Life On Earth In The Millennium - by Jack Kelley

Hal Lindsey once speculated that at his judgment Satan hurled two accusations at God. “You’re not just and You have no love.” In our last study we saw how God demonstrated His perfect justice with Israel and His perfect love with the Church. Israel lived under an absolutely just system of law. It was clear and concise, made no exceptions, and showed no favoritism. There was blessing for obedience and punishment for disobedience in an obvious cause and effect relationship. What they did determined what they got. God said to them, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)

The Church was shown the incomparable riches of God’s grace. We’re the most blessed of any group of humanity and the only thing asked of us is that we accept by faith the free gift of salvation, purchased in advance for us with God’s own life. Yes, God is pleased if we live our lives in a manner that expresses our gratitude to Him, but the only thing He requires is that we believe in the one He has sent. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

In the Kingdom Age believers will be saved by faith, like the Church, but will be required to keep the Law as evidence of their belief, like Israel. Perfect justice, perfect love. This will be God’s final answer to Satan and His final attempt to dwell among His people in peace. Will it work, or like Israel and the Church before it, will the Kingdom Age end in failure?

We’ve only talked about Law and Grace but there were actually four other attempts at peaceful coexistence between God and man leading up to them. For a complete understanding of man’s history with his Creator, we’ll need to review these others as well. They’re called dispensations, or administrations, and all together there are seven of them.

The 7 Dispensations

Throughout history God has dealt with His people in different ways as part of the process of revealing His character. Each of these dispensations has has begun with an agreement between God and man that man subsequently violated, ending the relationship in failure and requiring a judgment from God.

1) Innocence … Between the Creation and the Fall of Man God interacted freely and personally with man. Man was created immortal and while he had agency (the power of choice) he didn’t have a sin nature. God placed Adam and Eve in His garden and gave them only one restriction. But they violated this restriction and were expelled from the Garden. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent were all judged, the Creation was cursed, and sin entered the world.

2) Conscience … Between the Fall of Man and the Great Flood God allowed man’s conscience to rule without Divine interference. Because of man’s newly acquired sin nature, the result of this was “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) After repeated warnings, God destroyed all but 8 members of the Human race in the Great Flood.

3) Human Government … from Noah to the Tower of Babel. After the Flood, God allowed man to establish his first system of government. But the people disobeyed God’s commandment to go forth and replenish the Earth, setting about instead to build a great city and a tower to protect themselves from another flood. They also used the tower to study astrology, a corruption of the Gospel that God had written in the stars using the names of 12 constellations. So God gave each of the 70 families of man a unique language that other families weren’t able to understand. This caused confusion and distrust among the people and they drifted apart to be scattered through out the world, and God destroyed the tower.

4) Promise … God set Abraham’s descendants apart as His Chosen People and promised Abraham and Sarah a son through whom He said He would bless the world. But they grew tired of waiting for Him, and they produced a son on their own, calling him Ishmael. Later, when God gave them Isaac, the son He had promised, Ishmael was sent away causing bad blood between Ishmael (Arabs) and Isaac (Jews) that continues to this day.

5) Law … from Mt. Sinai to Pentecost. After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He gave Moses the 10 Commandments and offered the Jews the land He had promised to Abraham along with a life of peace and plenty if they obeyed His Law. After 2000 years of vacillating between obedience and rebellion that resulted in them rejecting the Messiah, God finally had enough, expelled them from their land, and dispersed them throughout the world.

6) Grace … The Church Age. No longer requiring that righteousness be earned through obedience to the Law, God imputed His own righteousness to man by grace through faith in the completed work of the Lord Jesus, promising eternal blessing and a place in His own house to all who accept. It was the most outrageously lavish gift ever bestowed, free for the asking. But by the end of the Age of Grace most of humanity will have rejected His gift, choosing instead to live on their own terms, betting that either God doesn’t exist, or if He does He’ll allow them into His kingdom anyway. After removing the relative few who have accepted His gift so they’ll be safe with Him, He’ll punish the rest through the most severe time of judgment ever visited on Earth.

7) Kingdom … the 1000 Year Reign of the Lord, also known as the Millennium. At its outset Satan will be bound, all unbelievers will be expelled from the planet, the curse will be removed, and God will once again dwell in the midst of His people. You’d think that finally man could live in a manner pleasing to Him. Whether he will or not is the subject of our study.

Who Are You Calling A Failure?

Some in the Church might question the view that the Age of Grace has been a failure, but that’s because we’re among the few who have accepted the Lord’s free gift of pardon and will therefore enjoy its benefits. Remember, God’s desire is to reconcile us to Himself (Colossians 1:19-20). He doesn’t want for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). And yet over the last 2,000 years most people have turned down His gift and gone their own way. After doing everything He could, short of violating man’s free will and forcing him to accept the pardon He offered, most of mankind will have rejected Him. Can you blame Him for being so angry as to unleash the full fury of His wrath against them?

A principle of motivational compensation holds that when you give people something they haven’t earned and don’t deserve, you don’t gain their respect, you gain their resentment. Never before has God given the world so much more than we deserve, and never before has the world resented His presence more than today.

Even in the Church the response to God’s gift of eternal Life has been more apathy than adoration. When less than 10% of people who claim to be born again have adopted a Christian world view, it’s clear that there’s been a serious disconnect between His gift and our gratitude. When compared to the desired goal the Age of Grace has been a failure.

None of this is any more of a surprise to God than the outcome of His previous attempts. He doesn’t do things so He can see how we’ll respond. He already knows that. He does things so we can see how we’ll respond. Paul said every thing that was written in the past was written to teach us. (Romans 15:4) So far the lesson has been that no matter what God has done to draw us near, man is untrustworthy and rebellious, pushing God away and bringing judgment upon himself.

Now For The Kingdom

OK, so what about the Kingdom Age, will it be a failure too? A study of the Kingdom Age shows that at the beginning life will be as close to heaven on earth as one could imagine. There will be peace on Earth and goodwill toward man, just like the angel promised to the shepherds on the night of the Lord’s birth. (Luke 2:14) The newly freed creation will respond eagerly to man’s husbandry. Perfect weather and overflowing bounty will make his work a joy instead of a burdensome toil. Long life spans will return as sickness and disease become a thing of the past. “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.” (Zech. 8:4-5). This will be true throughout the world because the Lord will settle disputes between the nations and peace will flow like a river.

The Bible only describes the beginning and end of the Kingdom Age, but because of the shocking difference in the two, we can surmise that after a period of time things start going downhill fast. The Lord’s administration will be just but inflexible. He’ll rule them with a rod of iron and His punishment for disobedience will be harsh and swift. (Remember, the Age of Grace will end at the Rapture.) At some point the people of Earth will rebel. Psalm 2 tells the story.

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.

“Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” (Psalm 2:1-6)

Once again created beings will presume to free themselves from the rule of their Creator. But the King ruling the Earth was put there by God Himself, and that makes Him the the King of their kings. Then He’ll remind them of their position in the hierarchy.

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD : He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:7-12)

In an event that was later modeled in the Biblical adoption ceremony (Galatians 4:4-7), the Father formally named His Son heir of His estate and bequeathed His inheritance to Him. All the nations are His, and He has the authority to rule them as He pleases. Man’s choice will be to obey or suffer the consequences. Obedience will be rewarded with blessing, but rebellion will bring swift destruction.

We’re neither told how many will be saved during the Millennium, nor what their destiny will be. What we are told is at the end of the 1000 year Kingdom Age Satan will be freed and will have no trouble recruiting a large army for one last attempt to regain his lost empire. He’ll find a ready audience for his deception and his army will soon be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. From all over the world they’ll come to surround God’s people and His Holy City. But in one sudden burst of flame from Heaven they’ll be devoured and Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity. (Rev. 20:7-10) Once again, man rebels, God judges and another Age ends in failure.

