enoughisenough, I am highly convinced that the the gospel accounts named after Mark and Matthew (and possibly also the one named after Luke) indicate that according the words they attribute to Jesus, the kingdom of God (also called kingdom of heaven) will be on the Earth during the resign of Jesus the Messiah. I am convinced that according to those gospels Jesus is claimed to say that the 12 apostles (even Judas) will be with Jesus on the Earth while in the kingdom of God/heaven. As a result I understand the verses to be saying that the drinking of the fruit of the vine by Jesus Christ will be on/upon the Earth - not in heaven. In different forum topic I made those points, but I have a copy of what I posted and thus I include them in this post below.
=======================
"John 3:3, 5, and 7 are very important verses, if hypothetically speaking the Bible is true. JWs who want to be in the kingdom of God, even if as earthly subjects of the kingdom, should very carefully think about those verses. Those verses are saying that in order to enter into the kingdom of God people must become "born again" and/or "born from above" (the latter being an alternate translation) and be born from spirit.
By the way when the gospel of Matthew says the "kingdom of heaven" instead of the "kingdom of god" it isn't saying the kingdom is only in heaven. It is using a substitute word for "God" because that gospel book is written for a Jewish audience - including Jews were were cautious about often using even the title/name "God". The Gospel writer might also be saying "kingdom of heaven" to convey the idea that the kingdom receives its authority from heaven (that is, from God in heaven).
If JWs were to realize that the Christian Greek Scriptures is speaking to all Christians and all prospective Christians when it talks about being "born again"/"born from above", "born from spirit", being part of the new covenant, and being sons/daughters of God, then it would likely make reading the Christian Greek Scripture impart a much greater emotional impact to them. At least that perspective has such an effect upon me when I (despite being an atheist ex-JW) read it from that perspective while imagining that the Christian Greek Scriptures is true!
From the point of view of the NT being true, the WT is doing a tremendous disservice to JWs (and prospective JWs) when it teaches that only a literal 144,000 humans become part of the new covenant!"
==============
"In page 6 of this topic thread some said that all true Christians go to heaven and some say that some (but not all) true Christians go to heaven. Indeed there are scriptures (such as in some of Paul's letters) which say all true Christians will go to heaven and be there for at least a time, but some verses say (or imply) they will return to Earth after the 1,000 years.
However there are scriptures which say that all true Christians will rule on Earth. Furthermore, as I pointed out in a post on page 5 of this topic thread, the NT scholar Bart Ehrman pointed out (see https://www.npr.org/2020/03/31/824479587/heaven-and-hell-are-not-what-jesus-preached-religion-scholar-says ) that Jesus taught that the kingdom would be on Earth and that he did not teach that believers in him would go to heaven.
The Bible's book called "Daniel' in chapter 2 relates a purported vision (which the book says is prophetic) depicting a stone from heaven smashing a statue which is upon planet Earth. In the purported vision the stone grows to become a large mountain which filled the whole Earth (Daniel 2;35). Notice that it does not say the mountain is in heaven, but rather it says it is on the Earth. Tthough by saying the stone came out heaven, the account says the kingdom represented by the mountain gets its authority from the God of heaven, and such is stated in Daniel 2:44-45.
The Bible's book called "According to Matthew" says that Jesus said that his 12 apostles (including Judas?) will sit sit upon 12 thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). The book also says that in the kingdom people will come from the east and the west, and thus from various places of the Earth to dine (or recline, such as at table) with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11). [That understanding of it being on Earth is more clearly expressed in the NLT which says "will come from all over the world and sit down with ...".] Those two verses when combined show that according to the book called "According to Matthew" Jesus taught the kingdom of heaven would be on the Earth.
