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sjanhunen / dokimazo

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Old Covenant as Kingdom #18

Closed sjanhunen closed 5 years ago

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

Jehovah was the King of Israel even in the Old Testament. But the prophets look forward to a time when Jehovah will personally take up the throne on earth in His Kingdom.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

It’s critical to understand the structure of the kingdom of Israel. The high priest at the center, the tribe of Levi around him, and then the rest of the nation. Finally, all the others on the outside. I believe this pattern can help us understand the kingdom under the New Covenant.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

How significant that Levi had no land as inheritance. They may be symbolize the heavenly calling with heavenly Jerusalem.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

God Himself was the inheritance of the Levites: https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.gotquestions.org/amp/God-inheritance-Levites.html

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

In Exodus 32, Israel brakes the covenant shortly after agreeing to it. It was Levi that responded to the call "who is on the Lord's side?"

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

We see that ultimately, under the Old Covenant, the Kingdom can never be established like it can under the New. In fact, a theme of the Old might just as well be "Kingdom Lost". Every time Israel seemed to just about get it, soon it was lost.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

Paul has an excellent description of the "old" in Hebrews:

[Heb 8:13 KJV] 13 In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away.

The entire chapter is important reading. But the key point is that when you only have one thing, you can't define "new" and "old". But once you have two things, you can speak of the "new one" and the "old one". And at this point at least, the "Old Covenant" is decaying and ready to disappear.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

Also important to realize is the fact the Kingdom is implicit in the concept "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people". Saying the "Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" is like saying the "New Covenant" is at hand! This is what John was announcing.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

Did Jehovah ever specifically promise a "kingdom" to Abraham? It seems that Abraham was promised land and offspring. But the "kingdom" aspect came in with Moses. Can you have a kingdom without laws? How fitting that the kingdom of heaven is announced with Christ.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

The death of the King of the Jews certainly marks a solemn time for the kingdom. When a king dies, who inherits the Kingdom?

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

Usage of Kingdom on Hebrew: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H4467&t=KJV

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

The first reference to kingdom in Gen 10:10 is the very opposite of God's Kingdom. This is Nimrod and Babylon (man's kingdom). But we don't see Kingdom associated with Israel until Exodus 19:6.

sjanhunen commented 5 years ago

The key components of the Old Covenant: