The Teachings of the Kingdom (re-edited)

Theology
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The teachings of the Kingdom (coming Millennium Kingdom - Revelation 20:6; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:10; Luke 22:29-30 – judging Israel only; Revelation 22:5—NC) have not been applied to any man. Since they anticipate the binding of Satan (Rev 20:2—NC), a purified earth (Romans 8:22—NC), the restoration of Israel (Jer 31-33; Eze 36:25-27; Jeremiah 30:3—NC), and the personal reign of the King (Rev 20:4—NC), they cannot be applied until God’s appointed time when these accompanying conditions on the earth have been brought to pass.

The Kingdom laws will be addressed to Israel and beyond them to all the nations which will enter the Kingdom. It will be the first and only universal reign of righteousness and peace in the history of the world. One nation was in view when the Law of Moses was in force in the earth (Israel—NC); the individual is in view during this age of grace, and the whole social order of mankind will be in view when the kingdom is established on the earth.

The reign of the King is never said to be ushered in by a gradual process of world improvement; it is introduced suddenly and with great violence (Luk 16:18—NC). Satan and the satanic deception will have been removed from the earth (Rev 20:3—NC). Israel will have realized the glory of her Covenants (inheriting the New Earth—NC), and the long predicted blessing will have come upon the Gentiles (New Heaven—NC, and upon creation itself (Ro 8:22).

The Church is not once mentioned in relation to the teachings of the Kingdom, nor are those teachings applied to her; for her part in the Kingdom is not to be reigned over, but to reign with Christ—her Head. She, being the Bride of the King, is His Consort. She will be under the heavenly teachings of grace, and her home will be in the bosom of the Bridegroom in the ivory palace of the King. The King will rule with a rod of iron. Sin and iniquity will be rebuked instantly and judged in perfect righteousness. Clear conception of the glory of the Kingdom is lost if it is confused with the age of grace.

There is a dangerous and entirely baseless sentiment abroad which assumes that every teaching of Jesus must be binding during this age simply because He said it. The fact is forgotten that the Lord Jesus, while living under, keeping and applying the Law of Moses, also taught the principles of His future Kingdom, and, at the end of His ministry and in relation to His Cross, He also anticipated the teachings of grace. If this threefold division of the teachings of Jesus is not recognized, there can be nothing but confusion of mind and consequent contradiction of truth.

The ceremonial law required for its observance the presence of Jehovah in the holy of holies, an altar, a priesthood, and a temple in Jerusalem. All these prerequisites for the observance of the ceremonial law were withdrawn at the beginning of the present age. The Church of Rome, in its attempt to continue the law system, proposed to meet this difficulty by creating its own altar, temple service and priesthood, and alleges that the Lord is present in the consecrated bread.

The teachings of grace are perfect and sufficient in themselves. They provide for the instruction of the child of God in every situation which may arise. There is no need that they be supplemented, or augmented, by the addition of precepts from either the Law of Moses or the teachings of the Kingdom.

  • Dr. L. S. Chafer (1871-1952)

MJS daily devotional excerpt for September 29

“During the first half of your Christian life you are concerned about your doing (am I doing what God wants me to do—NC); in the second half you will be burdened about your being (am I always concerned that I’m living for God).

“The more simply devoted you are to the Lord Jesus, who is worthy of all devotion, the more fragrance there will be in all your ways; for it will be manifested that you are not seeking yourself, not wincing because your rights are invaded, or that you are not as much cared for as you are entitled to be. Rather, there is only one governing thought of your life about everything, and that is, how you may distinguish Him who fills every need in your heart, and lights it up with unfading joy.” - James Butler Stoney (1814-1897).

“Nothing can be so divinely beautiful on earth as a believer so transformed by the Spirit of God, that he is in heavenly manners here on earth; so that he does not in any of his ways deny the Lord Jesus Christ; but in the most trying hour of his history upon the earth the Lord can say of him, ‘thou hast a little power, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My Name.’” -J.B.S.

“In creation God planted a man in the garden in innocence; in redemption He has planted a Man in heaven, in glory. There is a glory that excelleth. The glory in redemption leaves the glory that was once in creation as nothing.” - John Gifford Bellett (1795-1864)

“For every believer who actually crosses over into the Promised Land there are far too many who stand for a while and look longingly across the river, and then turn sadly back to the comparative safety of the sandy wastes of the self-life.”

