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UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM

 

"Come, my people, and let me tell you of that which is the essence of the teaching of the entire Bible. It is the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. It is the estab­lishment of the reign of Heaven in the earth, until the entire earth is joined in perfection to the heavenly realms and they become one, causing that which is earthly to be transmuted and glorified, partaking of the ultimate of that which has been ordained by the Lord of all creation. Now consider, says the Lord, this Kingdom in its various aspects. Does not a Kingdom imply a ruler and those who are ruled? And if the ruler is truly righteous, does he not desire that all of his subjects be brought into a realm where they are partaking of all that is within His power to bless them with? Does he not reign to bring to his subjects the full benefit of all that he is and that which he possesses?

 

Look with me and behold the Kingdom of your God. Consider first the Kingdom as it was formed in its initial or preparatory stages to portray a type or pattern of that which would manifest at a later time. For first did the Lord bring a people out of Egypt to establish them as His Kingdom people, that they might receive the blessings of His reign, and also might show forth the blessings of that Kingdom to other peoples and nations. Is it not written that the people of Israel were joined to the Lord as a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation? (Exodus 19:6). They were therefore to portray by type that which the Lord would later do through a people who would be joined to Him in the power of His Spirit, and not according to the law of carnal commandments. The people of Israel were placed under the tutorship of law that they might learn certain important lessons, and that they might portray the pattern of that which would eventually be established through the person and ministry of the King Him­self, coming in human flesh.

 

Now hear my word! That which was portrayed through the nation of Israel was not the true Kingdom reality, but only the pattern; it was not the true Kingdom era, but only the prelude and the preparation. It is like the fetus within the womb of a woman before it is vivified by the spirit which is placed within it, and before it is fully developed and born into the world as a living organism. The true Kingdom is a living reality even as a living organism that is born into the world, indwelt and ruled by a spirit begotten of the Father. Even as a fetus is first merely a prepared vessel for a spirit begotten of the Father, which at the proper time is placed within it to vivify it, so was the physical nation of Israel merely the developmental stage of the Kingdom, as a pre­paration for the mighty Spirit of the Son of God to be mani­fested in human flesh within that nation. He took the devel­oping embryo of the Kingdom and by His personal ministry He vivified it—giving it spiritual life. Is it not written that the law and the prophets were until John, then the Kingdom of God was preached? (Luke 16:16). And did not John the Baptist, as the forerunner of the Messiah, by his ministry to a godly remnant of Israel, bring the developing Kingdom em­bryo to the place where it could be vivified by the mighty Spirit of the Son of God? By His own mighty Spirit, incar­nated within the body of the Nazarene, did the Son of God personally vivify the fetus of the Kingdom and bring it to the place where it could be born as a living organism. By His personal ministry did He take a remnant of the physical seed of Abraham, those who had received the preparatory ministry of the law and the prophets (Including the ministry of John the Baptist), coming forth as the embryo state of the Kingdom, and vivify it to spiritual life in preparation for birth.

 

Then the Son of God further prepared for the birth of the Kingdom-embryo by personally taking on Himself all that the law had brought about by its curse on the disobed­ient. He personally took on Himself the failure of the nation of Israel as well as the entire human race, by dying on the cross as sin's perfect ransom price. Now hear! Just before a babe is born from the womb of its mother, and in the moments of its birth as it comes forth to new life, it is very near death; it actually goes through the pangs of death just before it breathes into its lungs the atmosphere of its new-found environment. Even so did the Son of God, after He had brought the vivified fetus of the Kingdom to the time of birth, personally go through the birth-pangs of death on its behalf, vicariously suffering that the Kingdom might be brought to birth. And as He personally went through the agonies of death, so did that remnant, to which He had given spiritual life, go through the agonies of the death of their expectant hopes centered in their Messiah. For by His cruci­fixion their expectations were shattered and ended. But notice the pattern, says the Lord. After the 'birth-pangs' of death, the Son of God came forth from the grave 'breath­ing' the new atmosphere of glorified life. A new thing had been born—a new organism had come forth; the first-born of a new Kingdom realm had been manifested. And those who thought that their hopes had ended found new life.

 

Now was the time for the Kingdom to begin in reality and power. For the patterns through natural Israel had run their course; that which was preparatory was now to give way to the Kingdom realm in fact. When Jesus was raised from the dead to life forevermore, and when He imparted His own resurrection life to His disciples, then was the Kingdom a reality. That which had been a developing em­bryo under John the Baptist, had been vivified by the per­sonal ministry of Jesus the Christ, had experienced death-pangs during His crucifixion and entombment, was now brought forth in birth as a living reality. Now was the King ready to ascend to begin His reign as a King-Priest after the order of MeIchizedek. (Heb. 5:10, 7:17).

