Use the following prompts for study and Journaling. Avoid rushing through them. Take your time.
Read Genesis 1 & 2, then read Revelations 21 & 22. Do this three times. What are your observations? What is similar, and what is different? Are there any keywords or phrases that are repeated? How does this reading enforce or change your view of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Read Genesis 12-50. As you read, allow yourself to get caught up in the details. Remember, there is no such thing as an insignificant detail in the Bible. Use tools like a concordance, Bible dictionary, or Bible commentary to find out why they are there. When you find these "details," stop and analyze what is happening in the story. What are the Biblical authors trying to bring to your attention?Â
How do Abraham and his family engage with the Kingdom of Heaven? How do they bring the Kingdom to their communities, intentionally or unintentionally?
Read the book of Jonah. What revelations do you see about the heart of God? How does the Kingdom come to the nations despite Jonah's failures? (Hint: Take some time and check out the great resources the BibleProject has on this book.)
Read Psalm 67. Then read Gen 12:1-3, Numbers 6: 24-26, Jeremiah 31:33-34, Hebrews 10:16-17. What similarities
do you find in these passages? What differences do you see? How does this reading enforce or change your view of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Using a cross-reference Bible, read Matthew 5-6. Whenever you see a reference to the Torah, stop and go back to what Moses said in the giving of the law. What does Jesus' commentary on the law bring to light as you read through it? Avoid seeing this as a list of do's and don'ts; meditate on your observations and think about what it means to be a citizen of Heaven. How do these teachings differ from the messages of the world?