Heirs of God, Joint-heirs with Christ

Now we too, poor unworthy humans though we still be, are “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified –together.” (Romans 3:17) This being the case, don’t you suppose there is joy in heaven when one of us is drawn by God “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29), when such an one heartily responds to the call, is justified consecrated, sanctified, and assigned a heavenly crown? Of course there is! The words of Jesus confirms it:

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth . . . There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:7,10

Yes, if the arrival of an earthly prince brings joy in the nation, how much more does the begetting of an heavenly heir cause rejoicing in heaven!

In the case of an earthly prince, great care is taken with the royal baby’s diet so that he may grow strong and sound. We read of the babes in Christ: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:2) Paul said to those immature in the truth: “I have fed you with milk.” (1 Corinthians 3:2) But the babe in Christ grows rapidly in the truth becoming more and more skillful in the use of the scriptures both in correctly applying them to himself and in using them to hold forth the word of life to others. Paul describes this process:

“For every one that useth milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat [solid food–Diaglott] belongeth to them that are of full age; even those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised.” Hebrews 5:13,14

“Full age” refers to maturity in Christ not necessarily age in years.

Developing Character

With an earthly prince the molding of the royal character starts very early. The heir of God must also develop a royal character, a Christ-like character. We are told in 2 Peter 1:5-11 to develop the characteristics of faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly-kindness, and love, with the assurance that if we do so we can make our calling and election to the everlasting kingdom sure. Every act is born in the mind. Thoughts mold character. We are told in Philippians 4:8 just what kind of thoughts to harbor in our minds, i.e., things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. As an earthly princeling is set apart that he may enjoy the special favors and training of his father, the king, we read regarding his spiritual counterpart: “But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly, for himself.” (Psalms 4:3)

The heir to an earthly throne is kindly but firmly disciplined, that he may learn obedience. Of us it is written:

“My son, slight not the discipline of the Lord, neither be discouraged when reproved by Him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure discipline, God deals with you as sons; for is there any son whom a father does not discipline?” Hebrews 12:5-7, Diaglott

Yes, this discipline is a very important part of the training of an heir of God, and unless we submit to it we can never inherit the throne.

This is clearly stated:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.” Revelation 3:19,21

The young earthly prince is not permitted to mingle indiscriminately with the outside world but is segregated and carefully surrounded by just the right people. He associates with wholesome companions.

Likewise we are told:

“Come out from among them; and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”–2 Corinthians 6:17,18

The thought is not to be separate by deliberately isolating ourselves because we are advised in Hebrews 10:25 not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. But our association or assembly should be with carefully selected companions, those of “like precious faith.”

Even though his father, the king, is  extremely rich, the earthly prince cannot have everything he wants; he is supplied with everything he needs, and more. So are we as Paul assures us: “But my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) However, our needs as new creatures are more than food, shelter and clothing. Jesus expressed this: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”–Matthew 4:4

This means a knowledge of the truth. This need is abundantly and conveniently supplied to the heavenly heirs.

Every decision is not made for an earthly prince. He must often apply for himself basic principles which have been laid down. He sometimes makes mistakes which his father corrects. In this way he learns and matures. It is the same with us the spiritual heirs of the kingdom. The Lord does not tell us in detail exactly what to do in every little experience of life, but by a continual study of his word, we absorb something of his law, his principles, his wisdom. When a crisis comes or a decision has to be made, the Lord expects us to use what we have learned to decide what to do. Thus he guides us indirectly with his eye, so to speak:

“I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye. Be not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding; whose mouth must be held in with bit or bridle.” Psalms 32:8,9

So we should not desire that the Lord force us to always take the right road, without the need to use our own minds. How much better to be so sensitive to the Lord’s will and so familiar with his ways that just a glance will suffice, that he can guide us with his eye.

