapor. Rather he says we are a vapor,
“Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you ARE a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.”
Jas 4:14
The physicists have known for sometime that such is literally true. Knowledge of such things came about with the early experiments with nuclear radiation. The ratio of particles able to pass through our bodies without hitting anything was very high, meaning that we were mostly empty space! Sometimes they have given analogies such as, if an atom was the size of a football stadium, the nucleus would be the size of a basketball at the 50 yard line, and an electron would be size of a golf ball, way out in the bleachers. But those electron shells move fast enough that light bounces off our bodies and we “look” solid.
And those electron shells, they too are subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, that “things run down.” At our present time Jesus sustains them, and you and I and everyone.
“His Son is … upholding all things by the word of his power, …”
Heb 1:3
But such is not forever, and “things” and our bodies do still “run down.”
In 2Corinthians 5 the comparison is made between a tent versus a building.
“For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.”
2Cor 5:1
Paul is talking about our present bodies and comparing them to a mere tent, which is at best a flimsy and vulnerable shelter. It is not that we would like to be without a body, and we won’t be.
“For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
2Cor 5:4
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
One of the contrasts throughout all of Scripture is between this material earth and universe, and what is often called heaven.
Man’s part in initiating this separation, this fall, is in Genesis chapter 3. Man had been literally given a very good setup. Man is put in charge of “the garden” (which in Greek translation is paradeisos, or “paradise”, Genesis 2). This seems to almost to be a training field for man’s destiny to,
“… have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Gen 1:26
He does not have this yet! Evidently some restrictions were put on man, and one mentioned is that is he was NOT to eat of “the of the knowledge of good and evil,” Gen 2:16-17. Then man, by refusing God’s commands, joined the heavenly rebellion led by Satan, who also called the devil, and the serpent of old, Rev 12:9.
This of course has catastrophic results. Man is now to die, and death starts working in mankind. From now on there will be enmity between the seed of woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen 3:15. Specific curses are put on the woman, Gen 3:16; and then comes the curse on creation. “… cursed is the ground for your sake.” Gen 3:17. Without obedience to the Lord God, there is no more easy living for mankind.
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Gen 3:19
Man still has a taste for that mastery of all of creation, Heb 2:6-8a; but it is not quite within his grasp, Heb 2:8b.
It is however not a permanent condition.
“that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”
Rom 8:21-22
It goes on to say that we ourselves groan within us, thirsting for release from this bondage to decay, “waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.” Rom 8:23
It will pass away with fire, with a roar, as the element melt with tremendous heat, on “the day of the Lord,” 2Pe 3:10-12.
By turning in faith to Jesus our Lord, repenting of our sins, being baptized in water for the forgiveness of our sins, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, etc.; and then living for Christ and not for ourselves.
As Jesus told Pilate,
“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.”
Jn 18:36
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
The summary verse for this contention might be:
“Let peoples serve you,
Nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
Gen 27:29
It does matter what the nations do, morally and ethically.
Righteousness does raise up, exalt, peoples, nations. These things do come into account. Jesus in one place speaks of doing trivial deeds that are good.
“Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most assuredly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.”
Mtt 10:42
This, and the KJV of this, is really paraphrase of the verse, which is a strong negative of that person having a chance of losing their reward. I don’t think it means that everyone that gives a cup of cold water to someone in need will go to heaven. He is saying that even little things count, and will bring their proper reward. God sees and knows and will bring us to account or rewards for even trivial things.
“I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”
Mtt 12:36
A scary thought to most of us. However it not just the bad things, but also the good things that are remembered and accounted for. As the Hebrews in Jerusalem were told,
“For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.”
Heb 6:10
Of course good works are NOT enough to deliver us from the penalty for our wrongs, but all is taken into account. Unfortunately, not all of us have the same advantage in being properly instructed. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant in the Old Testament. Even so,
“If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision?”
Rom 2:26
Sometimes it can be just one or two. The righteousness of one good man, Joseph, brought blessings on an entire plantation.
“It happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of Yahweh was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.”
Gen 39:5
When Abraham pleaded for wicked Sodom and Gomorrah, he asked God, suppose that ten righteous men are found in Sodom and Gommorah?
“… And He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.” ”
Gen 18:32
“… Cursed be everyone who curses you,
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
Gen 27:29
So it will be!
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
We are not really sovereign in ourselves. Paul says this pretty plainly, speaking of,
“14 … our Lord Jesus Christ; 15 which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and ONLY Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ”
1Tim 6:14-15
“Ruler” in the WEB, is the Greek word dunastes which is about one who has power, might, and ability. The NASB, the NET, and the ESV translate the phrase as “ only Sovereign,” which is really pretty good. The NKJV translates it “only Potentate,” which is also pretty good. Any way you take it, the passage in 1Timothy 6 is saying that Jesus is the only one who really has the power to do anything He pleases.
