 | "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) |
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Over all the Earth
The Kingdom and DominionThe original mandate given to Adam and Eve from the beginning of creation was to multiply upon the earth, subdue the earth, and have dominion “over all the earth”. This involved bringing into subjection the whole of creation and reigning over it, to govern all God's creatures, under His blessing.
Man was to be the earth's custodian. They were to be stewards under God. They were to rule over His creation, and as they exercised their dominion, they might learn more of Him (Job 12:7-10), through His wonderful works that He has given to man, to the praise of His glory (Romans 1:19-20, Psalm 19:1-3; 40:5; 78:4; 107:8; 139:14).
As the Psalmist pondered this he asked, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels [Heb. Elohiym], and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:4-9)
Adam and Eve were to exercise dominion over the works of His hands, for He had “put all things under his feet”. As they began to multiply and fill the earth, their offspring would in like manner exercise dominion over their region of habitation. Nevertheless all dominions were to be under God (Daniel 4:17, Jeremiah 27:5). The Kingdom of God and His sovereign rule is over all the kingdoms and dominions of this world (Daniel 4:34-35), for He is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15).
Now God also created the angels. These “spirits are his ministers”, “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7, 14). They are spirit beings, however, they can at times take on physical form (Hebrews 13:2). They are sometimes called “stars” or “sons of God” (Job 38:7), and they are “innumerable” in number (Hebrews 12:22).
One of these angels, was called “Lucifer” (light bearer) (Isaiah 14:12), the “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). He was originally created perfect in beauty, but chose to rebelled against God (Ezekiel 28:15, 17). Being lifted up with pride (1 Timothy 3:6) , he thought to exalt himself over all the angels who were created to serve God (Isaiah 14:13). But he did not stop there, he aspired to exalt himself above God saying, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).
It is interesting, that when God made man, God created them in His “image” and “likeness” (Heb. Demuth; noun). Man was created in the likeness of God, to rule over His creation, and Lucifer now says, he will be “like” (Heb. Damah; verb) the most High. The angels were not created in the likeness of God. Perhaps Satan's thought was also to replace man whom God created in His “likeness” to have dominion over all the earth.
God had ordained that Adam would rule and reign over His creation, however, as we will see, Satan usurped the dominion from Adam, and was now determined to rule the world through his “man of sin, the son of perdition”. His nefarious plan is to displace that Man whom God has ordained to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31). Satan shall have his moment, but he shall only reign for a short 3-1/2 year period at the end of the Tribulation. When Satan's man of sin arises on the scene, “he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end” (Daniel 7:25).
God's will shall not be thwarted for He has ordained that His Son shall rule over all the earth (Psalm 2:6-8). He has decreed that at the set time, according to Daniel's prophecy of 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27), He shall “bring in everlasting righteousness… and anoint the most Holy”. The Man Christ Jesus, the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47), shall come and destroy the works of the Devil, and sit and rule upon the throne of David over God's Creation forever (Luke 1:31-33, Isaiah 9:6-7).
Nevertheless, Satan's goal is to sit upon the throne of God that is reserved for God's Son (Psalm 2:6-9). We can see insights into the heart of the Devil through those great rulers he possessed down through time, the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:12-15, 16-19), the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4, 12-15), the Greco-Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanies (Greek: “god manifest”) (Daniel 8:10-12), the king of Egypt (Ezekiel 29:2-3; note Isaiah 27:1). We might think of other kings he used in his attempt to rule the world such as Nero, Hitler and others who were hell bent on world conquest. We can see that he also possessed the fallen apostle Judas (Luke 22:3, John 6:70) who betrayed the Son of God.
We can see Satan attempting to rule the world through a man, but those kingdoms all fell. However, the day is coming when Satan shall rule the world through his “man of sin” for the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 13:2-5). Paul says the day is coming when, “that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
At that time, the kings of all the earth shall all agree to give their kingdoms to the “beast” (Revelation 17:17). But Antichrist's future Babylonish kingdom shall also fall under the judgment of God when Jesus Christ returns to cleanse the world and rule over all the earth from the throne of His father David (Revelation 11:15). Satan has said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” (Isaiah 14:13). However, this is the place that is reserved for God's Son (Psalm 48:1-2; 2:6-7).
The moment Satan thought in his heart to be as God, he fell from his exalted position as, “the anointed cherub that covereth” (Ezekiel 28:14-15; note Exodus 25:20), and was “cast to the earth” (Ezekiel 28:17), where he was allowed to test Adam and Eve to see whether they too would rebel against God. Satan had deceived his own self when he thought he could be like God (Isaiah 14:14), and he used this same temptation to deceive Eve (Genesis 3:5; 1 Timothy 2:14).