God Hears Our Prayers

The father of an earthly prince is never too busy when his son seeks direction and help in his problems. Similarly we always have instant access to our Heavenly Father in prayer. Anytime, day or night, his ears are attentive to our cry. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” (1 Peter 3:12) David put it so beautifully:

“My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalms 121:2-4

Thus we see that there is no affair in all the vast universe important enough to keep His attention away from the needs of his children, his heirs. He says through the prophet:

“Can a woman forget her suckling child? . . . Yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palm of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15,16

An earthly king maintains a normal family life for his royal family insofar as possible. A prince eats at his father’s table and would not dream of complaining of the food served there. Neither will the child of God complain of the “meat in due season” served in such a flavorsome manner by a “faithful and wise servant” whom his Lord hath made “ruler over his household.” (Matthew 24:45)

At times there is friction in the king’s family just as in any other family. Even here misunderstandings arise between brothers and sisters. Regretfully God’s family on this side of the veil is no exception. But the Lord especially loves those of his children who quickly forgive and make peace. A Christian’s daily prayer should be “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12) We are instructed:

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32

Indeed, by making peace we prove that we are in the family of God because Jesus said:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9

The exalted position and prospects of an earthly prince naturally make him susceptible to pride. To counteract this, the king impresses upon his son the importance of humility. We too have an enormously high calling. If we are not watchful, we too are susceptible to pride. Jesus said to the heirs of God:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit [or humble-minded], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. . . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:3,5

Our great and high king values humility beyond measure:

“For thus saith the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and lofty place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit; to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15

We also read:

“Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. . . . For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord; but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:1,2

So those who would dwell with God, as members of his household, must be of a humble spirit.

The heir of an earthly throne is allowed only a limited amount of money. There are not many wealthy among us either. Jesus said:

“Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23,24

In other words, divestment is required. A rich man may indeed come into the truth, but he will not die rich in this world’s goods if he carries out of the terms of his consecration. As a faithful steward he will expend his funds as well as his energies in the Lord’s service.

An earthly prince is provided the most expert teachers and tutors available for his education. What ample provision the Heavenly King has made for our instruction:

“And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13

“All scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17

We are indeed receiving a royal education!

The heir to an earthly throne is loyal and never disputes the authority of his father the king. We are told:

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings; that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:14,15

An earthly heir is assigned an “equerry” by the king to serve him and insure his safety at all times. Hebrews says:

“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

The careful education and training of a prince makes him a fearless and sound thinker which pleases the king. Of us Paul said:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Learning to Fight

The earthly prince is taught the art of war, the use of weapons, who the king’s enemies are, and how they may be combated. We, the spiritual heirs of God, are also taught to fight. “Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.” (Psalms 144:1) But we do not shed blood:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The enemy of God, and our enemy, is Satan the devil. “We are not ignorant of his devices.” We are skilled in weapons of offense and defense, and we are able to battle mightily:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17

“For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” Hebrews 4:12

An earthly crown prince acts as an ambassador of his father. Wherever he goes, he promotes good will for his father’s kingdom. God: “Hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:19,20)

The heir of an earthly throne is very much in the public eye and always acts circumspectly so as not to bring dishonor upon his father the king. Of us it is written, “We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to man.” (1 Corinthians 4:9) Realizing how much even the angels are interested in us, how careful we should be in our daily walk!

The time comes when an earthly royal heir is strong and mature and wise, qualified to ascend to the throne and wear the crown. The spiritual heir also reaches that point, as we read:

“Being strengthened with all strength according to his glorious power, for all patience and endurance, with joy; giving thanks at the same time to that Father who called and qualified us for the portion of the saints’ inheritance in the light.” Colossians 1:11,12, Diaglott

Paul said when he had reached this point:

“The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

In the allegory it is a sad day when the heir at last achieves the crown because the king must die. But not so in our case because our King is “The King Eternal and Immortal.” (1 Timothy 1:17) If there was joy when man was created, when Jesus was born, and when the heirs of God are selected, what fulness of joy there must be in heaven when 144,000 kings and priests are crowned! Jude speaks of this happy time, saying,

“Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty and power, both now and ever.”–Jude 24,25.

When earthly kings are enthroned, the cry is: LONG LIVE THE KING! The kings and priests whom God has enthroned shall live and reign long indeed:

“They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6

That is only the beginning because Revelation 22:5 says: “They shall reign for ever and ever.”

