Since March 24, 2009
Above All Realms Jesus speaking to Peter James and John after the transfiguration of Christ; "...He cautions them that they should be relating to no one what they perceived, except whenever the Son of Mankind may be rising from among the dead..." [Mark.9:9.C.V.] "...And they [Peter, James and John] hold the word, discussing with themselves what is the arising from among the dead..." They knew of the resurrection "from the dead", but were not familiar with the statement, from "among" the dead! Listen to Paul speaking to the Governor: "...Yet I am avowing this to you, according to the way which they are terming a sect, thus am I offering divine service to the hereditary God,believing all that is written in the prophets, having an expectation in God, which these themselves also are anticipating, that there shall be a [Gr. anastasis] resurrection which is impending for both the just and the unjust..." [Acts.24:14-15] But Peter, James and John knew nothing of the [Gr.exanastasis] OUT-FROM-AMONG the dead, that the Son of Mankind had referred to concerning Himself. It was among the things that they could not bear at that time. [John.16:12-15] It was revealed by the spirit of truth in the new Dispensation of the secret. "...If somehow I should be attaining to the [Gr. exanastasis OUT-UP-STANDING] resurrection that is out from among the dead..." [Phil.3:11] Peter, in his second epistle said; "...And be deeming the patience of our Lord salvation according as our beloved brother Paul also writes to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all the epistles, speaking in them concerning these things, in which are some things hard to apprehend..." Although Peter did not apprehend fully the ministry of Paul. He did see however, that the seeming delay in the setting up of the Kingdom was being used by God, through Paul, and that salvation was not dependant on Israel's attitude. You may read it fully set forth in the eleventh chapter of his epistle to the Romans. In the Old Testament there was always two seeds mentioned, but there was not a word mentioned about the [Gr.exanastasis OUT-UP-STANDING] resurrection from among the dead. Until Paul reveals it in [Phil.3:11] it was always [Gr. anastasis UP STANDING resurrection from the dead. This OUT-UP-STANDING resurrection was a secret hidden in the mind of God until Paul made it known by God's command; "...To me, less than the least of all saints, was granted this grace: to bring the evangel [good news] of the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, and to enlighten all as to the administration of the secret, which has been concealed from the eons in God..." [Eph.3:8-9] This is why Paul then says; "...Who creates all, that now [in 62.A.D.] may be made known to the sovereignties and the authorities among the celestials, through the ecclesia, the multifarious wisdom of God..." [Eph.3:-11] What is the multifarious wisdom of God made known to the sovereignties and authorities among the celestials? Paul revealed, that the ecclesia which is His body the complement of the One completing the all in all, is going to be seated above all of them at the right hand of God administering the executive power of God. [Eph.1:15-23] Reading from "Mr. E.W. Bullingers" writings where he says; "From the call of Abraham there has always been two seeds, "the earthly" and "the heavenly" One of those seeds was likened by the Lord to "the dust of the earth" or "the "sand of the sea" [Gen.13:16] and [Gen.22:17] the other was likened to the "stars of heaven [Heb.11:12] and [Gen.15:5] From these verses the expressions suggest a multitude in both cases yet in the former they are associated with earthly blessing, while in the latter we see that it points to partakers of a heavenly calling. [Heb.3:1] All these in the latter, who like their father Abraham, looked for a heavenly portion and a heavenly blessing, for a city; "...For he [Abraham] waited for the city having foundations, whose Artificer and Architect is God..." [Heb.11:10] Where and what could that city have been if it was not the city which John was shown "descending out of heaven from God" [Rev.21:10, 11-27] Not all Israel were tabernacle and temple frequenters and worshippers. Not all carried out the Laws given to Moses, or offered the prescribed sacrifices, attended the "feasts of Jehovah," or carried out the ordered ritual. Those [probably the few, as we see it to-day] who gathered to the stated worship of Jehovah are called the "assembly" or the "congregation." [E.W.B.] If we look carefully we find references to two types of people mentioned and spoken about, both have differing destinies in the future eons that are impending. First we find there are those that are referred to as; "...the people of the saints of the most High, whose Kingdom and dominion, and greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to "the people of "the saints" of the most High..." [Dan.7:27] That coming Kingdom with all its blessings will be on the earth, and the restored Israel then under the new covenant as the book of Hebrews states emphatically; "...This is the covenant which I will be covenanting with them [all Israel] after those days, the Lord is saying, "imparting My Laws