How do you promote America? Are you proud of this nation? Imagine going to a land where very little was known about how America is supposed to function, or how its laws are implemented. Would it be easy to describe to someone who had never experienced freedom before? Or been part of a democratic republic like ours?
Jesus had a mission to reveal the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. It makes sense that God’s kingdom would have something similar to what God created in the first place. After all, it was sin that messed up His paradise. So, His kingdom would be a kind of copy of what Eden had started off being.
In fact, throughout God’s relationship with the Israelites, reminders of Eden were constantly being brought to their attention. Within the tabernacle, God had a scene that was to be observed that mimicked Eden.
In Exodus 31, God commissions Bezalel and Oholiab to build everything in the tabernacle “just as He tells them too.” Think how a homeowner tries to convey their plans and ideas to a home builder: they want it just right. So does God, and for a good reason.
Eden is seen in the Tabernacle, later the temple. From Adam and Eve being commissioned to care for God’s “temple” or Eden (Genesis 2:15) to the most holy place being where God meets with them every day (Genesis 3:8). The place was filled with images of trees, fruit, pools of water, a never-ending light, etc.
The point is that everywhere the Israelites moved to, they took this image of Eden with them. So, a subliminal message was always being planted in their minds about what God’s kingdom would “look” like, but Adam and Eve (and everyone else) failed to realize is how it functions. That’s what Jesus came to reveal.
Hebrews 9:23-24, “It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”
After Jesus showed us a true and powerful love for all mankind by giving His life to save ours, He established a kind of diplomatic union (church) to go help other people see how His kingdom will function upon Christ’s return.
Take time to reflect on the importance of promoting God’s kingdom.
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