Hidden Gems of Truth

THE Bible is beautifully and sensitively written by men of old who were moved by the holy spirit of God. These men wrote cryptically and in greatly compressed form, without a waste of words. Events spanning centuries, and even millenniums, are often concentrated into a few brief verses. Intensely fascinating episodes involving a variety of deep and moving emotions are often simply and starkly stated with the details left to the imagination.

This was, of course, necessary. If it were not so, the Bible would be so voluminous and unwieldy that, because of sheer size and verbosity, men might be reluctant to delve into its pages and obtain its teachings and revelations. If it were of tremendous size with many thousands of pages, it is doubtful if millions of copies would be printed and circulated each year as now. So it is an abbreviated and coded book, difficult for the casual reader to understand, and meant to be so. The ordinary reader has eyes that see not and ears that hear not. (Romans 11:8)

But we as consecrated Christians, as members of the Body of Christ (whose minds have been enlightened by the Harvest Message through “that servant”), have partaken of the same holy spirit which impelled those who wrote the book. So our minds are in harmony.

Our thoughts run along parallel lines. Our eyes see, and our ears hear. We understand the divine plan. So when we read and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures, A WONDERFUL THING HAPPENS. We catch the spark! Our minds catch fire! Our mentalities are quickened and illuminated by the same holy spirit which inspired the writers.

The result is that the few simple and familiar verses we are contemplating take on new beauty and detail. The gaps are filled in for us, and the account becomes clear and alive.

It is like a small and compact flower bud, exquisite in itself, which, before our eyes, opens and expands into a magnificent blossom, fragrant and breathtaking in its beauty. Thus a single verse of scripture already eloquent in its simplicity, when meditated upon in the spirit of truth, assumes really inspiring proportions! It is a never- ending process. There appears to be no limit to the treasures of the scriptures. As our hymn expresses it: “ ‘Tis a mine, aye, deeper, too, than can mortal ever go; Search we may for many years, still some new, rich gem appears.” This is literally true.

So today, in the language of Proverbs 2:4, we are going to seek as for silver and search as for hid treasure, and turn up some of these gems which are hidden in the scriptures. The Lord put them there for us to find and it is a joy to do so. I call these gems “The Plan in a Capsule.” You will see why.

A Gem from Psalms

The first of these gems is found in Psalms 104:29-31:

“Thou hidest thy face; they are troubled. Thou takest away their breath; they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit; they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the Lord shall endure forever. The Lord shall rejoice in his works.”

Here are three verses of scripture, totaling only 51 words, which contain the entire Divine Plan of the Ages from the beginning to everlasting in a capsule! Here is a small bud, beautiful in itself. As we meditate upon it, see how it opens up and flowers before our eyes just as the Lord intended it should.

“Thou hidest thy face; they are troubled.” We know that at first Adam had a wonderful fellowship with God. God used to walk with him in the garden in the cool of the day. They were Father and son together. What fascinating and loving conversations they must have had! Then one evil day, sin entered into the world. The son disobeyed his Father. Adam disobeyed God. We read in Genesis 3:8,

“And they heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God.”

They were troubled, sorely troubled. Because of their disobedience, they were banished from their beautiful garden home and they began to die. They brought forth their children in trouble. As God told the woman, “In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.” (Genesis 3:16) As Job expressed it, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7) He also said, “Man that is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1)

When someone has once experienced the favor of the Lord, seen his face so to speak, it is agonizing to lose that favor. Job felt the agony when he cried, “Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?” (Job 13:24) David felt it when for a time he was separated from God. He pleaded, “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” (Psalms 13:1) Isaiah, contemplating the miseries of Israel, sadly said to God, “Thou hast hid thy face from us.” (Isaiah 64:7)

When Jesus came and took Adam’s place in death, it was necessary that he too know the agony of having God hide his face. For a moment on the cross, God seemed to have abandoned him. He too was troubled. He cried out in anguish of soul: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Today the whole world is sorely troubled. We are living in a great time of trouble. God seems to have hidden his face from the world. Evil is permitted to run rampant; good men do not understand the permission of evil. “Where is God?” men ask. “Why doesn’t he do something?” Others say, “God is dead. He must be; otherwise he would do something.” They are perplexed and troubled, doubting the very existence of God because he has hidden his face. These are the conditions described by the words, “Thou hidest thy face; they are troubled.” It is the history of the world. But it will not always be so, because the Lord in Ezekiel 39:29, speaks of a time to come, saying: “Neither will I hide my face any more from them.”

