We are told of kingdoms of the world, the kingdom of Israel, and the Kingdom of Heaven that we pray each day will be on earth as it is in heaven. God manages all three, but Christ brought the kingdom of heaven to us.
The kingdoms of the world all are influenced by demons. They are all temporary kingdoms. They have laws and a territory. To be a citizen of any of them demands such loyalty that if you are called in case of war you would give your life for them.
The kingdom of Israel was established by the Lord and its citizens were saints and priests. It had fleshly laws, penalties, and rewards. If they obeyed the laws, they were given good crops and they prospered, if they disobeyed these were taken from them. This kingdom had an earthly territory until Christ came and replaced it with the kingdom of heaven.
Christ replaced the kingdom of Israel with the kingdom of heaven. Its territory is heaven itself. Its citizens live in the kingdoms of the world but they are citizens of the kingdom of heaven where their loyalties lie. Its laws are very different from the laws of the world, they are revolutionary. Even though they are in war with demons they ask tthe citizens not to resist their enemy but give them love and kindness. They say that we need to love God and man more than money and things. They say our treasures need to be based on love instead of fancy cars, jewels, and houses. The cost of being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven is great and few want to pay it, but the rewards are priceless including eternal life.
The kingdoms of the world all are influenced by demons. They are all temporary kingdoms. They have laws and a territory. To be a citizen of any of them demands such loyalty that if you are called in case of war you would give your life for them.
The kingdom of Israel was established by the Lord and its citizens were saints and priests. It had fleshly laws, penalties, and rewards. If they obeyed the laws, they were given good crops and they prospered, if they disobeyed these were taken from them. This kingdom had an earthly territory until Christ came and replaced it with the kingdom of heaven.
Christ replaced the kingdom of Israel with the kingdom of heaven. Its territory is heaven itself. Its citizens live in the kingdoms of the world but they are citizens of the kingdom of heaven where their loyalties lie. Its laws are very different from the laws of the world, they are revolutionary. Even though they are in war with demons they ask tthe citizens not to resist their enemy but give them love and kindness. They say that we need to love God and man more than money and things. They say our treasures need to be based on love instead of fancy cars, jewels, and houses. The cost of being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven is great and few want to pay it, but the rewards are priceless including eternal life.