God had directly given to Adam and Eve the dominion over all the earth. They were to rule under the divine authority of God. It was given them to serve God, and give the glory and honor due to their Maker by administering His rule over all His creatures. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, and was given by God free moral agency. At first there was no sin in the world and never a thought to do anything contrary to God's will.
Part of Adam and Eve's dominion was, over the “beasts of the field”. One of these “beasts” was “the serpent”. “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1). This is why, when Satan (also called the “dragon” and the “serpent” Revelation 12:9) possesses his “man of sin”, he is referred to as “the beast” (Revelation 13:1-2), pointing us back to Genesis. So we find out, there is more to this “serpent” than just a tale of a talking snake. We are told that the Devil was somehow speaking through this “beast of the field”, called the Serpent (Revelation 12:9; 20:2).
On one occasion, Satan even used Peter's mouth to speak against the death and resurrection of our Lord, (Matthew 16:21-23), so let us be careful, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11), not to speak anything contrary to our Lord's Word. For we are told, “give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Timothy 5:14). And again, “let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).
God had crowned man with glory and honor. Man was to have dominion over all the creatures that God created, even the “beasts of the field”. However, this was turned upside down when Satan himself was “transformed” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), so to say, into a “beast”, called the “serpent”. The “beasts of the field” were to be under the dominion of man, but now man yielded to the Serpent, who came masquerading as a “beast of the field”. In this sense, Adam's dominion was usurped by the Serpent who now became the “prince” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The Details
As we look into the details of how this happened, we find out that before Eve was created, God commanded Adam, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). This would have been conveyed of necessity by Adam to Eve after she was made from Adam's side (Genesis 2:18-20, 21-23), and this was who Satan targeted with his deception.
The general rule was for man to lead, for he was created first, and was given the command directly by God not to eat of that one tree. This he evidently conveyed to Eve as she did not have that direct revelation. So Eve was well aware that she was not to eat of that one tree. However, when she was tempted of the Serpent, she did not direct him to her husband, nor did she consult with Adam, and thereby yielded to the temptation, and became deceived by rejecting God's Word.
This example was used in the Church also, how that man was to take the leadership role in teaching (1 Timothy 2:11-14). Now there may be times when there is lack of a man to take on the spiritual leadership in the church or at home, but when that position is usurped, and God's order is opposed, it can only lead to disaster as in the church at Thyatira (Revelation 2:20).
The Serpent's subtle temptation of Eve came in the form of an accusation, that God was hindering their freedom, to eat of “every tree of the garden”. This is the same “device” (2 Corinthians 2:11) the Devil uses to deceive multitudes who have been suckered to follow the “feminist movement” or “woman's liberation movement”, who have been conned into thinking that God is attacking their freedom. That movement is right out of the pit of hell. And the Serpent "said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Satan formed his question in a way that would insinuate that God is a monster, who was infringing on their freedom to eat of every tree.
But in her reply to Satan, she did not consult her husband (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22), and as a result she made two critical mistakes, she added to God's Word and she took away from God's Word, and thereby was ripe for deception. “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may [freely] eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” (Genesis 3:2-3). She took away the word “freely” and added, “neither shall ye touch it”, twisting God's Word, as so many do today (2 Peter 3:15-16). To understand the seriousness of this matter, read Revelation 22:17-19 and take note of Proverbs 30:6 and Deuteronomy 4:2.
This is how Satan goes about to deceive the nations, especially when it comes to the gospel of the grace of God. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
So many have believed “the gospel” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), but they have added to the gospel making it a lie (Galatians 1:8-9) that cannot save. All the cults add some form of works or Law keeping as a mandatory condition for salvation, in addition to believing the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). In other words, they believe it is not enough to simply trust (Ephesians 1:12-14) Jesus Christ alone to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21), who died in our place (Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24) and rose from the dead (Hebrews 9:28). However, Christ, by Himself (Hebrews 1:1-3), paid our debt in full on Calvary's Cross (John 19:28-30), so there is nothing left for us to do but to believe on and trust in Him (Acts 15:11; 16:30-31, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5).
