{"id":8,"date":"2007-03-11T13:52:27","date_gmt":"2007-03-11T18:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skygov.com\/blog\/2007\/03\/11\/the-empire-of-the-skies\/"},"modified":"2022-01-18T21:55:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T03:55:44","slug":"the-empire-of-the-skies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/?p=8","title":{"rendered":"The Empire of the Skies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: red\">The Star Child<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&quot;Why should <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">star<\/font>-struck magi (wise men, sages, scientists) be among the first to welcome the <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong><font color=\"#ff0000\">Son of<\/font> <font color=\"#0000ff\">God<\/font><\/strong><\/font> from <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">the Heavens<\/font><\/strong>?<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Matthew 2:1-3 and&nbsp;Matthew 2:7 and Matthew 2:9-11<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">1 Now after <strong><font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">Jesus<\/font><\/strong> was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 &quot;Where is <font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>He who has been born King of the Jews<\/strong><\/font>? For we saw <strong><span style=\"background: yellow\"><font color=\"#ff0000\">His<\/font> star<\/span><\/strong> in the east, and have come to worship <font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>Him<\/strong><\/font>.&quot; &hellip;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">7 Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time <strong><span style=\"background: yellow\">the star<\/span><\/strong> appeared. &hellip;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">9 And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, <strong><span style=\"background: yellow\">the star<\/span><\/strong>, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where <font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>the Child<\/strong><\/font> was. 10 And when they saw <strong><span style=\"background: yellow\">the star<\/span><\/strong>, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And they came into the house and saw <strong><font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">the Child<\/font><\/strong> with Mary <strong><font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">His<\/font><\/strong> mother; and they fell down and worshiped <font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>Him<\/strong><\/font>; and opening their treasures they presented <strong><font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">to Him<\/font><\/strong> gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Revelation 22:16<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><span style=\"background: yellow\">&quot;<strong><span style=\"color: red\">I, Jesus<\/span><\/strong><\/span>, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong><span style=\"color: red\">&nbsp;<span style=\"background: yellow\">I am<\/span> <\/span><\/strong>the root and the offspring of David, <strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: red\">the bright morning star<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"background: yellow\">.&quot;<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">NASB<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>&quot;<u>Surrender!<\/u> &nbsp;<span style=\"color: purple\">The Empire<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of the Skies<\/span> is about to arrive!&quot;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Luke 14:31-33<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;&quot;Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will <u><strong>ask for terms of peace [surrender].<\/strong><\/u> 33 In the same way, any of you who does not <u><strong>give up [surrender] everything he has<\/strong><\/u> cannot be my disciple.&quot;&nbsp; NIV<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">\n<p>John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Disciples preached &quot;Repent, for &#8216;<strong><span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of Heaven&#8217;<\/span><\/strong> is at hand!&quot;&nbsp; Actually, more faithful to the underlying Greek is, &quot;<strong><span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of the Heavens<\/span><\/strong>&quot;, (also, &quot;<strong><span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">from the Heavens<\/span><\/strong>&quot;).&nbsp; Why would God choose such a name for His rule? And why should Jesus&#8217; dramatic exit into the Heavens be of Him floating up into the sky, out of sight like a loosed balloon, like a graceful, slow-motion space shuttle? Could God be dropping hints to stimulate, (among other things), an eventual exploration of the Heavens?&nbsp; Why does God make these overt associations between &quot;sky&quot; and &quot;heaven&quot; by using the same word for them?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Matthew 3:1-2<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 &quot;Repent, for <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">the kingdom<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of heaven<\/span><\/strong> is at hand.&quot;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Matthew 4:17<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">From that time Jesus began to preach and say, &quot;Repent, for <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">the kingdom<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of heaven<\/span><\/strong> is at hand.&quot;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">NASB&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Consider again phrase, <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: purple\">The <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: purple\">Kingdom<\/span><\/strong><strong> <span style=\"color: blue\">of <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: blue\">Heaven<\/span><\/strong><strong>.