Then our gem text says: “Thou takest away their breath; they die, and return to their dust.” We read of man’s creation, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) First God designed the intricacies of the human body and planned all its functions to the minutest detail. Then he formed the body of Adam using the elements of the earth or, as the ancient record expresses it, “the dust of the ground.” There was no evolution here. The missing link will always be missing because it never existed. The body of Adam was a direct creation of God. There it lay, on the green grass of Eden, complete and perfect in every respect. But it did not beat to circulate the blood which was already in its veins. Its brain and nervous system lacked just one thing: the breath of life! It wasn’t breathing! So then God “breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life,” or as another translation has it, “the breath of lives.” He simply inflated man’s lungs with the air which is necessary for any form of life on earth. Suddenly the body breathed and lived! The heart began to beat carrying the life-containing blood to all parts of the body. The brain awakened, the eyes opened, and the man became a living soul.

This is how man’s life started, by an in-breathing of the breath of life. Then we read in Psalms 146:4 how man’s life terminates: “His breath goeth forth; he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” The process is simply reversed. God gave man breath and he lived. God takes his breath away and he dies; his body returns to the elements of the earth from which it was taken. As Ecclesiastes 12:7 expresses it: “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit [or breath] shall return unto God who gave it.” The spirit or breath represents the right to live. In harmony with this Job 12:10 speaks of God as the one “in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” So the sentence upon Adam was, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken. For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19) Because of his disobedience, Adam forfeited his right to live. He lost that right for all his children as well. All mankind came under the declaration of our text: “Thou takest away their breath; they die, and return to their dust.”

God Sends Forth His Spirit

Up to this point the import of our text has been sad the turning away of God’s face first from Adam and then from the entire world; the deep trouble and distress resulting from the permission of evil; the taking away of the breath, or right to live; the long and seemingly endless procession to the grave, the final return to the dust. These things sadden us and to those who do not understand the divine plan the situation appears hopeless. But now we come to the happy part of our gem text which says, “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth.”

The part reading “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created,” has a two-fold meaning. Both meanings gladden our hearts. God’s spirit is his power or influence. In the past God sent forth his spirit on many occasions and for many purposes. For example, we read in the account of the creation of the world that “the spirit of God moved upon [or brooded upon] the face of the waters.” When this happened, mighty forces were brought into play to shape and prepare the earth for man’s habitation.

God poured his spirit upon his holy prophets whom, we are told, “spake as they were moved by the holy spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) The spirit of God came upon Joseph in Egypt and upon Moses in Midian. It came upon Gideon, Samson, David, and other faithful and worthy servants of ancient times, impelling them and inspiring them to do God’s will in mighty ways. Then the holy spirit of God finally came upon John the Baptist, the last of the prophets. It drove him into the wilderness of Judea in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” Men were in expectation of Messiah and John baptized the repentant of Israel for the remission of their sins. It was John who hinted of a new and marvelous manifestation of the holy spirit still to come, different from any manifestation heretofore experienced. He said in Matthew 3:11,

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, He shall baptize you with the holy spirit and with fire.”

Jesus came to John to be baptized but not for the remission of sins for he had none. For him the symbol of immersion in water had a different meaning. It symbolized going down into death and then being raised to newness of life, of sacrificing his human nature and becoming a new creature. Then we read in Matthew 3:16,

“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.”

This was the beginning of his dying as a man and the beginning of his living as a new, divine creature. This is the first time God’s holy spirit had been sent to beget a new creature to the divine nature.

