Spiritual Jerusalem

From the time of the New Testament, the people who correctly worship the True God (in contrast to those who incorrectly worship the True God, much to their eventual regret i.e. Matthew 7:21-23) are generally referred to as "The Church of God" (e.g. Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 1:2), the literal meaning of "church" being a gathering of those called, from the Greek word pronounced ek-klay-see-ah (see People or Place?). In the Old Testament, and in Prophecy, they were, and are, also known figuratively as "The daughter of Jerusalem" and "The daughter of Zion" - Jerusalem and Zion being symbolic, and literal, of God's and Christ's future rule on earth - and of those who will rule the earth with Them (i.e. Revelation 20:4-6)

"It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of The Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of The Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us His ways and we may walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of The Lord from Jerusalem." (Micah 4:1-2 RSV)

The Union of God and The Church

When The Holy Spirit of God combines with those in the Church, Spiritual Conception occurs, beginning a process in which Father and "mother" will produce children, children of God:

"See what love The Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears [see The Return Of Jesus Christ] we shall be like Him [see Resurrections], for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:1-2 RSV)

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is The Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him [see Believers] in order that we may also be glorified with Him."

"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation [see The Seven Days Of Creation and Seven Days of Creation?] waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God."

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits [see The Elect] of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:15-25 RSV)

Fact Finder: Does The Bible say that Jesus Christ is the firstborn of many?
Romans 8:29

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