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This is a rough day. I have not seen this many incorrect teachings in a while. Not just you @NetChaplian, but others in other threads today. You seem to be presenting a classic defense of Ultra-Dispensationalism (or Hyper-Dispensationalism), specifically drawing from the classic Scofield/Chafer tradition of dispensational theology.

While Lewis Sperry Chafer (co-founder of Dallas Theological Seminary) is a towering figure in 20th-century American Protestantism, the theological framework you are outlining is rejected by mainstream Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and even many modern Covenant and Progressive Dispensationalist scholars.

Here is a breakdown of the major logical and biblical flaws in your post:

The Separation of Jesus’ Teachings (The “Threefold Division”): You argue that not all of Jesus’ teachings apply to Christians today? Claiming He spoke under the Mosaic Law, taught rules for a future earthly Kingdom, and only occasionally hinted at “Grace.” Under this view, teachings like the Sermon on the Mount or the Lord’s Prayer are strictly “Kingdom Law” for Israel, not instructions for the Church.

This fractures the unity of Christ’s message. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20), Jesus explicitly commanded His disciples to “teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” He did not tell them to filter out “Kingdom teachings” or save certain sermons for a future millennium.

My brother, you are redefining Grace vs. Law: Jesus explicitly states that He came to fulfill the Law, not set it aside to be replaced by compartmentalized eras where His own words become irrelevant to His followers.

What you are doing, intentionally or not, is slicing the church away from the Kingdom. Your post asserts that the Church is completely separate from the Kingdom of God. That the Church is a “heavenly bride” who will rule, while the Kingdom teachings apply strictly to Israel and the nations on Earth. Please tell me I’m wrong?

The New Testament repeatedly presents Christians as current citizens and participants in the Kingdom of God. Paul writes in Colossians 1:13 that

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”

In Romans 14:17, Paul defines the Kingdom not as a future political state with a rod of iron, but as

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Right now.

Making a hard, wall-like boundary between “Israel’s earthly kingdom” and “the Church’s heavenly grace” requires ignoring dozens of New Testament passages where Gentile believers are grafted into Israel’s promises (Romans 11, Ephesians 2:11–22).

I believe that you are mischaracterizing the transition of the Covenants. You claim that the Kingdom laws cannot apply until Satan is physically bound, creation is restored, and Israel is re-established, arguing that the reign of God cannot happen gradually.

Jesus consistently taught that the Kingdom of God arrives like a mustard seed or leaven in dough (Matthew 13:31–33). Growing gradually in the hearts of believers and in society before its final, visible consummation. You seem to force an “all-or-nothing” literalism: either Christ is physically ruling on Earth with a rod of iron right now, or His Kingdom teachings have zero application today.

Now, although I think it is an oversimplification, I do not think you are wrong about the Catholic Church. Historically: Christian worship (Eucharist, priesthood, altars) developed out of early Jewish-Christian worship patterns, fulfillment of Melchizedek’s priesthood (Hebrews 7), and the sacrificial language of the New Covenant itself. Not a desperate attempt by medieval priests to replicate the Old Testament Tabernacle.

Then you switch gears into devotional quotes from Plymouth Brethren writers like J.B. Stoney and J.G. Bellett. Interestingly, while the first half (Chafer) pushes a rigid, hyper-systemized theological framework that divides Scripture into sharp compartments, the devotional quotes (Stoney/Bellett) focus on personal transformation, dying to self, and reflecting Christ’s character. Ironically, virtues that Jesus explicitly taught in the very “Kingdom teachings” (like the Sermon on the Mount) that the first half of your post claims don’t apply to the Church today!

You seem to be promoting a hyper-compartmentalized view of the Bible. To make this system work, one has to tell Christians that much of what Jesus said in the Gospels wasn’t actually meant for them to follow today. Mainstream Christian theology rejects this, holding that Jesus’ teachings form the foundational ethic for all believers in every era.

Please help me to understand your post better.

Be blessed,

Peter

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Keep up the good work @NetChaplian.

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A Satanic Pattern Is Spreading Through Christian Circles

Rom 16:17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

Rom 16:18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Rom 16:19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

Rom 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Rom 16:21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

Rom 16:22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Rom 16:23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

Doxology

Rom 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages

Rom 16:26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

Rom 16:27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

And Nate LOVE D. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

J.

