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This is Eternal Life
John 17:1-3 Authorized (King James) Version {Paraphrased}
The Prayer of Jesus 1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: 2 as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.
After the Rapture
There Will Be a Time of Mourning for the Firstfruits (1) of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit says,
"The next chapter after the Rapture (2) will be a time of mourning and repentance. After the Rapture comes, it's going to be like a phase where people are mourning and repenting until they come to the full stature of Christ (3). Then when they understand God and His Man (4), they will be at home with Him (5). It's going to be a thousand-year long chapter of mourning before the Son of Man and the New Jerusalem from the sky (6)".
The Holy Spirit Bears Witness to this Prophecy with the rest of this Message
(John 14:26)
(1) The Firstfruits of the Holy Spirit
The Firstfruits of the Holy Spirit Is Us - The Church of Today
Whom Wait with Eagerness for the Lord Jesus to Return from the Sky
In the Rapture
Romans 8:18-25 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} The Future Glory
{After the Rapture}
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory {God} will reveal to us later {after the Rapture}. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day {the Rapture} when God will reveal who His children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay {in the Rapture}. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time {for the Rapture to come}. 23 And we believers also groan {for the Rapture}, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of {this} future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering {in the Rapture}. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children {in the Rapture}, [a] including the new bodies He has promised us. 24 We were given this hope {in the Rapture} when we were saved. (If we already have {our new bodies from heaven}, we don’t need to hope [b] for it. 25 But if we look forward to {the Rapture}, we must wait patiently and confidently {for it}.)
Footnotes
8:23 Greek wait anxiously for sonship.
8:24 Some manuscripts read wait.
(2) The First Resurrection
The Rapture Is the First Resurrection
When Both the Dead and Living Christians Receive New Bodies from the Lord
In the Thousand-Year Reign of Christ the Lord
Revelation 20:1-7 Authorized (King James) Version 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Luke 20:27-38 New Living Translation {Paraphrased}
Discussion about Resurrection
27 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[a] 29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 30 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. 31 Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. 32 Finally, the woman also died. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!” 34 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. 36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection. 37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord[b] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[c] 38 So He is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to Him.”
Footnotes
20:28 See Deut 25:5-6.
20:37a Greek when he wrote about the bush. He referred to the Lord.
20:37b Exod 3:6.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} The Resurrection is our Hope of Heaven
The New Jerusalem
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[a] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope {in the resurrection of the dead}. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died {and you will see your Christian dead loved ones again}. 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet Him ahead of those who have died.[b] 16 For the Lord {Jesus} Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[c] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up {Raptured - Latin Vulgate - "rapturo"} in the clouds to meet the Lord {Jesus} in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
Footnotes
4:13 Greek those who have fallen asleep; also in 4:14.
4:15 Greek those who have fallen asleep.
4:16 Greek the dead in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} 50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We {Christians} will not all die, but we {both the dead and living Christians} will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever {first}. And we who are living {when this happens} will also be transformed {with them}. 53 For our {dead and} dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our {living} mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 54 Then, when our {dead and} dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[a] this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.[b] 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?[c]” 56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless {Our work in the Lord gives us right to enter the gates of the New Jerusalem to live forever with the Lord - Rev. 22:14}.
Footnotes
(3) The Full Stature of Christ
Comes After the Rapture
Ephesians 4 Living Bible {Paraphrased}
Unity in the Body 1 I {Paul} beg you—I, a prisoner here in jail for serving the Lord—to live and act in a way worthy of those who have been chosen for such wonderful blessings as these. 2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit and so be at peace with one another. 4 We are all parts of one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future {after the Rapture}. 5 For us there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and we all have the same God and Father who is over us all and in us all, and living through every part of us. 7 However, Christ has given each of us special abilities—whatever He wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts. 8 The psalmist tells about this, for he says that when Christ returned triumphantly to heaven after His resurrection and victory over Satan, He gave generous gifts to men {1 Cor. chapters 12-14}. 9 Notice that it says He returned to heaven. This means that He had first come down from the heights of heaven, far down to the lowest parts of the earth. 10 The same one who came down is the one who went back up, that He might fill all things everywhere with Himself, from the very lowest to the very highest. 11 Some of us have been given special ability as apostles; to others he has given the gift of being able to preach well; some have special ability in winning people to Christ, helping them to trust Him as their Savior; still others have a gift for caring for God’s people as a shepherd does his sheep, leading and teaching them in the ways of God. 12 Why is it that He gives us these special abilities to do certain things best? It is that God’s people will be equipped to do better work for Him, building up the Church, the body of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity; 13 until finally we all believe alike about our salvation and about our Savior, God’s Son, and all become full-grown in the Lord—yes, to the point of being filled full with Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. 15-16 Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly[a]—and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the Church. Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Live As Children of Light
17-18 Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord: Live no longer as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused. Their closed hearts are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds against Him, and they cannot understand His ways. 19 They don’t care anymore about right and wrong and have given themselves over to impure ways. They stop at nothing, being driven by their evil minds and reckless lusts. 20 But that isn’t the way Christ taught you! 21 If you have really heard His voice and learned from Him the truths concerning Himself, 22 then throw off your old evil nature—the old you that was a partner in your evil ways—rotten through and through, full of lust and sham. 23 Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be constantly changing for the better. 24 Yes, you must be a new and different person, holy and good. Clothe yourself with this new nature. 25 Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves. 26 If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; 27 for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil. 28 If anyone is stealing he must stop it and begin using those hands of his for honest work so he can give to others in need. 29 Don’t use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing. 30 Don’t cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, He is the one who marks you to be present on that day {in the Rapture} when salvation from sin will be complete.[b] 31 Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ.
