Part II
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And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. I also saw the holy
city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.-Revelation 21:1-2.
What type of rulers have governed over humankind since our fall in the garden of Eden? All types of governments have been tried, and all have failed
to give humankind peace and security, to end war, to end poverty, to end hunger, to end crime, to end disease, to end death.. Today who are ruling?
People elected to office by the people, monarchs, dictators, and tyrants. And the majority of these rulers do not care about the people they are
ruling over. They are arrogant, selfish, and power-mongers, corrupt and evil. Even the best intentioned ruler eventually sees the futility to try and
fix the old order of things because of the corruption and his limited capabilities as a human, and eventually they will leave office one way or the
other and die.
That scripture quoted above in Revelation 21:1-2 talks about a new way of governing the earth. What is it?
First and foremost Jehovah God in the high heavens has selected a perfect ruler that will live forever and have power over death itself, and that is
his only-begotten son Jesus Christ. He has been granted the name above all names, and has been given all authority in heaven and earth. Jesus Christ
is reigning king in heaven of God's heavenly government. It is not of earthly origin and no human government represents God's kingdom. God's subjects
are "no part of the world."
Now there is a secret secret that has been kept for long lasting times that was revealed when God's son took on human form and came to earth to die
for our sins. God was going to chose from among humankind a select group of people that would rule with Jesus Christ in his heavenly government over
the earth. These are known as the "congregation of God." The Church, if you will. The Church of God, his congregation, is not a place, or a building.
The Church, or the congregation of God, is the anointed Christian congregation. It is a select group of people that will number 144,000 in total.
Now image this: humble, meek people who have unshakeable faith in God, who love God with all their hearts, people of humble origin, that know the
human condition, that love their neighbor as themselves, that are righteous and good people. Imagine these humble people that are looked down upon by
the world, are hated, abused, and overlooked. They are a group of people who have lived on earth since the time of Jesus died and ascended to heaven,
up to and including our day. A select few in comparison to the billions who have lived in the past and who are alive today. Imagine these people being
anointed by God with holy spirit, and called to rule in heaven with Jesus Christ over the earth. That is quite something! People that God chooses,
people that have experienced the whole gambit of the human condition, men and women out of every tribe and tongue and people on earth who have
experienced all the hardships and injustices of this wicked world which wicked humans alienated from God dominate over.
The new heaven there in Revelation 21:1 is the heavenly government that God will establish over humankind in Jesus' hands, Jesus is the king, and the
144,000 who have been bought from every tribe and nation and tongue will rule with him:
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Then I saw, and look! the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who have his name and the name of his Father written on their
foreheads.".-Revelation 14:1.
For an in-depth explanation of how we know the 144,00 are the anointed Christian congregation please see
this thread of mine.
See the picture of the resplendent city, the holy city, New Jerusalem, the city of gold, descending and sitting above the mountains of the earth? What
is it?
It is the anointed Christian congregation glorified in heaven with Jesus Christ. It is the "new heaven" that will rule over righteous obedient
humankind. This is the "new heaven." That city of gold represents all of the 144,000 who have died faithful to God while on earth. Many of them even
at one time practiced all the things that God condemns. Notice, talking to the anointed Christian congregation Paul, under inspiration wrote:
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Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters,
adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not
inherit God’s Kingdom. And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared
righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.".-1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
Jesus Christ came to the earth, he emptied his heavenly form at God's side as his spirit son, and lowered himself to become human. And he died for our
sins, and was resurrected an immortal spirit where he returned to God's right hand. He can comprehend the human condition, he is called in prophecy
"the son of man" because of this, and he is given a name that no one knows but he himself. But God has chosen from among sinners, people who have
repented of their dead works, and been washed clean and sanctified in the blood of Jesus Christ. These ones understand the human condition but as
sinners who have been shown mercy and have been fully tested the entirety of their human lives until death. Those who remained faithful will be
resurrected to heaven and be given crowns and will rule with Jesus Christ over the earth:
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Prove yourself faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life. ".-Revelation 2:10.
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And to the one who conquers and observes my deeds down to the end, I will give authority over the nations, and he will shepherd the people with
an iron rod so that they will be broken to pieces like clay vessels, just as I have received from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. Let
the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations.’".-Revelation 2:26-29.
This holy nation, the Church, is New Jerusalem. She is the golden city. She is heavenly:
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But you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels in general assembly, and the
congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens".-Hebrews 12:22-23.
This heavenly government, made up of Jesus Christ and his 144,000 co-rulers bought from among mankind, as the new heavens will establish a righteous
government on earth. Then will be fulfilled the words of Revelation 21:3-4:
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With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his
people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor
outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”".-Revelation 21:3-4.
edit on 9-5-2022 by randomuser because: (no reason given)