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You are a very astute Brother, catching somewhat of the Brethren articles! The first coming kingdom will be about Israel and the new earth (the earth has always been Israel’s Canaan). The following new heaven will be for the Christians.

The teachings of the Kingdom have not been applied to any man, until the millennial kingdom arrives.

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Hi NetChaplian,

I also believe in the millennial reign of Christ through Israel from heaven.

Now there is no such thing as the bride.` Just as Jesus is not a Lamb nor a lion, they are symbols. God`s word clearly says -

`Then I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared AS a bride…` (Rev. 21: 2)

` the great city, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God having the GLORY OF GOD. (Rev. 21: 10 & 11)

The symbol bride means - glory of God.

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Since I consider the Millennium to be symbolic and apocalyptic language, I do not subscribe to any form of Millennialism (aka Chialism). I would be regarded as an Amillennialist. I believe the Millennium best describes the heavenly reign of Christ, who taken into heaven at the right hand of the Father, fulfilled the prophecy in Daniel of the Son of Man taken before the Ancient of Days and given everlasting dominion.

Christ reigns, right now, as King of kings and Lord of lords. We do not await a future earthly kingdom; we experience the kingdom now through the power and presence of God’s grace in His Church.

What we await for isn’t Jesus becoming a Roman emperor on earth. We await the fullness of the kingdom with the resurrection of the body, and the full renewal and restoration of all things.

Naturally, I also reject any attempt to claim that anything Jesus said doesn’t apply to us today. Jesus taught His Church, i.e. His Apostles. Those same Apostles, when filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, went out among the nations preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, the Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Jesus, and the salvation which is found in Him–which is the grace of God.

And, here again, is a classic example for why I don’t just reject Dispensationalism, in all forms. But consider the entirety of Dispensationalism to be abhorrent to the Gospel.

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You are right that symbols represent deeper spiritual truths. Jesus isn’t literally a woolly lamb, and the Bride isn’t a single human woman. However, dismissing the concept of “the Bride” entirely overlooks how pervasive this relationship is throughout Scripture.

A metaphor represents a real entity. Just as “The Shepherd” points to Jesus caring for real believers, “The Bride” represents God’s covenant relationship with His redeemed people.

Paul explicitly connects human marriage to Christ and His Church

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." Ephesians 5:31–32

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb: Revelation 19:7–9 describes the Bride making herself ready for the marriage of the Lamb.The New Jerusalem: In Revelation 21:2, 9–10, the angel tells John,

“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb,” and shows him the Holy City coming down. A city is defined by its inhabitants. The New Jerusalem is the capital city where God’s glorified people dwell together

New Jerusalem
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It represents the collective corporate body of believers adorned in God’s glory. God Dwells WITH Humanity on the New Earth. The ultimate home for believers is not a distant sky-heaven, but a renewed creation right here.

Heaven Comes Down: Scripture teaches that God doesn’t whisk us away to live eternally in the clouds; instead, He brings Heaven down to Earth.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:1–3

The phrase “new heaven and new earth” refers to a total renewal of the cosmos (the atmosphere/sky and the earth) free from the curse of sin. God’s throne and presence descend to reside directly on the New Earth among His resurrected people. This is the way I have always seen “The New Jerusalem.”

Be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is LORD!

Peter

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Funny how many view Reformed theology to be “abhorrent to the GosPill”

J.

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Hi Marilyn! I think the New Jerusalem is considered a bride because it contains her at the time of descension, which will be to the Lord Jesus!

John Gill: “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;” Christ is the husband, or bridegroom, and the church is his spouse, and bride; and in these characters they will both appear at this time, when the marriage between them will be consummated: and the church may be said to be prepared as such, when all the elect of God are gathered in, the number of the saints is perfected; when the good work of grace is finished in them all, and they are all arrayed in the righteousness of Christ: and to be “adorned,” when not only they are clothed with the robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation, and are beautified with the graces of the Spirit, but also with the bright robes of immortality and glory. The phrase is Jewish.