We are urged in Scripture to turn from our evil ways and make God our only master. John the Baptist tells men that “decisions” cannot be superficial things without us really changing our lives.
“Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!”
Mtt 3:8
And John the Baptist speaks as if the decision to “bring forth fruits worthy of repentance,” as if it is something that can be done! Even so, Scripture also acknowledges how much trouble we may have really carrying out decisions. Paul writes,
“18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. 19 For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.”
Rom 7:18-19
In truth there many limitations on our “free will.”
Many talk about “free will” as if it means that we can do anything we want. But free will really only means we can will / want whatever we want to.
You and I and every ruler and power broker on earth, can want, and do many things. Still, in the end we are all very limited beings. God in His blessings, or His mercy, or His wrath, may at any time either help, or obstruct, or even defeat us, as He may desire.
“… All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or tell him, What do you?”
Dan 4:35
The ten horns (rulers) and the beast himself of Revelation will destroy Mystery Babylon the Great within history.
“For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.”
Rev 17:17
And the time in between is to give us space to repent, if we will.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
“38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the darnel are the children of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”
Mtt 13:38-39
The owner of this “field” is the man who sowed good seed “in his field,” Mtt 13:24. Jesus said plainly that He was that man, Mtt 13:37 Further it is more than this present world, for once again Jesus said,
… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18
“For by him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.”
Col 1:16
Everything is “for him.” If we serve Him we have only fulfilled our original purpose, and He is the only source of life.
“3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.”
Jn 1:3
In fact it started in the spiritual world before it started in the material world. It was a powerful renegade from the spiritual world who first seduced mankind into sin. I am speaking of Satan himself. The angels are not perfect, as has been noted repeatedly in these blogs and in my books.
“Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones;
Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight:”
Job 15:15
Or again,
“Behold, he puts no trust in his servants.
He charges his angels with error.”
Job 4:18
The angels, although much more powerful than men 2Pe 3:11, are moral being like us. Evidently most of the angels are still faithful to God. When Revelation describing the war in heaven in symbolic terms, it puts it this way.
“3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.”
Rev 12:3-4
We are told clearly that this great red dragon is “… is called the devil and Satan,. …” Rev 12:9. So Rev 12:3-4 is telling us that Satan was able to draw a third of the angels in all creation into his revolt. That means that two-thirds of them are still faithful to God.
Faithful … but not perfect beings!
“19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 20 and through him to reconcile ALL things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.”
Col 1:19-20
His territory includes ALL that exists, Mtt 28:18, both this universe and the one to come.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
Often Scripture does not use the same rules for imagery or names of things which we use in modern times. For instance, in talking about the kingdom being established. On one hand it talks about the kingdom being established in the days of the Roman Empire in places like Dan 2:44. The passage is clear, but you have to look at the preceding context.
Then in the days of the Roman Empire, John the Baptist and Jesus came teaching that the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, was at hand, Mtt 3:2, Mtt 4:17, etc. This made a great deal of sense in terms of Dan 2:44, and other passages like the seventy sevens of years in Daniel 9.
Following the events in the gospels it speaks of the kingdom as being in existence. For example,
“who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;”
Col 1:13
That is clearly past tense, He has “translated us in the Kingdom.”
For instance in Ephesians 2 it speaks of us Gentiles in the flesh, called “uncircumcised,” by those circumcised in the flesh, Eph 2:11. Before Jesus came it says of us gentiles,
“that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
Eph 2:12
It talks about us Gentiles (those of the nations, from ethnos or nation) as being separated from “the commonwealth” politeia, which is the word for a citizenship, a community, and city or kingdom; which is of Israel ! The root word is polis which means a city or a town. We get our word “politics” from these words, and our word for city law enforcement, that is the “police.” This is talking about a political unit that Gentiles used to not be a part of. But now,
“… you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, …”
Eph 2:19
It includes all Jews and Gentiles in Christ. And there are many other passages like this.
The coming of the kingdom is talking about the reign of the Messiah, the special one who would bring a reign of peace. It is talking when the rule of the Christ would start. It started after Jesus death, so Jesus says,
… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18
So the reign of the Messiah started in the first century AD. Now it is being fulfilled when it says to Him, “… Rule in the midst of your enemies,” Psa 110:2. He NOW rules in the midst of His enemies,
“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ”
1Cor 15:25
That process is going on now, and will be completed at the Second Coming. Then the Messiah will deliver the Kingdom up to God, 1Cor 15:24
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
It starts here in the hearts of men.