Footnotes
Ephesians 4:15 speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly, Amplified New Testament.
Ephesians 4:30 He is the one . . . salvation from sin will be complete, literally, “He is the one in whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption.”
(4) God's Man is the One and Only Begotten Son of God
The Lord Jesus Christ
Deliverance for God's People Through Faith in Christ
The Man of God
Isaiah Chapters 52 and 53
New Living Translation {Paraphrased}
Isaiah 52 New Living Translation
Deliverance for Jerusalem
1 Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. 2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the Lord says: “When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you.” 4 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago My people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. 5 What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are My people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. [a] My Name is blasphemed all day long. [b] 6 But I will reveal My Name {Jesus} to My people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.” 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel [c] reigns! 8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. [d] 9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted His people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has demonstrated His Holy {Resurrection} Power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God. 11 Get out! Get out and leave your captivity, where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves,
you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. 12 You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.
{Christ}
The Lord’s Suffering Servant
13 See, My Servant will prosper; He will be highly exalted. 14 But many were amazed when they saw Him {on the Cross}. [e] His Face was so disfigured He seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would scarcely know He was a man. 15 And He will startle [f] many nations. Kings will stand speechless in His Presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. [g]
Footnotes
52:5a As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads Those who rule them wail.
52:5b Greek version reads The Gentiles continually blaspheme my name because of you. Compare Rom 2:24.
52:7 Hebrew of Zion.
52:8 Hebrew to Zion.
52:14 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads you.
52:15a Or cleanse.
52:15b Greek version reads Those who have never been told about him will see, / and those who have never heard of him will understand. Compare Rom 15:21.
Isaiah 53 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} 1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed His powerful arm? 2 My Servant grew up in the Lord’s Presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. 3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows [a] that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! 5 But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, He was led away. [b] No one cared that He died without descendants, that His life was cut short in midstream. [c] But He was struck down for the rebellion of My people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But He was buried like a criminal; He was put in a rich man’s grave. 10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush Him and cause Him grief. Yet when His life is made an offering for sin, He will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in His hands. 11 When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish, He will be satisfied. And because of His experience, My righteous Servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins. 12 I will give Him the honors of a victorious soldier, because He exposed Himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Footnotes
53:4 Or Yet it was our sicknesses he carried; / it was our diseases.
53:8a Greek version reads He was humiliated and received no justice. Compare Acts 8:33.
53:8b Or As for his contemporaries, / who cared that his life was cut short in midstream? Greek version reads Who can speak of his descendants? / For his life was taken from the earth. Compare Acts 8:33.
John 1:1-18 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} Christ, God the Eternal Word Made Human
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, [a] and His life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. [b] 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, [c] 7 to tell about the Light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the Light; he was simply a witness to tell about the Light. 9 The One who is the true Light, who gives Light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. 11 He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. 12 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are {born again} — not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a {spiritual} birth that comes from God. 14 So the Word became human [d] and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. [e] And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s One and Only Son. 15 John testified about Him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.’” 16 From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. [f] 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, [g] is near to the Father’s Heart. He has revealed God to us.
Footnotes
1:3-4 Or and nothing that was created was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything.
1:5 Or and the darkness has not understood it.
1:6 Greek a man named John.
1:14a Greek became flesh.
1:14b Or grace and truth; also in 1:17.
1:16 Or received the grace of Christ rather than the grace of the law; Greek reads received grace upon grace.
1:18 Some manuscripts read But the One and Only Son.
God's Plan of Salvation for the Human Race:
Love, Death and Spiritual Rebirth
God the Father Loves Us
Jesus, God the Word, Became God the Son
God the Holy Spirit Makes Us Born Again
Through Faith in Jesus
John 3 New Living Translation {Paraphrased}
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent You to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with You.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, [a] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 {Born again by the Holy Spirit} Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [b] 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [c] 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You [d] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. 10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 {Born again through faith in Christ} No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man [e] has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. [f] 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave [g] His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s One and Only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. [h]”
John the Baptist Exalts Jesus
22 Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people. 23 At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. 24 (This was before John was thrown into prison.) 25 A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew [i] over ceremonial cleansing. 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” 27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. 31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. [j] 32 He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but how few believe what He tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts His testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For He is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves His Son and has put everything into His Hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
Footnotes
3:3 Or born from above; also in 3:7.
3:5 Or and spirit. The Greek word for Spirit can also be translated wind; see 3:8.
3:6 Greek what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
3:7 The Greek word for you is plural; also in 3:12.
3:13 Some manuscripts add who lives in heaven. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for Himself.