Then the end will come, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” [Psalm 8:6] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:24-28)

God’s response to Satan’s accusations will be complete. Satan’s judgment will be final. Heaven and Earth will be purified. Eternity will begin. And God will reign supreme.

www.gracethrufaith.com

Prophecy News For 05/31/2009

Israel begins its biggest civil defense drill

Vilna’i: Israelis must ready for missile attack

Egypt: Iran less important than peace process

Israel fumes as Abbas undermines Netanyahu during US visit

Israeli ministers: No West Bank settlement freeze

Obama promises Arabs Jerusalem will be theirs

Addressing Muslim world, Obama will face many audiences

Obama speech to offer personal commitment to Muslims

Airlift of 3,000 Secret Servicemen to Cairo to secure Obama speech to Muslims

Muslims in fresh Athens demo over alleged Koran insult

Six dead as Hamas-Fatah tension spreads to West Bank

Pakistan: Corpses lie exposed in retaken Swat town

U.S. Warns: North Korea Won’t Become a Nuclear State

Gates: North Korea nuke progress sign of `dark future’

Gates Warns North Korea on Nuclear Transfers as Russia, Japan Talk

Leaders live in luxury while North Koreans starve to pay for nuclear bomb

800 Britons on waiting list for Swiss suicide clinic

NASA: Sun cycle ‘lowest since 1928′…

What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be Like? - Part 1 - By Duncan Conner

We currently live in a world that is tainted by sin. The theological term that is often used to describe this predicament is fallenness. If you turn on the 10:00pm news every night you will see firsthand the result of fallenness. We live in a word that is characterized by war, disease, famines, rape, murder, and the list literally goes on and on. This is the essence of sin. It is rebellion against God and against God’s will.This fallenness of man, is expressed not only in the acts that we commit, but also in the nature of who we are. Hence the Bible in numerous places (way too many to cite here), mentions that we have a sinful fallen nature. This means that not only are the inner sinful desires that we have the result of fallenness and sin, but also that my body itself is characterized by sin. How do I know this? I know this because it is dying.

Death and dying are a part of the fallenness of mankind. God told Adam in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:16-17 that if he disobeyed God and ate from the fruit of the tree, then “…in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” Disease, aging, and death were not part of the original experience of Adam and Eve. Those things came only after the fall. They are part of the effects of man’s fallenness. And in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he tells them that the final effect of sin to be dealt with at the return of Christ will be the abolishment of death (I Cor. 15:26).

Implied in the above cited verse in I Corinthians in the idea that God is abolishing the possibility of death because he is restoring our bodies to a condition that is without sin. And of course, what we are talking about here is the resurrection body, i.e. the body that we will get after our own death and subsequent resurrection at the return of Christ (or if we are a part of that blessed generation, those who “remain and are alive” at his second coming).

The Bible promises us that we will indeed get new bodies at our resurrection. But what will they be like? What kind of body will I have? Will it be a body like I have now, that I can feel and touch and see, or will it be purely a spiritual body, almost like a ghost or something? These are the questions that we are going to be tackling in this article. So let’s go ahead and lay the groundwork.

What Will Our Body Be Like In The Resurrection? Jesus Is Our Model
A foundational passage that is important to understand as we address this topic is Philippians 3:20-21. In the passage Paul says:

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

One thing that I want to make clear here at the beginning is that in all the texts that we are going to be looking at that pertain to the resurrection body, there is a clear connection between our resurrection body, and Jesus’ resurrection body.

In the text cited above, Paul begins by mentioning that we as the citizens of heaven are eagerly expecting and waiting for the return of Christ. Connected to the return of Christ then is the receiving of our new resurrected bodies. But how do we receive those bodies? The text says that Jesus will transform the bodies of our “humble estate” (I read that as fallenness), and bring it into conformity (in likeness) to Jesus’ own resurrection body, i.e. the “body of his glory.” All this is to be done, Paul says, by the exertion of the power that he has to subject all things unto himself.

So to put this in other words, the body that Jesus has in his resurrection is to become the same kind of body that we will have in our own resurrection. So just as we participate in his death and burial by faith and baptism, so too we participate in his resurrection by our newness of life, and ultimately in our own resurrection. Jesus’ glorified body becomes the model or type for us–for our own resurrection bodies.

As in all things for the Christian, when we follow Christ, we follow him in every way. He truly is the trailblazer for us who has paved the way for the life and characteristics of the Christian. Just as we are baptized like he was, we die to our old selves like he was, we are raised in new life like he was, we take up our cross like he did, we live like he did, and ultimately we are promised that we will one day be resurrected and live in heaven…just like he did. He is indeed truly our perfect example. He has laid out a very detailed pattern for our life.

This applies to the life to come as well, and specifically the resurrection and our bodies.
I Cor. 15:20 says,

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Paul, using an agricultural analogy here, when the first fruits were brought in as a gift for God according to the Old Law, it was an act done in faith that the rest of the harvest would be brought in later. Christ here is mentioned by Paul as the first fruits of those who have died in Christ. This means then that we (believers in Christ) are a part of that same harvest, those who will be brought in later (see v.23).

So just as Christ was raised with a new body, so will we. Again, his resurrection is our resurrection. So if we are to be informed as to what kind of body we will have we only need to then look at our perfect example-Jesus.

Jesus Appears In His Resurrected Body - Luke 24:10-43
For example, when after Christ was resurrected and he appeared to his disciples, there were a number of things that were done and said that tell us a lot about his body. Luke 24:10-43 says,

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel; 5 and as [the women] were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, [the men] said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. ” 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the [mother] of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 11 And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at that which had happened.

13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had taken place. 15 And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and [began] traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. 17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. 21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. 22 “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive. 24 “And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. 28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He would go farther. 29 And they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is [getting] toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 And it came about that when He had reclined [at the table] with them, He took the bread and blessed [it,] and breaking [it,] He began giving it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

33 And they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon.” 35 And they [began] to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

36 And while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst. 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 [And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.] 41 And while they still could not believe [it] for joy and were marveling, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate [it] before them.

If you notice, in verse 23 it mentions that there was no body when the women went to the tomb of Jesus. Where did it go? It was reunited with Christ, but in a glorified new way.

Also, if you notice, the whole context of this chapter is about Jesus’ resurrection. And then in verse 13-ff. when the 2 disciples are on the road to Emmaus, note that Jesus is very physically walking and talking on the road.

When they get to where they were going, Jesus goes in and then breaks bread with them. He then physically eats food. But on the other hand, when they finally recognize him, he vanishes into thin air-clearly a non-physical attribute.

Then later on when those same disciples are relating their experience to the rest of the disciples, Jesus again reappears from out of nowhere. And listen again to these key verses:

36 And while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst. 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

He makes them understand that the resurrection body is not simply a spirit; it is a unified spirit, flesh and bone body. And then to illustrate this and prove this even further, verses 41-43 says that he asked for food and then ate it (to again show them that he was real and tangible, because a ghost-the reasoning is–can’t eat).

Thomas The Doubter’s Experience With Jesus’ Resurrected Body
You also see this same kind of thing over in John’s gospel in John 20:24-29
Where, after the resurrection, you have that episode with Thomas who is one of the disciples of Jesus who just can’t believe that it is really Jesus after the resurrection. And then what does Jesus tell Thomas to do?

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace [be] with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed [are] they who did not see, and [yet] believed.”

