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Replying to myth-one.com in post #1254]
You wrote:
“No, the Earth is not now included in the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, we are instructed in the Lord's prayer to pray for the Earth to become part of the Kingdom of Heaven:
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)”
My response:
Jesus never said we should pray for the earth to part of the kingdom of heaven. We are to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. You’re reading something into Jesus’ model prayer that is not there.
Keep in mind Christ’s kingdom was not established until Pentecost AD 33, after He gave His disciples the model prayer.
You wrote: “After the Second Coming and Jesus' defeat of Satan, the Earth will once again become part of the kingdom:”
My response: The final judgement will occur at Jesus’ Second Coming. Satan will be cast into eternal fire along with his angels (Matthew 25:41). At Jesus Second Coming, He will hand His kingdom over to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24).
You wrote: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)”
My response: Revelation 11:15 has happened. The kingdom of Jesus is here now. It came with the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost AD 33. It is a spiritual kingdom, not physical.
You wrote:
“Also, only spiritual bodied beings can inherit the Kingdom of God, and to become a spiritual bodied being one must be born of the Spirit (God):
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)”
To date no human has been born of the Spirit. Being born again of the Spirit into everlasting spiritual life is the reward of the saved. And Jesus is bringing our reward upon His return:
Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him... (Isaiah 62:11)
And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me... (Revelation 22:12)”
My response: Those who have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ have indeed entered the kingdom of our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To the church at Colossae, Paul wrote,
13. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
It is not our physical bodies that enter into Jesus’ kingdom. It is our spiritual selves that do.
You are incorrect when you say no human has been born of the spirit.
1 Peter 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1 Peter 1:23
“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”
John 1:13
11 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.