J. Jump said:
Skypair you said loss of crowns. Once again you are EXACTLY correct! If you lose your crown you can not rule. The suffering loss is also referred to in Scripture as a loss of your life (soul - same Greek word).
JJ, I think we can make some progress here with these posts of ours. :smilewinkgrin:
First off, the "crowns" are for tossing at the feet of Christ, Rev 4:10! Indeed, they were crowns of VICTORY as from the "race," not crowns of rulesship.
You are trying to apply everything to Israel, which is what Lacy has said, but what you fail to realize is that the offer that was made to Israel is now offered to us because Israel rejected it.
This is known as "replacement theology," JJ. And if you believe it, I can see why you err into the wrong judgments for the church. For Israel, it is true that when they are resurrected to earth, they will receive the land back and rule the world with Christ/Messiah according to THEIR covenants with God. They will also receive the new covenant at that time. This question ought to give you pause: How many covenants with Israel did God not literally fulfill? (Hint: What WERE the Abrahamic, Davidic, Mosaic, everlasting covenants? Are you saying they were not made with real men and real people?)
So virtually everything that was originally intended for Israel in the NT is now intended to everyone individually.
In spiritual terms, yes. In literal terms, no. We don't, for instance, inherit the land as a inheritance forever -- we inherit heavenly Jerusalem "mansions" forever.
There are no grounds to write everything off as Israel as you do. You are confusing they physical kingdom with the kingdom of the heavens.
No, I am observing "dispensations" that God has created. If you say we inherit the kingdom of the heavens, I say you are right. Jesus foresaw it in John 1:51 -- angels ascending and descending at our command, 1Cor 6:3. But the earthly realm -- Messiah hath "given you the Gentiles for an inheritance!" Isa 54:3 If you are around on the earth at that MK time, you will be the "inheritance," not the "inheritor!" :laugh:
There is a physical aspect of rulership and there is a spiritual aspect of rulership. Israel was promised the physical kingdom and they were offered the spiritual kingdom, but they rejected it. Now we can accept the offer and rule and reign with Christ, from the heavens as a part of His bride (Scripture also calls this being a firstborn son). Or we can reject it like Israel did.
Yes, and I pray I explained this to you adequately.

raying:
But not everyone that is saved will rule.
Obviously the Gentiles won't -- well, except some nations and cities under the auspices of Israel.
In two-plus years of looking at this subject and talking to many pastors and lay people alike no one has ever been able to show me Scripture that says all saved people will be a part of the bride and that all saved people will rule and reign with Christ in His coming kingdom.
Amazing that John and God called all church believers "kings and priests" then, isn't it? (Rev 1:6 and 5:10).
And as to "bride," then you must not think that Christ can make her holy (Rev 19:8). You must somehow beleive that the only the "perfect" are taken by the Groom to the wedding (Mt 25:1-13), right? But what is perfect? Having OIL -- the perfection of the Holy Spirit -- the "hath sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts ... Whom, after you believed, ye were sealed with the [2Cor 1:22] ... Spirit of promise [Eph 1:14] ... that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord [2Cor 7:7]."
If that were true then there would be no need to die to self and try and live the right way in the here and now if we all get to the same end regardless of how we live.
You can't be a "bride" unless you give yourself to the marriage, right? Your whole self. "Die to self." Or someone could come under your ministry and "fake it" by living what they don't own," couldn't they. Because you emphasize works rather than Christ -- like the Pharisees who THOUGHT they were in but they were out.
skypair