Chapter Three
To gain insight into the present tense purpose of God for man we need to know, just what are God’s plans and His purposes. Does scripture not tell us that all of creation is to be made subject to God’s Christ’ and His body?
Heb. 2:8
“You have 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. ……”
If we are living in the last of “the last days,” the phrase “the last days” is speaking of the closing out of this present age and the preparing for the coming in of another. This also speaks to us of a coming new world while the old world is to pass away. The word “world” (OIKOUMENE) means “the world as inhabited, to dwell.” Thus, the word “world,” as spoken to us here is speaking of the inhabitants, the dwellers upon the planet and not the soil.
This speaks to us a new world order coming because of a change in rulership, a governmental change as the inhabitants who once ruled are now being defeated and removed while a new government is being established. Rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places, which have ruled the darkness of this present evil world, are to be without power and authority in the next age that is arriving.
Rev. 20:1-3
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, which is the enemy and adversary, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. …..”.
With the adversary and his messengers being bound for that coming period, who is it that shall rule over this new government, this new world, God’s new age? Rev. 2:7 speaks to us,
“He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
Verse 11 says,
“… He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
Verse 17,
“To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
Verses 26-28,
“And he who overcomes, and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels, as I also have received from My Father, and I will give him the morning star.”
Rev. 3:5,
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels“.
Verse 12,
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more, I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem [God’s first-fruits and bride become this city], which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him my new name.”
Verse 21,
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
This word “overcome,” as used here repeatedly is from the Greek word “NIKAO.” A word used to mean, “to conquer, or overcome.” Therefore, unto the one who conquers the fallen world of the first Adam, he will rule in this new government of the coming age. Where is God’s government to manifest but from within man, a government that has been planted within the hearts, the nature of God’s new creation people.
It is from God’s word that we find God also declaring judgment upon a certain people. These people He calls a “world.” Thus, it is important for us to see that there is more than one world involved in God’s judgments. God has promised us a coming King and 2 Peter 3:3-7 declares insight concerning this promise.
“Knowing this first: those scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since, the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willfully forget that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world [government, nature] that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
According to these scriptures, it reveals that we are still living on the same earth or soil that saw the flood in Noah’s day. Was Noah’s ark transported to another planet somewhere, I think not. What world was destroyed by the flood, but the world created by the people, those people who were living in a rebellious nature against God? Yes, I think this is so for again, what does Peter show us as to this present world which is to be burned up by the wrath of God in these last days, which is our day? While heaven and earth shall remain, it will be this present day governmental world, both the political and the religious, that God destroys. All things birthed by ungodly men who follow their own lust began to know God’s wrath and judgment and they shall not remain. The truth is that while God does not destroy the natural earth, He does establish a governmental order, bringing forth the destruction of all ungodly governments that rule in the present time. It is through the Christ and His many member body, the first-fruits, which God has chosen to rule over His kingdom age that is to come.
Humanity needs to awaken and get the picture. God uncovers the truth of His kingdom as we read from Isaiah 11:1-9,
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His Lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Read also Isaiah 65:17-25.
Today’s men still have an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to wake them up; can we not get the picture? We see a reigning on earth wherein the Christ and His body will minister life to all of creation. We will be able to know the reality of true living. There will be houses built and jobs to work at. Real animals alive that do not destroy nor hurt one another, with children being born that are not afraid of snakes and lambs that are not afraid of wolves. In all of God’s creation, the first-fruits of God are becoming a people that are conformed to the image of the Son of God. These people have overcome because they have put all their enemies under foot with the last enemy being destroyed, which is death.
Note the truth of God’s word in 1 Cor. 15:22-26,
With death destroyed, the end comes because there shall be no more sin and death, a time when every tongue shall confess Him as Lord.