&quot;<\/strong> John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Disciples preached about the arriving &quot;Kingdom of Heaven.&quot; (Language grammer allows us to also render this as, <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: blue\">Heavens&#8217; <\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">Kingdom<\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">&quot;<\/span><\/strong>). A study of the underlying Greek shows that the word-for-word translation would be <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of <u>the Heavens (plural with definite article &quot;the&quot;<\/u><\/span><u><span style=\"color: purple\">)<\/span><\/u><span style=\"color: purple\">.&quot; <\/span><\/strong>Traditional Spanish Bible translations render it this way, too, as do every translation that clings to the original texts.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Mateo 3:1-2 <br \/>1 En aquellos d&iacute;as vino Juan el Bautista predicando en el desierto de Judea, <br \/>2 y diciendo: Arrepent&iacute;os, porque <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">el reino<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">de los cielos<\/span><\/strong> se ha acercado. <\/p>\n<p>Mateo 4:17 <br \/>17 Desde entonces comenz&oacute; Jes&uacute;s a predicar, y a decir: Arrepent&iacute;os, porque <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">el reino<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">de los cielos<\/span><\/strong> se ha acercado. <br \/>[Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR1960) Copyright &copy; 1960 by American Bible Society]&nbsp;<br \/>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Matthew 3:1-2<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">1 And in those days cometh John the Baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea,<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">2 and saying, <strong>&#8216;Reform, for come nigh hath <span style=\"color: purple\">the reign <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of the heavens<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">,&#8217;<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Matthew 4:17<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">17 From that time began Jesus to proclaim and to say, <strong>&#8216;Reform ye, for come nigh hath <span style=\"color: purple\">the reign <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of the heavens<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">.&#8217;<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">(Young&rsquo;s Literal Translation)<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">And just like Spanish and King James-era English, the Greek word <u><span style=\"color: blue\">&quot;<strong>heavens<\/strong><\/span>&quot; is also the same exact Greek word for &quot;<strong><span style=\"color: blue\">skies.<\/span><\/strong>&quot;<\/u> Thus, the phrase may also be translated <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of the Skies<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">.&rdquo;<\/span><\/strong> &nbsp;And finally, since <u>Bible references to &quot;<span style=\"color: purple\"><strong>kingdoms<\/strong><\/span>&quot; are equated with various historical &quot;<span style=\"color: purple\"><strong>empires<\/strong><\/span>&quot;<\/u> by major Bible scholars throughout history, we arrive at <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: purple\">The Empire<\/span><span style=\"color: blue\"> of the Skies<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">.&rdquo;&nbsp;Other legitimate variations include:&nbsp;&ldquo;The Empire <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of the Heavens<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">,&rdquo; &ldquo;<\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">Heaven&rsquo;s<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\"> Empire,&rdquo; &quot;<\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">The Sky<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\"> Empire,&quot; &ldquo;<\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">The <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: blue\">Sky <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: purple\"><strong>Kingdom<\/strong><\/span><strong>.&rdquo; <\/strong>&nbsp;These are all valid translations of what traditional translations render, <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: purple\">The <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: purple\">Kingdom<\/span><\/strong><strong> <span style=\"color: blue\">of <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: blue\">Heaven<\/span><\/strong><strong>.&quot;&nbsp;<\/strong>Irregardless of one&rsquo;s reaction to these word studies and use of synonyms here, there is no refuting that the underlying Greek plainly reads, <strong>&ldquo;<span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of the Heavens<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\">.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/span><\/strong>Such studies and use of synonyms help us to break out of our religious preconditioning and look again at what the message of John the Baptist and Jesus actually sounded like to those first ears who heard them.