Jesus Eats After The Resurrection
Also at the very end of John’s gospel, there is the story where the disciples are out fishing on the lake, and Jesus appears on the beach and asks them to come to him, and when they get there they find that he has cooked them all some breakfast and they then eat with the Lord. Again this takes place after the resurrection. John says in John 21:1-15,

1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested [Himself] in this way. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out, and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find [a catch].” They cast therefore, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped [for work]), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net [full] of fish. 9 And so when they got out upon the land, they saw a charcoal fire [already] laid, and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come [and] have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread, and gave them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

So in the context of the story, Jesus appears to them in his resurrected body, but if you notice it is not a spirit like you would imagine a ghost or something. It is a body that has a soul. And Jesus, even in his resurrection can literally and physically sit down and have a meal with his disciples.

Conclusion
When we are saved, our spirit becomes united with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Romans 6, 8, etc). As a result, the process of redemption of the entire human being begins to take place.

After Jesus’ resurrection, his body was no longer simply animated by the natural functions of life (eating, drinking, sleeping, etc.), it was now fully animated by the Holy Spirit-fully redeemed. That is what will happen with us. Our entire selves, spirit and body will one day be fully redeemed. So we do get our body back, but they will be entirely different than they are right now.

Our bodies will no longer be limited to the bounds of natural animation, for it will be fully animated or characterized by the life the Holy Spirit will provide it. As such that will give it glorified characteristics, i.e. the ability to appear and disappear, and the ability to at the same time have real tangible qualities and characteristics. As such when the Bible says that we will one day sit at the banquet table of the lamb, the food there might not be as figurative as some have thought!

In the next article we will address some of the issues related to this teaching on the resurrection body. We will look into the text where Paul says that flesh and blood cannot inherit eternal life in I Corinthians 15:50. What bearing does this verse have on the teaching outlined above? We will look to answer this question as well as others issues related to I Corinthians 15. Finally, we will also wrap up this study looking at some of the other texts that shed light on the resurrection body.

You may contact Duncan Conner at: info@theomegareport.com
www.theomegareport.com

Will We Live On The Earth After The Resurrection? - By Duncan Conner

Over the last several articles we have tried to lay out some of the important issues related to end times and biblical eschatology. Instead of simply diving in so to speak and getting into all the topics that are normally addressed: the millennium, the rapture, etc., we decided to take more of a theological track and look at some of the behind-the-scenes teachings that give eschatology its true meaning.

In the process we’ve looked at the nature of God and how that relates to God’s creation. We’ve looked at the reason for creation, that is, why God wanted to create the heavens and the earth, and us in the first place. This led us then to the true intent of creation and God’s plan to redeem not only it, but man as well.

This leads us to a theme that is very important in scripture, the theme of the new heavens and new earth. Does the Bible teach that God will redeem creation? Will we live on a new earth?

Before we answer those questions and look at the texts that answer it, there is one very important issue that we need to deal with, because it is an issue that will have a bearing on how you interpret the scriptures.

The Ramifications of Platonic Philosophy on Eschatology
It seems to be that when it comes to the hermeneutics of those who teach that the earth will one day be annihilated and that the future state of us as believers will be a bodiless existence in an unseen heaven–it is clear that this eschatology has been heavily influenced by western Greek (Platonic) philosophical notions.

In Platonic Greek philosophy, the western mindset held to what we might call a dualistic nature between material and immaterial. The material (anything made up of matter, i.e. the earth, our bodies, etc.) was generally considered inferior and temporary-something that was secondary to what was really regarded as good, which was the spiritual. The spiritual then (that which is not made of matter-i.e. the spirit or soul), was generally considered good and superior. And so in the western mindset there was a dualism that existed between the material and the non-material. And one of the things to look forward to in life was that one day when you died, you would finally be freed from the immaterial (your body and the earth).

This Greek philosophical model for the afterlife, like so many other Greek philosophies over the years, slowly made their way into and influenced the understanding of traditional (Hebraic) Christianity-to the point that today a predominant number of Christians have a Platonic (and not biblical) understanding of the afterlife.

The Platonic notion of “material is bad” and “spiritual is good” has had many negative ramifications on Christianity. On one hand there are those who go to one extreme and they become what we might call ascetics (i.e. those who deny the body). They neglect their bodies and abstain from things they deem “fleshly” because to them the body is bad and something that they need to break away from in order to be more “spiritual.” On the other hand, the other extreme might be what we would call libertines (i.e. those who think that the body is bad and the spirit is good, hence you can do whatever you want with the body).

If you remember, this was the problem that Paul was dealing with over in the Book of I Corinthians. In I Corinthians Paul was making an argument about the resurrection, and in that argument he mentions that they should not connect their bodies with a prostitute (a problem in that church).

The reasoning here of Paul is that you don’t use your body in that way, because God owns our bodies. When he paid for us on the cross, he didn’t just buy our souls. He bought our bodies as well. And so Christ has a claim on our bodies and our souls. As such, we are not to then take our bodies and defile them with a prostitute. It seems to me in the context of I Corinthians, Paul is very much upholding the ethical character and spiritual nature of our material bodies.

If you think about it, this issue of how we see our body and the resurrection is intimately tied to what you think about the redemption of the creation. If the physical creation is going to be annihilated, then what does that say about the physical body? It would mean that it too, is going to be annihilated. And so what then becomes the afterlife for those who believe in annihilation?-a bodiless ghost-like existence in some ethereal realm for all eternity.

On the other hand, if the physical creation is literally going to be redeemed (which I believe the last few articles has shown that it will), then our physical bodies are going to be literally physically redeemed as well, for we are connected to the creation (Genesis 2:7; 3:19).

Now that we have established some facts about the earth and the resurrection, let’s now move on to some basic questions that people ask when it comes to the idea of a new heavens and a new earth.

Will We Return To The Earth After The Resurrection?
Critics will argue that aside from the text in Revelation 20 about the 1,000 year reign of Christ, there is no place in the Bible that speaks to the fact that we as believers will return with Christ and live on the earth. And when it comes to Revelation 20 critics will argue that the passage is all “figurative” and not meant to be literal. They will often spiritualize the text to make it mean something like Christ’s perfect reign for all eternity in heaven and not on the earth.

Although I believe that the above argument is erroneous, I will refrain from commenting on that passage for the time being and move on to a passage that is often overlooked as proof for our return here to the earth after the resurrection-the passage being I Thessalonians 4:13-17.

In this well cited passage, Paul is giving instruction to the Thessalonian church concerning the resurrection of the dead. Apparently there had been some false teaching going on that they (the Thessalonians) had somehow missed the resurrection! So Paul writes to inform them that no, they had not missed the resurrection. And then Paul clarifies what that resurrection will be like to help clarify matters. He says:

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord , that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord , shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [ the] archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The chronology of events here is clear. First when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise and receive their new resurrection body. Then secondly we, who are alive at the time of the coming of Christ will be “caught up” (the word here is the word from which we get the word “rapture”) to meet them and Christ in the clouds in the air. There we too will receive our resurrection bodies.

Now notice what is not said. The text doesn’t say that we will live there in the clouds in the air forever with Christ. It says that we will from that point always live with Christ-meaning wherever he is, that is where we will live. So where will he live?

The word in verse 17 for “meet” is a word that was used quite often in the first century. It was a word that meant more than just going out to meet someone. The word carries the idea of going out to meet a person, and then escorting them back in to the place where you were. It is the same word that Luke uses in Acts to describe what the Roman Christians did when they went out of the city to meet Paul on the Appian Way and then escorted him back into the city (Acts 28:15, 16). This going out to meet, and then escorting the person back in, was a very common customary practice in the first century. So again, the word in its basic meaning, carries the idea of going out to meet, for the purpose of bringing back in.

So the idea here in the text is not that we are raptured out, to stay out in heaven forever. The idea is that we are taken off of the earth for a time (reason being, God has some unfinished business with the Jews and with the wicked of the world-a time that will take 7 years), and then we will come back to the earth with Jesus.

