Kingdom Come

 “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory…as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (I Corinthians 2:7-9)

“Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” (Psalm 115:16)

“For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?…Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” (Hebrews 2:5-8)

God’s grant of dominion takes the form of a testamentary trust.

A testamentary trust is a type of trust that is created in a last will and testament…

Like all trusts, a testamentary trust allows the creator to stipulate how the assets contained in the trust will be disbursed. People often use testamentary trusts if they want to be able to specify when they leave their assets to a beneficiary. For instance, a parent might not want to leave their assets to their child until he or she turns 18 or graduates from college. The trust terminates when the beneficiary receives the specified assets…

A testamentary trust involved three parties. The grantor or settlor is the person who creates the trust in order to transfer his or her assets. The beneficiary is the person or entity who is the recipient of the assets. The trustee handles the trust and manages the assets until the beneficiary takes over…

We can understand that

1. the grantor is YHVH Creator
2. the beneficiary is the Son assigned to take total control when he fully meets the criteria of the trust – achieving the likeness of the Father
3. and the trustee is a series of short-lived sons of God who manage the assets until the fully qualified Son of God inherits forever.

an oath is a solemn declaration, usually based on an appeal to God or to some revered person or object (Matthew 5:34-36), that someone will do some particular thing–like speak the truth, perform a particular act, keep a promise, etc. To swear is to make the oath. To forswear is to swear falsely.

This first testament granting dominion to humans who demonstrate the likeness of God follows the standard requirements when probated for authenticity.

• written down –
  • And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion. (Genesis 1:26)
  • Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” (Malachi 3:16-18)
  • ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven.” (Hebrews 12:22-23)
• signed, in blood no less – Back in the day before the alphabet or universal literacy, symbols / signs were used to identify a person, especially authority figures. Think sign-et ring or military in-sign-ia.

With this in mind, we should understand when God tells us that his sign-ature is found in the heavens.

• • And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven…and let them be for signs,” (Genesis 1:14)
  • For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:17-20)
  • “there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars…Men’s hearts failing them for fear…looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” (Luke 21:25-27)
  • “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, sign-ifieth the removing of those… things that are made…we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved.” (Hebrews 12:24-28)
• sealed / guaranteed to be truth by legal authority –
  • “And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation…And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground…day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God…Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee…Behold, we are servants this day…we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it…to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; (Ezra 8-10)
  • “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (II Timothy 2:19)
• and witnessed per required legal process –
  • “And I bought the field…and weighed him the money…And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses…the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: And I gave the evidence of the purchase…in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.” (Jeremiah 32:9-12)
  • “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:30-32)

In order for God to truly, in reality, have human sons of God who are actually “chips off the old block”, there must be humans who choose voluntarily to act as he chooses to act, out of deep love and commitment to the beloved’s welfare.  God’s children prove that we love like he loves when we stay committed despite worsening circumstances, sickness, poverty, even death.  This can only happen as we respond to circumstances. This character trait doesn’t get zapped into us at the moment of the new birth, any more than at the physical birth.  It has to be developed as we respond, in faith, to challenging circumstances.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (I John 4:7-11)

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..” (Matthew 5:44-45)

Developing God’s likeness – his character traits – in this life is what qualifies us to take dominion in the world to come. As any addict or simply dieter can testify, battling against one’s own “lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life” never ends in this lifetime.

But we see Yahweh’s Savior / Yeshua / Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren…For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted…And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But The Chosen One / Messiah / Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 2:5-11,18; 3:5-6)

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of  [being the current] Anointed One / Messiah / Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Every true believer who has merged his/her identity with the Savior can expect to be be faced with opportunities to develop love for God, expressed as staying faithful to him just as he stays faithful to us, forgiving trespasses against us and loving our enemies, and bringing his kingdom into play within our sphere of influence.

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13)

“…ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Yahweh’s Anointed Savior / Yeshua Messiah / Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Yahweh’s Anointed Savior/Yeshua Messiah/Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Yahweh’s Anointed Savior / Yeshua Messiah / Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:7-9)

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends...I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me…He that hateth [rejects] me hateth [rejects] my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated [rejected] both me and my Father.” (John 15:12-24)

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Yahweh’s Anointed Savior / Messiah Yeshua / Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Yahweh’s Savior/Yeshua/Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Yahweh’s Consecrated Savior / Yeshua Messiah / Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:4-11)

For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face…Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of The Consecrated One / Messiah / Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for The Consecrated One’s / Messiah’s / Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (II Corinthians 11:14-20, 12:7-10)

What?  What kind of paradox is that – when I am weak, then am I strong?  One way to understand this is that the power of The Consecrated One / Messiah / Christ only becomes apparent when we are at the end of our own resources.  If you’ve never experienced this, then you’ve never experienced the ultimate power trip.