Three-and-one-half years later the humanity of Jesus died forever on the cross and his new nature arose to live forever.

After his resurrection Jesus met with his disciples, as we read in Acts l:4,5:

“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the holy spirit not many days hence.”

Then the account is given in Acts 2:1-4 of the promised new and powerful manifestation of the holy spirit:

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them, cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the holy spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.”

“The Wonderful Works of God”

There were people of many nations and tongues in Jerusalem that day and each heard in his own language “the wonderful works of God.” The account says, “They were all amazed . . . saying one to another, What meaneth this?” Then Peter stood up and told them what it meant, saying:

“This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass, in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:16-18

This was nothing less than spirit-begettal; the same holy spirit that had imbued the Head, Christ Jesus, had begun to descend to anoint his Body, the Church. As each member of his Body has received this spirit begetting him to the divine nature, it has had the same effect. When Jesus received it, he immediately began his preaching ministry. When those at Pentecost received it, they began to use their tongues to prophesy and preach. As each one of us receives it, we tell out the glad tidings at every opportunity, and build up one another in the most holy faith. We renounce our earthly interests, aims, and ambitions, and “walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4) We begin a new life. We become new creatures. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Paul also said, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man [or new creature], which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:23,24) Also, “Ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Colossians 3:9,10)

This is what our gem text means when it says, “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created.” Those referred to as “they” are Jesus Christ and the members of his body, the Church. By the begettal of God’s holy spirit they are a new creation.

But there is another meaning also to this portion of the text, a wider and more general application. It is obvious that the prophecy of Joel was not entirely fulfilled at Pentecost. The prophecy says in Joel 2:28, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.” This is still another and later manifestation of the holy spirit, and it is still future. To better understand this application of the scripture we must consider it together: “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth.” This tells us of the resurrection and restitution work of the Millennial Kingdom and the end of death. Resurrection is re- creation. By virtue of our Lord’s ransom sacrifice all who have ever lived will be raised from the dead. As Jesus expressed it (John 5:28,29): “Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth.” This is truly a marvelous thing, a tremendous exhibition of the power of the holy spirit of God to create again the bodies of all who have died and then, from the memory of God, to impress each body with its individual and different personality so that each one is the exact and identical person he was when previously alive. This is a fantastically complicated operation, but it is only the beginning.

Then follows the work of restitution, the bringing to perfection. This is also a creative work of spirit. Then the prayer of David will be answered for all men: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10

There are so many scriptures that indicate this wonderful work and we cannot cite them all. In Ezekiel 36:26,27 is a promise given to the Jews but applicable to all men:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.”

This taking away of stony, selfish hearts and replacing with tender, loving hearts, is a work of re-creation, a restoration to righteousness and human perfection. As Peter expressed it, “Nevertheless we, according to the promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13) The Revelator saw this glad time in prophetic vision saying, in Revelation 21:1,5:

“And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away . . . And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”

Besides the people and the government of the world, the physical earth itself will reflect God’s glory, as foretold in Isaiah 35:1,2:

“The wilderness, and the solitary place, shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy, and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.”

Do you see how much is packed in that short and simple verse of our gem text? “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth.” This new arrangement on earth will last forever. The nightmare of the reign of sin and death will be forgotten. Only the lessons learned by the permission of evil will be remembered. This is beautifully summed up by the prophecy of Isaiah 65:17,18:

“For behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind; but be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.”

This leads us to the final verse of our gem text: “The glory of the Lord shall endure forever. The Lord shall rejoice in his works.” Thus it is seen that our gem text is a summation of the entire plan of God relating to his human family. He wanted a human family he could rejoice in, to love and serve him of their own free will. It shows the fall into sin, the loss of the right to live, the redemption from death, the restoration of the willing and obedient to life, the earth made glorious, and finally, God rejoicing in his works forever.

A Gem from Job

The next hidden gem of truth is found in Job 14:7-15:

“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet, through the scent of water, it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up; so man lieth down, and riseth not. Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave; that thou wouldst keep me secret, until thy wrath be past; that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee. Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.”