Now there are others, while they will preach on Christ's death for our sins, will refrain from including the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, for our justification. Whether this is intentional or not, there is no power in the gospel without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, for He is “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). The resurrection proves He was the Son of God (Acts 13:33), it proves He is the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish (Hebrews 7:26-27; 5:5; 1 Peter 1:18-19), who could take away our sins (John 1:29; 1 John 3:5).
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, there is no assurance that He is the Son of God (Acts 13:33-35). Without His resurrection from the dead there is no assurance that God was satisfied with His atonement for our sins (Isaiah 53:10-12). Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, there is no “assurance” that He is the One whom God has ordained to judge the world in righteousness at His coming (Acts 17:31). Without the resurrection, we have no hope (1 Peter 1:3-5, 18-21).
After confusing Eve, Satan came right out and alleged that God's Word is a lie, that He is a deceiver and not to be trusted. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5) You shall not die, you shall be as gods. In essence, Satan was saying, God's threat of death is keeping you from attaining your exalted position as gods. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) who turned the commandment of God into a prohibition that was essentially keeping them from becoming “as gods”, rather than the one command that secured their “free will” and “freedom” to choose. Furthermore, they were already created in the image and likeness of God, crowned with glory and honor, and given dominion over all the earth, so we can see the serpent was really trying to confuse the matter.
Would they chose to love, serve and obey their Maker? The Lord had given to Adam and Eve to subdue and have dominion over all the earth and all its creatures, and blessed them. In blessing them, God had not withheld any good thing from them, for everything He had made was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). What more could they ask of Him who “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3, Romans 8:32).
Adam and Eve were “crowned with glory and honor” being made in the very image and likeness of their Creator, unlike the animals. He put them in a setting that could only be described as “very good”. They had intimate fellowship with Him, walking in the cool of the garden made just for them (Genesis 3:8). They were truly blessed of God. He did set man over all the works of His hands, and put all in subjection under him (Hebrews 2:7-8), placing them above all creatures that God had made and gave them dominion over them all.
Their instructions were to be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over all its creatures. They had been given an abundance of fruit trees and herbs that they could freely eat from. There was just one stipulation. Do not eat of one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were given instructions of things to do and things not to do, which were all for their benefit. Even our parents tell us things to do and things not to do, and these are all for our well being.
At the time of their creation, Adam and Eve had only known and experienced the goodness of God, but in transgressing His command, they would experience the consequence of rejecting God's Word and gain a working knowledge of evil. Some have wondered, why did God put that tree in the garden? One might also ask then, why did God give man the free will to choose? How can one be free to choose without any choices to make? How can one love without freedom? We can make a computer do specific commands without breaking the task it was programmed for, but that is just a machine. Man was created in the image and likeness of God.
Now it is supposed that Adam and Eve could have chosen not be fruitful, they could have chosen not multiply, they could have chosen not to fill the earth. They could have defied God like the rebels at Babel and chose to stay in one place. But they needed to understand precisely, that to transgress the commandment of God is the essence of “evil”. When you know to do good and do it not, that is sin (James 4:17), and there are consequences for making bad choices, death and separation from God. Evil will not be allowed to flourish in the presence of God. Do not eat of this one tree or you will surely die. Not, you might die, no, Ye shall surely die.
The commandments of God are “holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). He has shown man what is good for him, but in transgressing the commandment of God, they would know by experience “evil”, and the severity of God (Romans 11:22), for the wages of sin is death. However, through their Fall, they might also know the exceeding riches of His grace and mercy, for gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 2:7).
How else could they see or comprehend these attributes of the Almighty? How else could we comprehend the great love wherein He loved us, even when we were dead in sins and trespasses? How else could He manifest His love towards us in sending His Son to die in our place so that we might live (1 John 4:9-10)?
Thus they could clearly see the difference between good and evil, God's absolute abhorrence of evil, but also His goodness, His loving kindness, His grace and mercy, His longsuffering, and love towards those so undeserving (Romans 9:22-23, Psalm 58:10-11). How else could they understand the depth of God's love for us. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:6-10)
However, today, there are those who would distort these distinctions and call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20), just like their father the Devil. Having rejected God's Word, they have a distorted world view and know not how to discern the difference between good and evil and turn to lies (Romans 2:4-5; 1 Timothy 4:1-2). In essence, this is how Satan manipulated Eve in the garden, calling good evil and evil good.
As a result, God's blessings and Adam's dominion became forfeited through sin. God is holy and cannot bless evil (Habakkuk 1:13). God is the author of life, and to turn away from Him brought death into the world, via the temptation and deception of Eve by the Serpent and Adam's willful disobedience. Sin was not part of God's “very good” (Genesis 1:31) creation, but entered the world as a result of Adam's willful disobedience to his Creator, when he bowed down to the will and lie of the Serpent.