Why are we coming back? It is to this answer I would then refer my critic friends to such passages as Isaiah 65, Zechariah 14, Revelation 20, etc (more on these texts in upcoming articles). These passages and more teach us that we will live and reign with Christ on the earth (literally) for a thousand years. After the thousand years is accomplished, there will be one final battle in which Satan and the rest of wicked man will be cast into the lake of fire.

After these events it is unclear what happens next. One thing that is clear is that the heavens and the earth will go through some rather dramatic changes. This leads us them to a question that I hear a lot concerning God’s intention for the heavens and the earth. The question is:

Doesn’t Peter Teach That The Earth Will Be Annihilated In 2 Peter 3:10?
Before we answer this question, let me make it clear that those who believe in annihilation for the earth, usually do not believe in a rapture or a 1,000 year literal reign. They will usually teach that one day Christ will return for those who are his, and then the earth will be destroyed. After that event, Christians will then live in heaven (with spirit-like bodies) for all eternity.

I do not believe that the above mentioned scenario is biblical. However, like we’ve already mentioned, we will one day be raptured out, then come back and reign with Christ for a 1,000 years. After the thousand year reign, there will be significant changes to the heavens and the earth. 2 Peter 3:10 does record for us what will happen at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

Before we get into this, let’s take a look at the above mentioned passage in its full context. Peter says:

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with [their] mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For [ever] since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

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. 8 But do not let this one [fact] escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 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.

In the context of the passage, Peter is answers those that he calls “mockers”-those who, because they have not seen the return of Christ, feel as though he is never coming back, and who scoff at any notion that he is actually returning. They say “Where is the promise of his coming?”-denying the Christ even promised to come back.

Peter goes on to say that one thing that these mockers fail to so is remember that God has judged the earth once before, in the well known and well celebrated story of Noah. The idea here is that these mockers need to keep that in mind as they doubt the second coming of Christ and the promise to judge the earth yet one more time.

In the context of the argument, Peter announces the mode in which the earth will be judged, that is, by fire. Just as the first earth was destroyed by water, so too the second earth (ours) will be destroyed by fire.

Peter concludes by admonishing his hearers to understand the ethical and moral impact that a proper understanding of eschatology is to have on the life of the believer. He says: “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…”

Those who hold to a belief in annihilation look to this passage, especially in verses 10 and 12, to prove their argument. But is this what Peter is teaching here? Is he teaching Annihilation? Let’s look more closely at Peter’s argument.

Clearly Peter is drawing a parallel between the first earth and the second earth. The argument here in the text is that just as the first earth was judged and destroyed, so too the second earth will be judged and destroyed (the inference being, the mockers better stop their mocking or they will wind up like the mockers in Noah’s day!).

The crux of the question here is defining what is meant by the word “destroyed.” So how does Peter use this word? Let’s see how he uses it when he talks about the “destruction” of the first earth. Again Peter says:

5 “…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.

Was the earth annihilated in the flood of Noah? No. But if you notice Peter uses the word “destroyed” here. So what exactly was destroyed? Sin, wickedness, evil, etc. Those were the things that were destroyed. All the works of man’s hands and all of man’s wickedness was destroyed. So in that sense, yes, the first earth was destroyed…but not annihilated. A better understanding of the word here might be to say that the first earth was renovated, or cleansed. It was cleaned, renovated, and made ready for a new beginning.

Could this be the sense of the same word used in the next few verses when it comes to the second earth being destroyed? I believe so. Again, Peter goes on to say in the next few verses:

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…10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up…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!”

Just as in the previous verse, we have the same kind of language here. Peter says the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire (as opposed to water-more on this in a minute). What is the purpose of this fire? Peter says that it is for the Day of Judgment and for ungodly men (again just like the water was for ungodly men in the days of Noah).

Peter says that when that day of the Lord comes, the heavens will pass away and be destroyed and the elements themselves will also be destroyed (in both cases, the word for “destroyed” is same word that is used earlier in the passage) with intense heat.

The result of this heat is that the earth and its works will be “burned up.” I must note that there is a potentially important textual variant here with the words “burned up.” The NASB (as with a number of other translations) goes with the later reading of “burned up.” However earlier manuscripts do not contain the words “burned up.” As it is in the NRSV and the NIV, the word that is usually rendered “burned up” is actually “disclosed” or “laid bare.” And so the translation would be that in the coming final judgment, all things will be “disclosed” and “laid bare” before God. I tend to lean toward this rendering of the text.

So to boil it down, I see no difference between the “destruction” in the first earth, and the “destruction” in the second earth. In both cases the destruction is not annihilation. The destruction is the direct effort of God to redeem. Just as the water was God’s way to purify, cleanse, and renovate the earth in the days of Noah, so too the fire that we see here in the passage is not an annihilating fire, but a refiner’s fire-a fire that again, is meant to purify, cleanse, and renovate.

On the Day of Judgment, God will reveal himself to man. And since God is absolutely Holy and Righteousness, man cannot even look upon Him because of sin (if so they would be consumed-see Exod. 33:20). But on that Day of Judgment, the Bible tells is that everything in the heavens and on the earth will be “laid bare” (Revelation 20:12-15). All sin will be consumed in the fiery judgment of the presence of God (see Heb. 12:29 “…for our God is a consuming fire”). As a result of this, the heavens and the earth will be renovated by God’s presence, as everything that is impure and evil-i.e. everything that is not according to God’s will, will be burned up and consumed. The only thing that will be left is God’s Holy people, made holy by the blood of the lamb, and the newly renovated (redeemed) heaven and earth.

Peter concludes in verse 13 by saying: 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

This is what I think is the key verse in the whole passage. What God wants for his creation (heavens, earth, and us) is righteousness. As it is right now, righteousness does not dwell in the current heavens and earth and with humanity. It does dwell with Christians (through Christ), but that’s it. Peter concludes here though that God’s ultimate will is a new heavens and new earth where only righteousness dwells.

Now I must say, those who hold to the annihilation point of view will quickly point out that the phrase “new heavens and a new earth,” here in verse 13 is figurative. The only question I have is, what in this entire context would give you the notion that this one phrase out of this whole passage is figurative? And if you say that the phrase “new heavens and a new earth” really is symbolic language meaning heaven, then does that make sense? If that were the reading, then why not just say heaven? Why mention a new earth at all? No, I believe that the teaching is clear enough on its own. God intends to redeem not only man but also his creation-a creation that he declared “good” no less than 7 times in Genesis 1.

On another note, I think about the implications if God does not intend to redeem creation. Let’s say we take God’s word at face value and we agree that the creation in its original state was in fact good (again as God declares so himself 7 times in Genesis 1). But then through the sin of man and the wickedness of Satan, the creation comes under a curse (Genesis 3, Romans 8:20-note “in hope.”) and falls into fallenness with humanity. If God redeems man, but annihilates the earth, then hasn’t Satan won that battle to a certain degree? Satan has in effect taken the goodness of God’s creation and turned it into something that God has to destroy. Because of Satan, creation is no longer the “good” thing that God created. So at least on this note, if God’s annihilates the earth, then again, Satan has won this battle.

The truth is God intends to redeem all of his creation. Jesus’ blood on the cross was sufficient to undue all the effects of fallenness, not only to redeem our souls as human beings, but also to redeem our bodies, and yes, even the heavens and the earth itself.

The clear teaching of this passage is that there will be a new heavens and a new earth and we as believers will live within it one day.