This text too contains the entire divine plan for man, in a capsule. It is complete and beautiful in itself, almost poetic, and as we consider it, see how it’s beauty unfolds and expands, and reveals God’s greatness and goodness to his human family.

The first verse of our gem text “There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down” seems to refer directly to an episode related in the fourth chapter of Daniel. The account is in the words of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, emperor of the world, and is given in the first person:

“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed, and the visions of my head, troubled me. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them. But they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. But at the last, Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar . . . and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the vision of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and, behold a tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of heaven dwelt in the bough thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher and an holy one, came down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit. Let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches. Nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron, and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from man’s and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will; and setteth up over it the basest of men.” Daniel 4:4-17

As the dream was related to him apparently two interpretations appeared before Daniel’s vision: one local and contemporary and the other of staggering proportions and scope. He debated which one he would relate to Nebuchadnezzar and he hesitated. We read in the 19th verse: “Then Daniel . . . was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him.” The Moffatt translation says: “For a moment Daniel . . . was staggered. He was alarmed by what he foresaw.” Then he decided to relate the lesser interpretation which involved Nebuchadnezzar personally, and it was this: As ruler of the universal empire of Babylon, which completely dominated the world, the tree represented Nebuchadnezzar himself. It was to be cut down but the stump and roots were to remain in the earth until seven times had passed. He was to lose his dominion but it would be preserved for him and restored after seven years. This was to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson that he was not as important as he thought. Daniel’s words were:

“Till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” In one year, the prophecy was fulfilled. We read from the Moffatt translation: “All this befell king Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later the king was saying, `There lies Babylon the great, which I have built for a royal residence by my vast power and to my noble majesty!’ The words had not left his lips when a voice fell from heaven, `O king Nebuchadnezzar, here is your sentence: Your kingdom is taken from you! You shall be driven away from human beings, to dwell with the wild animals; you shall be forced to eat grass like cattle; and seven years shall pass over you, till you learn that the Most High reigns over the realm of men, and gives it to anyone whom he chooses.’ “

The sentence was immediately carried out. The king lost his sanity and lived like an animal, shunning human association for seven years. Then we read:

“When the time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven; my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring him who lives for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom lasts from age to age.”

Now let us consider the other and vastly greater meaning of this dream which ties in with our gem text and which encompasses the entire history of the human race from the beginning to the ages of eternity.

“I saw and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of heaven dwelt in the bough thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.”

The First Dominion of Earth

This remarkable tree in its glory and beauty represented the first dominion of earth given to the human race in its representative and head Adam. God said to Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) The original glory of man and the power and dominion vested in him were indeed sublime. He was set over the whole earth to bless, feed, protect and shelter every living thing.

Then the dream continued:

“Behold, a watcher and an holy one [Moffatt: `angel-guard’] came down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit.

Let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches.”

This is what happened when sin entered the world. Adam failed the test of obedience. Then the command came to hew down the tree.

The glory and beauty and power of mankind were taken away. The lower creation no more found shelter, protection and blessing under man’s influence. The sentence of death hewed down the great tree, scattered his fruit and foliage and left the lower creation without its lord and benefactor. Adam lost his Eden. We read in Genesis 3:24, “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, cherubims, and a flaming sword, which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” Might not these cherubims be called “angel-guards”? The dream continues: “Nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass.” So far as man was concerned, all power to recover the lost dominion was hopelessly gone. But it was not so from God’s standpoint. The original dominion was his gracious gift and was his plan for man. Though he had commanded it to be hewn down yet the root, God’s purposes and plan of restitution, continued. The hope of it continued in the earth although bound with strong fetters so that it should not sprout until the divinely appointed time.

