Connecting Israel and Biblical Prophecy

Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.  Zechariah 8:3

What has happened, and continues to happen, in our lifetime is no ordinary thing.  Jerusalem is not populated for no reason.  Israel does not defend herself for no reason.  I'll go through many of the prophecies concerning Israel, mostly what is in the Old Testament, and relate them to the present day.  Not every prophecy concerning Israel will be covered, but a number will.  And some of the things I'll say are speculation.  Other things are more certain.  But you be the judge of that.

There's three main parts to this:
1) Israel leading up to the war
2) Israel during the war
3) Israel after the war

Israel leading up to the war 
The final chapters of Ezekiel provide us with a sort of timeline.  At least from chapter 36 on the order of events is chronological.

"And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.  Ezekiel 36:1

The prophecy is addressed to the mountains of Israel...

"But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home.  Ezekiel 36:8

The mountains of Israel shall prosper, and the people of Israel shall return to them...

"And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt.  Ezekiel 36:10

Their numbers shall increase in the land of Israel...

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  Ezekiel 36:26

Israel is given a new heart and a new spirit...

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.  Ezekiel 37:9-10

The valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is a representation of Israel.  The bones coming to life at the command of Ezekiel are the Israeli People.  It is in essence another way of showing that the heart of stone is taken away and a heart of flesh is given.  This is a prophecy of the spiritual condition of Israel.  Ezekiel gives us the most thorough description of what has happened over the last 60 years.  The Jews have returned to their homeland.  The land of Israel is prosperous.  And more and more we see a new heart and new spirit in the Israeli People.

"I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.  I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them," says the Lord your God.  Amos 9:14-15

And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, 'Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it.  And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.'"  Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the Lord. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord.  Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.  For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: "Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me.  Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord.  And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.  And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.  Zechariah 2:3-12

I always loved the sense of urgency and excitement in that prophecy.  God establishing Israel again is an exciting thing.  He is doing marvelous things, and He shall do even more marvelous things.  Consider also the fact that He says many nations will join themselves to Israel in "that day".  Exactly what "that day" is, I'm not sure, but I think we can be certain that this prophecy, as well as the ones in Ezekiel and Amos, are not referring to the first resettlement of Israel.  The language simply does not match; the language speaks of "never again be uprooted" (the Jews were uprooted by the Romans), and the glorious triumph of Zechariah's prophecy does not match Israel's first resettlement.  It is possible, at least in part, that these prophecies speak of the final resettlement of Israel, which will happen at the return of Christ (see Revelation 20:1-6).  I'll let you be the judge of that, but we can be certain that these prophecies are not speaking about the first resettlement and the second temple.

The war
When we move into Ezekiel 38 and 39 there is a sudden shift.  No longer does Ezekiel prophesy Israel returning, but now he speaks of a great war.  Gog and many nations with him come against the resettled Israel. 

The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.  And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.  Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes— many peoples are with you.  Ezekiel 38:1-6

And what happens...

"But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger.  For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.  The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.  I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man's sword will be against his brother.  With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.  So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.  Ezekiel 38:18-23

Do I need to add anything to that?  I won't add anything, except to say that Gog represents Turkey.  Now there are other prophecies that make perfect sense in light of this one from Ezekiel.

"Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah.  On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.  On that day, declares the Lord, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. But for the sake of the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, when I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.  Zechariah 12:2-4

Do you see the similarity?  Look at what else is written:

As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.  The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.  Micah 7:15-17

Does that not sound exactly like Ezekiel 38?  Does it not sound exactly like "and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence"?  Doesn't it sound exactly like "I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord"?

Israel after the war
This war has a profound impact on Israel.  What is prophesied to happen in Ezekiel 38 and 39 - what will happen, I believe, before this decade is over - first causes Israel to mourn.

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.  On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.  Zechariah 12:10-11

Who is the firstborn son that they mourn for?  It is Jesus.  This is the day that the Jews realize they were wrong for nearly 2,000 years.  In some way, I'm not exactly sure how, God will reveal that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, and Israel will know it.  And they will mourn bitterly.  Following that...

"And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God."  Zechariah 6:15

The third temple is built!  It will be built by Jews and Christians together, by those living in Israel and by those that are far off.  And look, what do we find in Ezekiel chapters 40 and on?  A description of a temple that has never before been built!  And as for the Dome of the Rock, that will not be an issue; remember what happens in the great war of Gog?  There is an earthquake that brings down every wall in Israel, which will include the Dome of the Rock.  So the Temple Mount will be bare and prepared for its third temple.  Following that...

