Part 6 of 15

God’s Remedy for the Heavens and the Earth

 

I believe God is absolutely all-knowing and purposeful in all His doings. God’s eternal plan and purpose was with the fall of Lucifer and with Lucifer’s usurpation of mankind in view. God’s purpose also included the co-operation of Satan and his “princes” to “crucify the Lord of glory” (1Cor 2:7-8). Why did God allow such a thing? It is because apart from Jesus’ crucifixion there could be no redemption, no resurrection, and there would be no “life-giving Spirit” of Christ available to indwell His believers.

From timeless eternity God had already intended that “the heavens and the earth” (Gen 28:14) would be blessed and ruled through a created people that had then become literally reborn of God. Thereby, they would possess His eternal righteous life via Christ. God the Father’s purpose is with those who are “born” of Christ’s Spirit-Seed (1 Peter 1:23), that they might then have His “everlasting” righteous life (John 3:16). This “Spirit-Seed” is the resurrected Christ, the “Spirit of life” (Rom 8:2a) to be deposited into the Father’s children (Rom 8:16). Christ thereby becomes their new indwelling life and nature, to guide them in all their living and doing.

From the eternal past God chose to bless “all the families of the earth” through His incarnated “Word,” that would come via Abraham’s seed, “which Seed is Christ” (Gal 3:16). God’s Seed, Christ, would produce a kingdom on earth people and a heaven bound people to put right the two corrupted spheres of heaven and earth. These who are “born of God” will ultimately rule in their spheres of “heaven and earth,” by the authority of the One that the Father has authorized; by “Christ in” them (see John 5:27, 1Cor 15:24).

1) The creator’s original mandate to Adam was to “replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over… every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen 1:28). This includes not only having dominion over the “wild” beastly elements of animal life, but also to have “dominion over” the Devil who has been cast to the lower heavens, now ruling over “the earth” (Isa 14:12). The earth was to be filled by man and ultimately become “subdued” through an earthly people in the line of Adam. This was to be fulfilled through Adam, unto Abraham and Abraham’s “seed, which is Christ,” unto the believers of the nation Israel who will be born of God’s Christ-seed. Messiah’s (Christ’s) Spirit will ultimately indwell these believers of Israel (Eze 37:14). They will become His vice-regents, co-reigning in the literal “kingdom of heaven” on earth. This is in accord with the so-called Lord’s Prayer that Jesus gave to the children of Israel to whom He came (Matt 15:24). Matthew 6:10 Thy KINGDOM COME, thy will be done IN EARTH….

2) As noted earlier, Lucifer’s insurrection first involved defiling the heavens and corrupting the heavenly host who occupy the positions of rank and authority in the heavenly government. The heavens are to be recovered and ruled through a heaven bound people (Philip. 3:20), “the body of Christ.” These are in the line of Adam unto Abraham’s spiritual seed, which is Christ as “the last Adam (who) became a life-giving spirit” (1Cor 15:45), to indwell the individual members of the one “body of Christ” ( Col 1:27). Post-rapture, “the body of Christ” will co-reign in “the heavens” with and by Christ’s life within them. They will fill the government of the heavens over the earth that is currently ruled by Lucifer and his fallen angelic agents.

In accord with this understanding, now note Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 2:10. “Therefore I (Paul) endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also OBTAIN (Gk., tikto, enjoy) the SALVATION WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS WITH ETERNAL GLORY.”  Here, believers do not just “obtain” their ultimate “salvation.” They are to “obtain salvation WITH ETERNAL GLORY.” This is “salvation” together “with” actually reigning and functioning in “eternal glory” – in the eternal heavenly sphere. Paul then goes on in 2Timothy 2:12a; “If we suffer (Gk., hypomeno, endure patiently), WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM…” The words “reign with Him” here mean to “act as co-regents” of and with Christ. But, what of the word “suffer”? Our endurance in suffering today prepares and trains us for our reigning in the moral rectitude (rightness) and in the wisdom that we have learned of God directly, by which we have endured. We today are being trained to reign in glory as we learn to trust His life within us to lead and guide us; always looking with hope to the “not seen (realm), which is eternal” (2Cor 4:18).

This, above, is a brief description of God’s plan for subduing and recovering both the heavens and the earth. Let’s now look closer at the key element; that is God’s people will reign by Christ’s LIFE within them.

We know that upon their creation, Adam and Eve quickly fell to the wiles of the Serpent who deceived them. Adam had originally been given human temporal life by God’s “breath.” That breath of God animated his “whole spirit, soul, and body” (1Thes 5:23); Adam “became a living soul” (Gen 1:26).

Adam and Eve then were given the opportunity to eat of “the tree of LIFE” that was located “in the midst of the garden.” The “tree of LIFE” was central, as representing the eternal “life” and power of God that is found only “in the Son (Christ)” (John 5:11-12). Surprisingly, there’s no record of Adam eating of the “tree of LIFE,” so Adam was unable to overcome the Serpent’s wiles, choosing rather to eat of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” The fruit of this tree deceives mankind, leading him down the devilish road of independence from God to the satanic cult of humanism, where man is the god of this own life. We see its culmination in the fallen world we live.