As the dream progresses, the figure changes from the stump of a tree to that of a man. It says, “Let his heart be changed from man’s and let a beast’s heart be given unto him.” It shows a man debased and degraded and brought down to the companionship and likeness of beasts, his higher reasoning dethroned and all his beauty gone. How well this describes fallen and depraved man, no longer the Lord of earth, his glory and dominion departed. Progressively since the fall, the race has been having its portion with the beasts. Although fairly recently knowledge has been greatly increased, the human heart has become increasingly beastly and degraded. The dream goes on to say,

“And let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”

Sin and death have already reigned for 6000 years. It will take another thousand years to bring about a restoration of man to his original dominion. When the millennial kingdom has done its work, man’s madness will be completely cured. Seven times will have passed over him and he will again be king of earth. He will then be able to say, in the words of Nebuchadnezzar:

“At the same time my reason returned unto me . . . and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth and his ways just. Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.”

From this fascinating account in Daniel we are able to understand what is meant by the first three verses of our gem text in Job 14:7- 15:

“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again; and the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water, it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”

It is getting close to the time when the scent of water will be detected. This will be when Revelation 22:1-17 is fulfilled:

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Then by way of contrast with what shall be, our gem text describes present conditions:

“But man dieth, and wasteth away. Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up; so man lieth down, and riseth not. Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”

This last phrase is an indication of the time the resurrection will take place: “Till the heavens be no more.” The “heavens” mentioned here are the spiritual ruling powers of this present evil world. The present “heavens” which are now are dominated by Satan and are to be destroyed. We read:

“But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. Looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:7,12,13

As the old heavens are dominated by Satan the new heavens will be ruled by Christ. Then will be fulfilled the words of Jesus:

“Verily, verily, I say into you, The hour is coming, . . . when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth.” John 5:25,28,29

The rest of our gem text echoes the yearnings of a groaning creation, tired and sick of sin and death like Job who uttered the words, feeling abandoned by God and longing for peace and rest, wishing and hoping for something better after this life which has proved so disappointing, casting themselves upon God:

“O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave; that thou wouldst keep me secret, until thy wrath be past; that thou wouldst appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come! Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee. Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands.” Job 14:13-15

God Loves Every Human Being

That last sentence of our text “Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands” gives us a wonderful insight to the character and intent of our God. The human family is the “work of his hands,” his supreme creation on earth. He said to the Logos: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26) He loves every human being who has ever lived! It was he who provided a Redeemer. He “is not willing that any should perish.” (2 Peter 3:9) When they go down into death, he misses them! He wants to see them again! He wants them to come back! He wants to enjoy a perfect human creation, a family, that will return his love for them. This last verse is tremendously significant “Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thy hands.” This means that the great Jehovah God himself eagerly anticipates the resurrection of the dead, each one of the dead!

There are many other such hidden gems of truth in the scriptures, each giving the Divine Plan in a capsule. These are not accidental or coincidental. They are planted there for us whose eyes the Lord has opened through the ministry of a Faithful and Wise Servant. Being able to find them and see their lessons corroborating our understanding of the Divine Plan of the Ages is the strongest possible evidence that we are in the truth!

How Sin Entered the World

THERE are many evil things in the world today, and there is much suffering and unhappiness because of these things. There are all kinds of sickness and pain. After only a few years of life, a person dies, leaving behind those who sorrow for him. All about us we see corruption and immorality. Cheating and robbing are common; there is violence, cruelty and murder. Accidents kill and cripple thousands every year. Fires and floods bring great suffering to the people. It seems there is always a war, revolution, or some kind of civil disorder going on somewhere in the world. Beside this, children disobey and rebel against their parents, scorning the wisdom of the experience of many generations. Of course there is also much beauty, goodness and happiness in the world, in which we rejoice. But evil seems to predominate.

When God had completed the creation of the earth and everything upon it, he “saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) Everything is certainly not “very good” today. What happened to change the situation? How did evil get a start in the world and develop to the extent it has?

Man Created Perfect

The first man, Adam, was created perfect. It is written that, “God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27) Man was designed to live forever upon the earth. We are told in Genesis chapter two how man was placed in a beautiful garden in which grew every tree good for food and that would sustain life perfectly. Then God put man to the test of obedience. God purposely made the test simple and easy.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16,17

Adam was forbidden to eat of the fruit of only one of the many trees of the garden.

