2 Eden to Eternity Introduction p. 2

The premise of the study: 

In one of our conversations that my brother and I had concerning the scriptures, I asserted to him that in order to make sense of world history you needed to ask yourself how the movements of nations would have an effect on the nation of Israel. 

Since he was a believer in replacement theology, i.e. the idea that the church has replaced Israel, he didn't buy my assertion.

This study recognizes that both Biblical history and the history of nations are interwoven to progressively reveal Christ to and through His creation. For any who are attuned to this, history teaches mankind the truth of His word, the wisdom of His Word and the power of His Word. 

The existence and influence of the tiny nation of Israel over several millennia is a testament to the fact that it somehow fits into God's sovereign will. This study attempts to explore that reality.

In order to rightly understand the Bible we need to understand its dominant themes. The revelation of Jesus Christ from Creation to Coronation is the dominant theme that this study concerns itself with. My prayer is that it would bring clarity and equip us to explain God’s Kingdom program to our children, grandchildren and whatever other spheres of influence the Lord puts us in.

The purpose of this study:

1. To help us to see what God is accomplishing from Eden to Eternity; 
2. To help us to feel more confident in communicating that purpose; 
3. To motivate us to live out that purpose. 

The Power of this study:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." - 

Romans 1:16-17 KJV

“Where there is no hope in the future there is no power in the present”

God reveals Himself personally to us from faith to faith. Christian experience from the moment of salvation to the day of our death should include progressive depth of scriptural study. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the righteousness of God, (His goodness), is progressively revealed to us and through us as justified believers in Christ.

This class is intended to be a stimulus to bible study, not a substitute. It should cause you to question more answers than have me answer more questions. (Not to raise doubt but to foster depth and clarity)

The program of this study…

This study is taken from a dispensational perspective. In the Greek New Testament the word "oikonomia" is translated 'dispensation' four times. It is also translated as 'stewardship' three times and 'edifying' one time.

The word "oikonomia" the is the word that we get our English word economy from. Just as an economy describes how goods and services are dispensed, the word dispensation defines the method that God uses to dispense truth about Himself. God Himself does not change but as the first verse of Hebrews tells us, God uses diverse means at different times to speak to us.

 

e.g. the dispensation of government was given to Noah; The dispensation of the law to Moses; The dispensation of grace is found in Christ and given to His apostles to proclaim. This is specifically referred to in the ministry of the Apostle Paul:

"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:" - Ephesians 3:2 KJV

This does not mean that grace did not exist before Christ’s first appearance on earth, nor does it mean that it will cease to exist after Christ’s second appearance on earth. It just means that, at this time, God is revealing His grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is different than the the dispensation of glory that will be revealed when Christ reigns supreme on the earth. (1 Peter 4:13; 5:1; Romans 8:18)

As we continue in this study, we have to have settled, the matter of our eternal security. This is the result of having faith in God that what He promises, He will do.

Lord willing, we will look at this in the next post. I am excited to have you join me in the college of the Holy Spirit for this study!

A Philosophy of learning:

Dr. Howard Hendricks pointed out that maximum learning is the result of maximum involvement. Educational philosophy recognizes that listening to a lecture we have the potential of remembering only 10 percent of what we hear…that is only potential.

If we apply visual aids to hearing, that potential increases to 50%. However if we add doing to hearing and seeing, then the potential increases to 90%!

So, as a study aid, we need to be able to process and practice what we learn. There are three questions that I have found helpful to ask myself and put into practice whenever God speaks to me through personal study or preaching. As part of study,  recording a journal, either in writing or verbally is a very helpful way of learning the patterns and principles of Holy Scripture (the Bible). 

May I suggest that you ask and write down the following?:

1. My Walk: What is my biggest takeaway from this message? Or…What points do I find most encouraging, illuminating or corrective in my thinking?
2. My Witness: What points would I find most useful in speaking to an unbeliever?
3. My Worship: Write or record a prayer based on what I learn. 

1 Eden to Eternity Introduction p. 1

 "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; ... 

But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom." 

Heb 1:1-2, 8 KJV

When I joined the Peace Corps in 1980, I was given an assignment to be a teacher at a government school on the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies. Before I ever went there, I began to discover as much as I could about the island’s history, people, its government and culture. Before arriving in St. Lucia I joined other volunteers in Miami for cross cultural orientation and then onto Barbados for another week of specific orientation to the Caribbean culture. 

In Barbados, I stayed at a home with two other volunteers in a small house belonging to a woman by the name of ‘Mrs. Speed’. Ironically, she was a half hour late to pick us up. This was our first lesson in Caribbean culture (CC). She drove a little car that the three of us and our luggage somehow folded into. I was 6’2” and my companions were 6’0” and 6’6”. 

