Kingdom Truth: Volume Four

Today's understanding of the Kingdom of God is that there will be two groups of people in the age to come: the saved, and the lost. This is not the case. There will be three groups of people in the age to come: the Church, the nations of the saved, and the lost. The Tabernacle of the Congregation is a model of the Kingdom of God portraying the saved who rule (Israel, the elect of God), and the saved who are ruled (the saved nations of the earth--Revelation 21:24). In addition there will be those (hopefully few in number) who are lost forever to God and His saints.
The prevailing understanding of the Kingdom of God is that there will be two groups of people in the age to come: the saved, and the lost. This is not the case. There will be three groups of people in the age to come: the Church, the nations of the saved, and the lost.
The Book of Hebrews states that the new covenant is superior to the old covenant, to the Law of Moses. It often is expressed that the new covenant is superior because it includes a better forgiveness. Although under the Law of Moses the worshiper supposedly was forgiven through the shedding of the blood of bulls and goats, in actuality the forgiveness of the old covenant merely looked forward to Calvary. Now, however, under the new covenant, we really are forgiven, it is claimed.
Thus the Christian salvation often is perceived as a perfect, eternal forgiveness unrelated to the behavior of the believer. We believe this viewpoint proceeds from an incorrect interpretation of the Book of Hebrews.
Christ did not set up His Kingdom on the earth at His first coming because mature warrior-saints were not available at that time. One of the main purposes of the two thousand years of the Christian Era has been the development of a mature army, an army that has been brought to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. There must be a company of strong people in whom and with whom God in Christ can drive all sin and lawlessness from the face of the earth.
There is a big difference between a conduit and a tree of life. A conduit is a pipe through which something is conveyed. A tree of life is a continuing source of nourishment and healing for all who partake. The Kingdom of God consists of trees of life.
How are Christians to regard the admonitions and warnings of Christ and His Apostles? Are we to consider them important moral guidelines we ought to heed whenever convenient, knowing we are not saved by doing these but by our profession of faith in Christ?
Or are we to view the commandments and warnings given by Christ and His Apostles as the Word of God we must keep, as He gives us the wisdom and power, with the understanding it is only as we obey them that we enter the Kingdom of God?—that we show our love for Christ and become candidates for the fullness of God (John 14:23)?
It appears today there is almost total ignorance of the new covenant. What is being preached in most Christian churches is not scriptural, it is not the new covenant. There is widespread blindness but God is ready to remove the veil. There are at least two incorrect ways and one correct way to regard the commandments of Christ and His Apostles, to conceive of the new covenant.