Disobedience in such a simple matter when it would be easy to obey, makes the transgression all the more reprehensible. It indicates willfulness. If it were a difficult thing the Lord required of him, Adam might have made the excuse that obedience was beyond his capabilities. But there was no excuse for disobedience in this case. He had plenty of food beside the fruit of the prohibited tree. It was not necessary for him to eat of it for sustenance.

Why did God have to test Adam’s obedience at all? Why was obedience a matter of life or death?” By definition, sin is disobedience to God’s law. God cannot tolerate sin. Genesis 3:22 states that by continuing to eat of the perfect food of the garden of Eden, Adam had the ability to live forever. So you can see why it was necessary for God to test Adam’s obedience before allowing him to continue his life. Adam failed the test. As recorded in Genesis chapter three, Satan deceived Eve and she in turn induced Adam to knowingly disobey. So they both were expelled from the garden, away from the source of their perfect food supply, into the unplanted part of the earth. There they ate food that would not sustain life perfectly.

Thus the death penalty was enforced and Adam began to die. All his children were born after his expulsion from Eden. They were born dying just as we are who descended from them. We all fit the description that David gave of himself when he said: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms 51:5)

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12

Why could God not have designed and created man incapable of sin? Then it would have been impossible for Adam to disobey. God would have had a perfect human race living forever upon the earth. God could have made man without the ability to make a choice and to guide his own conduct, but to make him that way would have been to produce a living machine, a robot. He would have been a slave, rendering blind obedience without knowing why. This was not the kind of creature God wanted as the king of earth. He created a superior being, far above the animals with their compelling instincts, a creature with moral sense and freedom of choice, able to reason, to reach decisions, and to act in harmony with them, what we call a free moral agent. “God created man in his own image.” (Genesis 1:27)

Could God have shielded the first pair from Satan’s temptation so that they would not have disobeyed and incurred the death penalty? Yes, but then man’s experience would have been limited to only good. He would have been continually liable to suggestions of evil which would have made the everlasting future of mankind uncertain. An outbreak of disobedience and disorder might always have been a possibility.

How To Know Something

There are four ways to know things. One way is by intuition, which is a direct apprehension without the process of reasoning. Only God possesses it. Another way is by observation. If God had chosen to teach Adam the dire results of sin by this method, it would have been necessary for sin to be permitted somewhere, among some beings, for man to observe it. Another way is by information, by telling.

This method was used, but Adam did not learn by it. God told Adam not to eat, but Adam ate just the same. He could not realize the full import of what it meant to die. At that time he had never seen anyone die. He could not possibly understand the depth of degradation and misery it would involve for himself and his entire race. He lacked experience.

Beside intuition, observation, and information, the only other way to learn is by experience. God saw this as the best way. He permitted Satan to deceive Eve by telling the first lie ever uttered: “Ye shall not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) Why did Eve believe Satan when God had plainly said: “Thou shalt surely die?” She too lacked experience.

Today we do not believe something without question. We have developed mental reservations. We consider whether the source of the information is reliable. We consider the possible motives our informant may have. We mentally compare the information with knowledge we have previously acquired. We do these things as a result of our experience and often without conscious thought. We have learned by experience that there are unreliable, prejudiced and dishonest people in the world, so we do not readily believe everything we are told by just anyone. We have learned to be discriminating.

Because of her innocent inexperience, Eve was childlike and naive. She was easily deceived by the crafty Satan, especially when he promised her that the forbidden fruit would really be beneficial. So she ate and offered it to her husband Adam. He also ate. It seems that Adam was not present when Eve ate the fruit. When he learned what she had done, he was appalled. He loved Eve very much.

Thinking that she would now die, he decided he would not live without her. So he ate of the fruit knowingly and deliberately, so that he might die together with his beloved wife. “Adam was not deceived; but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression.” (1 Timothy 2:14)

Adam’s disobedience will be for the ultimate good of mankind because it provided an experience with sin and its terrible consequences.

By virtue of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, the entire human race will be saved from death to live again upon the earth. If obedient, they will live for ever. Having learned by experience the truth of the text “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), they will want no more of it. Instead they will gladly follow righteousness.