“20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”
Lk 17:20-21
Many kingdoms and powers exercise great authority without the source of the power being visible, or noticed, at least by most. The occult powers are especially aware of many powers exercising their influence and control without being seen. Two great mystery religions of the Christian Age exercise considerable influence and control all through the Christian Age. Some call these the “Deep State.” They are the Mystery of Lawlessness of 2Thessalonians 2, and Mystery Babylon the Great of the book of Revelation.These are important world swaying powers. The Mystery of Lawlessness is basically a Satanic group. I call Mystery Babylon the Great a “a religio-commerical entity” in Revealing the Christian Age.
“He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”
Mtt 13:33
So once again we have a verse of this Kingdom in time influencing this entire world to the point that (which is yet in the future for you and me) the leaven of this Kingdom is an influence all over this world “until it was all leavened.” There is to come a world-wide influence of Christianity which has not been seen so far.
The author of Hebrews speaks of these things, and says,
“For he didn’t subject the world to come, whereof we speak, to angels.”
Heb 2:5
You see this present universe will pass away. In Hebrews 1 it picture God as rolling up this present universe like an old coat and putting it away, Heb 1:10-12. Peter tells us of,
“But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.”
2Pe 3:13
Isaiah also speaks of this perfect place.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
Isa 65:17
What will it be like?
“23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Yahweh, and their offspring with them. 24 It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says Yahweh.”
Isa 65:23-25
A real world, without decay or things running down. A world which some call “heaven.”
Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
All powers, all individuals, must submit to Him.
It was written about a thousand years before Christ by the prophet David, written in the first person of a Roman style crucifixion which happened centuries later. Only very subtly does it deal with His resurrection. Psalm 22 also says.
“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.”
Psa 22:27 KJV
But in our day of course, we are still sending out missionaries, and have by no means reached the “ends of the world.” Then it says of this one who dies and yet lives, whom all the world will remember,
“All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship.
All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
Even he who can’t keep his soul alive.”
Psa 22:29
Who will bow down before this One? Even the rich (the KJV says “All they that be fat upon earth”). And “All those who go down to the dust”? That would be everyone who has to die! And all of us have to die.
“Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,”
Heb 9:27
So that means all of mankind, and that is also emphasized in the final phrase in Psa 22:29: “Even he who can’t keep his soul alive.”
He says in Philippians chapter two that we should also the mind of Christ, who was willing to humble Himself all the way to death on the cross, Phil 2:5-8.
“Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;”
Phil 2:9
How so Paul, how wide is to be Jesus power and dominance?
“10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ”
Phil 2:10-11
It is also everyone who is heaven, and everyone that is under the earth. We are not really fighting against other people.
“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Eph 6:12
We are actually fighting “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Some of them are presently under the earth, although they will be released for short time just before the end of the age (Revelation 9, Rev 16:14, Rev 20:7, etc.).
But every king, every ruler, every spiritual power good or bad will have to bow before Jesus the Christ, and admit He is the supreme Lord to the glory of God the Father.
KJV is the King James Version, 1611.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripures are from the WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901
No! It has NOT failed! It merely still working.
“shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty of it be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
Dan 2:44
See the earlier blog “The Kingdom HAS come!” and search at the top right of this blog for posts concerning the kingdom.
“He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; …”
Dan 2:21
Likewise, Paul says,
“… there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.”
Rom 13:1
Further, that authority in our times is exercised by Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth, the One and Only Christ.
“… All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18
Jesus can do as He pleases with rulers of the earth Psa 2:10-11, and they are warned.
“Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
For his wrath will soon be kindled.
Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.”
Psa 2:12
In fact even Psalm 2 also describes the insane revolt against the Son’s rule near the end of our present age.
Then all the material of the Daniel 2 image, “the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold,” was broken into powder and the wind blew it away. These ancient empires were to no longer be found, which of course is what has happened. All of these empires disappeared, Dan 2:35.
Notice, although the church / kingdom was not a political entity, was not of this world (Jn 18:36), but the truth which it taught, did destroy all of these pagan empires. The crowning point or this verse comes in the very last part.
… and the stone that struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”
Dan 2:35
This is the stone cut without hands, the kingdom / church which was established “in the days of those kings,” Dan 2:44. A spiritual kingdom. However, any which way you take it, this last part of Dan 2:35 has NOT happened Yet! The church, the Lord’s kingdom in this world, has not filled the earth, YET !
when they turn in the time of great stress, it says that then God
“… will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.”
Isa 66:19
The Jews will lead the way in completing the Great Commission of preaching the gospel to all men. Then will the last part of Dan 2:35 be fulfilled. Then the end will come, Mtt 24:14
Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.