God had purposed and planned from eternity that Jesus would one day come to redeem, reconcile, and rebirth fallen mankind by His death of the cross and the deposit of His very own “Spirit of LIFE” into them.

Ephesians 3:10-11 (God’s secret plan was ) To the intent (of God) that now UNTO THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS IN HEAVENLY PLACES might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to THE ETERNAL PURPOSE WHICH HE PURPOSED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD:

Yet, to this day, fallen man remains blinded and under the “dominion” of the Serpent. The heavens and the earth are yet in need of the subduing. Jesus Christ is not yet directly reigning on the earth. He still withholds His judgment to come. All the fallen “principalities and powers” that presently rule in the heavens and the earth will one day submit to the authority and judgment of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:9-10 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him (Jesus), and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD (will) BOW, of THINGS (the Principalities, Powers) IN HEAVEN, AND THINGS IN EARTH (Thrones and Dominions), and things under the earth (these are lost dead in Hades/Sheol);

The “day of the LORD,” also called “the day of Christ” (2Thess 2:2-3), are terms used to refer to that period of time when God directly intervenes in the affairs of rebellious mankind, with judgment, and with the blessings of His righteous rule by the “rod or iron” (Rev 19:15). God will recover the heavens and the earth by Christ first exercising direct dominion in and during “the terrible Day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31).

“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.”  (Isa 13:6)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”  (2Peter 3:10)

God’s recovery of dominion on earth will begin with the “Day of the LORD” (1Thes 5:2).

Let’s now look at some of the future “day of the Lord” events, chronologically.

  • Today, “the church, which is His body” waits for “that Day” that begins for them with the “catching away” or rapture of “the body of Christ” (1Thes 4:17). His “glorious appearing” at the rapture is the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), a “comfort” to the church (1Thes 4:18).
  • The rapture will be soon followed by the manifestation of the “Anti-Christ (the Beast)” and the “False Prophet” in the 7-year Tribulation period. They both will be “cast into the Lake of fire” at the end of the Tribulation (Rev 19:20).

·         The Tribulation is immediately followed by the bodily “first resurrection” (Rev 20:5-6) of the dead righteous of dispensations prior to the present “dispensation of the grace of God.”

·         The Lord will then establish His government on earth in the Millennium. Christ’s authority will be vested in “the twelve Apostles” (Rev 21:14) and believing people of the Nation of Israel in the Millennium and for eternity.

·         That “day” will continue through the one thousand year Millennial reign of Christ on earth. At the end of the Millennium, “the Devil, the Old Serpent, the Great Dragon,” will be “cast into the Lake of fire” (Rev 20:20). Thus,  Lucifer and his host will not only have been cast from their rule over the dynaspheres of the lower heavens and the earth – from their “thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers”; they will have reached their end in “the lake of fire.” 

·         The “lost” dead will then be raised in a so-called “second resurrection,” to appear at the “Great White Throne Judgment,” which issues in the “second death” in the “lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:13-15 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is THE SECOND DEATH. 15 And WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE .

“Their works” will come to light. Whether good or evil, works are all inadequate to “save” (Titus 3:5a). These are to be judged on one basis alone – is their name “written in the Book of Life”? Sadly, none at this judgment have their name recorded in “the Book of Life.” The book’s record of one’s name marks the true believers who are the “saved by grace through faith alone… not of works” (Eph 2:8-9).

·         With all the negative of “sin and death” put down and away, we come to the eternal “new heaven” and the eternal kingdom with the “New Jerusalem” on the “new earth” (Rev. 21:21) where the is “no more death” These two spheres will be ruled by Christ with and in His people; the Nation “Israel” on earth, and “the body of Christ” in heaven.

The fact is that Christ is over all. “… HE (CHRIST) IS THE HEAD OVER ALL RULE and AUTHORITY” (Colossians 2:10b). He will set all things right and then govern both “in heaven and in earth” through His people who possess His very “life” (Gal 2:20, Col 3:4a) and “nature” (2Pet 1:4). Only then will His righteous order and blessing have been fully restored to both the heavens and the earth.

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him “TO RECONCILE” ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF (to restore all things back to himself); by him, I say, whether they be THINGS IN EARTH, OR THINGS IN HEAVEN.” (Colossians 1:20)

In the context of Colossians 1:20 (above), the words “TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF” refers back to Colossian 1:16 (below) to show that which is presently “out of order.” The “ALL THINGS” that need “reconciling” are the “THRONES, DOMINIONS, PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS,” currently in HEAVEN and on EARTH.

“For by him (Christ) were ALL THINGS CREATED, that are IN HEAVEN, AND that are IN EARTH, “VISIBLE” (earthly) AND “INVISIBLE” (angelic), whether they be THRONES, OR DOMINIONS, OR PRINCIPALITIES, OR POWERS: all things were created by him, and for him:” (Col 1:16)

The order of the universe was undermined and broken by Lucifer’s rebellion with the fallen angels who currently occupy the government of “the heavens and the earth.” God will restore order in the universe by Christ’s cross and His Spirit working in and through the redeemed of mankind. Christ will rule the heavens through the instrumentality of the members of “the body of Christ”; and on earth through the believers of the Nation Israel . The people of God will reign by God’s grace, with the rank and authority of Christ vested in them by His indwelling “Spirit of life.”