(Your Citizenship is in Heaven Above)
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.” – John 18:36
The Bible tells us of a “Kingdom of Heaven” – the “Kingdom of God” and His Christ. The expressions “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Kingdom of God” are synonymous, and in many ways, the Bible equates the Kingdom with the Church. Brother or sister in Christ, be not deceived; you are in the “Kingdom of Heaven” right now, today, this very day; it is not some “future earthly millennial reign” yet to come! The “Kingdom of God” coincides with this age of grace, this gospel period, and the church age, and will continue until Jesus returns from heaven “in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven”: literally, visibly and also “in His glory” “with His mighty angels in flaming fire” for all to see on the great Day of Judgment.
The Kingdom is referred to by several names:
- The Kingdom of God (62 times)
- The Kingdom of Heaven (32 times)
- My Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 26:29),
- My Kingdom (Luke 22:30),
- The Kingdom of the Son of Man (Matthew 13:41),
- The Kingdom of Jesus (Revelation 1:9),
- The Kingdom of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 4:1),
- The Kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians 5:5),
- The Kingdom of Our Lord and His Christ (Revelation 11:15),
- The Kingdom of Our God and the Authority of His Christ (Revelation 12:10),
- The Kingdom of His Beloved Son (Colossians 1:13)
ONCE AGAIN, MANY FALSE TEACHINGS
I realize it’s very tiring (exhausting actually) to have to constantly confront false teachings, but we must continue to do so as we “contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints.” So, once again, you will find rampant and widespread false teachings today about the “Kingdom of God.” These false teachings come under the names “dispensational premillennialism” or “pre-tribulation rapture” (and its related permutations and false teachings such as the “3rd Temple”), which make the claim that Jesus will return to reign on earth in a “1000-year earthly millennial reign” from the literal city of Jerusalem and that all of this is still sometime yet in the future. These false teachings deny that your very own Lord and King is ruling and reigning right now in His Kingdom, today, this very day from heaven, seated on the “throne of His father David.” These false teachings seek only after the nationalistic, political, and economic agendas of man and governments, not the things of Christ. These false teachings also contradict the very statements of Jesus.
A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM
The Kingdom is much more spiritual than physical; it is spiritually understood (like the book of Revelation), and unless one is born again, he cannot see (or understand) or enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus is “Kingdom of God” and therefore the Kingdom is “in your midst” – for wherever Jesus is, there also is the Kingdom. Where the King is, there also is the Kingdom. With Christ dwelling in our hearts, there again is the Kingdom among (and within) us and within the Church – the Kingdom is in the heart of every believer.
The Jews of Jesus’ day were looking for and expecting that He was going to establish a literal, earthly, physical kingdom where Israel would break free from Roman occupation and rule with Jesus as king. Jesus tried to correct their misconception when He clearly and unambiguously declared that His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom (“my kingdom is not of this world”) and that it is not coming with “signs to be observed” (i.e., that it is a spiritual kingdom, that it is not “of this realm”), and that it is “in your midst” (i.e., among us, the body of believers in Christ):
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” – John 18:36
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” – Luke 17:20-21
Those clear and direct statements of Christ cannot be twisted to mean anything but what they say.
We also see above that Christ said that the Kingdom is among those who follow Him (i.e., comprised of, within, among you, “in your midst,” the Church). If you will, the “Kingdom of God” can be described as a Spiritual Monarchy with Christ as King. The Kingdom has two realms, or natures: 1) it is heavenly and above where Christ is ruling and reigning, and 2) it is also among us, the worldwide body of believers, the body of Christ, which is also the “Church of Christ” and “wherein Christ also dwells” as He reigns in the hearts of believers.
Furthermore, the “Kingdom of Heaven” is to endure for eternity, so we are not to look for still yet another future so-called “millennial kingdom,” and it will be fully manifest when all things are made new:
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. – Psalm 145:13
…for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. – 2 Peter 1:11
“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
“And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13-14
THE KINGDOM IS NOW (Jesus is Already Ruling and Reigning!)