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Here it is in brief:<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>&ldquo;<span style=\"color: purple\">kingdom<\/span>&rdquo; = <span style=\"color: purple\">empire<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>&ldquo;<span style=\"color: blue\">heaven<\/span>&rdquo; = <span style=\"color: blue\">the heavens<\/span> = <span style=\"color: blue\">the skies<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>&ldquo;<span style=\"color: purple\">The <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: purple\">Kingdom<\/span><\/strong><strong> <span style=\"color: blue\">of <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: blue\">Heaven<\/span><\/strong><strong>&rdquo; = <span style=\"color: purple\">The Kingdom<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of the Heavens<\/span> = <span style=\"color: purple\">The Empire<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of the Heavens<\/span> = <span style=\"color: purple\">The Empire<\/span> <span style=\"color: blue\">of the Skies<\/span> = <span style=\"color: blue\">The <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: blue\">Sky <\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: purple\"><strong>Kingdom<\/strong><\/span><strong> = <span style=\"color: blue\">The Sky<\/span> <span style=\"color: purple\">Empire<\/span><\/strong>, etc., &nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>The Freedom &amp; <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">the Glory<\/font> of the Sons of <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God<\/font><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Why would <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font> choose such a name for His rule? Why not stick with the simply elegant, <strong>&quot;<span style=\"color: purple\">The <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: purple\">Kingdom<\/span><\/strong><strong> <span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">of <\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God<\/span><\/strong><strong>&quot;<\/strong> or <strong>&quot;<span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God&#8217;s<\/span><span style=\"background: white; color: purple\"> Empire<\/span>&quot;<\/strong>?&nbsp; Why does the opening chapter of Ezekiel 1 depict something so dramatically &quot;<strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">out-of-this-world<\/font><\/strong>&quot;?&nbsp; &quot;In the Beginning, <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God<\/font><\/strong> created <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">the Heavens<\/font><\/strong> and the Earth&#8230;&quot; What do you think has been going on in <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">the Heavens<\/font><\/strong> all these millenia since the Beginning, nothing? What do you think <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God&#8217;s<\/font><\/strong> plans might have been for Mankind prior to his Fall? If The Fall was rectified by The Cross &amp; The Return, then everything&#8217;s ready for Mankind to get back on track with the original plan, right? I think so, and history shows how little changed in day-to-day human affairs between The Fall and The Return, but a lot has changed since, and it seems to be picking up speed. If it took about 5-6 thousand years (MT-LXX) to fix The Fall, and that Fix was roughly 2 thousand years ago, then we are really still at the beginning of this whole thing. We are still just getting started!&nbsp; Do you really think that <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God<\/font><\/strong> went through all that to create <strong><font color=\"#339966\">the Universe (<em>kosmos<\/em>)<\/font><\/strong>,&nbsp;watch it break&nbsp;and finally get around to fixing it just to let it wind down shortly afterward? Should the bulk of history show <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God&#8217;s<\/font> <font color=\"#339966\">Creation<\/font><\/strong> suffering from downtime? Did <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font> create <strong><font color=\"#339966\">the Universe<\/font><\/strong> for the sole purpose of letting it break just so <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">He<\/font><\/strong> could fix it then quit? Or is there something more that we are now prepared to take on? I think so.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Consider some Scripture:<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Romans 1:19-20<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">What may be known about <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font> is plain, because <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God<\/font><\/strong> has made it plain. For since <strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">the creation (<\/span><\/strong><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937)<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> <strong>of the world (<\/strong><em><strong>kosmos<\/strong><\/em><strong> #2889)<\/strong><\/span> <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God&#8217;s invisible qualities &mdash; his eternal power and divine nature<\/font><\/strong> &mdash; have been clearly seen, being understood from <strong><font color=\"#339966\">what has been made<\/font><\/strong>.&quot;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Genesis 3:17<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Then to Adam <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">He<\/font><\/strong> said, &quot;Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">I<\/font><\/strong> commanded you, saying, &#8216;You shall not eat from it&#8217;;&nbsp;<strong><u><font style=\"background-color: #ffcc99\">Cursed is <span style=\"color: #339966\">the ground<\/span> because of you<\/font><\/u><\/strong>;&nbsp;In toil you shall eat of it&nbsp;all the days of your life.