The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Big Picture, #2

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7—NIV)

To begin the new creation God created the material sky and earth. We need to realize the material creation is superior to the bodiless spiritual creation. We Christians long to go to the spirit realm, to Heaven. What we do not realize is that the material creation is a superior environment. What it is lacking is the life, the love, the peace, the joy, the wonder that are found in the spirit realm. When Heaven clothes itself with earth, which it shall in the Kingdom of God, we will have an environment vastly superior to either Heaven or earth by itself.

But it is not enough to have Heaven clothed with earth as our environment. As long as there is any chance of rebellion, the new environment is totally unsatisfactory. There must be a total destruction of sin before we have an environment suitable for the habitation of God and His children.

We see, therefore, that God envisions a new world consisting of a union of Heaven and earth, all an integral part of Jesus the Anointed One and governed by Him who loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

As part of the new world, the Kingdom of God, there is a need for creatures to fulfill the following roles and tasks. These are what God is creating.

- A counterpart for God's Son, the Word; someone for His Son to love.

- A temple for Himself.

- A body for His Son, an increase of the Son's Being.

- Creatures who can be trusted to restore and maintain Paradise on the earth.

- A royal priesthood who can bring the Presence and blessing of God to His creatures.

- Creatures who can bear witness of God, of His Person, ways, and will.

- Creatures born of God whom He can regard as His sons.

- Creatures born of God who will be brothers of the greater Son.

- Creatures who are able to resist and overcome all who would rebel against the Father's will.

- Creatures who can serve as rulers of the works of God's hands.

- Creatures who can serve as judges of God's other creatures.

- Creatures who can serve as a wall of defense around the Glory of God such that sin is never again permitted to enter His Presence.

- Creatures who are a revelation of Himself, as is true of Jesus Christ.

It is because of God's desire to have a material kingdom and the personnel mentioned above that God created man. When you think about the various roles and services you can see that angels are not suitable for many of these.

Man was created as a son of God, as the image of God. Man is to be male and female, that is, capable of union with God and other people. Man is to be fruitful, being able to reproduce the image of God in himself and other people. Man is to govern all the works of God's hands.

To be continued.