God’s Purpose in Creating Man
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Gen 1:26, 27.
God created man in His own image and likeness with a special purpose in His mind. Man is supposed to have dominion over all the things of the earth, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea. This shows that God intended that man should have dominion over all three dimensions, that is, the air, the earth, and the water. In other words, the earthly part of the governmental authority is bestowed into the hands of man. Man is created in the ‘image’ of God, so that he represents God on earth, and the ‘likeness’ of God, necessary to execute the authority. David, in one of his psalms writes the same thought:
“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, 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.
The Fallen Man and his Present position
When man ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he lost the likeness, and the image was marred. Man became like god (lower case “g”), and instead of looking unto God to walk in the light of the face of God, he became self-centred. He started looking unto himself. Therefore, man with a lost likeness of God and God’s image marred, cannot run the administration of God on earth. He lost all the authority entrusted to him by God. The purpose for which man was created was disturbed by the subtle devices of the enemy, the serpent, the devil. Nevertheless, God’s purposes can never be changed, as He said, “For I the LORD change not;” Malachi 3:6.
Satan and His Present Position in Heaven
Satan is seen in the presence of God in the heavenly places, in chapters 1 and 2 of the book of Job and in chapter 12 of the book of Revelation. Satan presents himself before God along with the other ‘sons of God’ as mentioned in Job 1:6. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Satan is the head of the principalities, powers and world rulers. He dwells in heavenly places and execute the authority through his agencies like principalities, powers and world rulers. His aim is to divert the minds of the people from God and attract them to himself (2 Cor 4:4-6). Satan, when he appears before the presence of God slanders the believers.
Satan – His Present Position on Earth
Satan also has authority on the earth as he claims in Luke 4:5-6: “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” The Lord said in John 12:31, “Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” Again in John 14:30, “I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world cometh; and he has nothing in me.” Again in John 16:11, “Of Judgement because the prince of this world hath been judged.” Instead of man, who was originally created to have the dominion on the earth, we see now Satan has the authority after the fall of the man. This whole system of the devil, and his rule through his agencies, need to be replaced by the victorious Son of man along with the overcoming believers to fulfill the original plan and purpose of God in creating man.
Glorified Son of Man Jesus Christ’s Present Position
Lord Jesus Christ who is the Son of God became the Son of man. He lived on earth without any sin, died on the cross for our propitiation, buried and rose again on the third day. He defeated the power of death through His resurrection. He made an open show of the defeated foe. Colossians 2:15 says, “Having put off from himself the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Man lost the authority and came into the subjection of the principalities and powers. But triumphant Lord has defeated the enemy and reversed the order of the things. He opened the new and living way for us to live an overcoming life through the newness of resurrection life in our Lord. “Wherefore also God highly exalted him, gave unto him the name which is above every name; That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on 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 2:9-11.
Future position of the Lord’s in Heaven and earth
This position is not yet commissioned, though it is decreed to be this way. As we read in Hebrews 2:8, “Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject unto him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him”.
A) Heavenly authority transferred to the Lord.
The triumphant Lord will possess all the kingdoms of this world soon. The enemy who is now in the heavenly places will be cast out from the heavenly places along with his angels who follow him.
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God Day and night, has been cast down” Revelation 12:7-10. There will not be any place for the devil and his angels in heaven anymore. The authority in the heavenly places is transferred to our Lord after the devil and his angels are cast down to the earth. As Paul writes in Hebrews 1:6 “And when he again bring in the firstborn into the world he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him”. We see this picture also in Revelation chapters 4 and 5. Jesus Christ receives this position as the Son of man not as the Son of God.
B) Earthly authority inherited by the Lord
Series of events starts unfolding when the Lord opens the seals, beginning from the chapter 4 of the Revelation. The angel sounds the last trumpet just before the Lord appears on earth (1 Corinthians 15:52, 1Thess 4:16); and it says, “And the seventh angel sounded: and there followed a great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: he shall reign for ever and ever” Rev 11:15. At this point happens the transfer of the authority to our Lord over the things in heaven and upon the earth. Lord will appear in glory to defeat the enemy and establish His kingdom on earth. “Unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; in him, I say” Ephesians 1;10. Then the prayer of Lord, which he taught in Matthew 6, “let Thy kingdom come”, finally arrives in manifestation. Thus, God establishes the dominion of heavens on earth (Job 38:33).
Believer’s Present position
God created man by the breathing of the breath of lives into him (Genesis 2:7). Man is the only creation of God who was breathed into by God, through which there is a relationship to Him in ‘spirit’. Adam is mentioned as son of God for this reason. “The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God” Luke 3:38. After eating the forbidden fruit, the man and the woman were sent away from the Garden of Eden. They lost the fellowship with God. In the fullness of time God sent His son Jesus Christ to restore our position and fellowship with God. Jesus Christ not only died for our sins but as an offering for sin, condemned the sin in the flesh. Those who accepted him as Saviour and believed in Him, God offered forgiveness for their sins and newness of life to overcome the power of sin that works through flesh. When a believer allows operating this new life in his or her life, they will be found doing the righteous works of God. God also gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to transform their lives unto sanctification. The ‘new life’ and the ‘Holy Spirit’, by the grace of God, when they are in operation in an obedient believer, holiness in character, and righteousness in works are formed. These believers are called overcomers. Lord calls all the believers to this state and life, and blessed is the one who allows this operation of ‘new life’ and the ‘Spirit’ in them without any hindrance.