[Note: I believe and teach that this event of God purifying and renovating the earth by fire will come at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth, after which time we will live with the father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the new (renovated) heavens and earth]

You may contact Duncan Conner at: info@theomegareport.com

www.theomegareport.com

Prophecy News For 05/30/2009

Official: Signs North Korea prepping long-range missile

U.S. won’t accept North Korea as nuclear state: Gates

A look at North Korea’s missile arsenal

Abbas: no peace talks before stopping Israel’s settlements

Lebanon on ‘full alert’ ahead of Home Front Command drill

Nasrallah: Iran arming Hezbollah unconditionally

Creation As A Part of God’s Redemptive Plan - Part 2 - By Duncan Conner

If we were to lay out a diagram of the entire biblical narrative, it would look something like this:

God created the original heavens and earth, and in that time everything was perfect. There was no death, disease, sorry or pain of any sort. In Genesis 3 a tragedy occurs in which Adam and Eve decide to disobey God, and hence we have what has classically become known as the Fall of Man, i.e. man falling into sin. It seemed as though all was lost for God’s creation, as sin caused an eternal separation between us and God. What would happen to God’s perfect creation?

As we continue to read the Bible we find out that God has always had a plan to redeem man–to undo all the mess that we had gotten ourselves into because of sin. In the part of the Bible we know as the Old Testament we learn that God singled out a certain people (known as the Jews), to be the recipients of His laws. God chose the Jewish people to be his representatives on the earth and to prepare a people through which would one day come the Messiah, Jesus.

In the course of time Jesus did come just as promised. He fulfilled what he had come to do, that is, live, preach, teach, and die as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. After his resurrection he gave a commission for his followers to go out into all the world and tell others about what he had accomplished for them-about how they too could now be saved if they have faith in Jesus.

And hence the church was born. All saved people who come to Christ in faith are placed within his church as they are called out of this world with its sins, desires, and ways of living (i.e. the word “church” means “the called out ones.”).

Before Jesus left to return to the Father, he made the promise that he would indeed come back again. He told his disciples in John 14:2-3:

2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you may be also.

This text and many others like it, speak of a time when this current age (the one that you and I live in right now), will come to an end, and a new one (without sin and the affects of fallenness) will begin.

Our Place As Believers In God’s Redemptive Plan
So in a very real way, if you think about it, we as Christians currently live in two worlds. We live in this world (in fallenness), but we also live in a very real sense in the next world because of God’s presence with us and in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

This concept of living in two worlds has come to be known as the already/not yet aspect of salvation. We are already saved and in a real way already living in the kingdom. We are called today as citizens of heaven and not of the earth anymore. In terms of our dwelling here on the earth, the Bible says that we are sojourners, just passing through until we get to the next age when God’s kingdom comes into its fullness.

In term of our morals and way of life, we live according to the will of the One who rules the next age, not this one (Satan). On this earth we follow Christ, the king of the next age (again, not the king of this one, Satan). We are also in communion with the King of the next age. We worship God and he is present with us in our worship and in our daily lives. God is present with us until we dwell with him in completely and fullness in the next age.

So in summary, again, we are already in the kingdom (and on our way to living in it fully when Christ returns), but at the same time we are not yet there, not yet into the fullness of the kingdom because we still live here on the earth. Hence we could illustrate this concept like this:

 

The diagram illustrates the fact that we as Christians are currently living in two ages. We are living in the old world which is passing away, but the destined end of that world (judgment/hell) is not ours. We are already receiving the benefit of living in the next world (salvation), which leads to eternal life and the new heavens and new earth. So we are currently living in a proleptic way in the new age.

Implications of Living in the Kingdom in The Current Age
If you think about it, living in the kingdom in the current age has profound implications on the life of the believer. Sometimes I think we forget just how much of the next age has already come over into this age.

For example I think about Jesus. Jesus came to this earth in the power of the Holy Spirit, teaching, healing, and raising people from the dead, etc. Ever ask yourself why Jesus did all of those miracles? Why did he do all of these things?

While I am sure the miracles he performed served as a confirming-of-the-truth aspect of his ministry, another one of the reasons I believe he did them is because the miracles are a foretaste of life in the new age.

Over and over again in the gospels Jesus says, “the kingdom is at hand,” or “the kingdom is near.” In his life while he was here on this earth, he modeled what life in the kingdom looked like. And not only this, he called his followers to live the same way. And when we come into the next age and live with Christ, there will be no sickness, disease, or death. And so when Jesus did those things back in the first century, it was in a sense an in-breaking of the new future age into this one-giving us a foretaste of the age to come.

Another example I think about is the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is called the first fruits of us all as believers. Using an Old Testament image of the harvest and the presenting of the first fruits, Paul instructs us that the kind of body that Jesus had at his resurrection is the same kind of body that we will have in our own resurrection in the next age (see I Cor. 15:20, 23–more on this later). So again, as Jesus stood with his disciples in his resurrection body, it was a foretaste of things to come, an in-breaking of life from the next age, presenting itself in this one.

Also, in Acts 2 Peter told the people that had gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost that if they repented and were baptized they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, if they accepted Christ, then they would have the benefit of the Spirit of God indwell them from that moment on. So with the presence of God in us through the Spirit, we have with us (in this age), a foretaste and a guarantee that we will live in the next age.

Finally I think about our worship. Jesus said that where two or three are gathered in his name, he would be there in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20). How? Again, through the presence of the Holy Spirit. So when we worship, we are participating in a next age presence with God, even though we are still living here in this old age.

So my point is this: Even though we live in this age, because we are Christians and because God literally dwells with us in the presence of the Spirit within us, we are also participants in the next age–although not it its fullness yet.

The question that has to be asked then is: how then should we live in view of that fact? This is an extremely important question. This is why I think eschatology (the study of end times events), is not just about the “not yet,” but it is also about the “already.” What I mean by this is that eschatology has a bearing on how I live my life right now.

The teaching of scripture is that I am to live my current life in this age, as if I were already living in my resurrected life in the next age. So eschatology has to do not only with the things to come (i.e., the second coming of Jesus Christ), but it also has to do with the here and now (how I live my life today).

This question I think is tantamount and one that needs to be addressed due to the fact that the bulk of the debate today, when it comes to eschatology, has to do with things like the millennium and exactly when the rapture occurs (with the Millenialists), or with the hope that Jesus is coming back (with the Amillenialists). And even though I don’t think that the Bible leaves these questions unanswered, I do think that we have to understand that the study of eschatology involves a lot more than just what happens in the end.

Eschatology not only shapes our view of the end, but it also has a bearing on other things, such as the nature of the church, the nature of our ethic as Christians, and how we practically live out our faith currently in our lives.

On this note I’m reminded of Peter in 2 Peter 3 where Peter is talking about the end of the age, when after the millennium, the new heavens and new earth is created. In verses 11-12 Peter says: 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…”

Romans 8: Paul’s Thoughts About The Redemption of Creation
In the verses that I just cited above, Peter is looking forward to a day when the current heavens and earth will be “burned up” and God will create a new heavens and earth. This concept of a new heavens and earth is the redemption of creation.

When it comes to the redemption of creation Paul provides very clear teaching on this subject in Romans 8, particularly in verses 18-25:

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for [our] adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

In this passage, one of the images that become clear is that while we live on this earth as God’s people, we live with an expectation and hope that there is a glory waiting to be revealed in us. Paul mentions in verse 23 that this expectation is like a groaning within us to be made free from our current sin predicament-to have total redemption, of not only our souls, but our minds and even our bodies.

Paul in verse 23 makes mention of something that we will get into in more detail later, but he mentions that one of the eschatological goals of redemption is the redemption (”buying back”) of our bodies. In this life, we grow old, tired, become diseased, and eventually die. We as believers wait eagerly in anticipation and expectation for the day when we will be glorified and receive our bodies back in their glorified state.