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Romans 8:18-24<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of <strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">the Creation (<\/span><em><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937)<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 <font style=\"background-color: #ffffff\"><u><strong><font style=\"background-color: #ffcc99\">For <span style=\"color: #339966\"><span style=\"color: #339966\">the Creation (<\/span><em><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937) <\/span><\/span>was subjected to futility<\/font>, not of its own will, but because of <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">Him<\/font> who subjected it<\/strong><\/u><\/font>, in hope 21 that <strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"><span style=\"color: #339966\">the Creation (<\/span><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">&nbsp;itself<\/span><\/strong> <strong>also will be set free from its slavery to corruption<\/strong> into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that <strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">the whole Creation (<\/span><\/strong><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937)<\/span><\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">the Spirit<\/font><\/strong>, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (<em>soma<\/em> #4983).<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">NASB&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Now I know there are many who already have their minds made up as to what exactly the above passage means. But what if there is a little more to it than just what you think? Do you know everything? Do you know half of everything? What if there is something here is that from the half that you don&#8217;t know?&nbsp;There is one truth being conveyed here but, as with all Scripture as with the laws that govern Creation (the laws of science), there are many applications.&nbsp;When I apply the message of the above verses to the Creation (ktisis #2937), &nbsp;I arrive at an interesting conclusion:&nbsp;I think ALL of Creation (ktisis #2937),&nbsp;is out there just waiting for the Sons of God to show up and bring life to it.&nbsp; <strong>Part of our future is ultimately to explore <span style=\"background: yellow; color: #339966\"><font color=\"#0000ff\">the Creator<\/font><\/span> through <span style=\"color: #339966\"><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">His<\/font> Creation (<\/span><\/strong><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937), not just here on Earth, but throughout the whole Cosmos (<\/span><\/strong><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">kosmos<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">, #2889):<\/span> &nbsp;Spiritual-christian men bringing spiritual-christian life to natural-biological men as they bring natural-biological life to dead rocks out there in <span style=\"color: #339966\">Creation (<\/span><\/strong><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937),<\/span> all of it being set free from lifeless uselessness into &ldquo;the glorious liberty of the sons of <span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God<\/span>,&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/strong>Rom 8:21 KJV.&nbsp; As spiritual men, Christians, we minister to the rest of humanity in ways that guide them individually to <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God<\/font><\/strong> through <strong><font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">Christ<\/font><\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Salvation, special grace<\/em>), but we also guide Mankind generally in ways that give them hope &amp; wisdom that keeps them progressing forward (<em>general grace<\/em>) rather than being left to destroying themselves.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">1 Corinthians 8:2<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">And if any man <strong><u>think<\/u><\/strong> that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.&quot;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">1 Corinthians 7:40<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">And I <strong><u>think<\/u><\/strong> also that I have <font color=\"#0000ff\"><strong><font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">the Spirit of <span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God<\/span><\/font><\/strong><\/font>.<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Matthew 22:37-38 <br \/><span style=\"color: red\">Thou shalt love <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">the Lord thy God<\/font><\/strong> with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with <strong><u>all thy mind<\/u><\/strong>.&nbsp; 38 This is the first and great commandment.&nbsp;<br \/><\/span>KJV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>So Shall <span style=\"background: yellow\">Thy Seed<\/span> Be<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Since I hold that the Great Tribulation is long past, a memoir of ancient history, there remains no Bible-mandated end or cataclysm to interfere with Mankind&#8217;s acheiving any of his yearnings that do not transgress <font color=\"#ff0000\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>the Word of God<\/strong><\/font>. One such yearning that is almost continually expressed in the fiction and even the government budgets of our day is for the manned exploration of outer space: exploration that preludes colonization, just as men have done from their dawn. (And why are so many Christians such Sci-Fi junkies?). &nbsp;Men as far back as Abraham have looked at <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">the stars<\/font>, contemplating their future offspring.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Genesis 15:3-5<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine Heir.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, <strong>Look now toward <span style=\"color: blue\">heaven,<\/span> and tell <span style=\"background: yellow\">the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be<\/span><\/strong>.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Galatians 3:29&nbsp;and&nbsp;Galatians 4:1<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">3:29 <strong>And if ye be <span style=\"background: yellow; color: red\">Christ&#8217;s<\/span>, then are ye <span style=\"background: yellow\">Abraham&#8217;s seed<\/span>, and heirs<\/strong> according to the promise.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">4:1 Now I say, That <strong>the heir<\/strong>, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he<strong> be lord of all<\/strong>.