A New Look at Creation and God's Purpose
The Creations of God According To His Purpose
The First Two Creations
In the Beginning
God Chose US BEFORE He Created! WHY?
April 9, 2016
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love
Eph 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Eph 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
It is amazing that the church has lost the proper vision of why we are here and for what purpose we were predestined to serve. The fact is this; We are, each one, predestined to fulfill God’s Eternal Purpose. In order to accomplish that PURPOSE God designed our salvation and recovery to be through Christ Jesus.
2Timothy 1:9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
We were never called just to “be saved” but we were “saved” and Predestined to fulfill God’s Purpose and His calling. Being told that we are “Saved to go to heaven” is too shallow for a proper Christian experience! Why? God chose us BEFORE the foundation for His purpose. It is for that reason that I have chosen the title of this paper;
BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH.
It has recently been clear to me that telling the RIGHT story of the RIGHT person for the RIGHT reason at the Right time is essential in this time period of the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets. While I have told many stories concerning different persons and several powerful and diverse testimonies over the years, it is now essential that we begin to tell God’s Story from both His Present Viewpoint and from the Eternal Viewpoint.
While this may be too far above my pay grade, I will attempt to begin with this
document. Since God’s Story begins innumerable years ago, and long before the Foundation of the earth, this “first available written account” appears to be our starting point. Since God Always Was we can never tell God’s Story in its entirety. Our knowledge of God begins just before the Original Creation of the Earth. God’s Story begins as the Ultimate Creator of ALL THINGS! God’s Story unfolds into His Eternal Purpose and culminates in the Tabernacle of God!
Our limitation for telling God’s Story is confined to this earth and what has taken place over the last million years or so. It should be obvious to us by now that the Spirit of Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God, who has come to dwell in us, has no such limitations since He was ALWAYS with God, is God, and He knows the FULL STORY OF GOD. Anything beyond what is written is only available to us as He Wills!
In this document we will assume that the foundation of this earth was BEFORE the Genesis 1:3 VOICE spoke. Why? The Earth already existed BEFORE Genesis 1:2.
By verse two this Earth had collapsed into abject DARKNESS . It was NOT created in darkness but became ultimate darkness. The Earth had no capacity to choose Darkness so it must have been forced into darkness.
Whether this Earth had been created one million or 50 millions years BEFORE Genesis 1:2 is not the issue. The real issue is that the earth already existed Before. Another fact must be understood and that is that by this time the Heavens also existed before Genesis 1:2. The immediate “heaven” appeared when God separated the waters that surrounded this Earth. The area that replaced the water, after it was removed, which had submerged the earth, formed this “heaven” which is NOT the one in Genesis 1:1.
God began the “Restoration” of the former Earth by commanding the LIGHT to overcome and destroy the ultimate darkness. While most of the details are beyond the scope of this study, we want to point out the “Foundation of the Earth” was laid long BEFORE this event. Why? God Chose us in Christ “a long time ago” so do not accept this tremendous fact that each of us was “chosen” so lightly and with so little concern about our responsibility! Why? He chose us “that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”
Because we are attempting to focus upon God’s Story and God’s Viewpoint, we will point out that choosing us had NOTHING to do with us but was 100% the CHOICE OF ALMIGHTY GOD. Therefore, let us try to comprehend this event from God’s Perspective and never attempt to make this cataclysmic event man centered. Why? This whole man-centered gospel should be seen as a counterfeit gospel. The True Gospel must accurately tell GOD’S STORY, FROM HIS VIEWPOINT. Why?
Act 3:19 "Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
From this point of time “in the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets,” the Kingdom Message must confront, turn the church into an Eternal Direction and reject this whole man-centered gospel and focus entirely upon God and finding a Corporate Priesthood to full His Eternal Purpose! Why? God created everything for His own reason because He had a Personal and Eternal Purpose in mind. He certainly did not create everything to satisfy man’s need nor for man’s happiness, nor for man’s benefit. God is not here to meet man’s need but man is here to meet God’s need.
In order to tell that story we will begin in the first Chapter of the Bible.
Well, brother, you seem to accept these ancient Scriptures as “Eternal Fact” and not as most of the learned hierarchy of the visible church. Of course it is true that I consider these Scriptures and the Genesis account as 100 %accurate. This may require a logical explanation.
The Geneses account of the creation has been attacked by many "inside" the church as well as multitudes outside the church. The objection is that Genesis is not a scientific account with every I dotted and every T crossed. There is no claim in scripture that this account is true because it can be confirmed by scientific investigation and affirmation.
But, brother, how is it possible that anyone could know those things recorded in the Book of Genesis, so how can we trust that any of this is relevant?
1Peter 1:10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.
It is NOT that some ancient person conceived these incredible truths and wrote them down. NO! That portion of the Most High God called the Word of God who is the Spirit of Christ can be fully trusted to reveal the full and uncontaminated TRUTH about the creation! Why? HE IS THE ONE THROUGH WHOM GOD CREATED ALL THINGS. HE OUGHT TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT HAPPENED.
