Kingdom Come

“The Endless is a movie that plays with our perceptions of time, space, and reality, and sketches the outlines of unimaginable / endless terror…Things become unmoored from scientifically verifiable truth…There are so many strange moments and images, most of them tossed-off…effectiveness comes from comparing what we’re told would happen against what actually does happen.“

And this is where the Word of God telling us in advance of what will happen before it actually does happen is of paramount importance.

The Bible is not a guidebook to a lifestyle, it is a guide to life itself. Only those who develop wisdom and understanding from studying the subject recognize and know how to respond with life sustaining action when confronted by death-dealing forces.

“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God…when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1-2, Hebrews 5:12)

So let’s review some of the first principles of the oracles of God, 90 of which are expressed documented just in the book of Genesis as “God said“. Seems to be that’s key. Then roughly half that number are documented in the book of Exodus with the establishment of the nation of Israel.

So it makes sense to back up to Genesis to ensure we’ve captured the very “first” principles of the oracles of God, where we discover that before there was a nation of Israel, Abraham is called – as much into being as anything else in Creation – “the father / authorizer of who belongs in the family with all its provisions”.

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?…what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness… faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness…the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was…through the righteousness of faith…of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” (Romans 4)

When we apply the full meaning of father as we’ve come to understand it in ancient culture (see post on Father Abraham if you don’t understand this), we understand the extent of Paul’s claim to Gentile believers. He is explaining that the original assembly of post-flood international believers continues to be the same assembly of believers after the establishment of the nation of Israel.

He is not allegorizing a relationship. He is stating a fact that Gentiles have equal standing with the physical descendants because all the children only qualify as legitimate children when they are acknowledged by the Father.

“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4)

Notice exactly what it is that Abraham and his seed are promised. To be heirs of the world, not just a piece of it as given to Israel. Paul is claiming the entire inheritance lost to Satan in the garden of Eden.

“O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, For God is the King of all the earth…God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham.” (Psalm 47)

The people of the God of Abraham include Abraham’s godly ancestors like Eber, Shem, Noah, Enoch, etc. back to Adam, as well as newcomers who identify with The Promised Seed / Messiah / Christ through the faith of Abraham so are granted fellow-citizenship with all the saints.

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who hath made both [Jews and Gentiles] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” (Ephesians 2:11-19)

Islam / Submission – is named for the very first principle of the oracles of God – “Obey”, while Christianity has eliminated it with its dogma of “saved by grace”,

When American Christians are putting their faith in their religion instead of the Word of God, this isn’t going to end well. The war with Iran is just a prelude.