The streets were narrow and filled with pedestrians. She drove like a madwoman, occasionally slamming on the brakes in the middle of the road to talk and laugh with a friend.That was our 2nd lesson in CC.

Our third lesson came as we were assigned to go into downtown Bridgetown using public transportation. For the trip into town we were crowded into the back of an old school bus with wooden sides built into it. It was quaint, but fairly uneventful. 

We met up with another volunteer that was to be our guide. He showed us the markets, shops and good places to buy food. We wandered around town like tourists, sweating through the outdoor markets, bought some bottles of juice and pastries. My companions were more forward about  chatting with a few of the locals.

We were given instructions by our guide to meet at the downtown bus stop at a certain time. Not yet being on island time, we arrived there early and stood on a nearly abandoned platform in the hot sun like the awkward tourists that we were. 

Our guide met us just as we heard a bus approaching with its horn honking like a fire rescue truck. Suddenly from every direction people poured onto the platform and toward the door of the bus. Our guide shouted back at us, “Don’t wait, just follow me!”

We stood there dumbfounded as our guide began to elbow his way into the crowd, delivering a blow to a fat, elderly woman who returned the assault by beating him on the back of the head with her umbrella. He rather nonchalantly looked back at us, waving his hand for us to hurry, shouting “You have to push your way in!”

I remember thinking before I plunged myself into the melee, “what have I gotten myself into?”

The point of this story is that, as believers, we need to know what we have gotten ourselves into. We are assigned heirs of the coming Kingdom. Part of our Christian experience on the earth is being oriented to the culture of the kingdom. 

Fortunately, when the Lord comes for His bride, the church, at the rapture there will be no need to elbow our way into crowded buses. Instead, according to the Lord’s promise in John 14, He will personally escort us into the Father’s house where He has prepared many rooms for us.

Matthew 11:29: However, as part of our present orientation, we are commanded: 

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." He wants us to know about His as the coming King and the principles of His Kingdom by applying ourselves to the study of His Word. 

As others have put it, we are ‘training for reigning’. We are being trained in what it means to serve the King.

Kingdom Now or Not Yet?

There is a lot of confusion in the church as to whether God’s Kingdom is future or is it now. Due to the dominance of 'kingdom now' or 'now but not yet' thought in evangelical churches, a fresh look at an old understanding of scripture is needed. 

Most of who read this will be familiar with the prayer that the Lord taught His disciples. One of the petitions of that prayer is that the Kingdom of God should come.

Why are we are told to pray to God, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” if the Kingdom is already here?

The Bulk of NT scriptures re: the kingdom speak of it as a future reality.

In fact, as we will be seeing in this series of blog posts,  the scriptures explicitly refer to Messiah as reigning over the whole earth from a physical throne in the geographical Jerusalem. This has clearly never been, nor is it at present a reality.

This reality is not compatible with the idea that the prayer that the Lord Jesus instructed His disciples to pray is asking for 'the kingdom of God to be realized' in peoples hearts. The Kingdom is never said to enter into people's hearts, rather it is souls who are promised an entrance into the Kingdom through faith.

"...Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:3 KJV

This study is concerned with what is described in the Promises made by God and by what the Prophets have declared, from Eden to Eternity concerning the future, theocratic kingdom that will reign on the earth for 1000 years.

These posts are intended to be a supplement to a series of adult Sunday School lessons presented at Harvest Baptist Temple in Clyde, OH. These began in 2023 and as of this writing in May of 2024 are ongoing. The purpose of this series is to give the Bible's big picture to those who read or to those who attend our Sunday School.

Here are a few of the resources that this study will utilize;

Resources:

The main source of our study is of course the Holy Spirit and His illumination of the Bible. My 'go to' resource for bible study is the Blue Letter Bible.org.

We will also draw insight from a number of preachers and expositors. These include:

• Dwight Pentecost’s doctoral thesis “Things to Come”.
• Dr. Andy Wood, (President of Chafer Theologic Seminary and pastor of Sugarland Bible Church outside of Houston, Tx.) wrote these originally for ‘pre-trib perspectives’ publication. These were later compiled into a book entitled “The Coming Kingdom”, also by Dr. Andy Wood.
• An excellent source of information is drawn from Albert Fruchtenbaum in His book: Israelogy. 
• Additionally, I have gotten help from books written by Michael J Vlatch. Most significantly is his book entitled He will reign forever; A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God.
• Finally, I draw upon helpful discussions with Pastor Allen Holmes who ministers the Word of God at Harvest Bible Temple in Clyde Ohio.