The claim is that these scriptures are “inspired” may leave a lot of doubt until we discover exactly how this revelation was given. God, Himself, By His Eternal Word Spoke. How or whom or who wrote it down, why it was written or when it was written down is totally irrelevant!
These scriptural revelations are given to us to unfold God's eternal purpose for man and to show man how and when he was called and how man may participate in God’s nonnegotiable plan.
While Genesis 3 focuses upon man's fall lets us always remember we were all called BEFORE THE BEGINNING. That call was given possibly millions of years ago. Before we focus upon the revelation of man's need of redemption in the New Covenant, it is important to show God's purpose in creating man and how man was deceived and fell into sin and death. If man had never sinned there would be no need of redemption. Our “CALL” was BEFORE man was created and before man sinned so redemption just permits us to resume our original “CALL” to fulfill God’s Eternal Purpose!
Therefore, God gives several one sentence accounts to unfold His revelation. These are not meant to answer every conceivable question that might arise. Otherwise the bible would be several feet thick and still not satisfy everyone.
Since God (Father, Word and Spirit) was there when it all began, He is the only one who can accurately define how and why it happened. If He told us everything within His Plan we still couldn't understand it. It is by faith that we understand that the worlds were formed by the Word of God, so that what is seen is not made out of things which are visible.
In the New Covenant God puts both the Spirit of Christ AND the Holy Spirit in us so there is no longer any excuse to remain ignorant nor for us not to know or understand exactly what God is saying or doing or anticipating for us. For anyone to be ignorant of God’s Eternal Purpose, today, is totally unacceptable to God.
Neither Scientists, Geology, Human Investigation nor Archeology can explain such hidden things. Genesis 1 to 3 will always be a mystery to any natural man and to most Old Covenant persons! While this seems incredible, there are many “Christian” groups that have not made the transition to the full New Covenant experience! They just hold to a religion that mirrors the Old Covenant.
Geology, Archeology and Scientists read the first chapter of Geneses and immediately responds "We do not agree". Of course we know you can't read the scriptures the same way you read a field report written after digging in the earth. No earth bound investigation can explain eternal facts!
The scriptures are by revelation and geology is by reason that came by research. Even though the scriptures are revelation, they still stand up to reason. However, we must search more than one chapter to find the answer. When people laugh at Geneses one they don't bother searching any farther. Most Geologists wouldn't take time to examine the Hebrew words to see what they mean.
Most of the controversy is the result of many Christians (fundamentalists) who have insisted upon a 6000 year history of the earth. No geologist could accept a 600 year history as being anything but ignorance. We must agree with the geologists. Why?
Bible scholars have researched these beginnings for probably the last 200 years and many have arrived at very clear conclusions. Even the early church had much insight into these things according to Josephus. There is no logical reason for the modern church to be in darkness concerning these things. Volumes have been written on the subject of creation and Genesis one so today it is not necessary for us to be scholars or theologians.
Today, all we have to do is read and learn what others have discovered. The book of Geneses is not a history of all that God has done but an unfolding of what man needs to know in order to exercise his measure of faith and take a personal responsibility to accept God's account of creation and then fulfill our calling to participate in Eternity Future.
The Bible never says that the history of the earth is 6000 years but that the history of Adam and his offspring is 6000 years. Of course geology must reject the assumption of a 6000 year history of the earth because they can find fossils much older that even one million years. Both sides think the other side is stupid.
There is no need to reconcile the Bible to geology and that is certainly not our purpose! Christians need to know what the scriptures say so their faith is not so easily shaken. However, all real truth will agree with all real truth. What is the answer to all these bones, sculls, pottery, cut stones, tools and even cities and artifacts that have been dug up and dated back for millions of years?
We have no question of their origin so have no quarrel with those things. The Bible is primarily a history of the race of Adam. There were certainly other races of men and species of animals upon the earth before Adam. Job, also, speaks about animals this earth has no record of.
Even if there were millions of years of history BEFORE Adam and several other species of persons and animals that does not change the history of Adam and his generations. Our history as men after the race and species of Adam just goes back to Adam and not to monkeys or slime or frogs. Therefore, let me explain what has been discovered by others over the last 200 years.
In my Bible, Genesis 1:1 is made up of just 10 words. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This is just a stated fact but within these 10 words is the unfolding of the first truth. In the beginning refers to the aeon (unmeasurable time) of ages past. The number of years are not important. God created meant that God made something out of nothing or at least not out of any thing that is visible. Since God is the ultimate Creator, whatever He creates is perfect. He doesn't create anything slipshod, there is no trial and error nor does God ever just throw something together for the time being. What He created was "the heavens" and "the earth". This is important because what God restored in the next verses was just the earth and not the heaven. We already made the point about the “heaven” that replaced the water. That area is called heaven.
Gen 1:8 And God called the expanse heaven.
I generally do not do word studies but in this document it is essential for clear understanding of what God “created”, “formed”, and “made.”