Satan usurped the dominion from Adam and became the god and the ruler of the darkness of this world (Luke 4:5-8; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). The whole world is now under the influence and power of Satan (1 John 5:18-19) as he goes about deceiving the whole world (Revelation 12:9). Darkness now covered the earth and gross darkness the people (Isaiah 60:2), as Satan roams about the earth (Adam's dominion) seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Adam was to bring into subjection all of God's creation and have dominion over all the earth (Genesis 1:28), however, because of sin, the whole world became “subject to vanity” (Romans 8:20). Sin now has free reign and death has the dominion over man and “all the earth”. The “bondage to corruption” now overshadows all of creation (Romans 8:20-23). Death was now reigning over Adam's fallen race. In the book of Romans we are told, “by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:12). By the sin of Adam, death entered the world. As a result, “by one man's offence DEATH REIGNED by one” and “sin hath REIGNED unto death” (Romans 5:14, 17, 21). In essence, man was to subdue all things and have dominion over creation, but now sin and death has the dominion over man and his domain.
The consequence of sin, is that fellowship with God was broken, resulting in separation (Isaiah 59:2). The Spirit of God departed from man, and sin began to work in his members until finally, death overcomes him (Job 14:10) and his body is turned back to dirt (Genesis 3:19). And without Christ, in the end, man will be separated from God in Hell (Revelation 20:14-15). What a wretched end to so glorious a beginning, knowing only the goodness and fellowship and blessing of God.
Adam now knew evil experientially and the severity of God against sin. Adam's dominion now came under the bondage of corruption, and became subject to sorrow, pain, tears, suffering and death.
In the beginning God created the earth (Genesis 1:1). From the very elements He created, God formed every living thing. And now, the curse came upon the very elements from which Adam and all of creation was made (Genesis 2:7, 9, 19; 3:17-19). This universal breakdown of the elements of the world is known as “entropy” or the Second Law of Thermodynamics. It is the universal Law of decay, where everything waxes old and perishes and are reduced back down to the very elements from which they were made (Psalm 102:25-27, Isaiah 51:6).
Nevertheless, with the Fall of man, so came also the promise of restoration and hope through the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15) who would come and destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14), crushing his head (Genesis 3:15), and destroy the Antichrist, who for a brief moment, will sit upon the throne in Jerusalem. “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.” (Daniel 11:36) This is the man of sin, the lawless one, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time [3-1/2 years]. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Daniel 7:25-27)
Herein is the end of the matter. God had created man to reign and rule over His creation. We are told “thou hast made him a little lower than the angels (Heb. Elohiym), and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” (Psalm 8:5) Man was made in the “image of God”. God had crowned him and set him over the works of His hands. We are told, God made man a “little lower than Elohyim”. “In the beginning God (Heb. Elohiym) created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) In the beginning, man was not created lower than the angels. The regular word for angel is “malak”, not “Elohiym”. The angels were to serve God and be man's minister.
Adam was to have dominion over all the earth under God, but sin changed all that. The Devil usurped that authority from Adam by getting him to sin, and Adam bowed down to the Serpents lies. Adam's image and likeness of God now became marred with sin. The Devil usurped Adam's dominion, and man became lower than the angels. The writer of Hebrews explains this.
“For unto the angels (Gr. aggelos) hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” (Hebrews 2:5-8)
Adam was not a “son of man”, he was a “son of God” (Luke 3:38). Nevertheless, when Adam sinned his image was marred. We read in the record of Adam, “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth” (Genesis 5:1-3). Adam was a “son of God”, but after the Fall, his offspring were born in “in his own likeness, after his image”. They were the sons of Adam, or “sons of man”.
We read, “thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.” But something tragic happened so, “now we see not yet all things put under him.”
While Jesus is The Son of God, he became the Son of man. He was made in the “likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), and “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). The Devil tempted Him with all he had, but unlike Adam and Eve, he resisted the Devil and he fled (James 4:7), and the angels came and ministered to Him (Matthew 4:11; 1 Peter 3:22).
The Son of God came down out of the glories of heaven, was made in the likeness of men, and condemned sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3). He was coming back to restore that which was lost by Adam, and although He was the very Son of God, the divine “Word was made flesh” (John 1:14). He stooped down to the level of sinful flesh, and became the “son of man”. He was “equal with God”, but came a servant and was made in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7). He was made a little lower than the angels, but He was made much better than they (Hebrews 1:4), and in the world to come “we shall judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3, Hebrews 1:14).