Revelation 1:6 says that Christ made Christians "to be a kingdom". Most of the modern translations (making use of better manuscripts that those used as a basis for the KJV) in English say 'kingdom" instead of "kings" (though the KJV and NKJV say "kings", the NKJV translators' note says "NU, M a kingdom"). Revelation 5:10 in a number of modern translations say the Christians are to rule on (not simply over) the Earth and even the KJV says that. At Revelation 5:10 the KJV, the 1984 NIV, the TNIV, the NKJV, and the NLT say "on the earth". The RSV, the NRSV, and the REB say "on earth". The RV, the ARV (namely the "American Revised Version, released in 1898 by Oxford and Cambridge), the ASV, the 1977 NASB, and the NASB Updated say "upon the earth". Even the WT's Kingdom Interlinear Translation (KIT) in its interlinear word for word literal translation says "upon the earth".
These observations when I was a Christian doing independent research of the Bible was a big figurative eye opener to me and revealed to me that according to the Bible Christians would be ruling on the Earth, at least after the 1,000 years, even if prior to that they spend some time in heaven (such as during the battle of Armageddon and perhaps during the 1,000 years). It came to be another reason why I (while still a Christian) concluded that the JW religion is much out of harmony with the Bible, and that the Church of God (Abrahamic Faith) and the Church of God (Seventh Day) are the two Christian religions which are the closest to the Bible's teachings. See https://www.guthriegrove.church/our-beliefs which says the following "Jesus will return to the earth literally, visibly and personally to raise the dead in Christ and to change the living saints to immortality .... At Jesus’ second coming the Kingdom of God will be set up as a literal everlasting kingdom throughout the entire earth with Christ as king and his immortalized saints as co-rulers with him ...." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_General_Conference says that the church's teachings "... include belief in ... the literal premillennial second coming of Jesus Christ, those who have accepted the gospel will be resurrected at the return of Christ, and promises of God to Abraham will be literally fulfilled, referred to as the "Kingdom of God" being established on Earth." http://www.churchofgod-7thday.org/Summit/SecondComing.html says the following. "Satan then will be bound for 1,000 years and Jesus will set up His kingdom on the earth. The saints will reign with Him, during this period, on the earth." https://www.cog7denver.org/statement-of-faith.html says of Jesus that "He reigns as Lord in heaven and will return to earth as judge and king." The web page also says the church teaches "... the imminent return of Christ and the eventual establishment of God’s eternal kingdom on earth." The web page also says the following. "Jesus will return to earth in power and glory to resurrect the righteous dead, bestow immortality and eternal life upon the resurrected and the living righteous, avenge the saints, and be glorified in them. His earthly reign of one thousand years will be a universal kingdom in which all principalities, powers, and enemies are overcome."
Though the 1984 NWT in Revelation 5:10 says "over the earth" that is likely to support their doctrinal view that the 144,000 and Christ will rule in heaven. And while some other Bibles (such as the Bible edited/translated by Goodspeed and Smith, called The Complete Bible: An American Translation) also say "over the earth" that wording does necessarily mean that the ruling is said to be not on the Earth. It doesn't necessarily mean above the Earth (like in the sky in a spiritual heaven). For example, people often speak of kings, presidents, and other humans located on Earth as ruling over parts of the Earth, such as ruling over the USA. They don't mean those people are ruling in heaven."
"I think the most reliable extant sources of what Jesus taught about
the kingdom of God the gospel books called "According to Mark" and
"According to Matthew". The message is that the kingdom of God is as
follows. It is near, very near, even at hand (Mark 1:1, 4-5, 14-15;
Matthew 3:1-2, 7-12), and that the kingdom is the god's rule on the
Earth (at least over Judea) through the messianic son of man. The son of
man would rule on Earth. In order to enter the kingdom and receive its
blessings people would have to obey the god's laws and seek
righteousness, including loving one's neighbor as oneself, and by
striving hard to get into the kingdom (Matthew chapters 5 through 7;
18:7-9). Jesus' message about the kingdom was an apocalyptic one
(Matthew 13:1-52; 16:27-28; chapters 24-25). The existing political
systems and the existing economic systems would be overturned by the
kingdom. Many of the poor and of the oppressed would become blessed
(Matthew 9:35-38) and most of the rich would suffer and fail to enter
the kingdom (Matthew 19:23-24). Those existing in slavery would be
released from bondage. Those who worshiped the god properly would be
cured of infirmities and of diseases and would receive long life
(Matthew 4:23; 10:7-8; 11:2-6; 14:14; 15:30-39). The dead would be
raised to life (Matthew 10:8; 27:51-53). The resurrected righteous dead
would be greatly rewarded and the resurrected unrighteous dead would be
judged and receive contempt (John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; John 11:24).