to their hearts, I shall be inscribing them on their comprehension also, and of their sins and their Lawlessness shall I under know circumstances still be reminded..." {Heb.10:16-17] This will be the first and lowest class of blessing.It will be on the earth and under the whole heaven. Speaking of these same people the apostle Paul said; "...For I am not willing for you to be ignorant of this secret, brethren, lest you may be passing for prudent among yourselves, that callousness, in part, on Israel has come, until the complement of the nations may be entering. And thus all Israel shall be saved, according as it is written; "..Arriving out of Zion shall be the Rescuer. He will be turning away irreverence from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them. Whenever I should be eliminating their sin. As to the evangel, indeed they are enemies because of you, yet as to choice, they are beloved because of the fathers..." [Rom.11:25-28] Secondly we find there are those that are referred to as; "...the saints of the most High..." Abraham and his spiritual seed are "the saints of the most High" as distinct from "the people" [of these saints] on the earth [Dan.7:18,22,25], and occupying a distinct place in the heavenly sphere of this same Kingdom. These, according to the Lord's words in Luke;, are "equal to the angels" "sons of the resurrection" [Luke.20:34-36] raised in the "first resurrection" before the thousand years of earthly blessing for Israel and for nations "under the whole heaven" [Deut.4:19 and [Rev.20:4-6]. These belong to "that great city, the holy Jerusalem." which John saw "descending down from heaven, having the glory of God. This "holy Jerusalem" is fully described in [Rev.21:9-27] It is the "city which hath THE foundations" for which Abraham had been taught to look [Heb.11:10] when he "saw Christ's day and was glad" [John.8:56] [E.W.B.] When Israel refused to repent for the third and final time at Rome.62.A.D. as recorded by Luke. [Acts.28:17:28] . The Gospel of the Kingdom was temporally postponed while the nation is calloused. Paul said; "...Do they trip that they should be falling? May it not be coming to that! But in their offence is salvation to the nations, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their offense is the world's riches and their discomfiture the nations riches, how much rather more that which fills them! Now to you am I saying, to the nations, in as much as, indeed, then, I am the apostle of the nations, I am glorifying my dispensation, if somehow I should be provoking those of my flesh [Judah Israel] to jealousy and should be saving some of them. For if there casting away is the conciliation of the world, what will the taking back be if not life from among the dead?..." [Rom.11:11-15.C.V.] This brings us to a third group of people, saints, who, unknown in the prophets, the gospels and the book of Acts, who were designated before the disruption of the world [Eph.1:3-12.C.V.] and known only to God and kept secret in the mind of God until He revealed to Paul to be made known to all the nations for faith obedience. They are those believers out of "Judah Israel" and those believers out of the nations who believed Paul's "evangel" and "the secret of the evangel" of which Paul, the least of all saints became the dispenser. They now from 62.A.D. and on in the new administration the grace of God have become: "...in spirit the nations are to be joint enjoyers of an allotment [see Eph.1:15-23.C.V.] and a joint body [see, Eph.2:13-18.C.V.] and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus, through the evangel of which I became the dispenser [Eph.3:6-9] This is why Paul said we should be forgetting those things behind in the Dispensation of the Acts of the apostles. Not forget completely, but leave them in the Dispensation to where they belong and to stretch out in front towards the goal and be pursuing for the prize made known to the third group of saints, the calling above among the celestials, the allotment, as the complement of Christ to sit down with Him at the right hand of God.[Eph.1:15-23.C.V.] Finally let us have a look at the synonymous expressions for "Kingdom" and rightly divide the word of truth as Paul said to Timothy, [2.Tim.2:15.C.V.] in the various usages of the word Kingdom in three different combinations and contexts in which we find it. The Kingdom [or Sovereignty] of God; "This is the sovereignty of God which is moral and universal. It existed from the beginning, and will know no end. It is over all and embraces all. It has God for its Ruler. It is in heaven over the earth It is unlimited in its scope. It is moral and spiritual in its sphere It is inclusive in its character [embracing the natural and spiritual seeds of Abraham "the heavenly calling", and the "Church" of the mystery [secret] hence, It is universal in its aspect; It is [in its wider aspect] the subject of the New Testament revelation. It will be eternal in its duration." The kingdom [or Sovereignty] of Heaven: "This Kingdom [or Sovereignty] of HEAVEN, has Messiah for its King. It is from heaven; and under the heavens upon the earth. It is limited in its scope. It is political in its sphere. It is Jewish [Judean] and exclusive in its