Topical Studies
Inheriting the Earth
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Genesis 13:14-15 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The lands where Abram lived is the land of Canaan, called Israel today. That, then, is the Promised Land—and that is why it is called the Promised Land. But for how long? Forever! The inheritance is to be an eternal inheritance, which of necessity involves and includes everlasting life. If one inherits a piece of land, the deed must describe the exact boundaries of the property. Is such a description given in this deed of the land we may hope to inherit? The answer is found in Genesis 15:18, "In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." From the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates in the Near East! We have all seen enough maps to know where that is, and I am sure we all know it is not up in heaven somewhere, but right here on this earth. "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29); and the promise—the promise of eternal inheritance—is the land of Israel, from the Nile clear to the Euphrates, here on this earth! God help us to put our trust in the sure Word of God, not in the fables of men! Other scriptures show that the territory of Christ's Kingdom is to expand and spread until ultimately it shall include the whole earth. See Romans 4:13.
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
What Is the Reward of the Saved?
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Psalms 37:9 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Is there anything wrong with having the earth as an eternal inheritance? Would you "settle" for earth? The earth today would be an extremely wonderful place in which to live were it not for sin—rebellion against God and His eternal spiritual laws that bring peace, happiness, and joy! Happiness and joy are not a matter of geographical location. Happiness is a state of mind—a spiritual condition! There will be no sin in the spiritual Kingdom of God. No liars, no murderers, no thieves or robbers. Think of it—there will be no Devil to deceive anyone, no locks on doors, no jails, no hospitals, no poor houses! No strife, no war—no sickness or disease—no poverty, no hunger, no want! What a wonderful inheritance! When we put all the scriptures together, it becomes crystal clear that the reward of the saints is not strumming on harps up in heaven for all eternity. It is infinitely more glorious and exciting than that!
Will You Go to Heaven?
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Psalms 37:11 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The Holy Spirit enables us to produce meekness, a necessary attitude for understanding God's Word. An added benefit to the meek is that God promises them the enjoyment of peace. A meek and quiet spirit is so very precious to God that he calls it an imperishable ornament, and He rewards the meek with inheritance of the earth.
Martin G. Collins
Meekness
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Matthew 5:3 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Here, Christ says that the "poor in spirit"—those who recognize their own spiritual poverty—will have "the kingdom of Heaven." But in Matthew 5:5, Christ says that the meek will inherit the earth. Are the meek Christians going to have a different reward from the "poor in spirit" Christians? Is this a contradiction? Of course not! The "meek" and the "poor in spirit"—in other words, humble Christians—shall inherit the earth for an everlasting possession, and shall enter the "Kingdom of [owned by] heaven" which will be set up on earth! That Kingdom is the divine, ruling government of God which Christ will establish on earth at His return (Revelation 5:10). To enter into—or "inherit"—the divine Kingdom of God is a destiny of such marvelous glory that the human mind cannot fully grasp it! Men today have no conception of what is in store for the obedient. The inheritance that awaits every true Christian surpasses anything we have ever conceived in our minds! As we read in I Corinthians 2:9, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." The full extent of the inheritance God has promised the righteous cannot even be remotely imagined by the natural mind of man—but God does reveal it to us "by His Spirit" (verse 10).
Will You Go to Heaven?
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Matthew 5:5 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Meekness is so important that it is the third characteristic Jesus mentions in His foundational teaching, the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Obviously, the world's ideal of the perfect man is very different from His. The meek are among those so favored that they will share in Jesus' inheritance of the earth. He was not the first to state the importance of meekness, but He was the first to collect, in what we call the Beatitudes, a God-authored, organized list of the characteristics of the perfect man. Others have made lists of outstanding virtues, but Jesus' list is unique in that He relates them to the Kingdom of God and in the depth and breadth of what He meant. How can this be, though? Given how modern man considers those who are meek, His statement about meekness is almost incomprehensible. The world would word this, "Blessed are the strong, who can hold their own." The world favors more conspicuous and so-called heroic virtues. Those who are strongly—almost fiercely—competitive, aggressive, and assertive are the ones who receive recognition, admiration, and reward. Do they not seem to end up on top of the pile, possessing the most and best despite other obvious and perhaps even offensive flaws in their character? On the surface, this beatitude seems to have little meaning, and what there is seems to contradict the plain facts of everyday life. No sensible person, looking about the world or studying history, could sincerely accept it at face value. Unfortunately, many Christians have ignored it in practice, perhaps regretting that no doubt it should be true, but that it certainly is not so in the real world. Rather than taking God at His Word, they remain conformed to the world's standard of practice, missing the benefits meekness will produce in their lives. Remember, Jesus Himself says this: Blessed—happy, favored—are the meek. So we must decide. Jesus either meant what he said, or He did not; He either knew what He was talking about, or He did not. Jesus is either a reliable guide, or He is not. We must either take Jesus seriously or not, and if we do not, we should drop His teaching altogether. If we decide to straddle the fence and strive for some characteristics but not others, we become hypocrites. Of course, the true Christian will accept it, learn from it and grow in it. What Jesus says is a very practical doctrine. It may at first seem impractical, foolish, and even wild, but He was no sentimental dreamer who dealt in empty platitudes. He was an unflinching realist who has given us a great key to prosperity and dominion under God's purpose. One commentator, Emmet Fox, author of an entire book on the Sermon on the Mount, states that this beatitude "is among the half dozen most important verses in the Bible." "The meek shall inherit the earth," and when they do, they will proceed to govern it. Meekness is a virtue God has determined those who will have dominion in His Family must possess. Without it, will we even be there?
