Previously titled, Tishbyte Foundational Bible Study Series
The whole Bible, from beginning to end, can be summed up in two phrases: God dwelling amongst humanity (also called the Shechinah), and The Kingdom of God.The two are almost synonymous, but not quite. They compliment each other, in much the same way as the two attributes of God do: justice and mercy.
In this study series, we go into detail about how these concepts relate.
For now, picture a kingdom that’s as unlike any kingdom you’ve ever seen or read about, in which the head of state (be it king, president, prime minister, whatever) does his job out of joy of being among his subjects. Instead of staying cooped up in the office administering the affairs of state, he spends his time in the marketplace, in the outdoor cafes and pubs, in the parks, simply mingling with the people, getting to know them, taking personal interest in each one’s lives and problems. The kingdom is an intensely happy place to be.
Now, imagine that at one point in the history of that kingdom, there was a crisis that threatened to bring it to an end. To save the Kingdom, the king resorted to lowering his own status to that of a servant, and endured the most degrading, and humiliating experience that no human should ever go through, but as a result was able to secure a future for that kingdom, restoring it to its former glory and after that, retaining his position as king, but with scars to show for what it cost him. Thus, the king of the realm has become the prime example of how to advance in society, and be true subjects of the Kingdom.
That’s the picture of the Kingdom of God we hope to develop in the course of this Bible study series.
The pattern we follow in this set of studies is to go through the various parts, the creation story, the Exodus, the giving of the Torah, the prophets, and the reign of Kings David and Solomon, showing how it reveals God moving step by step closer to humanity, interacting with us in new and creative ways. Then, we explore how Jesus became the ultimate prototype of God's dwelling with humanity as never before, and then, how, through the Holy Spirit, that Prototype is activated in everyone who will break through into the Kingdom of God agenda for this world.
In this series, we'll gain an understanding of things of the faith in the way the early believers in the time of Jesus and the apostles would have understood them -- first by painting the picture of what the early Jews of Jesus' time expected and understood, and then expanding on that understanding the way Jesus did. In other words, we are seeking to understand the Kingdom of God as it was originally presented. In doing so, we should pick up on things many in the Church have neglected over the centuries since then.