Reading
what H.G. Wells' said about Jesus in Wells' two volume book called The
Outline Of History: Being A Palin History Of Life And Mankind (but note
the subtitle on the cover of the book is "The Whole Story Of Man")
contributed to me once again believing that Jesus was a historical
person. [The edition I read is the final revised edition, revised by
Raymond Postgate and G. P. Wells, bearing the copyright date of 1971.]
That is because I saw how his apocalyptic message, including a number of
hard sayings for those who were prosperous, indicate that Jesus of
Galilee must have existed as the founder (or probably a co-founder along
with John the baptist/baptizer) of the Nazarene movement within Judaism
which later evolved (largely due to Saul/Paul of Tarsus) into what
became known as Christianity.
The apocalyptic message of Jesus
failed to come true (other than the destruction of Jerusalem). The
kingdom of the god did not become established upon Earth throughout the
Earth, nor even upon Judea.
Page 445 of Wells' book says the following.
"....remarkable
is the enormous prominence given by Jesus to the teaching of what he
called the Kingdom of Heaven, and its comparative insignificance in the
procedure and teaching of most of the Christian churches.
This
doctrine of the Kingdom Heaven, which was the main teaching of Jesus,
and which plays so small a part in the Christian creeds, is certainly
one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed
human thought.
... For the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, as
Jesus seems to have preached it, was no less than a bold and
uncompromising demand for a complete change and cleansing of the life of
our struggling race, an utter cleansing without and within."
..."
=============
"Though many people interpret the NT expression of "Kingdom of heaven" (including the WT [in regards to Jesus and the 144,000] and Vanderhoven7) as meaning the "kingdom in heaven" years ago I discovered that a number of scholars say it doesn't mean that (and it does not mean that Matthew 8:10-11 says Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be in heaven instead of on Earth). Those scholars say it means the kingdom which receives its authority from God and thus that the location of the authority is from heaven, with the kingdom on Earth. Some of them also say it was a way to avoid using the name/tile "God" when communicating to Jewish non-Christians (ones who try to avoid over use of the 'name' of God) and that such is why it is used in the gospel called "According to Matthew" (which is claimed to be primarily written to specifically convince Jews) but not in the gospel called "According to Mark" and not in the gospel called "According to Luke" (or only infrequently used in those two books). That was a key insight to me when I doing independent biblical study (that is independent of WT literature) while I was still a Christian. It contributed to me coming to believe that the Church of God (Abrahamic Faith) and the Church of God (Sevenh Day) are the two religions of Christianity which are the closest to biblical Christianity.
Keep in mind that Daniel 2:44 says the kingdom will be on Earth, ruling from Earth (though with it being brought into existence form a source located in heaven, namely from YHWH God).
Note that in the Lord's prayer (also called the our father prayer) the book called "According to Matthew" attributed Jesus as telling his apostles/disciples to pray that the father's will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. This is consistent with the idea of expecting the kingdom to eventually extend to Earth, with the Messiah ruling on Earth.
For example, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_heaven_(Gospel_of_Matthew) . It says the following.
'Kingdom of heaven (Greek: ßas??e?a t?? ???a???) is a phrase used in the Gospel of Matthew. It is generally seen as equivalent to the phrase "kingdom of God" (Greek: ßas??e?a t?? ?e??) in the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke. ... Classical scholar Howard W. Clarke notes that Matthew 3:2 is the first of twenty-nine references to the "kingdom of heaven" in the Gospel of Matthew.[2] The gospels of Luke and Mark tend to prefer the term "kingdom of God". Matthew's use of the word "heaven" is often seen as a reflection of the sensibilities of the Jewish audience this gospel was directed to, and thus tried to avoid the word "God." Most scholars feel the two phrases are theologically identical.'