These facts hinge of on divinely given specific words that according to scriptures HAVE BEEN SUPPLIED BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST! The word used in Geneses 1:1 for created is "bara" in the original. This word is used 3 more times in Geneses 1 and Geneses 2. The other times are;
GEN 1:21 And God created ( bara) the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
GEN 1:27 And God created (bara) man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created ( bara) and made. ( asah).
GEN 2:7 Then the Lord God formed ( yatsar) man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. These three words represents three kinds of work that God did in Geneses 1 & 2 .
We can see these three words again in ISA 43:7. Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made. " Created, formed and made are all connected but are not the same thing.
Created means calling into existence without the aid of any thing that pre-existed. Formed (yatsar) means to shape or fashion out of some existing material. This word is used of a potter forming a pot out of clay.
"Made" means to prepare out of something that already was there. We could say, the chair was made out of pieces of wood.
In the beginning God created (bara) the original heavens and the earth. He created them out of nothing. He called them into existence by the power of His word. In the beginning there was nothing there but space. After the first creation, the heavens and the earth were there. "The original heavens" here refers to the area of the Universe where the planets and stars are, AND the area surrounding the earth which is referred to as "air" or atmosphere. These were obviously destroyed or seriously altered when the original earth was sunk into water. Why? God had to restore them to function again at the restoration in Genesis.
Gen 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
It is obvious that God destroyed the “lights” in the heavens so that total darkness reigned supreme over the earth. God had destroyed them with the earth and replaced the atmosphere around the earth with water! We could imagine this earth surrounded with water spinning through the stratosphere but in total darkness. Why? God had put out the “lights.”
The earth and heavens that were created and referred to in Gen 1:1 is obviously the same earth that we are on today but the earth today is certainly not in the same condition as this earth in Genesis 1:2. No! That former earth was formless and void or a totally waste place. It was NOT created that way but it became that way through some cataclysmic event! Only God could have restored it. Evolution could NEVER accomplish anything like what happened!
Remember we are telling God’s Story from His Viewpoint!
When the earth was first created by God it was perfect. God is a perfect Creator. He does not create things "formless" and "void" nor is it "in darkness". (The margin says "a waste and emptiness".) Waste and void cannot describe the original creation but describes the result of something catastrophic that happened after it was created perfect.
How long that earth laid in that terrible condition is not known but could have been millions of years. How do we know that! People still are digging up stuff from that period that are very, very old and much older than this earth we know! Since that earth had residents, certain artifacts from that earth are still being dug up.
The confirmation for the reality of this original creation was revealed to Isaiah. In the New Covenant we are shown that all the former prophets received revelation by the Spirit of Christ, who was in them!
ISA 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, {But} formed it to be inhabited, "I am the Lord, and there is none else.
The earth was not created a waste or desolate place! Therefore, it must have gotten that way between verse 1 and verse 2. From verse 3 onward it does not speak about the original creation but the restoration of the earth that was originally created, formed and made perfect but had become desolate.
The rest of these verses from verse 3 onward are not referring to a “recreation” but a restoration of the same earth that was originally created. Today, if we say the earth was not created in Genesis 1:3 onward we are maligned. No! The earth already existed but was totally unfit for a new habitation so it had to be “restored.” That “restoration” and re-habitation is what is seen in Genesis 1 beginning in verse 3.
The first time God made everything out of nothing but the in restoration, God took what was there and repaired it. The earth was "inhabitable" but it became "uninhabitable". God used six days to accomplish the restoration to make the earth inhabitable again. Gen 1:3 onward is the earth as we know it today but before the fall of man. It is the same earth but it is not in the same condition as Genesis 1:1.
In verse 2 there is a connecting word "and" which in several places is translated "but". The earth was created perfect "BUT" it became formless and void. The word "was" (formless) is in other places translated " BECAME" (formless). Many of the Hebrew words have different usage and it is up to the translator to choose one. "BECAME" is more definitive here than "but". Many Hebrew scholars agree on this. They point out that the same word is used in GEN 19:26 But his wife, from behind him, looked {back;} and she became a pillar of salt.
Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt.
If we put this in the context of Gen 1:2 we could say " And his wife looked back and was a pillar of salt". It says the same thing but in Gen 1:2 it would be much clearer if we used the word “became.”
Also in GEN 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being is the same word again. He was a living being but the translators used " He became a living being".
EXO 20:11 "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. God "created" the heavens and the earth. Then in six days "He made" them. It is not possible to measure the time span between "create" and "made". The first is creating out of nothing and the second is remaking out of something that was already there. Sometimes it is mistakenly said that man is a creator. That is not possible. Man can form and make but only God can create.
2 Pet 3:5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God {the} heavens existed long ago and {the} earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
The heavens existed "LONG AGO", the earth was "FORMED OUT OF WATER". Many commentators believe that verse 5 refers to the time of Genesis 1:1! However in 2 Pet 2: 6 he is referring to the time the former earth "became" formless and void. The heavens and earth spoken of in verse 7 refer to the restored heaven and earth on which we live.