To the surprise of a lot of readers, Paul extends his teaching on redemption to include the creation itself. Again in verses 20-22 Paul says: 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

Clearly Paul connects the idea of the frustration of the creation and the presence of sin in the life of mankind. Whereas because of rebellion man became a sinful being, because of man’s sin, God introduced “futility” into the natural order of things in creation. The word “futility” or “frustration” as its translated in some versions is a word that carries the same idea as the word that is used often in the Book of Ecclesiastes to describe “life under the sun”-the word being “vanity” or “meaninglessness.” In fact, in the Septuagint version it uses the same Greek word for both texts.

Now notice something very important in this text. In verses 24-25 it says that we as believers are saved “in hope.” This again goes back to the “not yet” aspect of salvation. We are presently saved, but “in hope” we wait eagerly for the day when we will come into our salvation in its fullness in glorification. At the same time we eagerly wait “in hope,” so too Paul mentions that the creation is also waiting “in hope.”

Again verse 20 says: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope…” So in other words God has a plan to redeem not only man, but also the entire rest of his creation as well. When God subjected the earth to futility, frustration and meaninglessness, he did it with the expectation that, after carrying out his redemptive plan for man, he would set the creation free from its own bondage as well.

Verses 21-22 go on to say: 21 “…that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” In the text there is a clear connection between the earth and us as human beings. Paul says that the earth and the cosmos are in a sense “waiting” to be liberated from its sin (I read that as imbalance in the natural created order of things), so it too can join us as redeemed human beings in the new heaven and new earth promised to us by Jesus. So in this one text, we see the connection of a redeemed people living one day on a renewed and redeemed earth-a redeemed creation for a redeemed man!

In the meantime, until the time of the second coming of Christ, just as we suffer in this present age with struggling with the flesh and overcoming the flesh through the Spirit, so too God’s creation itself is “struggling.” Verse 22 goes on to say: “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”

How does the earth struggle? Personally I see the struggling here in much the same way as you and I as humans also struggle. The earth “struggles” with imbalance through tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, landslides, typhoons, floods, pollution, wars, etc. And just like we struggle with sin on a day to day basis (looking to the day of deliverance), so too, the earth struggles with these things (looking to the day of its deliverance).

The Doctrine of Annihilation and It’s Inherent Errors
Now obviously not everyone agrees that God has a plan for the redemption of his creation. There are those that teach what might be called the doctrine of annihilation, where the idea is that God created the heaven and the earth as temporary residences in which humans would dwell up until the time of the end. After the time of the end God will annihilate the heavens and the earth, and redeemed humans will live for all eternity with God in heaven (heaven meaning a non-bodily, spirit existence in the unseen realm of God).

However, there is a huge problem with this interpretation. The problem lies with the teaching regarding the redemption of our bodies, seen here in Romans 8 and elsewhere. Here’s the question: If God does not intend to redeem the creation, then why redeem the body? It seems to be that if God is going to redeem the body, then it is at least inferred here that he also intends to redeem the creation. The body after all is connected to the earth. Remember, when God created the heaven and the earth and then man, the Bible tells us that God created man from the dust of the ground, i.e. the earth. So the two are interconnected (and I think in more ways that a lot of people realize). I believe that they are connected in creation as well as redemption.

Again, I think Romans 8 is informative here: 18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for [our] adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

In the scripture above Paul connects the groaning of the Christian with the same groaning of creation. Just as the Christian longs for and groans for the redemption of the body, so too the earth is longing for and groaning for its own redemption. This notion of the earth being redeemed goes against the popular view that one day the earth will be annihilated. It is clear here in the text that the earth is not groaning for annihilation, but liberation. (By the way, we will talk more on the body in an upcoming article).

There is other language that we could look at in reference to this liberation of the heavens and the earth. In Colossians 1 as Paul is speaking to the church, he begins to use a lot of redemptive language (something he does in most of his letters). And then in verses 12 and following, Paul goes on to talk about the extent of God’s redemption in Christ.

12 “…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the [Father's] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say], whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

In the above passage the central theme is the work of the cross and the reconciliation that can take place because of the blood of Jesus. Humans can be reconciled to God as they come to him and give themselves to Christ. The inherent blessing is that they then get translated into the kingdom of God, into the Church.

In verses 16 and following Paul reminds his readers that it was through Jesus that all things were created. And just as all things were created and sustained by Jesus, so too everything will be reconciled through Jesus. He concluded in verse 16 by saying “…all things have been created by Him and for Him.” The emphasis here is that all things (earth, heaven, and us), were created by God and they are eternally for God’s purpose-meaning they all fall within the scope of God’s redemptive plan. He goes to tell us in verses 19-20 that it was God’s plan all along to reconcile all things unto himself, “whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Conclusion
So I think that the fundamental question that exists between those who hold the view that the heavens and the earth will be redeemed (which is my view), and with those who hold that the earth will one day be annihilated, is whether or not God’s creation is considered good or not. Was God’s creation good? Or was it created as imperfect, temporary, non-eternal?

It’s my belief that the answer to these questions goes back to the issue of God’s original intent for his creation. It is here where there is a clear line drawn between those who read the Biblical texts with a more Hebraic understanding of with a more Greek philosophical understanding. Those who read with a more Hebraic understanding tend to have the belief that God will redeem the current heavens and earth. Those who read with a more Greek philosophical point of view, tend to see the heavens and the earth as merely temporary, and not something that God has ever intended on redeeming.

In the next article we will talk about the major impact Greek philosophy has had on the issue of the intent of God’s creation. It is the opinion of this author that the bulk of what gets in people’s way when it comes to properly understanding these passages having to do with the redemption of the earth, is the influence of Greek philosophy on modern views of the afterlife. Also in the next article we will also use as a case study the example of how Greek philosophy has influenced and greatly confused biblical teaching on what the resurrection body is going to be like. And so we’ll work to answer the question of: What will our resurrection bodies be like?

You may contact Duncan Conner at: info@theomegareport.com

www.theomegareport.com

Prophecy News For 05/29/2009

North Korea test-fires another missile, slams Security Council

U.S. Military On High Alert Against North Korea

Obama meets Palestine’s Abbas, spars with Israel over West Bank

PA official: Abbas expects US pressure to push out Netanyahu

Barack Obama pledges support for Palestinian statehood

New peace setback as Binyamin Netanyahu rejects US settlement call

Israel on edge as US presses to halt settlements

Archbishop Tutu warns Middle East key to world’s problems

Tensions high ahead of Israeli drill

Obama to cement Saudi ties on surprise trip

Iran official blames U.S. in deadly mosque bombing

Al Qaeda again switches tactics for Lahore bombing

Nicaragua plans to buy Russian combat aircraft, helicopters

U.S. government owes record $63.8 trillion

Global Oil-Field Reserve Proposed

500,000 homeless after South Asia cyclone

Scientists identify new lethal virus in Africa

Malaria may be developing resistance to main drugs

Mandatory ‘gay’ day for K-5 students

Creation As A Part of God’s Redemptive Plan - Part 1 - By Duncan Conner

What is to be the final end of God’s creation? Will there one day be an end of the world? What will happen to the heavens and the earth? Will the earth be consumed and destroyed, leaving only a wispy ghost-like existence for us as Christians for all eternity. Is creation, as some believe, merely just a temporary dwelling place until we forever dwell with God in heaven? This will be the subject in my next article. Or will heaven be more substantive than that? Will we live on a new heaven and a new earth literally or is that figurative? To what extent does God’s redemptive plan affect the earth?These are some of the questions that I get from time to time. And for anyone who studies the end times events and Bible prophecy, you will know that the answer to this question not only has a bearing on numerous passages in the Bible, but also on the way in which one interprets scripture. So let’s go ahead and try to answer the questions above.