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Kingdom_of_God says the following.
'In the synoptic Gospels (which were written in Greek), Mark and Luke use the Greek term "Basileia tou Theou," commonly translated in English as "Kingdom of God," while Matthew prefers the Greek term "Basileia ton Ouranon" (?as??e?a t?? ???a???) which has been translated as "Kingdom of Heaven." Biblical scholars speculate that the Matthean text adopted the Greek word for "heaven" instead of the Greek word for "God" because—unlike Mark and Luke—it was written by a Jew for a Jewish audience so, in keeping with their custom, avoided using God's name as an act of piety. In Matthew, "heaven" stands for "God." The basis for these terms being equivalent is found in the apocalyptic literature of Daniel 2:44 where "the 'God of heaven' will set up a 'kingdom' which will never be destroyed."
... Jesus assumes his audience understands the Kingdom foundation that was laid in the Hebrew Scriptures. When he speaks of the Kingdom of God/Kingdom of Heaven (both meaning the same thing) he speaks of the time of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. A time of a restored earth where the faithful will worship and serve their God forever under the rulership of a righteous leader of the Davidic line. This was the Messianic hope of the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures and was carried over and echoed in the words of John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul and others in the Greek Scriptures.
Jesus would attach the theme of the gospel message itself with this Kingdom idea. Luke 4:43 tells the reader that Jesus' very purpose for being sent was to "preach the gospel about the Kingdom." He then would send out his disciples to speak this message even before they understood anything about his death and resurrection. Compare Luke 9:1-6, Matthew 9:35, Matthew 10:7, Matthew 16:21-23, etc. The initial seed that must be sown in the hearts of men was also identified as the word of the Kingdom by Jesus in Matthew 13:19. Shorthand for the word of the kingdom was given in Mark and Luke's version of the parable of the sower as "the word" (Mark 4:14) and "the word of God" (Luke 8:11).
Jesus often spoke of the Kingdom of God as the destination for the righteous in the end of days.[18] Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount shows that those who follow the "beatitudes" are rewarded with the Kingdom of God/inheriting the earth/comfort etc. Matthew 19 gives an account of Jesus equating popular terms such as "eternal life" and "saved" as the same thing as entering the Kingdom of God when it is established upon the earth. Jesus even taught his disciples to pray: "Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." ' "
============
"I think the most reliable extant sources of what Jesus taught about the kingdom of God the gospel books called "According to Mark" and "According to Matthew". The message is that the kingdom of God is as follows. It is near, very near, even at hand (Mark 1:1, 4-5, 14-15; Matthew 3:1-2, 7-12), and that the kingdom is the god's rule on the Earth (at least over Judea) through the messianic son of man. The son of man would rule on Earth. In order to enter the kingdom and receive its blessings people would have to obey the god's laws and seek righteousness, including loving one's neighbor as oneself, and by striving hard to get into the kingdom (Matthew chapters 5 through 7; 18:7-9). Jesus' message about the kingdom was an apocalyptic one (Matthew 13:1-52; 16:27-28; chapters 24-25). The existing political systems and the existing economic systems would be overturned by the kingdom. Many of the poor and of the oppressed would become blessed (Matthew 9:35-38) and most of the rich would suffer and fail to enter the kingdom (Matthew 19:23-24). Those existing in slavery would be released from bondage. Those who worshiped the god properly would be cured of infirmities and of diseases and would receive long life (Matthew 4:23; 10:7-8; 11:2-6; 14:14; 15:30-39). The dead would be raised to life (Matthew 10:8; 27:51-53). The resurrected righteous dead would be greatly rewarded and the resurrected unrighteous dead would be judged and receive contempt (John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; John 11:24).