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Fruit of the Spirit: Meekness
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Matthew 5:5 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Jesus said: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). That is part of the Sermon on the Mount—and certainly every Christian must believe the Sermon on the Mount! Then we must believe, if we are Christians, that what the saved inherit is the earth—and not heaven! Jesus plainly said, "No man has ascended up to heaven" (John 3:13). David was a man after God's own heart. David has the promise of being in the Kingdom of God, ruling over Israel under Christ, when Christ will rule all nations. But on that day of Pentecost when the New Testament church began, the inspired Peter said: "David is not ascended into the heavens" (Acts 2:34). The wisest man who ever lived was inspired to write, as part of the divine Word of God, "The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth" (Proverbs 10:30). I think most of you have read those scriptures. That is the "Thus saith the Lord" on the question. There is absolutely no scripture in all the Holy Bible that promises heaven as the reward the saved shall inherit. And yet, have not most people just sort of blinded their minds to these positive, plain statements from God Almighty, and carelessly taken for granted, without question, the idea of going to heaven? Notice when the Kingdom shall be inherited—when the heirs of the promises to Abraham shall come finally into their reward, and receive the actual inheritance. It is recorded in Matthew 25:31, 34: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. . . . Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Yes, the Kingdom of God is the place prepared. Jesus said He went to prepare a place for us. He also said He went to get for Himself a kingdom, and to return. And when He returns, as King of kings, and that Kingdom is established (we find it is the place prepared), then it is that the joyful call goes out, "Come! ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you."
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
What Is the Reward of the Saved?
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Matthew 5:12 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
What did Jesus mean when He told His disciples, "Be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven"? (Matthew 5:12.) And why—only a few verses before—did Christ say, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (verse 5)? Do some of the saved—"the persecuted" (verses 11-12)—go to heaven to collect their reward, while others—"the meek"—inherit the earth? Or did Jesus Christ contradict Himself in His very next breath? The apostle Peter was inspired to write, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (I Peter 1:3-4). Notice it! The reward of the saved—the inheritance of true Christian—is reserved in heaven. That is where it is kept at this present time. But do Christians go to heaven to receive their reward? Jesus Christ explained it in the book of Revelation: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Revelations 22:12). When Christ returns from heaven the second time, He will bring the reward of the saved with Him! Though now temporarily reserved in heaven, Jesus will bring the reward of the saints (true Christians) to this earth! Daniel wrote, "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him" (Daniel 7:27). Jesus did not say Christians will inherit their reward in heaven. Rather, the reward—authority, an office of power in the Kingdom of God—is being temporarily reserved in heaven because that is where Jesus is. But it will be brought to the earth, where Jesus will reward His saints, in the Kingdom of God, with positions of rulership and authority over the nations.
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
What Is the Reward of the Saved?
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Luke 13:28 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The promises God made to the fathers included entrance into the Kingdom of God! And so their inheritance will include 1) eternal life in 2) the Kingdom of God and 3) the earth on which that Kingdom will reign—the very same inheritance we may receive through Christ!
Will You Go to Heaven?