You have already read in the chapter on the coming great Day of Judgment that when Jesus returns, it will not be for an additional “1000-year millennial” reign here on earth; no, the great Day of Judgment will have arrived, for it is written:
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. – 1 Corinthians 15:20-26
John the Baptist had foretold the arrival of the kingdom at the start of Jesus’ ministry (i.e., the kingdom was already “at hand” – near), and Jesus repeated that same message:
Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:1-2
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17
Scripture also tells us that Christ would receive His kingdom (and thereby begin His rule and reign) after He ascended to the Father:
“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” – Daniel 2:44
“In the days of those kings” refers to the fourth kingdom of Daniel’s dream, which is identified with the Roman Empire, which also corresponds to when Jesus lived on earth. He ascended to the Father from the Mount of Olives forty days after He was resurrected from death:
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” – Acts 1:9-11
After His ascension, Jesus was “seated at the right hand of God” the Father in heaven, and He is ruling and reigning right now (and “who also intercedes for us” with the Father – for He is the “one [only] mediator between God and men”):
When He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. – Ephesians 1:20-21
Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. – Romans 8:34
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. – Hebrews 7:25
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 2:5
Jesus said that some of His disciples would see Him “coming in His kingdom” before they died and that the Kingdom was to arrive visibly and “with power”:
“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” – Matthew 16:28
Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” – Mark 9:1
This coming in power (and hence seeing Him in His Kingdom) was fulfilled at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out:
“…for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” – Acts 1:5
“…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. – Acts 2:1-4
We further read other inspired writers (Paul and John) stating that they were already “fellow partakers” and priests in the Kingdom. This was written before A.D. 81-90, so if the Kingdom was already in effect then, it surely is in effect now (not at some future “earthly millennial reign” time):
…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – Revelation 1:5-6
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. – Revelation 1:9
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Colossians 1:13-14
THE KINGDOM – CURRENT AND FUTURE
Many are unsure if the “Kingdom of God” is here now or still in the future and whether it’s on earth or in heaven. It actually encompasses all of those, for the “Kingdom of God” has several aspects or realms:
- Here and now: The current state of the Kingdom is the people of God on earth, which is the church under the gospel dispensation (which is also described as “the bride of Christ”) and under the leadership and headship of Christ for Christ is reigning right now, and
- Future heavenly: The future state after Jesus’ return will be a heavenly kingdom, when “He will wipe away every tear” and there will be no more sin, suffering, or death. This is wonderfully described (using symbolism) in the ending chapters of the book of Revelation (see the chapter All Things Made New).
It should also be noted that the “New Jerusalem” city described in Revelation is not some literal city on earth but is a symbolic depiction of the heavenly “Kingdom of God” (i.e., the “Kingdom of Heaven”) and the church (referred to again as the “bride of Christ”) where the people of God dwell together with Him. “New Jerusalem” is also equated to “the bride of Christ” (i.e., the church).
THE WOLF WILL DWELL WITH THE LAMB
The verses of Isaiah 11:6-9 are perhaps some of the most widely misunderstood verses in the entire Bible:
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea. – Isaiah 11:6-9
These verses are used to support false teachings about the kingdom (i.e., that it is still yet future and earthly). The error made is in forcing a literal interpretation of the verses. The Bible often refers to the various types (characters, natures) of man using the symbolism of animals. Jesus Himself was described as a “lamb.” Paul, when he was persecuting the early church, was described as a “wolf,” and false teachers are also described as “wolves” – for they devour the “sheep” of the Lord (true Christians). The hypocritical religious rulers of Jesus’ day were described as a “den of vipers.”
These verses mean that under the New Testament gospel age of grace (this church age right now), those who accept and abide in Christ will all dwell together peacefully as brothers and sisters. Those who by nature were “wolves,” after conversion in accepting Christ, will become as “lambs”; just like the Apostle Paul after he was converted on the road to Damascus – he went from persecuting (and even killing) Christians to then peacefully dwelling with them. These verses do not mean that there will be a literal “millennial reign of Christ” on Earth where literal wolves will lie alongside literal lambs. The same goes for the rest of the Isaiah passage.
WE ARE FELLOW PARTAKERS AND PRIESTS IN HIS KINGDOM (i.e., BE A KINGDOM BUILDER)
Prophecy from the book of Daniel is also abused, distorted, and twisted to support the earthly political agendas of man, but be not deceived. The “seventy weeks” of Daniel prophecies were completely fulfilled in Christ’s time – for Christ died (He was “cut off,” i.e., crucified) for your sins in the middle of the 70th week as stated in the book of Daniel and fulfilling the prophecy. There is no “missing” week of years left (the so-called “7-year great tribulation of the Antichrist”) before Christ’s kingdom is set up.
When Jesus had won victory over sin, Satan and death (which He did at the cross through His own death and resurrection), He ascended back into heaven (from whence He came) to begin His rule and reign in the Kingdom of God, which began on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out “with power” as a visible manifestation of the arrival of the kingdom. The prophecy of the Old Testament book of Daniel 2 states that a series of earthly kingdoms were to arise (Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire) and that the kingdom of heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ will be set up during the days of “those kings.” It was indeed during the time of the Roman Empire that Christ was born, lived, died, and was resurrected. It was at this time that Christ ascended to be “[seated] at the right hand God” in heaven, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” It was also at this time that Satan, the “prince [ruler] of this world,” was “cast down [out]” and Christ began His eternal rule and reign as “King” and “High Priest” for all eternity in His Kingdom, which “will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”
Contrary to how it may appear to many in this fallen world, Satan is no longer in charge; Christ is. Satan was “cast out” as “ruler of this world” by Christ when He was victorious over sin and death at the cross. However, Christ has not returned yet, and judgment has not occurred yet, solely because Jesus is allowing more time for the lost to come to Him and receive the gift of eternal life.