 

Consider not that which has been taught you in the schools of man's darkness. For man has taught that the King­dom realm is yet future. But l say to you that the Kingdom became a reality when Jesus came forth from the tomb; it was made manifest to the disciples in the upper room when Jesus breathed on them and said 'Receive [ ] the Holy Spirit' (John 20:22); it came in spiritual power on the day of Pentecost when the 120 received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Therefore realize that the Kingdom has been a living reality, a spiritual organism, a realm of power, blessings and glory for those who hear and heed its truths, since that day. But man has preferred to limit his God. Realizing his own inadequacy to comprehend and live in the full reality of the Kingdom realm, he has chosen to postpone it to some future era—covering his own ignorance and spiritual stupor by relegating that which is a present reality to a future hope. I say to you, my people, this has been the blinding error which has caused Satan to score a triumph in this world of material things. Blinded teachers have held out vague 'hope sos' in a world of uncertain tomorrows rather than preaching and demonstrating the present reality of a Kingdom which meets the needs of people in the here and now. There will yet be greater manifestations of the Kingdom in the ages to come, but this is only because man's grossness has made it necess­ary to delay the fuller expressions of the Kingdom until a people has been prepared to both receive and implement its ever-increasing realization. The new age which is even now beginning to dawn is sometimes called the 'Kingdom Age' only because it will see the realization of this greater mani­festation. Dispensational truth has its place in the plan of your God, but let none wrest it to a distortion of present Kingdom truth and the reality of an ever-reigning Christ over those who are His.

 

Now consider, says the Lord, what you must do to participate in this Kingdom. Do people benefit from the reign of a king and his kingdom realm if they are not citi­zens? Are you not born into this world as citizens of Lucifer's kingdom of darkness, and do you not remain in his kingdom until you are translated out of that kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light? (Col. 1:13), And how, I say, are you translated or transferred out of Lucifer's kingdom into the Kingdom of the Son of God? By way of birth! For is it not written, 'You must be born again?' (John 3:7). To be ‘born again' means to be regenerated within. This initial regenera­tion can be viewed as both a birth and a conception. It is a birth to citizenship in the present Kingdom of Christ, but with reference to the FULL ENTERING of the coming Heav­enly Kingdom in joint-heirship with Christ, it can be seen as a conception. This initial regeneration is by the incorrup­tible seed of Christ (I Pet. 1:23), and this brings ETERNAL LIFE to the soul, causing it to be 'born' into the present King­dom of Christ; but the ultimate ENTERING into the full king­dom in the heavenlies involves also the REDEMPTION of the physical body (Rom. 8:23). Thus with reference to THAT realm, and the 'birth' of the entire being OUT OF the earth­ly into the heavenly, the initial regeneration is but a con­ception.

 

You have already seen the application of this analogy as it pertains to the 'birth' of the Kingdom in the days of Jesus, and as it was exemplified in His own 'birth' from the dead to glorified life. He was the first to be 'born' into the heavenly Kingdom with a glorified body; but His purpose is to bring many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10). He is also cal­led the 'firstborn' from the dead (Col. 1:18, Rev. 1:5). Ac­cording to this analogy, the embryonic Christian life begins to grow and develop after its conception, but not until it is vivified by the baptism of the Holy Spirit does it receive the spiritual quickening and energizing necessary to bring it to full maturity. This is true of a fetus in a womb; it must re­ceive the quickening of a spirit from God, which is placed within at the ordained time, or it cannot fully develop and be ready for birth; otherwise it will miscarry. This is what happens in the lives of so many Christians; they miscarry or fail to arrive at that place of spiritual maturity necessary for them to be ready for 'birth' into the heavenly Kingdom. This does not mean they lose their salvation; it simply means they must come back to the earth in the resurrection and function in physical bodies that are still confined to the 'womb' of the earth, rather than being 'born' OUT OF the earthly Into the heavenly. This 'birth' into the heavenly Kingdom in­volves a complete change in the physical body to where it becomes a glorified body like to Christ's glorious body (Phil. 3:21). For some this will come by means of resurrec­tion to glorified life when Jesus returns for His chosen saints; for others it will take place as a change or translation while living. (I Thess. 4:16-17, I Cor. 15:51-52).