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John 3:13 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Perhaps no other doctrine more clearly exposes the effectiveness and thoroughness of Satan's deception of the whole world (Revelation 12:9). Jesus plainly states in John 3:13, "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of man who is in heaven." Yet, most of the Christian world believes that immediately upon death a person's soul wafts off to heaven to be with others of the dearly departed. This verse does not stand alone; many scriptures confirm Jesus' testimony. Peter says regarding the highly respected, man-after-God's-own-heart David, ". . . he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. . . . For David did not ascend into the heavens . . ." (Acts 2:29, 34). Other scriptures remind us that, when a person dies, he is without consciousness: For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. . . . Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) Psalm 146:3-4 adds, "Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans [thoughts, KJV] perish." Jesus identifies Himself in Revelation 1:18 as, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen." He says something similar as He begins His message to the church at Smyrna: "These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life" (Revelation 2:8). Who are we to believe, a God who never lies or the tales of false prophets? Was Jesus telling the truth when He said He was dead—that He was not off in heaven during those three days and three nights, conversing with the Father, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses? If we believe the Bible, the answer is beyond question. The gospel Jesus Christ brought reveals the Kingdom of God as the Christian hope. The Bible teaches that a person must remain in his grave, unaware of events in the conscious world, until a resurrection occurs, when his life is renewed (just as Jesus' was), his body is changed to spirit, and he enters God's Kingdom. In I Corinthians 15:50-54, the apostle Paul teaches that the resurrection does not occur until Christ returns. Then, those who "died in Christ" will be resurrected from their graves with spiritual bodies, and the living saints will also be changed, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. . . . [T]he dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (verse 52). Galatians 3:29 speaks about our reward: "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise," confirming that those who are true Christians—"in Christ"—will receive the same inheritance Abraham was promised. Romans 4:13 establishes beyond doubt what Abraham will inherit when he is resurrected: "For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Furthermore, regarding those who will be resurrected with Abraham, Revelation 5:10 adds, "[You] have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth." Later, Revelation 11:15 says, "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'" Many centuries of pagan tradition have convinced people that heaven is their "home" and their reward when they die. Nevertheless, the biblical record is unassailable: God's Kingdom will be established on the earth He created for mankind, and it will be an everlasting Kingdom with Christ as its King. In awe of what he saw, John declares in Revelation 21:1-4: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven [to the earth] from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." The Bible contains much more on this facet of the gospel. Yet, with just this small sampling of verses, there should be no doubt remaining that the gospel teaches that the inheritance of Christians is this earth.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Five)
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Acts 7:2-5 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
God gave Abraham none inheritance in that land—"yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him when as yet he had no child." Abraham never received the promised inheritance—though God's promise was made unconditional because Abraham had obeyed God! Further, Hebrews 11:8-10, 13 shows that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the fathers to whom the promises were made—all died, in faith, not having received the promises! Do you grasp what that inspired scripture of God says? In plain language, it says they died, but did not receive their reward—the very fathers to whom the promises were made did not "go to their reward at death." Thus saith the Lord! Now further, the Scriptures tell us that Abraham is dead. When the New Testament was written, many hundreds of years after his death, Abraham was still dead, as recorded in John 8:52-53. There you read plain words: "Abraham is dead. . . ." Abraham has not received the promised inheritance, even to this day! All through the New Testament, you read that Christians who become Abraham's children through Christ are not now, in this age, inheritors—they are now heirs. An heir is one who has not yet come into his inheritance. Now why has Abraham, even to this day, as yet not inherited the promise? Since "eternal inheritance" of the earth constitutes the better promises of the New Testament, and since the message which Christ delivered in confirming these promises was the gospel of the Kingdom of God, it follows that the land of this earth—the land of the promise Jesus came to confirm—is the territory occupied and governed by the Kingdom of God!
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
What Is the Reward of the Saved?
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Galatians 3:16 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
It is evident that a specific descendent was implied: that one of Abraham's "seed" had the same promise made. The promises entailed so much more than justification by faith. If that were the main or only promise, it had already been given to multiple characters throughout the Old Testament (Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, the prophets, etc.). Even Noah, living before Abraham, "became an heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Hebrews 11:7)—yet none of these received the promises (Hebrews 11:13)! The promises made to Abraham cannot be limited to justification because all of these "men of faith" mentioned in Hebrews 11 did receive that. The promises entail eternal life, inheritance of the earth (Matthew 5:5, not heaven), and being born into the Family of God. These promises were made to Abraham and Christ. Abraham died without receiving them (Hebrews 11:13), which means he must live again in order for the promises to be fulfilled. Christ came to earth to confirm that those promises were still in existence and to set in process a means by which true Christians could inherit them. This will be fulfilled at the first resurrection, when the firstfruits are changed into immortal beings, given a full measure of God's Spirit, and begin reigning on the earth with Christ (Revelation 5:10; 20:4-6).