aspect. It is national in its aspect. It is the special subject of Old Testament prophecy. It is Dispensational in its duration." It is the first and lowest sphere of blessing, on earth and under the whole heaven. The Kingdom of the Son of His love" "This has regard to quite another sphere, above all the heavens, and refers to the sovereignty of God's beloved Son as made the "Head over all to the ecclesia, which is His body, the complement of the One completing the all in all. [Eph.1:15-23.C.V.] This sovereignty had been kept secret [Rom.16:25-27] "concealed from the eons in God" [Eph.3:9] "concealed from the eons and from generations." [Col.1:26.C.V.] but after the Kingdom proclaimed by the Lord and them that heard Him [Heb.2:4] had been postponed, it was revealed and made known [Eph.3:1-11.C.V.] for faith obedience [Rom.16:26.C.V.] The subjects of this divine sovereignty on hearing the word of truth, the evangel of your [the nations] salvation in Whom on believing also are sealed with the holy spirit of promise to enjoy the allotment of Christ." [Eph.1:18.C.V.] [E.W.B] Paul said; "..To me less than the least of all saints, was granted this grace: to bring the evangel of the untraceable riches of Christ to the nations, and to enlighten all as to what is the administration of the secret, [of the third group of saints] which has been concealed in God..." Paul speaking to the saints: "...Therefore, I also, on hearing of this faith of yours in the Lord Jesus, and that for all saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory may giving you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him, the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, for you to perceive what is the expectation of His calling, and what the riches of the enjoyment of His allotment among the saints, and what the transcendant greatness of HIs power for us who are believing, in accord with the operation of the might of His strength, which is operative in the Christ, rousing Him from among the dead and seating Him at His right hand among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending: and subjects all under His feet, and gives Him, as Head over all, to the ecclesia which is HIs body, the complement of the One completing te all in all..."[Eph.1:15:23.C.V.] Paul confirms our rousing together with Christ: "...Yet God, being rich in mercy, because of His vast love with which He loves us [we also being dead to the offenses and the lusts], vivifies us together in Christ [in grace are you saved!] and rouses us together and seats us together among the celestials, in Christ Jesus, that, in the oncoming eons, He should be displaying the transcendant riches of His grace in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus..." For some reason it has not dawned on most that we are to be roused from among the dead, or changed if still alive when He summons us to heaven, above all the heavens, among the celestials, up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending, seating us with Christ, Who is Head over all, to the ecclesia which is His body, the complement of the One completing the all in all. Almost without exception the modern day teachers have us on earth in the Kingdom [or Sovereignty] of Heaven which is the first and lowest sphere of blessing, yet Paul says we will be seated with Christ at the right hand of God among the celestials up over every sovereignty and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this eon, but also in that which is impending. The kingdom [or Sovereignty] of Heaven which the moderrn church teachers are all longing to enter is: "This Kingdom [or Sovereignty] of HEAVEN, has Messiah for its King. It is from heaven; and under the heavens upon the earth. It is limited in its scope. It is political in its sphere. It is Jewish [Judean] and exclusive in its aspect. It is national in its aspect. It is the special subject of Old Testament prophecy. It is Dispensational in its duration." It is the lowest sphere of blessing on earth and under the whole heaven. Listen to Paul speaking of our high position in Christ Jesus. "...On this behalf am I bowing my knees to the Farher of our Lord Jesus Christ, after Whom every kindred in the heavens and on earth is being named, that He may be giving you in accord with the riches of His glory, to be made staunch with power, through His spirit, in the man within, Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith, that you having been rooted and grounded in love, should be strong to grasp, together with all the saints, what is the beadth and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ as well which transcends knowledge that you may be completed for the entire complement of Christ..." [Eph.3:14-19.C.V.] Finally, Paul takes us to the limits of knowledge; "...Now to Him Who is able to do super excessively above all that we are requesting or apprehending, according to the power that is operating in us, to Him be glory in the ecclesia and in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the eons of the eons! Amen! [Eph.3:20-21.C.V.] God bless you real good. David and Carol Buckman. Down-Under in the land of OZ. Email:
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Since March 24, 2009