When God created Adam, he “put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.” But sin changed all that, the Devil usurped Adam's dominion and now death reigns over the sons of Adam and his domain.
The writer of Hebrews goes on. “But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:9-18)
Jesus Christ came the first time to take care of sin by His death and resurrection. When He comes again, He is coming to cleanse the world and restore all things that Adam lost, then shall every knee shall bow and tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).
Adam was to subdue all things under his dominion but we can see how he failed. He was to be subject to God, but he yielded to the Devil. Not so Jesus! Where Adam failed, Jesus shall conquer. During His Millennial Reign, “all things shall be subdued unto Him”. He shall bring all things under subjection to Him as a faithful servant. Only Jesus could say, “for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). He is the Perfect Man (Hebrews 5:8-9), who “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15), who always submitted to His Father's will, whose mission was “to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38), the Beloved Son of God, who is “subject unto Him that put all things under Him”.
“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14)
In Acts chapter one, the disciples asked Christ before His ascension to heaven, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6) The Lord replied that it was not for them to know the times and the seasons which God had put into His own hands. Israel had rejected their Messiah and by wicked hands did crucify the Lord of Glory, forfeiting the blessings that could have been theirs. But now, Jesus said they were to wait in Jerusalem till they be baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 8). This took place on Pentecost, 40 days later, and the Church was born. On that day Peter gave a powerful witness of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:21-36) and about 3000 souls were saved.
Again, after this, Peter spoke another message to them saying, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:19-26)
Peter spoke to the men of Israel saying that the “times of refreshing” would come when Israel repents. Only then will Jesus return and restore all things, like that, which was before the Fall of man when sin entered the world. These days were spoken of since the world began, by Moses and all the prophets, right from the promise of the coming Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) who would come to destroy the works of the Devil. Not only shall he destroy his works, He shall destroy Satan himself for it is the Devil who sinned from the beginning and was the source of sin, who has the power of death (1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14).
God would send His Son, the source of all blessing, to bless Israel and the whole earth, with the blessing forfeited by Adam when he disobeyed the commandment of the Lord, bringing sin and the knowledge of evil into the world. When Adam bowed to Satan's lie, in essence, the Devil became the god of this world. The Devil has claim on all of Adam's fallen race (Luke 4:5-8). “He that committeth sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8), and “all have sinned”. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
In Revelation chapter five, the Father gives to Jesus the scroll, the title deed to the earth, and sends Him forth to conquer his enemies and restore the Kingdom that was usurped from Adam and forfeited by his sin, for the right of inheritance and redemption are His (Jeremiah 32:6-14, 25, 44). The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He had given it to man to rule over, albeit Adam lost his dominion through sin and death. Nevertheless, the promise of redemption, through the Seed of the woman, the Son of man, to whom the inheritance was promised, would come and redeem the earth, and restore all things, and reign forever and ever. Just as Israel was taken captive by the wicked king of Babylon because of their sin, and made his slaves, so too, Adam, because of his sin, lost the kingdom, and was made a slave of sin, and death now reigned over him and his dominion.
By Adam came sin and death into the world, but we are not left without hope, for as “in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). We are all in Adam's race, we are all son's of Adam and shall die the death. But we are not left without hope. Listen to what Peter has to say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
All those who are “in Christ” shall live and reign with Him (Revelation 2:26-27; 5:9-10; 20:4; 22:5, Psalm 49:14, Daniel 7:18, 22, 27, Matthew 19:28, Luke 22:29, 30; 1 Corinthians 6:3-4), in His incorruptible and everlasting Kingdom. Unlike the kingdoms of this world, His Kingdom shall never fade away (Daniel 2:44; 7:14). Nothing that defiles shall enter therein, and sin defiles (Revelation 21:27). But today, if any will hearken to His voice, they can be placed “in Christ” and become a child of God, when they believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and trust Jesus Christ to save you from your sin (Ephesians 1:11-14). When we believe, by faith alone, in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again from the dead, we are saved. We become a child of God (John 1:12-13), and the Spirit of God places us “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Nothing from that day forward shall ever be able to pluck you out of His hand (John 10:28-29), or separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39).
The day is coming soon when His Kingdom shall come and His will shall be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Please believe the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) today, to make sure you are “in Christ” and part of His glorious plan.
Last Update: 4/16/2021