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Amen,
Here and now, Husbands are instructed to emulate Christ who,

“…loved the church (His bride) and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:25-26)

KP

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Hi Peter,

The lord by His Holy Spirit is revealing the Body of Christ. Paul lays out that the Body of Christ is the new man, (Eph. 2: 15) and we will be brought to the mature/perfect man(Eph. 4: 13) and we are toput on the new man,` (Eph. 4: 24)

Then when Paul gets to ch. 5 & 6 he is exhorting and encouraging the disciples - men, women, children. Paul does not now change the sex of the Body of Christ from the new man, (male & female) to just female. Eph. 5: 24 - 31 concerns how husbands are to love their wives (as their own body) as Christ does His own body.

For we are members of His BODY, of His flesh and of His bones. (Eph. 5: 30)

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The wedding supper of the Lamb, in Rev. 19: 7 is to His former wife. And we know that is Israel. (Isa. 54: 5 & 6)

`For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy one of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

For the LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused.`

The LORD divorced Israel and later when He delivers then from their enemies He will connect, (marry) them again. Husband in Hebrew means master. And that is the relationship of God and Israel.

For the Body of Christ the Lord is the head and we are His Body. That is a closer relationship.

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You are right we wont live in the clouds, the universe but in the third heaven where the Lords own throne isfar above all in this age and that which is to come. (Eph. 1: 21)

I notice in the picture that the symbolic city is above the earth. That is so its light can illuminate the earth as it revolves.

The word throne means God`s authority. And His authority is through out His great kingdom from the third heaven, through the Universe and on the earth. However, His seat of power and authority is far above all, in the third heaven.

The city comes down OUT of heaven FROM God. Heaven does not come down nor does God, only God`s authority by the Holy Spirit throughout His great kingdom.

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@Marilyn1 I appreciate your desire to look closely at Paul’s letters and the Old Testament background! However, I believe taking these biblical metaphors as mutually exclusive creates a conflict where Scripture intends harmony.

A few points to consider: Metaphors describe relationship, not biological gender. Scripture frequently uses different symbols to explain different dimensions of our relationship with God. The Church is described as a Temple (structure/dwelling), a Body (unity/life), and a Bride (covenant devotion/intimacy).

When Paul calls the Church the ‘New Man’ (anthropos, human being) in Ephesians 2, he is referring to the spiritual unity of Jew and Gentile made one in Christ. He is not referring to a literal gender. Just as all believers (male and female) are called ‘sons of God’ regarding our inheritance (Gal. 3:26), all believers collectively form the “Bride” regarding our covenant devotion to Christ. In fact, Paul explicitly tells the Corinthian church: “I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2).

Ephesians 5 directly connects marriage to Christ and the church. In Ephesians 5, Paul links the concepts of "Body" and “Bride” together rather than separating them. After describing how a husband loves his wife as his own body, Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 (‘the two shall become one flesh’) and states explicitly:

“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:32

Paul isn’t just giving marital advice; he is revealing that earthly marriage was created from the beginning to be a living parable of Christ’s one-flesh covenant union with His Church.

The unified bride of Revelation. While God indeed betrothed Himself to Israel in the Old Testament (Isa. 54:5), the New Testament reveals that the ultimate Bride, the New Jerusalem, brings together both Old and New Covenant believers into one corporate body.

In Revelation 21:9–14, when the angel shows John “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb,” the city contains the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on its gates AND the 12 apostles on its foundations. The Bride of the Lamb is the complete, resurrected assembly of God’s redeemed people throughout all history.

The beauty of the Gospel is that through Christ, there is no longer a division. We are one Body, one Temple, and one beloved Bride awaiting the return of our Bridegroom.

Also, according to the New Testament, heaven comes down to earth. God does not stay far away in a separate realm while humanity resides on a renewed earth. Instead, God moves His residence to be directly among His people.

The climax of the biblical story addresses this specifically: Revelation 21:1–3 describes a “new heaven and a new earth,” and John sees the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God to the new earth. A voice from the throne announces: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” Revelation 21:3.

God’s Throne on the New Earth: Revelation 22:3 reinforces this by stating that “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city,” referring to the New Jerusalem that rests on the new earth.

While popular culture often imagines the eternal destination as floating on clouds in a distant heaven, orthodox Christian theology teaches the ultimate goal is resurrection and physical life on a renewed creation, where God rules directly from among His people rather than from a distance.

Be blessed,
Peter