"For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.  And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.  The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.  The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts.  Haggai 2:6-9

Riches will come from all over the world.  The third temple will at the very least rival Solomon's Temple, if not surpass it.

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.  Zechariah 8:23

All of the nations will know that God is with Israel.  There will be a temple in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem will be the capital of all Christendom.  And people will come from all the nations to seek God in Israel.

There might be some that will say that these prophecies apply to the millennial reign.  And they might be right.  I've found that it is difficult to distinguish between the descriptions of the second resettlement and subsequent events and the resettlement that happens at the second coming of Christ and subsequent millennial reign.  I could be confusing the two, at least in part.  It also could be that things which are about to happen are a foreshadowing of things that will happen at the second coming of Christ.  If that's the case, it would explain why they have such similar descriptions.  I'll let you be the judge of that.

A couple other prophecies
Here are a couple more prophecies that certainly relate, though they might not exactly fit into any of the three main parts I mentioned.  You can place them in the timeline however you think they fit.  But I do think they relate, and it should be fun to cover them.

"Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.  Isaiah 55:5

Is it possible that this nation is the United States of America?  Not only is it possible, for a number of reasons, its highly likely.
1) The United States has run to Israel.  By anyone's estimation the US and Israel have an ironclad bond.
2) The US is a nation that Israel has not known.  For one thing, the US has only existed for the last 240 years.  And the US is no where near the land of Israel.  All of the nations that Israel has historically known are middle-eastern, European or African.
3) But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.  Revelation 12:14
^^The woman in Revelation 12 is Israel, which is clear from verse one.  I shouldn't have to tell you what I think the wings of a great eagle represent.
4) Find a one dollar bill.  Look at the back of it.  Look at the great eagle.  What is directly above its head?  This is, by the way, the Great Seal of the United States of America.

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.  "They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.  Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.  Malachi 3:16-18

I included this last prophecy because its possible that it relates to us.  Who are the God-fearing people that speak to one another?  Unlike a number of people, I hate to give general meanings to passages like this.  I believe that these God-fearing people are a specific people at a specific time, and not some general reference to God-fearing people who speak to each other.  And here's what I wonder: could it be referring to our time?  I don't know.  But I do think that its possible.  And what's cool is that we, who do fear God, are speaking to each other.  We are speaking to each other over the internet; really, to an extent that Christians have never communicated before.  I think this is a wonderful thing.  Just think, maybe - its quite possible - a book of remembrance is being written about all the things that we say to each other.  In other words, its like God is taking notes.  And isn't that so cool?  God would actually care that He would pay attention to the things that we are saying, as if what we say matters?  We can't say for sure if this prophecy is speaking of our own time, but it is possible and we should keep that in mind.  Speak well, my friends.  And keeping speaking to each other.  It is crucial that we share with one another our thoughts and feelings.  We are one body, one church, and of one Spirit.

I pray that this at least causes some interest.  I pray that it helps in some way.  May God bless you.

Ezekiel 33

I read through Ezekiel 33 and there were 3 major themes that stood out to me (fitting, 3 for chapter 33).  I just wanted to share a few of the passages in that chapter, because I think these are important and relevant messages for Christians today:

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.  When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.  But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.  Ezekiel 33:7-9

See, we are our brothers' keepers.  If we see sin - the kind of sin that leads to death (1John 5:16-17) - we must warn the person who sins.  And why warn him?  To dissuade him from the sinful lifestyle.  The truth of the Bible is common sense.  Brothers and sisters, it is not love to sit back and say nothing when you see someone living in sin.  That is not love at all.  Some people have mistakenly got the idea that its mean and harsh to point out someone's sin, but in fact it is a very loving thing to do.  Do you want that person to go to hell?  If not, then speak up, and try to dissuade him from the sinful lifestyle.  Furthermore, God may hold you responsible if you do not say anything.  In this chapter God is telling Ezekiel that he will be held accountable if he does not warn the people of their sin and the result of their sin.

Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it.  The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.'  If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.  And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right - if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die.  None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him.  He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.  Ezekiel 33:12-16

This is both a word of encouragement and a word of warning.  Its encouragement for the sinner: if he turns from his sinful lifestyle, repents and seeks God, he will be saved.  He does not have to think that his situation is hopeless.  There is hope.  But its a word of warning to those who trust in their past righteousness.  Its also a word of warning to those who believe 'once saved, always saved,' also known as the doctrine of Eternal Security.  This passage shoots all kinds of holes in this false doctrine.  And the danger for those who believe this doctrine is that they trust in some past righteousness.  Once they think they are saved, they believe they will always be saved.  And so they have no reason to check themselves.  And they let themselves slip into a sinful lifestyle.  Its a very dangerous false doctrine, my brothers and sisters.  Never become too confident in past deeds.  You can lose your salvation.