It seems obvious that 2 Pet 2:6 is NOT referring to the time of Noah, as a lot of preachers think and preach. This is an ignorant and obvious mistake!
The first thing that God did in the restoration of “this earth” was to speak light into existence because darkness was over everything. God is light. He didn't have to create it. We see that the earth or "firmament" already existed but it was flooded over with water and was in the deep. Therefore, it was waste, formless, empty and void. (a place of total waste).
When God began the restoration, the earth was already there. What God did was command it to come out of the water. God didn't create the heavens of the stars on the second day but He spoke and separated the waters below from the waters above and the heavens appeared. That was on the second day! That is the heavens that is our atmosphere which prior to this moment was water. It is best NOT to assign a place for that “water today.” However, it is not a great frozen ball of water in the stratosphere that is about to crash into this earth and destroy us. If God can create it He can also dissolve it!
For six days God continued to restore this earth until all was restored to satisfy His need for a place to complete His Eternal Purpose. The total wisdom shown by the extreme economy of words in Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2 identifies the seal and mark of God. In 10 words God covers all of the original creation. In verse 2 He states the condition that had come upon the earth. In 29 verses He covers all of the restoration. To assign this account to Moses and his imagination is foolish. The Eternal Word of God, the Spirit of Christ, was there at the time and reported what really happened. If He used Moses to write it down, that was his prerogative.
No man could write such an account without adding all kinds of details. This economy of words is the mark of God. Nothing here satisfies the curiosity of man with fine details and explanations. It is just simply stated. If you want to know more, you must get in touch with the Spirit of Christ and develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Why? It is His turn to teach us!
Then when the Holy Spirit reveals TRUTH everything else is acceptable and believable. Maybe none of it is intellectually satisfying to the outer man but real Truth is revealed in the realm of the inner man.
Genesis 1 & 2 reveals the character and glory of God, who creates, who forms and who makes. EVERYTHING He does is perfect. This will be extremely important when we examine the NEW CREATION . The real question is this; If God creates perfect, how does it get so corrupted so quickly? Why would God permit His flawless creation get corrupted? This is one portion of “God’s Story.”
Even the first earth and its companion creation of living beings was created perfect but then something happened and everything became just a waste place and in total darkness. That earth was under the dominion of angels but they destroyed it as we discover in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28.
When this restoration of the former earth was complete, God obviously chose to create a man and a woman to begin a human species to take over the dominion over the earth and to take dominion over everything that crept upon this restored earth. Strangely enough, after God had restored, created, formed and made everything perfect, man, made from this earth / dirt dimension, was unable to remain faithful to God or complete the task. Therefore, these two examples gives us clear examples why God must solves all these deficiencies, defects, and character flaws BEFORE the Next Creation. There will be no more “restorations” for this earth. This earth will be destroyed by fire. The New Earth, the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem will be totally NEW creations. But, history and God’s Story continues.
Genesis 3 reveals the character and nature of man. God creates perfect and innocent and in God's own image and likeness! Image and likeness is related to what was within the outer man, not the outer man made from dirt. Man’s outer person was made from the dust or dirt from the earth. What was in the outer person (that life) is what died (God’s image and likeness) but the dirt man continued to “live.” What can we learn from that?
The outer man exists but man's character, motives and nature must be built by various trials and decisions and through his own cross. This reveals that in the process of salvation, God must completely rebuild and restore us. Not just to what Adam was but to what God predestined us to become. Where everything about our character, attitudes, ambitions, thoughts and nature are confronted, corrected and modified until we are in complete harmony with God's character and counted worthy for His Eternal Purpose.
Let us review some of what we shared. Why? Now, at this point, the details are important!
In this document we want to focus upon why man fell into death, trespasses, darkness and sin AFTER he was created in God’s image and likeness. Why? That is exactly what is happening today in the visible church.
Gen 1:27 And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Gen 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Even though we are telling “God’s Story” it is important to understand with what, why and how He created, formed and made Adam and Eve so we can understand how God is CREATING, FORMING, and MAKING an entirely new Species of man compatible with the New Covenant and fully prepared to complete the Purpose of God in eternity future!
First, God created a man and that man, made from earth so he could exist on this earth as image and likeness and “live in earth’s atmosphere .” God must “create” out of nothing. Why? There was nothing on this earth that He could use to “make” Image and likeness or Life! God had to create that part of man by Himself. However, when God needed to “make” a body for man he could use something already here, the dust or dirt from the earth. Eve, then, was made from Adam! (In the study of the bride we cover this aspect of creation)
In Genesis 3 we see both the man and the woman living in this idyllic state where God walked and talked with them and every need was fully supplied. They lacked absolutely NOTHING! There is no mention of angels, evil spirits, demons or Satan. Just this serpent of old or from the former creation.