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">KJV<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God&rsquo;s<\/span> <span style=\"color: purple\">Home<\/span> is with Mankind !<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">I have desire to stir up your holy imagination, certainly a part of living God with <span style=\"color: red\">&quot;<em><strong>all&nbsp;thy mind<\/strong><\/em>.&quot;<\/span> I&#8217;m still also exploring the possibility that it was the Lord who spoke to my heart -just before I saw the Lord&#8217;s 70ad Return in the Scriptures- something like: &quot;If you&#8217;ll sanctify your imagination for My use, setting it apart from manmade fictions, I&#8217;ll show you some things&quot;). These thoughts began a few years ago, as NASA&#8217;s first skateboard-probes were beginning to find the first hints of possible evidence of water on the planet Mars. They called a meeting of religious leaders to come together and begin to brainstorm about how religion should be ready for the possibility that scientists may find life outside of Earth sometime in the approaching 21st century. &nbsp;Their request was:&nbsp;&ldquo;Can religious leaders find room in their varied traditions to teach people to be emotionally, theologically, etc. ready for that possible announcement, &lsquo;We have found water and we have found accompanying extra-terrestrial found life out there!&rsquo; ?&quot; This was about the same time I came to realize the Jesus had already Returned long ago.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">John 14:1-4<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&quot;Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 &quot;In My Father&#8217;s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">a place<\/span> for you<\/strong>. 3 &quot;And if I go and prepare <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">a place<\/span> for you<\/strong>, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">where I am, there you may be also<\/span>.<\/strong> NASB<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Revelation 21:1-3<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">And 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. 2 <strong>And I saw <span style=\"color: purple\">the holy city, new Jerusalem, <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">coming down out <\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">of heaven<\/span><\/strong> <strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">from God<\/span><\/strong>, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, <strong>&quot;Behold, <span style=\"color: purple\">the tabernacle of <\/span><span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God<\/span><span style=\"color: purple\"> is among men!&rdquo;<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">NASB&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Hebrews 12:22-25 <br \/>You have come to Mount Zion and to <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">the city of<\/span> <span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">the living God<\/span><span style=\"color: blue\">, the heavenly<\/span> <span style=\"color: purple\">Jerusalem<\/span><\/strong>, and to <strong><span style=\"color: blue\">myriads of angels<\/span><\/strong>, 23 to <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">the general assembly and church of<\/span> <span style=\"background: yellow; color: red\">the first-born<\/span> who are enrolled <span style=\"color: blue\">in heaven<\/span><\/strong>, and to <strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">God<\/span><\/strong>, the Judge of all, and to <strong><span style=\"color: blue\">the spirits of righteous men made perfect<\/span><\/strong>, 24 and to <strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: red\">Jesus<\/span><\/strong>, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. <br \/>NASB<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>John 14:21-24 <br \/>&quot;Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and <strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: blue\">I<\/span> too will love him and show <span style=\"background: yellow; color: red\">myself<\/span> to him<\/strong>.&quot;&nbsp; 23 Jesus replied, &quot;If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and <strong><span style=\"background: yellow; color: purple\">we<\/span> will come to him and make <span style=\"color: purple\">our home<\/span> with him<\/strong>. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. <br \/>NIV&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div>This New &amp; <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">Heavenly<\/font><\/strong> <font color=\"#800080\"><strong>Jerusalem<\/strong><\/font> is NOT <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">Heaven<\/font><\/strong>, because it &ldquo;comes down out of <font color=\"#0000ff\"><strong>Heaven<\/strong><\/font>,&rdquo; Rev 21:2.&nbsp;It is <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God&rsquo;s<\/font><\/strong> <span style=\"color: purple\"><strong>Home<\/strong><\/span>, the Tent of Meeting where <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\">Heaven<\/font><\/strong> and Earth meet together.&nbsp;It is the family reunion of the Saints, the Church, both natural and spiritual, visible and invisible.&nbsp;Since I hold that Jesus has already Returned, (albeit, in a time and manner not presently popular), I must hold that the New &amp; <font color=\"#0000ff\"><strong>Heavenly<\/strong><\/font> <strong><font color=\"#800080\">Jerusalem<\/font><\/strong> (<font color=\"#800080\"><strong>Kingdom<\/strong><\/font> of <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font>) is also here &#8211; lasting forever and ever. &nbsp;This being so, there remains no end or cataclysm to interfere with Mankind&#8217;s &quot;going up and taking <strong><font color=\"#339966\">the land<\/font><\/strong>,&quot; as seems eventually necessary.