As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.'  My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice.  With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.  Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.  Ezekiel 33:30-32

Wow.  It sounds like people who go to church every Sunday, hear the message, say "what wonderful music."  It sounds like people who tune into the Christian radio station.  It sounds like people who even read the Bible.  But its only love songs and an instrument played well.  Because they do not do what the word says.  They are hearers of the word, but not doers of the word (James 1:22).  So all of their hearing, all of their speaking well of Ezekiel, means nothing.  It is no good for them, because they keep on disobeying the word.  

Worldly or Godly

I've often heard people describe something as good or bad, like it falls into this or that category.  For example, some might think love is good.  And some might think fear is bad.  But for a better understanding, it helps to be more specific.  Throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, you'll find that there are two types of fear and two types of love.  One is good and the other bad; and fear all by itself is neither good or bad, but the object of the fear must be identified.  Think about worship: Is it good or bad?  Worship can be either good or bad, it entirely depends on what is being worshiped.

Wisdom is another example of this.  There is worldly wisdom and there is godly wisdom.  The two are very different.  Worldly wisdom puffs a person up; makes him think he is smarter than he really is.  Godly wisdom humbles a person, because he knows how little He is in the grand scheme of things.  Worldly wisdom usually involves knowledge of schemes to make money or gain notoriety.  But godly wisdom is concerned with how to serve God and bring glory to God.  Worldly wisdom only sees the physical things directly ahead, but godly wisdom sees the big picture, which is eternity.  Worldly wisdom is an obstacle to knowing God, because it deceives a man into thinking that he doesn't need God.  But godly wisdom begins with the fear of God, and all throughout acknowledges the need for God.  The man who has godly wisdom is focused on immortality.  The man who has worldly wisdom is focused on temporal pleasure.

If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.  1Corinthians 3:18

Now lets consider trust.  Is trust good?  That depends: Trusting in what?  Again, there are two kinds of trust (faith).  There is a worldly trust, and there is a godly trust.  Trust in God is obviously godly trust.  But a wise man will be slow to put his trust in something other than God.  We may trust a person for small tasks, but no one should trust a person, or an institution, in the place of God.  This is where Catholics err.  They trust in the Vatican, and this is a worldly trust because they trust the Vatican in place of God.

We can extend the principle to worship just as well.  There is a good kind of worship, that which is focused on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  And there is a bad kind of worship, which is focused on created things.  Worship itself is neither bad nor good, but can be bad or good.  It simply depends on what is being worshiped.

Now how about love?  Love is good, right?  Not always.  In 1John, in the same book where John wrote "God is love," John writes:

Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  1John 2:15

So there are two kinds of love.  There is godly love, and there is worldly love.  Godly love is concerned with the soul and the ultimate well-being of the person.  But worldly love is concerned with the flesh.  Worldly love is full of deceit and lust.  Godly love begins with God.  Worldly love comes in the absence of God.

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  James 4:4

But fear is always a bad thing, right?  Wrong.  The Bible consistently teaches the fear of God.  This is both in the Old Testament and in the New.  There is a messianic prophecy in Isaiah 11, which gives us some valuable insight into Jesus.

and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.  Isaiah 11:3

Where in the New Testament do we see Jesus delighting in the fear of God?

But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him.  -Jesus in Luke 12:5

Jesus repeats it to emphasize the point.  He also warns the Pharisees and teachers of the law with a number of woes (Matthew 23).  Jesus certainly did not shy away from the fear of God; He delighted in it.  But someone might wonder, why is that the "cowardly" are among the evildoers (Revelation 21:8)?  Because a man that fears God will be afraid of nothing else.  It is just like worship.  Just as worshiping God is good, so fearing God is good.  And just as worshiping created beings is evil, so fearing created beings is evil.  Its not that fear itself is bad or good; its the object of the fear that matters.

Just remember, there can be two different sides of the same coin.  With the things I mentioned, one side is godly, and the other side is worldly.  We should seek godly fear, godly love, godly wisdom, godly faith and godly worship.  And we should avoid worldly fear, worldly love, worldly wisdom, worldly faith and worldly worship.  None of these things by themselves are either good or bad.  Its the source and the purpose of the fear, love, wisdom, faith and worship that really matters.