So, brother or sister in Christ, know that all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are fellow “priests” with Him in His kingdom this very day – and yes, even more, we are “ambassadors for Christ”! It’s not just the job of your “Pastor” to lead others to Christ; it is your job. You are a priest also! In fact, the modern Church position titles that have arisen in various denominations of so-called “Christianity” (e.g., a single “Pastor,” “Cardinal,” “Bishop,” “Pope,” “Father,” “Reverend,” etc.) have so deformed the true, basic, and simple nature of the gospel message that it’s no wonder many Christians today are lost and confused. So be about the work of your Lord and King and share the gospel message with someone today.
You are a kingdom builder, a fellow priest in the kingdom, so step out in confidence and boldness, sharing Christ with the lost. We are called to always be about the business of our Lord and King, which is to help build His kingdom. We do this as we obey one of the commandments of Christ which, is to “preach [share] the gospel with all of creation (everyone).” A Christian is not called to worry about, nor participate and get entangled in, worldly affairs and matters such as politics and the agendas of man. We are to focus on what Christ has commanded us to do, which is to reach the lost. By wasting our time and energy worrying about, participating in, and endlessly arguing about worldly or political matters, we are not giving our best to what is most important. Also, note that we cannot be kingdom builders unless there is already a kingdom. Let us, therefore, look to our Lord and King in confidence, knowing He is righteous and true, “always abounding in the work of the Lord.”
THE KINGDOM GROWS TO FILL THE EARTH
The kingdom of heaven and our Christ will grow from a tiny “mustard seed” to fill the entire earth, as the gospel is preached to all of creation (everyone):
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” – Matthew 13:31-32
“…it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.” – Daniel 2:44
Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war. – Isaiah 2:2-4
This Kingdom is also referred to as Mount Zion, the holy mountain of the Lord, which will be set up in “the last days” (which is this church age and this age of grace under Christ in which we now live) and which grows to fill the whole earth:
And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
“Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For from Zion will go forth the law,
Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, distant nations.
Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.
Each of them will sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
Though all the peoples walk
Each in the name of his god,
As for us, we will walk
In the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
“In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble the lame
And gather the outcasts,
Even those whom I have afflicted.
“I will make the lame a remnant
And the outcasts a strong nation,
And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
From now on and forever.
“As for you, tower of the flock,
Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come—
Even the former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. – Micah 4:1-8
The Kingdom grows as we press forward in confidence, boldness, and perseverance, continuing to share the gospel “message of truth” with those who are lost. Know without any doubt that the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior is advancing every single day, and nothing whatsoever under the sun, on Earth, under the earth, in the heavens, nor the schemes of man or Satan can stop it. Victory has already been assured (past tense).
Note: This by no means indicates that there will be widespread “peace on earth” before Christ returns, a so-called “golden age” of Christianity – that is still yet another false teaching of the “wolves” called “dispensational postmillennialism.”
HEAVENLY KINGDOM OF GLORY REVEALED
The heavenly Kingdom will be fully revealed in glory on Judgment Day at Christ’s return:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” – Matthew 25:31-34
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. – 1 Corinthians 15:20-24
Only Old Testament saints and those who have been born again of the Spirit according to the instructions given in the New Testament (and as explained correctly in this book) who have remained faithful until death, been obedient to the commandments of God and His Christ, and not found idle will be allowed entry to the eternal Kingdom. It is written that “many” will be turned away right from the very gates of heaven and eternity itself:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” – Matthew 7:21-27
This is why this book has constantly reinforced the need for the believer in Christ to understand that being born again is only the first step in their Christian pilgrimage. A Christian must also be obedient to the commands of Christ, be active and working in the Kingdom of God (i.e., not being a mere professor of the word, but a “doer” of the word – “bearing fruit,” “good works”), and also persevere in faith until death. We must pay heed to the strong warning in Scripture to NOT take our salvation lightly or for granted. It is up to each of us individually to ensure our own salvation and not “come short of” of eternal life!
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. – Philippians 2:12-13
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? – 2 Corinthians 13:5
Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. – Hebrews 4:1
I hope to see you in the heavenly Kingdom of Glory when Christ returns on Judgment Day. Amen.
FALSE TEACHING(S) YOU WILL ENCOUNTER:
- Distortions of Matthew 24 (the Olivet Discourse)
- Setting dates for Jesus’ return
- Dispensational Premillennialism
- Dispensational Postmillennialism
- Modern/popular eschatology (we are waiting for a “Third Temple” to be built, or the “Battle of Armageddon” to occur first, or “the Antichrist” person to arise, or Gog and Magog, or “signs and wonders” in the skies, or the “Secret Rapture,” or the “7-Year Great Tribulation” period, and other bizarre interpretations of the book of Revelation, the “Mark of the Beast” as a chip implant or tattoo, etc. ad infinitum it seems…and all false)
- Jesus already returned in A.D. 70 (i.e., Preterism)
RELATED SCRIPTURE:
These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. – Ephesians 1:19b-21
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. – Isaiah 9:6-7
“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” – John 12:31-32
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Colossians 1:13-14
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. – Philippians 3:20-21
Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.” – Matthew 13:24-26
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe. – Hebrews 12:28
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. – Revelation 20:1-3
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. – Matthew 25:1-13
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” – Revelation 12:10
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4