David C. Grabbe
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Galatians 3:16 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The Christian is not yet a possessor of his reward—he is now only an "heir." What Christians shall inherit, if "saved"—whatever shall be the "reward of the saved"—wherever they shall spend eternity—is a definite, specific promise of God. And that promise was made to Abraham, called, in this same book of Galatians written for Gentile converts, the "father" of the faithful (Galatians 3:7). If one is converted, regardless of race or color or sex; if one is "Christ's"—a Christian—then he becomes one of Abraham's children, and an "heir" of the promise made to Abraham. What he is to inherit, then, is whatever was promised to Abraham (see Genesis 12:2-7; 13:14-15; 15:18; 13:15; 4:13). There is not one word about "heaven" here!
Will You Go to Heaven?
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Galatians 3:16 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The Christian is not yet a possessor of his reward"he is an heir"and what he shall inherit, if saved, is the promise made to Abraham. Whatever shall be the reward of the saved, wherever we shall spend eternity if saved, is a definite, specific promise of God. That promise was made to Abraham, who is called, in this same book of Galatians which was written for Gentile converts, the father of the faithful. If one is converted, whether Jew or Gentile"regardless of race or color or sex"if one is Christ's, then he becomes one of Abraham's children, and an heir of the promise made to Abraham. What he is to inherit is whatever was promised to Abraham.
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
What Is the Reward of the Saved?
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Ephesians 6:12 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This verse tells us that our warfare is against demons, and they—angels who rose up against God—look upon us as invaders. As any invaded people would, they see themselves as rising to defend their home and territory despite the fact that they probably know that God has given this earth to us as an inheritance. This is a spiritual parallel of Israel coming out of Egypt, going through the wilderness to their inheritance in Canaan, but Canaan was already inhabited. The Canaanites rose up to defend themselves against those they saw as invaders. Who knows if the Canaanites knew that God had promised their land to Abraham and his descendants? Rahab seemed to understand this in Jericho, so it is likely that the Canaanites also knew these things. God does not do things in a corner; He witnesses to people when He acts. The demons are well aware that they are defending themselves from those who will take over their estate—and they are going to fight to hold it.
John W. Ritenbaugh
What I Believe About Conspiracy Theories
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Hebrews 9:15-17 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Christ left a will—a "testament." This is why the last fourth of the Bible is called the "New Testament." It teaches us what we must do to become co-heirs with Him of the promise of eternal inheritance in the Kingdom of God. But a testament, or will, is of no effect unless the one making it dies. So Christ died that we may inherit the promises through Him. But He lives today at the Father's right hand, ready to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25), to help us, to give us strength so we can all overcome sin and inherit the glorious promises of God!
Will You Go to Heaven?
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Hebrews 11:7 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Noah had a choice to make. He chose to believe what God said. He turned his energy to doing what God said, and what he did was the means of his life being saved. His vision of what God said caused him to conduct his life in a way that saved him and his family in the end. Abraham did the same thing. His vision was formed by what God said to him, and so it said of him that "He looked for a city whose builder and maker was God." That was the Kingdom of God. As a result of what he did—aiming his life according to the vision that God gave him—he therefore became heir of the world. This earth is going to be his, and he will share it with his children. But he did it because of vision and faith.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Sanctification and the Teens
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1 Peter 1:3-4 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
These verses do not say, "Great is your reward when you get to heaven." They do not tell us when or where Christians will receive their inheritance and rewards—only that they are being "reserved" for them in heaven!
Will You Go to Heaven?
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1 Peter 1:3-13 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
These verses link the unveiling of Jesus Christ with our future and all that the Father is working out. Verse 3 recalls to us our status as begotten children of God, reminding us that our hope lies in the resurrection from the dead, when we will be born of spirit, able to inherit the Kingdom (see I Corinthians 15:50). God Himself safeguards this perfect inheritance, which can never be diminished, for all those who are begotten and endure to the end. Verse 5 reminds us that our salvation will be revealed "in the last time." This gives us reason for great rejoicing, even though various trials may grieve us. Those trials are necessary, Peter tells us in verse 7, so that the genuineness of our faith—the tried and proven character of our faith—may be found when Jesus Christ is unveiled to the entire world (cf. Luke 18:8). Verse 8 points out the contrast that, at this time, we do not see Him with our eyes because He is still veiled, hidden from the world. His revelation has not yet occurred. Even though we cannot see Him now, we still love Him and can still rejoice because we know that the Father will soon send Him back to this earth. Then, every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). Verse 13 summarizes what we should be doing as a result of this understanding. We need to brace ourselves mentally, and think, plan, and act seriously and circumspectly, setting our hope wholly on the divine favor that the revelation of Jesus Christ will bring to us. For concurrent with the apocalypsis of Christ is the salvation of the saints, both living and dead.
David C. Grabbe
What Is the Book of Revelation?
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