The Original Gospel

Another way to approach this subject is to ask: Do all believers have the SAME hope? Many people think they go to heaven when they die. Others believe firmly that God has promised us the earth. While still others think that some of the faithful reign from heaven and the rest have their reward on earth. But what does the Bible say about this? Let’s explore…

1. There is only One Hope for all believers:

Ephesians 4:4-5 KJV “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism….”

NOTE: The two groups that Jesus spoke of (John 10:16) refer to the Jews and Gentiles being brought together as one through his death (See Ephesians 2:12-19)

2. The faithful in the Old Testament are asleep in death, waiting for the resurrection when we will ALL be made perfect together.

Hebrews 11:39-40 (Hebrews 11 is a record of all the faithful from the OT) “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

3. The promises to Abraham are a foundation to understand our hope for the future because they were given to and for him, and to his seed which is Jesus Christ and to all those baptised into Christ. What is promised to Abraham is promised to all believers from all time.

Galatians 3:8 KJV “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed… 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ… 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

4. The LAND promise that God made was clearly explained as being truly the physical earth since he was told to live in it, look at it, walk on it and given the actual physical borders of it.

It is a FOREVER promise which means that the inheritors must live forever. (See Genesis 13:14-17; 15:18-21)

5. The New Testament specifically refers to this LAND promise, to say that Abraham did not receive it in this life, but that he understood the promise was for the future in God’s kingdom.

Acts 7:5 KJV “And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.”

Hebrews 11:8-10 KJV “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

6. We have to be consistent in our use of the term “heavenly” for both Abraham and for the saints.

If ‘heaven’ is a noun referring to the literal heavens where God dwells, then Abraham really expected to go to heaven and this is his reward… which doesn’t fit with all the details God gave to describe literal earth.

If “heavenly” is an adjective describing how the kingdom and the city that God is preparing are “heavenly” (as opposed to “earthly” which are ruled by human thinking and rulers), then Jesus and the saints and Abraham are ALL waiting to inherit this LAND promise because Galatians 3 says we are ALL part of this promised seed and inheritance. The inheritance is this promise will be the start of the Kingdom of God on earth .

It is very important to see how ‘heaven’ and ‘heavenly’ are used when describing the kingdom of God to come on this earth. Understanding the promises to Abraham and that Jesus and the saints are the inheritors of this WITH Abraham gives us the anchor to see that none of us have been promised ‘heaven’, but a kingdom to come that will be “heavenly” – thy kingdom come thy will be done ON earth as is in heaven!

7. Other passages speak about Abraham being in the kingdom of “heaven.’

Matthew 8:11 KJV “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”

(Note that these words were spoken in reference to a faithful Gentile Centurion who was more faithful than many Jews. Jesus saw this Gentile entering the same kingdom as Abraham)

Luke 13:28-29 “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tables in the kingdom of God.”

So, you might be asking; Why is this little strip of Israel so important that God would promise it to Abraham, Jesus and the saints?

Because Jerusalem and the surrounding territory will be the CENTRE of worship in the kingdom age. See the following points:

• Jesus was promised to sit on the throne of his father David (through Mary) which is in Jerusalem and it says that David would see this ( ‘before thee’).
  • 2Samuel 7:12-16 KJV “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever…16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
  • Luke 1:32-33 KJV “…and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
• Jesus said Jerusalem will be the city of the great king in Matthew 5:35
• All nations (survivors of Armageddon Zechariah 14:16) will come to Jerusalem to worship and learn… See Isaiah 2:2-4; Zechariah 14:16-20
• Believers will be kings and priests to reign on the earth:
  • Revelation 5:10 KJV “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
  • Daniel 7:27 KJV “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
• Ezekiel 38 to 39 describes the last battle against Israel (when they are finally dwelling in peace vs 8) which brings God’s intervention into our worlds affairs and the setting up of his kingdom. Then chapters 40-48 describe the massive temple that will be built in Jerusalem for all nations to come and worship in. The descriptions reference actual places on earth which anchors this prophecy to a physical earth, not a place in heaven. This is the temple that God promised David that His son would build for him in 2 Samuel 7:13.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss these exciting passages that describe our hope to come, which we hope will be very soon!

Revelation 1:7 KJV “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

The Bible ends with words that fit in so well with our exploration today:

Revelation 22:18-21 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.