Overcoming Believers rule the Heavens
Once Satan and his angels are cast down from the heavens, the overcoming believers in whom the divine nature, through the operation of the Holy Spirit is formed, they fill in the heavenly places. Divine nature is essential, to be compatible to dwell and rule in heavenly places. These heavenly places hitherto were occupied by Satan and his angels. Michael and his angels defeated Satan and his angels and cast them down on earth (Rev 12). The Lord said to his disciples the night in which he was betrayed, in John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”. Since God does not like vacuum, the preparation of place will be done only when the number of people to fill in the heavenly place are completed. The place thus prepared in heavens is to be occupied by the overcoming believers. A group of believers who overcame and found in heavens, the Spirit records about them as, “And they overcame him because of the blood the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death” Rev 12:11. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years” Rev 20:6.
A) Overcoming believers judge the angels
“Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:3. Angels are spiritual and heavenly beings. God in his will bestows authority to those saints who attained divine nature through sanctification. They are led by the Spirit and called the sons of God; then only they have the wisdom to judge the heavenly beings like angels. This is part of the heavenly ruling and authority.
Overcoming Believers rule the earth
While writing to church at Thyatira in Rev 2:26-27, we read “And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him I will give authority over the nations: And he shall rule with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also received of my Father”.
“Angels in heaven sing a new song, saying, worthy are you to take the scroll, and open the seals, for you were slain, by your blood you ransomed people for God, from every tribe, language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on earth” Rev 5:9-10.
When the kingdom of the world become the kingdom of our Lord as mentioned in Rev 11:15, the overcoming believers also share ruling along with their Lord. “If we endure, we shall also reign with him…” 2 Tim 2:12. The lost position of man in Genesis 3 will be restored again to exercise dominion on the earth along with our glorified saviour Jesus Christ.
A) Overcoming believers judge the world
“Or know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world is judged by you …” 1 Cor 6:2. When the believers function in their earthly life according to the wisdom of God, He prepares them to understand his heart to see how the things ought to be in the lives of the people. Saints will judge on this light because they lived their own life in the ‘light of God’. It is one of the blessings for every saint who makes the Lord his light.
Glorified Lord along with overcoming believers rule the heavens and the earth
God the father has made known the mystery of His will to us. God’s will is to unite the authority of heaven and earth under one, that is, his son Jesus Christ. “Unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in heavens; and the things upon the earth; in him I say, In whom also we were made a heritage having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will” Ephesians 1:10-11. When Lord takes charge of his future kingdom in the heavens and the earth, the overcoming believers will also be with him in ruling. Satan and his angels will be replaced by the Lord and the overcoming believers. This is the will of the Heavenly father, and it will be realized in due time. In another place we read, “For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof we speak. For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one:..” Heb 2:5, 10, 11.
In conclusion
God created man to have dominion on the earth in the beginning. The believer who was sanctified through the operation of the Holy Spirit and who bore righteous fruits through life of God working in the overcoming believer will inherit the ruling in heavens and earth. God has shown abundant grace towards the fallen, disobedient man to bring him to authority and glory.
When the Lord preached the Kingdom of heaven, he meant ‘the rule of the heavens on earth’ in many passages and parables. It all begins by receiving the gift of the eternal life from God, the very life of Him. The eternal life is essential to be with God in heaven, without that no one can be with him in eternity. Receiving a kingdom, that is ruling with the Lord in the heavens and upon the earth is the noble purpose of God in saving us. While the Lord speaking with his disciples in early part of his ministry, He told them, “But first seek his kingdom and his righteousness…” Matthew 6:33, “Howbeit seek ye his kingdom and these things shall be added unto you. Fear not little flock: for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” Luke 12:31-32. “But ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations; And I appoint unto you a kingdom even as my Father appointed unto me” Luke 22:28-29. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him” Rom 8:17. Joint heirs with Christ to rule in the heaven and upon the earth for those who suffer with him, is a blessed privilege, which is not a gift but a prize. These above passages are spoken to His disciples by Lord and to believers by Apostle Paul and not to unbelievers.
Eternal life is a gift of God to all those who believe in only true God and His son Jesus Christ. It cannot be received by any good works of man. It will not be forfeited once received from God. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, no one shall snatch them out of my hand” John 10:28. Receiving a kingdom that is ruling with the Lord in the coming dispensation is a reward to those who live sanctified and righteous life by His grace. This is the meaning of ‘working out our salvation in obedience to Him’, towards the fulfillment of the original purpose of God in creating man. Working out the salvation to participate in the coming kingdom is not a selfish motive but an earnest desire to fulfill the glorious thought and eternal purpose of God in creating and saving man. Let a believer ponder over these thoughts and allow the work of God in fear and trembling.
Edification Ministries 