Dr. Couch, what is the relationship of the church with the kingdom of
God? And is the kingdom of God synonymous with the kingdom of heaven? Is
the church the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven?
For you to ask this means that you have been brainwashed and that you
are listening to false Bible teaching. If you were on a desert island
and were only reading your King James Bible (without any notes) you
would see that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are 99.9%
referenced in the Gospels, and that the references in the church
epistles, while mentioning the kingdom, never make the church and the
kingdom the same. You have been listening to the Reformed guys who want
to get rid of Israel, or replace Israel with the church, and/or say God
is through with the Jewish people!
You need to get my book Classical Evangelical
Heremeneutics (Kregel) and read chapter 22. I objectively prove beyond
all doubt that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are the same
thing, with two ways of defining and explanation the issues of the
coming earthly messianic reign of Christ: “The kingdom coming from God,
i.e. the kingdom coming down from heaven.” (Send me $17 and I’ll send
you an autographed copy.)
The church clearly will be raptured into
heaven before the horrible seven-year tribulation. But the church then
returns to be with Christ during His Davidic, messianic 1000 year rule
on earth. In that sense the church has two destinies. We could be even
today, this very moment, suddenly given new bodies and (1) caught up to
glory. (2) We will return in our new bodies then to be on earth during
the millennial kingdom of God rule.
2 Timothy 4:18 shows clearly we are not now in
the kingdom but will be in the future. We are headed that way but the
church is not it! Christ is not presently on His throne in His kingdom
but will be following the tribulation (Rev. 3:21). In this verse we also
note that Christ is not on His millennial throne but He’s seated in
heaven with the Father on His throne. The verse also shows that church
saints will have some form of co-reign with Christ when we come to earth
with Him. We are told that “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to
sit down with Me on My throne …” But this is future and is not happening
presently.
Of course the allegorical, amillennial guys
don’t get it. They ignore what Revelation 3:21 is saying, i.e. they
disregard Psalm 110:1. Christ is now seated on the Father’s throne in
glory but the earthly messianic throne is another issue.
Thanks for asking and yes indeed, you do need my book!
Dr. Mal Couch