Reading what H.G. Wells' said about Jesus in Wells' two volume book called The Outline Of History: Being A Palin History Of Life And Mankind (but note the subtitle on the cover of the book is "The Whole Story Of Man") contributed to me once again believing that Jesus was a historical person. [The edition I read is the final revised edition, revised by Raymond Postgate and G. P. Wells, bearing the copyright date of 1971.] That is because I saw how his apocalyptic message, including a number of hard sayings for those who were prosperous, indicate that Jesus of Galilee must have existed as the founder (or probably a co-founder along with John the baptist/baptizer) of the Nazarene movement within Judaism which later evolved (largely due to Saul/Paul of Tarsus) into what became known as Christianity.
The apocalyptic message of Jesus failed to come true (other than the destruction of Jerusalem). The kingdom of the god did not become established upon Earth throughout the Earth, nor even upon Judea.
Page 445 of Wells' book says the following.
"....remarkable is the enormous prominence given by Jesus to the teaching of what he called the Kingdom of Heaven, and its comparative insignificance in the procedure and teaching of most of the Christian churches.
This doctrine of the Kingdom Heaven, which was the main teaching of Jesus, and which plays so small a part in the Christian creeds, is certainly one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred and changed human thought.
... For the doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, as Jesus seems to have preached it, was no less than a bold and uncompromising demand for a complete change and cleansing of the life of our struggling race, an utter cleansing without and within."
..."
=============
"In considering this topic thread it is important to realize that the NT gospels embellish what Jesus said. They incorporate ideas about Jesus which Jesus did not hold about himself. This is brought out at https://www.salon.com/2014/03/23/did_jesus_think_he_was_god_new_insights_on_jesus_own_self_image/ which is an except from Bart Ehrman's book called How Jesus Became God.
In the except Ehrman says that though the historical Jesus taught about the Son of Man, Jesus did not consider himself the Son of Man, nor did Jesus consider himself God. Ehrman says the message of Jesus was about the coming of the kingdom of God, and that Jesus never publicly (except when he was on trail before Pilate) said he would be the king (though Jesus had privately told his apostles that he would be king). I think that Ehrman is correct about this. [H. G. Wells got some of this right in his book called The Outline Of History, but Wells didn't conclude that Jesus taught an apocalyptic message, and Wells seemed to believe Jesus taught the kingdom would only exist within people and only be manifested by their actions.] As a result, the WT's emphasis on Jehovah God and his kingdom (with the kingdom having an administration on Earth which benefits human subjects) is much closer to what the historical Jesus taught than what virtually all of the Christian religions teach. [However, it is very improper for the governing body of the JW to elevate themselves and the WT organization so very high. They have no scriptural basis for doing it, nor do they have any basis in the teachings of the historical Jesus for doing so.]
The excerpt of Ehramn's book says, in part, the following.
'According to our accounts, the trial of Jesus before Pilate was short and to the point. Pilate asked him whether it was true that he was the king of the Jews. Almost certainly, this was the actual charge leveled against Jesus. It is multiply attested in numerous independent witnesses, both at the trial itself and as the charge written on the placard that hung with him on his cross (e.g., Mark 15:2, 26). Moreover, it is not a charge that Christians would have invented for Jesus—for a possibly unexpected reason. Even though Christians came to understand Jesus to be the messiah, they never ever, from what we can tell, applied to him the title “king of the Jews.” If Christians were to invent a charge to put on Pilate’s lips, it would be, “Are you the messiah?” But that’s not how it works in the Gospels. The charge is specifically that he called himself “king of the Jews.”
Evidence that Jesus really did think that he was the king of the Jews is the very fact that he was killed for it. If Pilate asked him whether he were in fact calling himself this, Jesus could have simply denied it, and indicated that he meant no trouble and that he had no kingly expectations, hopes, or intentions. And that would have been that. The charge was that he was calling himself the king of the Jews, and either he flat-out admitted it or he refused to deny it. Pilate did what governors typically did in such cases. He ordered him executed as a troublemaker and political pretender. Jesus was charged with insurgency, and political insurgents were crucified.