There is no record of the creation of Satan but from scripture we learn that he was created and existed upon the former earth. We learn that his former territory was in the former Eden. Therefore, we can confidently state that he existed before the restoration of Genesis 1:3. The same is true of angels and demons. The scripture is very detailed about what God created or formed or made in those six days. These spirits were not created in Genesis 1.
If these spiritual beings were not created then, when were they created?
There must have been a former creation of beings on the original earth. Why?
Archaeologists have found evidence of disease, death, war and violence in their research of these ancient times! These remains appear to belong to another kind of man. These “beings” are referred to as "prehistoric" or before our history began. There was sin and rebellion, death and destruction and the ruin of the earth that was prehistoric. They found that some cataclysmic event destroyed these civilizations, birds and the animals. What that cataclysmic even was is what the scientists are guessing at today. (Perhaps a giant comet struck the earth.) Of course the Bible tells us what happened. However;
The bible is not a record of those civilizations but it gives some reference to that time.
Jer 4:23 I looked on the earth, and behold, {it was} formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. 25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. 26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger. 27 For thus says the Lord, "The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction. 28 "For this the earth shall mourn, And the heavens above be dark, Because I have spoken, I have purposed, And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it."
This obviously took place between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Something obviously happened in the former world that caused God to judge it. When we search the scriptures we only find one explanation.
Ezekiel 28:11 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, 12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. 14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you {there.} You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created, Until unrighteousness was found in you.
Eze 28:16 "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. 18 "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade, You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. 19 "All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified, And you will be no more."
Most all of these statements cannot be applied to an earthly, human King of Tyre.
Nevertheless, God had given angels dominion over the earth so Satan certainly could have had the title “THE KING OF TYRE.” (At very least, this is most likely speaking of the real power behind an earthly king and is prophetic of the anti-christ.) However, since verses 11 to 15 cannot be explained by any earthly person, it must be speaking of Satan. Of course, this is speaking of Satan before he was cast out of the mountain of God when he was still in his original created state.
ISA 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
Satan was originally called by another name, “O star of the morning” before he became God's adversary by attempting to take over God's throne. Originally Satan was in Eden, the garden of God.
Eze 28:13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared.
In the restored Garden of Eden of Genesis 3, Satan had already lost all his position and glory and was crawling around in the dirt but now he took the form of a snake. Then this account in Ezekiel 28 must be speaking of a former "EDEN" of that former world. This Lucifer, star of the morning, had a very high position in the realms of God and was a very beautiful creature. He had access to the very presence of God and the fire that surrounds the throne. Lucifer was created perfect because that is how God creates all things. He is the perfect Creator. The transition from Lucifer to Satan to serpent is part of God’s Story that must be told! Why? This transition downward is also reflected in what took place in man who fell into the Devil's temptation. This was written down for us upon whom the end of the ages has come! In other words this is not just an Old Testament story that has no relevance for us. We must understand these are examples for us!
Isa 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' 15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. 17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to {go} home? 18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. 19 "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a trampled corpse. 20"You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. ISA 14:21 "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities."
Here, again, are facts that cannot be assigned to a human, earthly king. This is obviously speaking about Lucifer when he became Satan, God's adversary. It was he who caused the former world to become a wilderness and destroyed it's cities. He was the one who was responsible for all the slain of the former world. No one who is of Satan or like Satan should be permitted to rise and take possession of the earth or inhabit it's cities again!
If that is the responsibility of the modern church, it is certainly obvious that we have miserly failed. Why? Our cities have already fallen. In the Eternal Kingdom this cannot be possible because all these casual generations will be eliminated! Why? All of those generations will be cast into the pit. This will include fallen angels, demons and all those who stay in their fallen nature. The fallen angels, who were released in the restoration of the earth are most likely the principalities and powers and spiritual forces of wickedness in Ephesians.
Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}
Through out scripture we find references to evil spirits or demons. Hundreds were identified and cast out in the New Testament by both Jesus and the disciples. No one knows for sure who they are or where they came from but Derek Prince says he believes they are from the former world that Satan ruined. They obviously were not yet judged so they emerged with the earth when the former earth was restored. That “ministry” of casting out demons was restored for about 15 years during the Charismatic Renewal but has been severely neglected today!
We have established that this earth today is the same earth as was in Genesis 1:2. However, in Genesis 1:2 it is still in its destroyed state! Nevertheless, God created the former world to be inhabited. That earth and its cities and generations was destroyed by sinking the former earth into the waters.
Those are the generations that the archaeologists are finding today. These demon spirits are probably from those generations that predated Adam. Those generations, under the dominion of angels became so crooked and corrupt and perverted that God sunk the whole earth into the waters to destroy all living things. However, even though the bodies perished the spirits remained in the prison of water. Of course when the earth emerged from the waters these spirits also emerged. From the New Testament we learn that they are always trying to get back into a human body so they can have a manifestation. Those spirits can only wander and search and they find no rest until they inhabit a body to practice their perversions. Mat 12:43.
Satan may have been the "governor" under God to govern the former world and it's inhabitants. Why? He is still controlling those spirits. They obviously know what their fate will be when this age ends.