Holy War Arsenal

I thought maybe I would go through some of the spiritual weapons that we as Christians possess, and liken them to modern weapons of war.  Why?  Because it might surprise you just how much we (Christians) have to work with.  And because its going to be fun.

Christian missionaries are like aircraft carriers.  Aircraft carriers move into foreign territory, and they extend the influence of their home country.  As aircraft carriers carry aircraft, so missionaries carry Bibles.  As aircraft carriers have many trained pilots and staff, so missionaries are trained by the Holy Spirit.

Christian apologists are like fighter pilots.  And the arguments they use are like fighter jets.  The over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament are like a fleet of F18 Super Hornets.  Each fulfilled prophecy is like a F117 Nighthawk.  The 24,000 archaeological digs relating to the Bible are like 24,000 F20 Tigersharks.  Internal details are like F22 Raptors.  And external sources are like F35 Lightning IIs.

Testimonies are like cruise missiles.  They cause serious disruption to our enemy.  Some testimonies are like bunker-busters, in that they break through the hard heart of an unbeliever.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are like Navy Seals.  They will accomplish their mission with precision, and there's no force on earth more elite.

The blood of the martyrs is like a fleet of nuclear submarines.  Seemingly out of nowhere comes a game-changer that turns each battle on its head.

The Bible is like a great stockpile of nuclear weapons.  Just set it loose.  Game over.

Not a List of Don'ts

The kingdom of God is full of life and color.  Its full of stories, parables, riddles, proverbs, commands, rewards, questions.  Christianity is a philosophy and a religion.  Its also a lifestyle.  Its full of ritual and tradition.  It gazes at the cosmos and asks unanswerable questions.  Christianity is more than a movement; it is several movements in one.  It is constant variable movements.  In one century it is the force that frees the slave, and in another the force that saves the unborn life.  It is a church ready to make war.  It is Quadratus and Origen, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.  It is a rich history.  It is the teenage Joan of Arc, who saved her country.  It is the regal Justinian I and Theodora I.  It is the eccentric Francis of Assisi.  Christianity is a book of wild and wonderful stories.  It is Balaam's talking donkey.  A prophet that divides the Red Sea, and the Son of God who walks on water.

The kingdom of God is so rich and vibrant.  There is so much for a Christian to fill himself with; its a shame that people generally associate Christianity with a list of don'ts.  Its much more a list of dos.  Its also a list of examples, missionaries, teachers, encouragers (Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement").  Christianity is a myriad of artwork.  Have you seen the stained glass windows that depict all the major parts of the life of Christ?  Have you read Dante?  Have you listened to Bach?  And a mountain of literature I could only begin to describe.  The kingdom of God is medieval monks, who go weeks without eating, or endure grueling exercises.  Even cooler, Monks who set up schools, clinics, wrote expositions on almost everything, made art, built architecture.

Christianity is prophecies and the interpretation of prophecies.  Its wondering what God's plan is and deciphering the code, so to speak.  Its dragons and beasts, horses and riders, angels, flying scrolls, and flesh eating disease.  Its some of the craziest stuff you'll ever read.  The kingdom is also wisdom.  Its the practical wisdom of Proverbs.  Its the thoughtful wisdom of Ecclesiastes.  Its the eternal wisdom of Jesus.  Its the bread and the wine.  Its washing each others' feet, and being servants to all.  Christianity is comfort to those who mourn.  Its a Messiah that wept.  Its a weeping prophet and a book dedicated to lamentations.  Its also a word of encouragement.  Its the force that keeps married couples together.  Its the foundational words, "and the two become one flesh."  Its the command, "what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Christianity is the religion of millions of testimonies.  Its people willing to die for what they believe.  Its the moment of conversion, and the water grave.  Its Amazing Grace, and more hymns than you can count.  Its the study of Hebrew, the study of Greek, and the pursuit to translate the Bible into every language on earth.  Its the state of Israel planted and protected in the middle of the middle-east.  Its a messianic movement; its a zionist movement.  Its the anticipation of a returning King.  Its the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the many fruits of the Holy Spirit.  The kingdom of God is Daniel saved from the lions, and early Christians fed to the lions.  Its the cross and the fish carved into the ancient catacombs of Rome.  Its a road to Damascus.  Its a rock crucified upside-down.  The kingdom of God is more than you can shake a stick at.  Its not just a mystical idea, though there is the occasional touch of mysticism.  The kingdom of God is very real, very diverse and colorful.  The kingdom of God is so full of life.