On Earth As It Is In Heaven?

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vincent10395

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A couple of years ago I was talking with a Jehovah’s Witness, and right as she was about to leave she quoted the part from the Lord’s prayer “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” I was thinking about this recently, and now I know she was talking about inheriting the Earth for Eternity. My question is what is this part in the “Our Father” talking about? Primarily the part “Thy kingdom come”?

Thanks, and God Bless!
 
I think there are a few possible meanings:


  1. *]Hope for the future: that God’s Kingdom will one day come
    *]A description of how things would be after His death and resurrection: is not the Church God’s Kingdom made manifest on earth?

    What exactly are you having issue with?
 
Heaven is God’s kingdom so His will is done there. We are praying that His Kingdom shall come to Earth and that His will shall be done on Earth (as it is in Heaven).
 
seeker_of_God said:
I think there are a few possible meanings:


  1. *]Hope for the future: that God’s Kingdom will one day come
    *]A description of how things would be after His death and resurrection: is not the Church God’s Kingdom made manifest on earth?

    What exactly are you having issue with?
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  1. Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut! I was wandering what it meant for God’s kingdom to come to earth when it is in Heaven? The JW seem to have a false interpretation, so I was wandering what it really meant. If the Church is God’s kingdom on Earth why did Jesus say “My kingdom is not of this world.” What kingdom is he talking about? If you can help that would be great!
 
tstrong728 said:
Heaven is God’s kingdom so His will is done there. We are praying that His Kingdom shall come to Earth and that His will shall be done on Earth (as it is in Heaven).
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Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut! If Heaven is God’s kingdom why do we say “thy kingdom COME on Earth?” The JW was stating that God’s kingdom will come to earth for those who will inherit earth for eternity.
 
Don’t think of a kingdom as a place, but as a rule of a king. God will extend His rule to earth, so it will no longer be a place of our banishment, but a part of His heavenly kingdom.
 
dusza said:
Don’t think of a kingdom as a place, but as a rule of a king. God will extend His rule to earth, so it will no longer be a place of our banishment, but a part of His heavenly kingdom.
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I like this answer. Thanks. 🙂
 
dusza said:
Don’t think of a kingdom as a place, but as a rule of a king. God will extend His rule to earth, so it will no longer be a place of our banishment, but a part of His heavenly kingdom.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut!😃
 
vincent10395 said:
A couple of years ago I was talking with a Jehovah’s Witness, and right as she was about to leave she quoted the part from the Lord’s prayer “thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” I was thinking about this recently, and now I know she was talking about inheriting the Earth for Eternity. My question is what is this part in the “Our Father” talking about? Primarily the part “Thy kingdom come”?

Thanks, and God Bless!
Click to expand...
I recommend the book Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. He gives an excellent commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, several pages of commentary on each line.
 
It is not just a prayer of hope for the future but it is also a prayer for here and now with very practical application in our lives today, this very moment.

God’s kingdom comes to earth in a small way when we do his will. We claim a little moment of time and space for God’s kingdom when we do his will now on earth. We build up his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven whenever we do his will in our present time and place.

It is a very personal and practical prayer, one where we ask God for the grace and strength to do his will here and now on earth and then ask for our daily bread so that we might have the means to do it. I think to myself whenever I pray it, “Lord, give me the strength to do your will on earth as your angels and saints do your will in heaven.”

-Tim-
 
thistle said:
I recommend the book Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. He gives an excellent commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, several pages of commentary on each line.
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In addition to this excellent suggestion, the second section of part 4 of the Catechism goes over the Lord’s Prayer line by line.

Thy kingdom come: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PA8.HTM

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PA9.HTM

It is the prayer of the Church, the bride of Christ who makes Christ present on earth as he is in heaven, so that his will might be done on earth as it is in heaven.

-Tim-
 
thistle said:
I recommend the book Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. He gives an excellent commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, several pages of commentary on each line.
Click to expand...
This was also done by St. Teresa of Avila in “Way of Perfection”. She spends a chapter on each line of the “Our Father” if I recall correctly.
 
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