Luke 8:30 And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and {the demons} entreated Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission.
They also know who Jesus is and what his authority over them is. In Scofield's notes he also believes that Jer 4:23-26 is speaking about the former world and it was Satan's rebellion that caused the former world to become formless and waste. Hell was actually prepared for the Devil and those in agreement with his rebellion.
Mat 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Now the second man and the Last Adam has arisen upon the earth. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was the first of this new generation (species) of men who are NEW CREATIONS! The New Creation is not outward in the body but inward within the body, made from and for this earth, that we inherited from first Adam.
Within the New Creation Man God brings us back to a new Genesis and we start over again.
Now, in the same way that Satan was loosed in the Garden of Eden, he is still loosed today. In the same way that he tempted Adam and Eve, he is tempting the ones who are of this new creation. Jesus Christ has recovered all that the first Adam lost and has given us that inheritance. We must be careful not to waste it on perverted living and some sense of false security! Of course we can all fall into deception like the first Adam.
Jesus Christ has restored the new creation to it's original design but now all of us have to be tested to see how we will walk and who we will serve. The reason this testing is essential is because of God's eternal purpose. ( the Tabernacle of God)
Just being born again to a new beginning is not the goal but God's has predestined each of us to be prepared to fulfill His Eternal Goal and to function in The Tabernacle of God!
The world of God's restoration was lost by man (Adam) in Genesis 3 and therefore had to be recovered by man; the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ!
1Cor 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
The first Adam lost it all but the Last Adam recovered everything that was lost!
By a man came death, by a man (Christ Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die. That death began in Genesis 3 but now, following Calvary, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. Death came by man so LIFE must be restored by MAN.
That means that Calvary provides that sacrifice and the result is that this restoration brings us back in the New Creation to Genesis 2. The question that now must to be answered is: Will we also be deceived by Satan and forfeit all that Christ Jesus restored for us at Calvary?
2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you {as} a pure virgin. 3But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity {of devotion} to Christ.
Telling believers that this deception can NEVER happen to us the same as it happened to Eve is a big lie. Why do they teach that? They say; “That is because We are already saved by grace.”
It is certainly true that our Last "Adam" was not deceived but the question remains; will the last Eve ( the church) be deceived in the same way as the first Eve? Of course it has already happened in the visible church. God destroyed the earth at least once before Genesis 1:2 and He has promised to destroy this present earth with terrible fire. Then He will create everything NEW! All Christians have been called and instructed to pay any price to overcome and inherit this new and possibly the final creation. The Bible is full of warnings related to the former earth and its destruction.
JOB 9:4 "Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? 5 "{It is God} who removes the mountains, they know not {how,} When He overturns them in His anger; 6 Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; 7 Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; 8 Who alone stretches out the heavens, And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9 Who makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10 Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number.
We have to ask when did this “destruction” take place in the history of the earth since Gen 1:3? No! Not is the history of this earth following the restoration in Genesis 1, Therefore, this must to be applied to a former world before this one.
If God destroyed the former world with water and has promised to destroy this one with fire, what manner of lives should we be living?
2 Peter 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
To summarize what we have deduced from the scriptures we could say that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. According to Jer. 4:23-26 there were cities and fruitful lands and inhabitants in that former creation. The earth was a beautiful place. Then the earth became a waste place. The earth was submerged in water for an undetermined period of time. Possibly thousands of years. Then the Spirit if God began to move upon the face of the waters. Then God's word spoke and the restoration process began.
On the sixth day God created man, male and female, and gave them dominion over the earth. The bible says that man was created in God's own image and likeness. This aspect of man had to be "created" because there was nothing on the earth that could make this kind of man. Created means that he didn't exist before. Then the bible says that God formed man out of the dust from the ground. One part of man was created and another part was made or formed. Man's body was formed like a potter forms clay. The spirit and soul (life) of man were created. There was nothing on the earth from which to make spirit or soul (life).
In six literal days with a morning and evening, God restored the earth, it's vegetation, animals, fish and birds and man. By this time in the restoration Satan had already been cast out of the mountain of God and his angels with him. After the earth was restored and become dry land, these spirits probably dwelt in the mid heavens and Satan (now the serpent) became the prince of the power of the air. (Atmosphere) This fallen and cast out serpent tempted Eve and she disobeyed God, along with her husband Adam. Man fell into trespasses and sin and because of that, death came upon on all men for all men have sinned. Man now had no way to redeem himself. There was no way he could stand righteous before God. All men of that genealogy were dead in trespasses and sins and NO remedy existed.
Since by man came death, by man also had to come the resurrection from the dead. No angel could redeem man. Therefore, God, Himself had to stretch out His hand to bring salvation to man. The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and impregnated her with the Semen of God, the Living and Abiding Word of God. She gave birth to a new species of person upon this earth. The body of Jesus Christ (which held the new Life) died as the Lamb of God on Calvary.
