Israel will be on Earth During the Millennial Reign of Christ and the Church, the Body of Christ, will be in Heaven

Israel will be on earth during the Millennial reign of Christ (aka: the Millennial Kingdom) and the Church, the body of Christ, will be in heaven:

1. After Judas killed himself for his betrayal of the Lord (Acts 1:15-26), there were eleven apostles remaining. What did the remaining 11 do about this situation; as Christ chose twelve men for a specific reason?
   1. The number needed to be brought back to twelve as there will be twelve thrones requiring twelve “kings” (and a royal priesthood – 1 Peter 2:5-9, Ex 19:6, Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10, Rev 20:6) that will judge the twelve Jewish tribes within the coming Millennial Kingdom (Mt 19:28-29, Lk 22:30):
      1. Judas was quickly replaced with Matthias (Acts 1:26), thus bringing the number of apostles back up to twelve, but why didn’t the apostles quickly seek after a replacement for the apostle James after he was martyred (Acts 12:1-2)?
         1. Answer: by Acts 12, due to Israel’s clear rejection of their Messiah and the kingdom offer, the remaining apostles had concluded that the kingdom program was placed on hold and that Christ was not soon returning (Acts 3:19-21).  There was therefore no need to replace James at that time.
2. Israel is to be considered as following an “earthly program”:
   1. The analogy used in Scripture is often that of a vine or a fig tree. Vines and fig trees have roots and are earthly.
3. The Church, the body of Christ, is to be considered as following a “heavenly program”:
   1. Christ clearly taught that the twelve would sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Conversely, the apostle Paul taught that Christians, members of the body of Christ, will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3).
   2. There were two “realms” originally created – one heavenly and one earthly (Gen 1:1, Col 1:16, Eph 1:10, 1 Cor 15:40).
   3. The Creator God has blessed the Church, the body of Christ, with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Eph 1:3, Eph 2:6-7, Col 1:5, Phil 3:20).
   4. 2 Cor 5:1-2 is a clear argument – we are to be “eternal in the heavens”.
   5. The Creator God does not bless Christians, His heavenly people, with earthly things as He did Israel, His earthly people.
      1. The Church, however, of which we are members, is a physical (earthly) entity and as such is capable of “blessing” people physically (with earthly things). We are the physical (earthly) manifestation of God on earth, currently.  We do not operate via supernatural, but natural means.
   6. God did bless Israel abundantly with such in time past as He always promised He would (IF they obeyed) and will again in the ages to come, but His earthly program is halted today in favor of His heavenly program (the dispensation of the grace of God).
   7. Unlike the vine and the fig tree, which lay roots into the earth, Christ is the Head of the body and is seated in heaven, at the right hand of the Father. Christ’s body is currently on planet earth and will be called to join the Head at the rapture of the Church (1 Thes 4:17, Titus 2:12-13).  And so shall we ever be with the Lord…
   8. The truth of believers dying and going to heaven is a Pauline revelation. It is not found in the Old Testament.  No Jew had a hope of going to heaven.
      1. According to the Old Testament, the dead went to the grave, the abode of the dead, Sheol, and the righteous had the hope of resurrection, to live again on earth (Job 19:26, Jn 11:23-24).
   9. The apostle Paul revealed a new hope for believers of his gospel and that is resurrection and life in heaven. No one taught this doctrine before the apostle Paul.
      1. When a believer dies today, he does not go to the grave, to Abraham’s bosom (Lk 16:22), but to heaven (2 Cor 5:6-8).
      2. Ps 110:1 (Christ’s location currently), Eph 1:3, Rom 6:5, Eph 2:6, Col 1:3, Philip 3:20
4. The apostle Paul settles the matter within his second letter to Timothy and he tells us where it is that his future destination is (2 Tim 4:18).  Paul is our example to follow and we will follow him to heaven and not to an earthly millennial kingdom.