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>The Final Frontier &#8230;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">I foresee a never-ending exploration of <strong><font color=\"#339966\">Nature&#8217;s Universe<\/font><\/strong> by natural men, even as spiritual men (Christians) accompany them, extending Eternal Life to them:&nbsp;following in the footsteps of&nbsp;&ldquo;Buzz&rdquo; Aldrin who celebrated the Lord&rsquo;s Supper alongside Neil Armstrong that day those first men landed on the moon, <em><a onclick=\"window.open(this.href,'','resizable=yes,location=yes,menubar=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,fullscreen=no,dependent=no,width=650,height=600,left=650,top=0,status'); return false\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.ca\/Man-Moon-Commemorating-Anniversary-Landing\/dp\/product-description\/0783556756\"><span style=\"color: purple\">Link<\/span><\/a><\/em>;&nbsp;biological men extending biological life through the material Universe even as Spiritual men extend to them spiritual, everlasting life through faith in Christ, <font color=\"#339966\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>the Creator<\/strong><\/font>. We will forever be studying &quot;The Unsearchable Riches of <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font>&quot; by exploring His glories as revealed by <strong><font color=\"#339966\">Creation<\/font><\/strong> (Rom 1:19-20) as well as those revealed by His Word.&nbsp; I think God is working through Christ and His People to guide Mankind to explore <strong><font color=\"#339966\">the Creation<\/font><\/strong> and thereby the&nbsp;glories of <font color=\"#339966\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>the Creator<\/strong><\/font>. And <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font> is Love.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Romans 1:19-20<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">What may be known about God is plain, because God has made it plain. For since <strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">the Creation (<\/span><\/strong><em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\">ktisis<\/span><\/strong><\/em><strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> #2937)<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #339966\"> <strong>of the world (<\/strong><em><strong>kosmos<\/strong><\/em><strong> #2889),<\/strong><\/span> <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">God&#8217;s invisible qualities &mdash; his eternal power and divine nature<\/font><\/strong> &mdash; have been clearly seen, being understood from <strong><font color=\"#339966\">what has been made<\/font><\/strong>.&quot;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Proverbs 25:2<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">It is the <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">glory<\/font> of <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font> to conceal a matter,<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">But the <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">glory<\/font> of <strong><span style=\"color: purple\">kings<\/span><\/strong> is to search out, investigate, and discover a matter.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Revelation 1:6<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and <strong><font color=\"#339966\">has made<\/font> <span style=\"color: purple\">us kings<\/span><\/strong> and priests to His <font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\"><strong>God<\/strong><\/font> and Father, to Him be <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">glory<\/font> and <font color=\"#800080\"><strong>dominion<\/strong><\/font> forever and ever. Amen.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Ephesians 3:20-21<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">20 Now to <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">Him<\/font><\/strong> who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to <strong><font color=\"#0000ff\" style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">Him<\/font><\/strong> be <font style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">glory<\/font> in <font color=\"#800080\"><strong>the Church<\/strong><\/font> by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">NKJV<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><strong>What are your highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes here?<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>How do you envision <font color=\"#800080\">all the Church&#8217;s future generations<\/font>, forever and ever?<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">Numbers 13:30<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong><em>And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, &quot;Let us go up at once, and possess <span style=\"color: #339966\">the Land<\/span>; for we are well able to overcome it!&quot;<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\" align=\"center\">*Feel FREE to claim as your own anything I write &#8211; while I retain the right to do the same with it*<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\" align=\"center\">(Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures from the New International Version)<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\" align=\"center\"><strong><em>And this is love, that we keep Christ&#8217;s commandments<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;~ 2 John 6<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Star Child &quot;Why should star-struck magi (wise men, sages, scientists) be among the first to welcome the Son of God from the Heavens? &nbsp; Matthew 2:1-3 and&nbsp;Matthew 2:7 and Matthew 2:9-11 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207,"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions\/207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hj.kingdomfromheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}