3:15 Or everyone who believes will have eternal life in him.
3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that He gave.
3:21 Or can see God at work in what He is doing.
3:25 Some manuscripts read some Jews.
3:31 Some manuscripts do not include and is greater than anyone else.
1 John 1 New Living Translation {Paraphrased}
Introduction
1 We proclaim to you the One who existed from the beginning, [a] whom we have heard and seen. We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This One who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen Him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that He is the One who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then He was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. [b]
Living in the Light
5 This is the message we heard from Jesus [c] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the Truth. 7 But if we are living in the Light, as God is in the Light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the Truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His Word has no place in our hearts.
Footnotes
1:1 Greek What was from the beginning.
1:4 Or so that our joy may be complete; some manuscripts read your joy.
1:5 Greek from Him.
1 John 4:7-21 New Living Translation Loving One Another
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is Love. 9 God showed how much He loved us by sending His One and Only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is Love, and all who live in Love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our Love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such Love has no fear, because perfect Love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect Love. 19 We Love each other [a] because He loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, [b] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And He has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. [c]
Footnotes
4:19 Greek We love. Other manuscripts read We love God; still others read We love Him.
4:20 Greek hates his brother.
4:21 Greek The one who loves God must also love his brother.
(5) The Kingdom of God
And
The Kingdom of Heaven
At Home with Christ in the New Jerusalem
Through the Holy Spirit
The Kingdom of God is a Spiritual Kingdom inside the Holy Spirit
Romans 14:17 New Living Translation 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Within the Christian
Luke 17:20-21 Living Bible {Paraphrased}
The Coming of the Kingdom 20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God begin?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God isn’t ushered in with visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘It has begun here in this place or there in that part of the country.’ For the Kingdom of God is {already here}. It is within you.” [a]
Footnotes
Luke 17:21 within you, or “among you.”
Your Body is the Temple of God the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 New Living Translation 16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in [a] you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Footnotes
3:16 Or among.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price {the Blood Of the Lord Jesus}. So you must honor God with your body {and stop sinning}.
(6) The Kingdom of Heaven {the City in the Sky} is the New Jerusalem
Revelation Chapters 21 and 22
New Living Translation
Revelation 21 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} The New Jerusalem
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. [a] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the One sitting on the Throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then He said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And He also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of {eternal} life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be My children. 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 So he took me in the Spirit [b] to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. 12 The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. [c] 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick [d] (according to the human standard used by the angel). 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. 19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: [e] the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. 22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil [f] will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Footnotes
21:3 Some manuscripts read God Himself will be with them, their God.
21:10 Or in spirit.
21:16 Greek 12,000 stadia [2,220 kilometers].
21:17 Greek 144 cubits [65 meters].
21:19 The identification of some of these gemstones is uncertain.
21:27 Or ceremonially unclean.
Revelation 22 New Living Translation 1 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of {eternal} life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of {eternal} life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, [a] with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. 3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the Throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. 4 And they will see His Face, and His Name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. 6 Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires His prophets,[b] has sent His angel to tell His servants what will happen soon. [c]”
Jesus Is Coming
7 “Look, I am coming {faster than light in the Rapture}! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book. [d]” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!” 10 Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.” 12 “Look, I am coming {faster than light in the Rapture}, bringing My reward with Me to repay all people according to their deeds. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of {etyernal} life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. [e] I am the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of {eternal} life. 18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of {eternal} life and in the holy city that are described in this book. 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming {faster than light in the Rapture}!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. [f]
Footnotes
22:2 Or twelve kinds of fruit.
22:6a Or The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets.
22:16 Greek I am the root and offspring of David.
22:21 Other manuscripts read be with all; still others read be with all of God’s holy people. Some manuscripts add Amen.
Jesus and the New Jerusalem
Revelation 3:11-13 Authorized (King James) Version {Paraphrased} 11 Behold, I come {faster than light in the Rapture - says the God Jesus}: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown {of eternal life}. 12 Him that overcometh {the world, the flesh anmd the devil} will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the Name of the City of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new Name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
A Prayer for you to be Saved and Make the Rapture
Romans 10:9-10 New Living Translation 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Acts 2:38-39 New Living Translation 38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away [a]—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
Footnotes
2:39 Or and to people far in the future, or and to the Gentiles.
Receive the Holy Spirit through Faith in Prayer
Luke 11:5-13 New Living Translation {Paraphrased} 5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, {Jesus} used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. [a] 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask [b] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Footnotes
11:8 Or in order to avoid shame, or so his reputation won’t be damaged.
11:11 Some manuscripts add for bread, do you give them a stone? Or [if they ask].
Prophetic Intercession for Your Baptism into the Holy Spirit
Since you are reading my Page and hearing Jesus call you to the Rapture here, I will use my Prophetic Anointing and ask the Holy Spirit to give me a prayer for you to be baptized into the Holy Spirit NOW. Read the prayer and receive the Holy Spirit...
I am using my anointing and authority with Christ to pronounce you dead in Christ and renewed to life by the ever-living Presence of God.
"NOW RETURN TO ME AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST!"
said the Lord Jesus...
Amen.
"After the First Resurrection" (Playlist)