News Release: Heaven Being GIven Away! - (A dramatization)

Heaven, BC 2100: News Release
God Plans to “Give the Kingdom Away”

Hanging around in the hallway outside the main meeting room, one noticed an unusual hum as the angels exited.  Coming closer I overheard one angel ask another for confirmation of what he had heard. 

At that point the Herald Angel exited the Audience Hall and proceeded to the Pulpit of Heaven.  Speaking with the very voice of God he had everyone’s attention as he announced that, on a certain Sunday, AD 33, “Elohim, who holds unfettered title to all of heaven will convey all his right, title and interest in and to Heaven and all its appurtenances to his Son, Jesus,  and to his co-heirs from that day forth ... free and clear of all encumbrances [there have never been any anyway], to enjoy without let or hindrance of any kind… etc, ad infinitum “… (literally-almost)!  I didn’t get it all and I needed some background for this story.

As the Angels explained the conference that preceded this announcement they had heard reports from Enoch and leading angels.  The picture that emerged showed clearly that for blessed ages God had been fine tuning his masterwork and had selected one to receive the covenant.  The angels had been disappointed with Adam but God had anticipated that result and had plans that would prepare mankind for the offer that had all heaven talking.  It would involve careful and diligent oversight of a chosen people and a personal visit by God himself among the insignificant (if not for His care) inhabitants of this world that would culminate in his death…yes it would be a real death… and his resurrection. 

The plan was for Abraham to receive the covenant (promise) of God to bless Abraham and make Abraham a blessing to all the nations simply for believing and trusting God and for Abraham’s children to multiply and learn the hardest lesson of all “that it would be impossible to satisfy God by meticulous observation of all his righteous decrees.”  While they were learning this, God would be telling them through his prophets, that he was coming for a visit and how the people were to recognize him, being born of a virgin, etc.  When God did come in the guise of his Son, Satan (who was the instrument by which Adam had been diverted from his original destiny) would oppose him and unwittingly overplay his hand so that God could have it his way (as he - happily - always does in the end).  You see Jesus would accept his death, offering a sinless sacrifice of infinite worth that could cleanse all mankind throughout the ages and present them to His Father… holy, without spot or wrinkle or loss of even one, to share Heaven with them forever.  In spite of his generosity some would not accept this gift because they would have to admit that what they called righteousness was like filthy rags and while they could get real righteousness they could do so only by letting Jesus live out his life in them.

Oh, normal eardrums would have burst to hear the explosion of joyous celebration when God finished telling about his plans, which took much longer to describe with all the details (that I left out).  As he was going through His plan, He would stop occasionally to answer a question, like the one about  how unqualified mankind is to be made priests ('middle managers'-if you will) in charge of dispensing God’s grace.  God said, “Yes they will be overly concerned with portraying My majesty and righteousness, hoping to clothe themselves in the righteousness of which they speak even though I prefer to be known by My mercy.  At the same time they will demand much of others but will hide their secret need of me and their regular reliance on My forgiveness.  They’ll be dipping in the cookie jar of forgiveness and refusing to share with others but I’ll take care of that.”

Well, I filed my story and began watching events unfold.  Over the ages as I waited and watched, I observed that God knows every thought and motive of the heart even as it forms and He knows when “enough is enough”.  Man knows nothing except the evidence of his senses.  God knows the purpose of each life and how that life may best bring him glory.  God’s judgment has at times astounded us with its severity as when the earth swallowed up the whole families of Korah, Dathan, Abiram and his followers. We are shocked but then we presume to exercise his vengeance without the benefit of his wisdom and compassion … without the all-encompassing knowledge that takes in the full breadth of our personalities, … our most elevating dreams/aspirations and our most depraved appetites.  Men don’t realize how blind they are nor do they know how willing God is to supply what they lack (as Jesus brother James put it) “without chiding them for what they don’t know.”

Correcting human frailties, God has used other nations and among his own people, the judges appointed for the administration of justice, but he, knowing our penchant for excessive punishment, made it clear that punishment was to be limited and when he said forty lashes… he meant 40 lashes and not one lash more lest their fellow Israelite be “degraded” in their sight, Deu 25:3.  At least citizens had the protection of the law but when one nation is used to discipline another nation, it seems that all bets are off and God often has to rein-in the enthusiasm with which other nations inflict pain on Israel.  In Zech 1:15 God said he was only a “little” angry and the nations he chose to discipline Israel went “too far” with the punishment.  Jer 51 records another instance in which Babylon (this time) incurred God’s judgement “for all the wrong they did in Zion”.

The prophesies were given and fulfilled and true to his word he showed up. 

How lucky we are that our judge is the same as our lawyer.  If this were a human judge we would have to disclose a conflict of interest and recuse himself but no intelligent person would try to call God’s hand on this and demand to know “What he thinks he’s doing - acting as the accused’s attorney?”  It is clearly to our advantage that he performs this dual role as High Priest and King in the order of Melchizedek.  Heb 4:15 tells us that Jesus is able to put himself in our shoes (indeed has already DID so but without sin),  and has already taken the punishment (death) for our offences.  The court of heaven knows that is as far as you can take vengeance.  Man’s darkened spirit would still like to find a way to enforce consecutive life sentences or multiple death sentences.

When God in the form of Jesus forgave the paralytic his sins the Pharisees thought he was committing sacrilege by arrogating to himself the right to forgive sins but that is precisely what God wants man to do…forgive one another…and forgiving sins is what Peter (and all of us) are empowered (and encouraged) to do.  Whatever we...loose on earth is loosed in Heaven.  Our Master wants us to give the kingdom away to those who know they can not afford it (but GOD CAN AFFORD IT: There would be a song written several thousand years later that beautifully expresses it like this For out of his infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.]).

Sin surely deserves punishment but when persons, or states or nations take on the responsibility for administering that punishment they invite the supervision by the Supreme Judge Himself who will determine whether the punishment truly “fit the crime” and if the punishment strays into excessive damage or degradation God will bring the under-judge to account for his actions.

I don't know how Moses missed it (if he did) but Christ cleared up the confusion, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged.   Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  Sounds simple and it is obviously very important if WE want a favorable reception in the court of Heaven in spite of all the stuff WE'VE done.  Still this may be the most frequently violated spiritual "law".