In my previous article I worked to establish a rationale for why God created the heavens and the earth, including us as human beings. To explain the reason for why God created we first established a few foundational truths concerning the nature of God himself–for it is out of his nature where I believe we find the reason for his creation. God’s nature is fundamentally love, and hence he creates out of love. We also saw that God redeems for the same reason that he creates-namely because of his love for his creation and for the desire to share that love in relationship with his creation.

So as we begin to look into the questions outlined above, I think we are on the right track here. If we want to know where the creation stands in its relationship to the redemptive plan of God, we must first have an idea of why God created it in the first place. Now that we have discovered the reason why, I think that it will be helpful to understand how God created it.

How God Created: Jesus As The Center of All Creation
In I Corinthians 8:4-6, Paul states that: 4 “Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth-as in fact there are many gods and many lords- 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

The context of the passage here of course is about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. However in the context of the passage in verse 6 Paul reveals some rather interesting insights when it comes to God and his relationship to creation.

Again verse 6 reads, “…yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

If you notice Paul is very intent on being specific about his use of prepositions here. You can tell when you read the passage that this is definitely something that Paul has thought through. Paul says that there is one God from whom (ek in Greek, meaning “out of”) all things come. The meaning here is that everything that exists whether in the heavens or on the earth, have come “out of” or “from” God. They have all had their origin from the Father.

Having said that, Paul also goes on to say that all these things that have come out of God came through Jesus Christ. This is mediatory language. Jesus all throughout scripture is always shown to be the mediator in all things.

For example in the opening of John’s gospel in John 1:1-3, the apostle wrote: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.

The language here is in complete agreement with Paul’s. In the beginning, the Divine Community (Father, Son, and by assumption the Holy Spirit) created the heavens and the earth. Thus everything that came into being, came from God and through Jesus Christ.

When you go back to Genesis 1 and read verses 1-2 you also learn that the Third Person of the Divine Community was also involved: 1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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.”

So how did God create? In short, whenever you see God working, creating, and acting, it is always from God, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. All three members of the Divine Community are always active in the role of creation.

But one thing that is I think very important to note for our discussion, is that Jesus always stands at the center of all creation. Nothing happens, save through the instrumentality and means of Jesus Christ. This idea is extremely important, and we’ll come back to this idea later.

For His Glory: A Further Reason For Why God Created
Another concept that comes into play here is the notion of God’s glory, or things being made for the purpose, i.e. to show God’s glory. It is here where I think the language of Romans 11:36 is very helpful.

Romans 11:36 comes in the context of Paul’s definitive work on Christian theology called the Book of Romans. In chapters 9-11 of the book, Paul is addressing a topic that has apparently become an issue in the church in Rome-the issue of the future of the Jewish people and how their current state of disbelief affects the promises of God. Paul addresses Israel’s past in chapter 9, their present in chapter 10, and their future in chapter 11.

After arguing that God is not done with his chosen people in chapter 11, Paul gets to the end of his discussion and in an emotional exultation he states: 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him [be] the glory forever. Amen.”

Again we see language very similar to what we saw in I Corinthians 8:4-6 and John 1:1-3. In verse 36 Paul says: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him [be] the glory forever.”

So let’s be clear. The text is teaching us that everything that exists (creation) comes from (ek, “out of”) God. It is also created through (dia, “through,” denoting instrumentality or means) God, specifically through Jesus and by the Spirit. But notice that he adds one more thing. He also says that God’s creation is to (eis, “unto”) him, or for him.

So our world, the one that you and I live in right now, (as it was originally created, i.e. before sin), came out of God, through God, and is for God. Another way of saying this is that all of God’s creation came out of him and is for him for his glory. Again going back to Romans 11:36 this is the exact language that Paul uses: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” We come then to the very reason why God created-it is for his glory.

Now how are we to understand this? How are we to understand things being created for the glory of God? At face value and looking at it from a purely human standpoint, it almost sounds as if God created these things for his own ego so as to take glory in them, as if God gets something out of it. A human way of reading this would be to say, “Hey look at what I created!” or something like that.

However I think this understanding misses the point of what God’s glory is all about entirely. “Glory” properly defined carries with it the idea of God’s abundance-that is, all of which makes up God’s supreme eternal nature. Having already established what that nature is (a Divine Community of Love), I think it helps us to understand how God’s creation is for his glory. For creation to be made for God’s glory is to say that God desires that his creation be included in his Divine Love. It is to say that God delights in sharing his Divine love with his creation.

Perhaps it is easier to think about this in terms of what life was like before the Fall of man. God created the heavens and the earth and all that was in them including man, and he did all this through the Son, by the Spirit, for his glory-meaning the glory of sharing the Divine Love of the Holy Community, with the created community (man, woman, and all creation). So in short I believe glory is fundamentally about God sharing his love.

Another example is seen in the life of the people of God in the Old Testament. In Isaiah 43 it is stated that God created Israel for his glory. If we read that as being for his ego, it makes no sense whatsoever. However if we read that as God creating Israel to be the people of God for his glory-meaning to share his love with them by establishing a relationship with them-then it makes perfect sense.

So I think that it’s clear that for things to be made “for his glory” means that God’s initial intention in creation was to create out of his love, and to share that love with created beings within a created universe.

Conclusion
As we continue to seek an understanding of eschatology within the narrative of the Bible, we have been focusing on laying down some foundational truths that will help in understanding some things that we will look at in upcoming articles.

In short we’ve seen that God (who exists within an eternal Divine community of love) created the heavens and the earth (and us) out of his love and his desire to share that love with us. The sharing of God’s love is the essence of what it means to say that God created for his glory. Glory as it’s best understood is the sharing of God’s love with creation and humanity. We also saw that this creation originated from the Father, it was inaugurated and carried out through the Son, and it was accomplished by the working power of the Holy Spirit.

In part 2 of Creation As A Part of God’s Redemptive Plan, we will continue this discussion, moving away from the how’s and why’s and more into the direction of answering the questions about the future fate of the planet earth and how that relates to God’s redemptive plan for man.

You may contact Duncan Conner at: info@theomegareport.com
www.theomegareport.com

Why Did God Create The Heavens And The Earth (And Us)? - By Duncan Conner

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And so begins the watershed passage of scripture, from which flows the narrative that explains why all of us are here today. God in his own infinite wisdom and will decided to create a three-dimensional reality-a reality that you and I call our earth, solar system, the universe, and time.But the question is often asked: Why? Why did God choose to create the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, and then create man as a human being to be the crowing achievement of this creation? Why are we here? What motivated him to do such a thing? Was God lonely? Did he grow weary of having no one to talk to? These are some of the questions that are posed by various authors from time to time when they try to explain the rational for an eternal God creating humanity.

So what does all this have to do with the study of eschatology? It is the viewpoint of this author that any discussion of eschatology (the study of the end times) must begin not only with a thorough discussion of creation (God’s original paradise on earth), but also the rationale for creation, i.e. why God decided to create the heavens and the earth (and us) in the first place.

But before we get into the reason for why God created the heavens and the earth I think we have to understand a few things about the nature of God himself.

The Nature of God
So let’s begin our discussion with the reality that existed before the heavens and the earth were even created. Let’s begin by talking about God himself. Holy Scriptures reveal to us that God, properly understood, is not some lonely old man “up there somewhere” with a beard sitting on a throne (a modern, Western, and quit immature viewpoint I might add). The God that the scriptures reveal to us is a God that is made up of three Persons, namely The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

So at the outset, it can be said that God has always existed in Community and in deep intimate relationship for all eternity. Any notion of God being lonely and in need of humans to keep him company makes no sense when one understands that God has never been alone. He has always existed as a Community of Three Persons.