It is this Jesus Christ who became the second man and the Last Adam. Through faith in Him and by participating in His Sacrifice, men can now receive forgiveness of sins and by the Holy Spirit each of us may be impregnated by the Semen of God, the Living and Abiding Word of God. By this basic beginning true believers can be reconciled to God.
Once man is redeemed he still must fulfil God's original purpose because we have been predestined unto His purpose. God redeemed us, not just to save us from hell but to redeem us to fulfil God's eternal purpose.
Jesus Christ has now been given dominion and all authority over heaven and earth. The first Adam only had authority and dominion over the earth. Now Jesus has been given dominion to His body, the church. We are to be fruitful ( John 15) and multiply and fill the earth and subdue and guard it and take this restored earth back from the devil and his crowd. Satan was defeated at Calvary but now we must enforce that defeat. Man created in God's own image and likeness shows that God's intention was for man to represent God on the earth but to function under His absolute sovereignty.
It is interesting to note that on each of the six days of restoration there was evening and morning for each day but on God's Sabbath day there was no evening and morning. Why? This is one eternal day. While the natural outer man must cease from his own work and rest, the New Man after Christ must become a Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. Even though it was a Sabbath day the priests continued in their work of serving God in the Tabernacle, in the sacrifices, in the Lampstand, in the Showbread, in the Incense altar and in their ministering to God.
Matthew 12:5 "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, and are innocent? 6 "But I say to you, that something greater than the temple is here.
While the Priests work on the Sabbath they do NOT do their own work. They entered into His rest and ceased from their own labors!
Heb 4:9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.
We saw that there was an original creation that became ruined and fell into darkness. In that same way each one of us of the genealogy of the first Adam have become ruined and fell into darkness. God's purpose was interrupted because the man, created for His purpose, was now in darkness. He was dead in trespasses and sins. Man had come under God's judgement. Man's condition before God is waste and void and empty. Man cannot make light so how will he ever come out of darkness? The Spirit must hover over us and give us light. No man can come unless the Father draw him. Without God there is no way for fallen man to lift himself up or recover. He is forever lost and his only future is with the devil and his angels.
But one day God says let there be light and light shines out of darkness like the day star arising in our hearts. As we respond, the work of restoration begins. This is called "regeneration" or it means "a new Genesis". Most people think that now it is all light and no evening but God's work is morning and evening. Darkness still exists but our goal is to walk in His light. Eventually, if we overcome we will enter into God's Sabbath which is one eternal day with no night there.
Then God focuses upon the waters and brings us to water baptism. Here there is a great separation of that which is above from that which is below. Then there is an emergence up out of the water in resurrection on the third day. Jesus' resurrection was on the third day.
1Cor 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
God spoke twice on the third day. The first time the earth emerged up out of
the water and the second time He spoke the earth produced grass, herbs and fruit trees. This speaks of life again from the dead. Man's spirit comes alive and he is born again. Fruit bearing is the goal of resurrection.
Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God.
Through each of the “six days” (type) of our restoration, God's purpose is to restore every aspect of our life. His work continues until we enter His seventh day of Sabbath rest. God was satisfied with each days work but the next days work still had to be done. Each days work accomplished something different and necessary. God must bring us through several spiritual stages of restoration and He must work until He is satisfied.
If we stop or call a halt to God dealing in our lives we will suffer eternal loss because the full restoration has not yet taken place. The complete restoration ( or perfection) is required to be an overcomer and inherit all things and to sit with Him on His throne. In that place there is no night. That place is always illuminate by the Glory of God. It requires six days of work (type) by God just to bring us into that Eternal Rest.
Each days work was accomplished by God's word. If we neglect God's word or ignore it, we suffer eternal loss. God releases His power to be restored with His word. Our confidence is that God didn't stop half through in His restoration of the earth and He will not stop until he is satisfied with our restoration. That is why the Bible say that we are a new creation. God is taking nothing and making something out of it. His goal is to restore us to His own image and likeness so He can give us dominion over all the works of His hands.
Everything was created through the Living and Abiding Word of God, the Spirit of Christ, originally and our personal restoration is also completely through the Living and Abiding Word of God, the Spirit of Christ, AND by the discipline of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing created that He didn't create. That means in the physical as well as the spiritual realms.
God created man as a perfect creation. But like the original world, which was ruined by the work of the Devil, so also was his deception caused the destruction of the first man and woman.
The earth was restored in the renewal of Genesis one and two and the light once again shone and fruit grew. It that same way fallen man, after first Adam, exists on the earth but he also has been ruined. The earth had no way to restore itself and we have no way to recover by ourselves. God must work in us or nothing will change. Man has already been created as the natural outward man but now He must be re-created into a new species of man, who after Christ is created as image and likeness! The new man is not just fixed, rebuilt and repaired. He is not just forgiven but he must be completely restored to image and likeness AND he must grow up in all things into Christ! This is also the work of God. However, He has enlisted and predestined that some of this work of total restoration to be accomplished by man (ministry) WHEN man works under the absolute Sovereignty of God.