 

This full ENTERING INTO the heavenly kingdom is that which Jesus speaks of in John, Chapter 3, in these words: 'Except a man be born of (out of) water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' (3:5). This is that 'vivifying' experience so necessary for those who would be made ready for entrance or 'birth' into the heavenlies. It is a second generating by the Spirit following the initial regeneration by the incorruptible seed. It is being 'born' or generated out of the water or soulish realm into a realm of complete sanctification by the Spirit: designated in the scriptures as the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11). Is it not written that 'the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory?' (Ex. 29:43). And does not the Holy Spirit bap­tism completely sanctify the human tabernacle to the glory of God? There is an importation of divine substance, which corresponds to the glory-cloud which dwelt in the tabernacle pitched by Moses. And this glory-substance fully sanctifies the human tabernacle to the complete severance of the bent toward sin. But so few understand this, and believe not in its full accomplishment; and thus they receive not the full benefit of its intended purpose. It is the spirit-powered phase of that which is proclaimed by the apostle Paul that those baptized into Christ are dead to sin (Rom. 6:1-7). To be baptized in water in full confidence of this truth is impor­tant, but it is not until the 'coming on' of the Spirit that the faith exhibited in this physical act is fully implemented. For it is this complete sanctification by the Spirit that brings one out of the water or soulish condition of bondage to the desire-nature which precipitates into sin.

 

This same truth is also pictured by the rite of circum­cision which was performed on every male Hebrew babe the eighth day after he was born. Even so is the ‘new born' Christian to receive a 'circumcision’ experience by the Spirit not later than the eighth day after the initial regeneration by the incorruptible seed. You will note, says the Lord, that from this perspective the initial regeneration is seen as a birth rather than a conception. As the circumcision provided for a cutting away of the flesh, so is the baptism of the Holy Spirit to penetrate to the very core of one's being and ‘cut away’ or sever that which binds the person to his desire-nature. But because of ignorance of my plan there are few who receive the full benefit of their baptismal experience by the Spirit. This truth is also portrayed by the consecra­tion of Aaron to the high priestly ministry. He was instructed to wait at the door of the tabernacle for seven days after the initial cleansing rites had been accomplished (Lev. 8:35). Then on the eighth day fire proceeded out of the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and fell on the sacrifices which Aaron had placed on the altar (Lev.9:24). Even so will it be to my people when they fully understand my plan and pur­pose for them. They shall completely consecrate themselves to me for a period of seven days following their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior, that I may pour out on them my Spirit. This is the fire which fell on the altar of sacri­fice on the eighth day. Thus you see how important it is for the keys of understanding to be restored to my people that they may fully benefit from all that I have for them.

 

Now consider further that which is recorded in John, Chapter 3. Those 'born again' are to see the Kingdom, and those 'born of (out of) water and of the Spirit' are to enter into the Kingdom. The initial regeneration provides eternal life for the soul through the incorruptible seed. Those who fail to go beyond this experience in their Christian life, re­ceiving not the full benefit of the Spirit's work, shall be resurrected back to the earth to live in deathless physical bodies within the confines of the earthly kingdom. This will be the nether pole of Christ's own Kingdom dwelling in the upper or heavenly realm around the earth. Those on earth will see the Kingdom through the appearance of the glorified members of that heavenly Kingdom for purposes of teaching and instruction. The ones functioning in glorified bodies in the heavenly Kingdom will have fully entered into the King­dom. They will be the ones who went beyond the initial regeneration and allowed the Spirit to do a complete work in them.

 

Now hear my Word! Whether seen from the point of view of a conception and development to birth through the life-giving and vivifying work of the Spirit, or from the point of view of an initial birth into the present Kingdom of Christ and the subsequent growth to maturity through the sancti­fying power of the Spirit, there can be no full entering into the Kingdom to joint-heirship with Christ in the heavenlies until a perfecting work has been done. There is coming an 'adoption' to full Sonship, which will be the result of a finished redemption, including the redemption of the body (Rom. 8:23) that it might be like to Christ's glorious body (Phil.3:21). When this is accomplished, that which has been but an earnest or down payment by the Spirit (Ephes. 1:14, II Cor. 1:22) will eventuate in the full purchased possession being liberated by the Spirit into the glories of joint-heirship with Christ (Rom. 8:17-19). Then shall the words be spoken by the King of Glory, 'Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' (Matt. 25:34). There is much more to be made known concerning the Kingdom, both that which now is and that which is coming, but these words are given that you might know and understand that which the Lord hath prepared for them that love Him. So receive [ ] now of the goodness of your God."

 

(end of prophecy.)

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