Now I understand that any discussion of the Triune nature of God brings somewhat mental anguish as we try to comprehend a God who is Three, and yet at the same time is One. God is indeed three in the sense that with God there are three distinct centers of conscious.

Having said that, those 3 centers of conscious cannot be misconstrued and misunderstood by the overwhelming sense of individualism that we are plagued with in Western society. We have to be very careful in our interpretation of the triune nature of God since we live in a society that is extremely individualistic. Our rigorous autonomy sometimes gets us in trouble when it comes to understanding the relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It is important to understand that the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father, and the Spirit is not the Son, etc. They are distinct in their Personhood. However, on the other hand, there are not 3 separate Gods that make up the triune nature of God. They are just as much three as they are one. And so whenever they act, they act as one. Never does One’s will supersede the other because that is not within their nature. It is not within their scope of relationship to deviate from the others will. The triune nature of God is the perfect manifestation of love and community.

So in short when I think of the triune nature of God, I see three in the sense of three centers of consciousness. But I also see one, in the sense that they are one in community with each other-a community unlike anything that is possible or conceivable here on the earth. It is a perfect community.

Perhaps no one else in biblical writ grasped the notion of the triune nature of God more than the apostle John. As you read his gospel you are confronted time and time again with triune language (especially chapters 14-17). Often in his gospel he speaks of the communal relationship that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here are just a couple of examples of how Jesus describes the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

8 “Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (John 14:8-11)

20 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:20-26)

The Triune relationship that John describes in his gospel is a unity that is far beyond comprehension and indeed beyond anything we could ever imagine here on the earth. The closest thing on the earth that we have that even gives us a hint as to what this relationship is like is the marriage relationship between a man and a woman. Even then it is hard to grasp because in marriage today, because of fallenness, there is not a sense of total transparency, total oneness, and complete unity-although that was God original intent for marriage in the Garden of Eden. Marriage here on the earth was to be a reflection of the love relationship that exists in heaven between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Getting back to the texts we cited above, we see the language of mutual indwelling, that is, that God indwells Jesus (v. 21), just as Jesus indwells the Father (v. 21). By extension the Spirit indwells them both, and they in the Spirit.

What is shocking is that in the passage we see redemptive language. Not only is there mutual indwelling between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but Jesus, in his prayer, prays that his followers will become a part of that indwelling! After Jesus mentions that he indwells us (v. 23), he speaks of us indwelling him and the Father (v. 21). Again, Jesus said: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us…” Jesus in his prayer is calling us into the relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

And thus here I believe we gain a glimpse into what it means, as Paul says to be “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). Not to get too far ahead of ourselves (because we will discuss redemption later), but God is inviting us as sinners, to accept his son Jesus, be transformed into his image, and participate in the perfect Holy Community of Love that exists between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! And indeed, love is the very center of this relationship. In John 4:8 as well as 4:16 it tells us that the very essence of who God is can be described by our earthly word love. This is the nature of God.

God Creates and Redeems Out of Love
This leads us to the next part of our discussion on the reason why God decided to create. Again using the earthly pattern of the triune nature of God, i.e. marriage, perhaps we can draw somewhat of a comparison (albeit an imperfect one).

When a man and a woman fall in love, typically they go through a period of getting to know each other, followed by a formal time of engagement, and in turn followed by marriage. Out of this deep committed love for each other the man and woman decides that it is not enough for them to just love each other, they also want to share that love with a creation of their own, their children. And so through an act of love (the most intimate portrayal of love known to man), children are born. The man and woman have the child knowing full well that they may invest a lifetime loving that child and giving them everything in terms of affection, nurture, and care, only to have them not love them back. However, the love is so strong, the risk is worth it. The desire to share mutual love is worth the risk of not being loved back.

Seeing the situation this way we would then imagine God in the timeless past, in existence with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in complete unity and communal love. And some point within God’s prerogative, he decides that it is his will to share that love with creatures that he would create-creatures that exist within a time and space. And so God in His Triune Nature of Divine Loving Community decides to create, not out of any sense of loneliness, for they did not create because they were lonely. They created because their nature is love. God creates out of love.

It is here where we see probably the clearest connection between creation and redemption. Just as God creates out of love, so he also redeems out of love. I John 4:19 declares that “We love, because he first loved us.” God’s love from the beginning since the Fall of man has been missional-always seeking that which was lost so as to restore and build a relationship based on love.

It seems logical then that if we understand the rationale for why God wants to redeem humanity and creation (which the New Testament has much to say on this account), then we will also find the rationale for why God wanted to create humanity and creation in the first place. The two themes are interrelated to one another. In other words, God involved himself with creating the heavens and the earth for the same reason he is involving himself to redeem all of it-because He loves his creation. Isn’t that the heart of the most well known passage in the Bible-John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…”

In redemption God is working to bring back that which was lost in the beginning (a perfect creation paradise built upon a love relationship between the earthly community and the heavenly community). That is what the idea of redemption means, to buy back that which as lost, i.e. to bring it back into its rightful place, to restore it, to bring it to a place of shalom again.

So what’s amazing is God sees that there is something about his creation worth redeeming-a worth so important, that he was even willing to let One Person within that Community of Perfect Divine love die, Jesus Christ. What is so worth all of that? You.

Conclusion
In this article we have tried to lay the groundwork for understanding eschatology within the context of the narrative of scripture-that is, how eschatology relates to the larger Story of the Bible. In this study we saw how that God (Father, Son, and Spirit) has always existed in Divine relationship with each other. Because of their nature being that of love, they decided to share that love by creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in them (including us). After the Fall of man, from that time until the time of the return of Christ, God has and will continue to work to redeem humanity for the exact same reason that he created humanity-to draw them into a ever deepening love relationship and to share in Divine community for all eternity.

In my next article we will more into a discussion about the creation itself. Exactly how did God create? The Bible tells us that all creation came through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and that all things are for his glory. What does that mean? How does that concept fit in with God’s program of redemption? These are some of the issues that we will look at next time.

You may contact Duncan Conner at: info@theomegareport.com
www.theomegareport.com

Mental Preparation

Here is a list of current threats that are facing the United States of America along with some information to help you in your preparation. 

Note: Below are the resources that were a part of the previous Omega Report web Site.  All links will take you to pages from the old site.  Although the formatting is off, you will still be able to see and read the information.

Al Qaeda/Islamic Terrorism: Their goal is to bankrupt and ultimately destroy the United States.
 
Balkanization: Growing divisions in the United States could fracture American society.
 
Biological/Chemical Attack: A few anthrax-laced letters terrorized America. What next?
 
China: Friend or foe? Time will tell!
 
Civil Disorder: New Orleans is a wakeup call!
 
Dirty Bomb: Relatively easy to make, far more likely than a nuclear explosion.
 
Earthquakes: One of the most frightening and destructive phenomena of nature.
 
Economic Collapse: Months or years of disorder could occur after an economic collapse.
 
EMP: An EMP event could shut down EVERYTHING!
 
Fires: More than 4,000 Americans die each year from fires.
 
Floods: One of the most common hazards in the United States.
 
Gasoline Shortages: The U.S. economy would shut down without gasoline.
 
Hijackings: 9/11 added a new dimension to the threat.
 
Hurricanes: All Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal areas are at risk.
 
Illegal Immigration: Millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. owe allegiance to other countries.
 
Narco-Terrorism: Drug lords are bringing violence to America.
 
Nuclear Attack: Some believe a nuclear attack is an eventual certainty.
 
Pandemic: Growing populations and a ’shrinking world’ increase risk of pandemic.
 
Terrorism: Technology is empowering individuals and small groups to have great negative impact.
 
Tornadoes: Tornadoes produce the most violent winds on earth - up to 300 miles per hour!
 
Volcanoes: The most common cause of death from a volcano is suffocation.

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