He begins this work in us and He must complete it for the day of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God must move over us and light must shine, both over us AND within us. The fact is this; God still is looking for fruit. There must be a separation between that which is above from that which is below. We must emerge in resurrection and fulfil the purpose for which God created us in the first place. That alone is eternal fruit. The fulfillment of the Feast of First-fruits is through the resurrection of those who have been JOINED to Jesus Christ and borne fruit for God.
The other aspect of the “re-creation of man” on the earth is in dealing with God’s adversaries and to make the enemy and the revengeful to cease. It is mistakenly thought that God has purposed to wait until after the tribulation to deal with the devil and in judgement to lock him up for 1000 years. With the devil out of the way there will be 1000 years of peace and creation will return to its original state. This explains why the earth and the world is in such a great turmoil today. The devil is free to do his work with very hindrance from the church.
However, even a casual reading of scripture indicates that God has purposed to deal with his fallen created beings through man! God must use one created being to fully deal with his other created beings. God could vaporize these fallen beings by His word but He has chosen to judge these disobedient assortment of beings but He will do that through the obedience of God’s True Believers.
2 Cor 10:5] We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, [6] and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
God must find obedience in His created beings before He can righteously judge disobedience in His other created beings. If God’s people are not obedient how can He judge the angels or others who are disobedient.
Psalms 8:2] From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
Obviously, God has ordained that redeemed man should enter into this “warfare” of enforcing the victory of Calvary upon the devil, the fallen angels and all spirits without bodies. My theory is that this restored dominion must begin in “our little garden of Eden” that has been assigned to us. That means over our house and property to create a hedge about it and establish a perimeter of authority around it to keep these contrary spirits out. We must declare our spiritual dominion and establish a spiritual boundary line where the enemy can’t invade. This is defensive but our goal is to become offensive and gain enough ground, authority and power to kick in the gates of hell and release its prisoners. Jesus has established that “dominion, power and authority” as the minimum for the church He is building. Keeping the serpent out of our garden is the responsibility of every child of God. If we can’t overcome him in our garden how is it possible to pull down principalities and powers from heavenly places?
Even if this commission seems too far above our present experience, we must begin someplace. That means, at very least, to keep that serpent out of our personal garden and to rule over it! The serpent must not have free access to our garden to come and go as he pleases. We should by now, at least, have authority over the creeping things! It also means that we must stay away from any temptation to just eat from knowledge and ignore the Tree of Life! This error (living and ministering by knowledge) will still end up in death. Our survival depends wholly upon our ignoring the Tree of Knowledge and eating exclusively from the Tree of Life. Why?
Natural pulpit ministry, that is commonly ordained today because of knowledge, should take warning that both their life and ministry is in grave danger of sinking into oblivion.
Ministering solely out of Spirit, Truth and Life must become the goal of all New Covenant ministries. Why? All these other (normal) ministries will soon become irrelevant! Many of these visible church ministries are not just treading water, but going no place, they are already sinking. Then who will, once again, divide the waters? That may have only been a one time opportunity.
Of course we have all the warnings in the Book of Hebrews that very clearly warn us of the spiritual traps set for us. The casual church goer is already in grave danger of falling into the pit with these foul spirits.
Unless God begins the work of re-creation in us and then works until there is a complete restoration to all things spoken by the prophets, the visible church will always just understand that which is visible and religious.
2Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The renewal (to renovate, renew or restore) of the New Inner Man is our constant objective! Why? That is because it is exclusively the new inner man, the new creation, that is predestined to fulfill God’s Eternal Purpose and finally bring joy to God’s Heart.
Our physical body is from the earth, it exists in the visible realms, and it will remain on this earth until it is evaporated by the terrible fire that will eliminate this present earth. Our ONLY confidence is in the New Creation, our New Inner Man, who is made in God’s Image and Likeness! It is the New Man that must grow up in ALL THINGS into Christ! All this emphasis upon the outer man and his survival is a big waste of time.
2Cor 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--
In this “restoration” we must be reshaped, redirected and refocused upon the eternal dimensions when all things mortal will be swallowed by LIFE!
This is a very small part of God’s Story but a very important part. Why? This small part reveals how God totally destroyed His creation, created perfect, twice in the past and He will certainly destroy this earth into non-existence and all who are on it in that day.
The angels were given their chance to rule the earth, they failed. Then ntural man (Adam and Eve) were given their chance to rule the earth and they failed.
The New Creation Man must not fail and that has become our destiny and our message. If we fail the purpose of God, He will still go on to other creations UNTIL God’s Eternal Purpose is fully completed, even if it requires another million years.
Of course we have a confidence that during this restoration, the bride really will make herself ready. A corporate Kingdom of Priests will be found to Rule over all the Works of God’s Hands. Christ Jesus will rule forever as the King of Glory. Even if God’s begins another new creation elsewhere, rulership over the New Heaven, the New Earth and the New Jerusalem is fixed for eternity. Our calling is predestined to that Purpose.