The reason Jesus could not have denied that he called himself the king of the Jews was precisely that he did call himself the king of the Jews. He meant that, of course, in a purely apocalyptic sense: when the kingdom arrived, he would be made the king. But Pilate was not interested in theological niceties. Only the Romans could appoint someone to be king, and anyone else who wanted to be king had to rebel against the state.
... The evidence for Jesus’s claims to be divine comes only from the last of the New Testament Gospels, not from any earlier sources.
Someone may argue that there are other reasons, apart from explicit divine self-claims, to suspect that Jesus saw himself as divine. For example, he does amazing miracles that surely only a divine figure could do; and he forgives people’s sins, which surely is a prerogative of God alone; and he receives worship, as people bow down before him, which surely indicates that he welcomes divine honors.
There are two points to stress about such things. The first is that all of them are compatible with human, not just divine, authority. In the Hebrew Bible the prophets Elijah and Elisha did fantastic miracles—including healing the sick and raising the dead—through the power of God, and in the New Testament so did the Apostles Peter and Paul; but that did not make any of them divine. When Jesus forgives sins, he never says “I forgive you,” as God might say, but “your sins are forgiven,” which means that God has forgiven the sins. This prerogative for pronouncing sins forgiven was otherwise reserved for Jewish priests in honor of sacrifices that worshipers made at the temple. Jesus may be claiming a priestly prerogative, but not a divine one. And kings were worshiped—even in the Bible (Matt. 18:26)—by veneration and obeisance, just as God was. Here, Jesus may be accepting the worship due to him as the future king. None of these things is, in and of itself, a clear indication that Jesus is divine.
But even more important, these activities may not even go back to the historical Jesus. Instead, they may be traditions assigned to Jesus by later storytellers in order to heighten his eminence and significance. Recall one of the main points of this chapter: many traditions in the Gospels do not derive from the life of the historical Jesus but represent embellishments made by storytellers who were trying to convert people by convincing them of Jesus’s superiority and to instruct those who were converted. These traditions of Jesus’s eminence cannot pass the criterion of dissimilarity and are very likely later pious expansions of the stories told about him—told by people who, after his resurrection, did come to understand that he was, in some sense, divine.
What we can know with relative certainty about Jesus is that his public ministry and proclamation were not focused on his divinity; in fact, they were not about his divinity at all. They were about God. And about the kingdom that God was going to bring. And about the Son of Man who was soon to bring judgment upon the earth. When this happened the wicked would be destroyed and the righteous would be brought into the kingdom—a kingdom in which there would be no more pain, misery, or suffering. The twelve disciples of Jesus would be rulers of this future kingdom, and Jesus would rule over them. Jesus did not declare himself to be God. He believed and taught that he was the future king of the coming kingdom of God, the messiah of God yet to be revealed. This was the message he delivered to his disciples, and in the end, it was the message that got him crucified. It was only afterward, once the disciples believed that their crucified master had been raised from the dead, that they began to think that he must, in some sense, be God.' "
===========
"Vanderhoven7, Paul's gospel regarding Jesus Christ might not have been exactly the same as the good news (gospel) taught by Jesus himself (as attributed to Jesus in the gospel books called "According to Mark" and "According to Matthew"). Matthew 24:14 (which was referred to in the opening post of this topic) clearly states that that which is called "this gospel" (or "this good news") is "of the kingdom", namely of what Jesus proclaimed was the very soon coming of the kingdom of God to the Earth under the rule of the Messiah! See Mark 1:14-15 which makes this even more clear - even more obvious!
Likewise the ministry of John the Baptist (as recorded in "According to Mark" [see Mark 1:1-5] and in "According to Matthew" [see Matthew 3:1-2]) was in trying to get the people in Israel ready for that alleged approaching kingdom (which John thought was very near), which included urging people to repent and to get baptized in symbol of their repentance."