Christ The Heir Of God

1

Christ the Heir of God

By

Brian Tsikada

2

Introduction

Hebrews 1:1 “ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,: 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” This manuscript is a brief Position Paper on the application of the statute law of inheritance in relation to Christ’s promises, preeminence, divinity and kingdom.

Brian Tsikada 15.10.2009

3

Sections

Page 1. The Law of Inheritance……………………………………………………..4

2. Christ the Only Begotten of God……………………………………….9

3. Christ Inherits the Nature of God…………………………………….16

4. Christ Inherits all the Names of God……………………………….19

5. Christ Inherits the Kingdoms of God……………………………...21

6. The Inheritance of the Seed of Abraham……………………….25

4

Section One The Law of Inheritance

Num 27:6 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying……:8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. :9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. :10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. :11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.” The concept of inheritance did not originate with man, but it has divine origins. It is founded on the bed-rock of righteousness as a law – a statute of judgement. The divine principles of this statute are illustrated and applied in the various promises and transactions of the plan of redemption throughout the entire scripture: Ps 37:29 “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.” Matt 19:29 “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

5

1 Pet 3:9 “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” Prov 3:35 “The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” God taught His ancients these divine principles and engrafted them in symbolic types and shadows into the very fabric of their day to day experience. In this way, in the common socio-economic and cultural transactions of the Hebrew life, the concepts and principles of the plan of redemption were experienced and exemplified. In the time of Moses, these concepts and principles were codified into law, but only began to be enforced at the time of the possession of Canaan under Joshua. Num 26.53- 56; 27.7-11; Num 36.1-9; Deut 18.1-3; Josh 1.1-6. But even in generations before the time of Moses, the patriarchs had knowledge of this law and practiced it. Indeed, the very fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant promise itself, given of God, was to be carried out based on the application of the principles of this law: Ps 105:8 “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations. :9 Which [covenant] he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; :10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant: :11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:” The statute of inheritance had various components. Two of the most important components of this law were son-ship and eldership.

6

Sonship Heirship was based on son-ship. Only if a man had died with no sons could a daughter then become an heir: Numbers 27:8 “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. :9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. :10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. :11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children.” Abram had knowledge of this statute and overwhelmed with his childless condition cried to the Lord: “ Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house [is] this Eliezer of Damascus?....Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.” And the LORD answered him, “ saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.” (Gen 15.2-4) As seen in this case of Abram and Eliezar of Damascus, the only son that qualified for heir-ship in the eyes of God, was one who would proceed forth from Abraham’s very own bowels and who was also son of a legitimate marriage. In fulfillment of the divine promise, at the “set time” Isaac, was born of Abraham and Sarah specifically as the onlybegotten son of Abraham: Gen 22:1 “ And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, [here] I

7

[am]. :2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. …….11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. :12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me……. :15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, :16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son]:” Heb 11:17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son].” Eldership In God’s order, the first-born of a legitimate marital (husband and wife) relation was entitled to receive a double portion of inheritance. This double portion was known as “the right of the first-born”. He was a leader and “belonged to the Lord” and all the blessings of the “birthright” were his. (Gen 27.36, 37). Lev 3:13 “Because all the firstborn [are] mine; [for] on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I [am] the LORD.” Deut 21:15 “If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, [both] the beloved and the hated; and [if] the firstborn son be hers that was hated: 21:16 Then it shall be,

8

when he maketh his sons to inherit [that] which he hath, [that] he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, [which is indeed] the firstborn: 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated [for] the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he [is] the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn [is] his”. Again in the case of Abraham, it was Isaac - the only begotten son of Abraham, who received all the inheritance of the first-begotten of his father even though Ishmael was in fact Abram’s first biological son. It is written: Gen 25:5 “ And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. :6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.” Ishmael was a first-born son of Abram, but was not the fruit of a legitimate marital relation. His mother, Hagar was neither a wife of Abram nor was she his concubine. Hagar was a handmaid in bondage to Sarah, her mistress. Gen 16.4,8,9; Gal 4.22,24. Both Hagar and Ishmael being under bondage to Abram and Sarah could not participate in any of the privileges and rights of the free. This being the case, Abraham was under no obligation to give any of his inheritance to Ishmael or to any of his concubines’ sons – so he gave them gifts instead and then sent them all away. But Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, the true first-born in time and the only begotten son of Abraham was entitled to all the material possessions of his father. In the next section, we shall see how these two related concepts of the son-ship and first–begotten and have their anti-type in Christ.

9

Section Two Christ the Only Begotten of God

Christ the Son of God The birth of Isaac as the only begotten son of Abraham in his old age was a type of Christ who was begotten by the Ancient of Days in eternity. Prior to the birth of Isaac, Abraham had no heir. In the same way, the Father only had an heir when Christ was begotten. Begotten does not mean creation---it means to be born. 1 Cor 4.15; Phile 1.10; Heb 11.17. Creation refers to the generation of animate or inanimate matter from nothing. Begotten refers to “the proceeding-forth” and “the coming out” of one life form from another life form. How Christ was begotten of His Father is an undisclosed divine mystery. On this point ‘silence is golden’. Nevertheless, Christ Himself testified that He “proceeded forth” and “came from” the Father, then “He came” to earth: John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” Notice that there are two events: “The proceeding forth” and “the coming from” is the first event. This refers to Christ’s literal birth in eternity, in heaven, before His incarnation. The second and last event is mentioned after the word “neither”. This second event is a reference to Christ’s coming to earth as a Son of Man.

10

Again in 1 John 4:9 we see that Christ was already begotten of His Father before being sent into the world: “ In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Should it be doubted that this verse (1 John 4.9) refers to Christ being begotten prior to His birth Bethlehem by Mary, that doubt should be cleared by an understanding of a similar verse: Gal 4:6 “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” A question may be asked: “Did God have a Spirit of His Son to send before He sent it into our hearts?” Undoubtedly, yes! Let’s ask the same question in a different way: “Did the Spirit of His Son become the Spirit of Christ only after being sent into our hearts?” Absolutely not! So also in the same way in 1 John 4.9, God had an only begotten Son to send into the world before He sent Him. In other words, Christ did not become the only begotten Son of God after He was sent. He was obviously one before! In Proverbs 8.22-26, Christ, the Wisdom of God (1 Cor 1.24), speaks of Himself as being begotten by His Father in eternity past before the creation of the world: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. :23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. :24 When [there were] no depths, I was brought forth; when [there were] no fountains abounding with water. :25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth::26 While

11

as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. :27 When he prepared the heavens, I [was] there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep::29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth::30 Then I was by him, [as] one brought up [with him]: and I was daily [his] delight, rejoicing always before him;” The following is a short explanation of the highlighted parts of this passage: “ Set up” in the Hebrew is “nacak”; in one of its usages it means “to pour out” as in the pouring forth of molten metal in the craft of metalcasting. “From Everlasting” : This is a specific reference to an unspecified era so remote in the spectrum of the ages that it cannot be quantified into finite mathematical units. In scripture, the period of time before creation of the earth and beyond the creation of the New Earth is called eternity. Specific “real-time” events take place within these two periods such as the creation of angels, the time of the fall of Lucifer, the worship of God from one New Moon to another New Moon and from one Sabbath to another etc.; but the astronomical and mathematical principles by which they are determined, measured or calculated are not revealed to man. In scripture, these events take place in what is called “eternity”. The words “eternal”, “forever” or “everlasting” in scripture do not always bear the classical meaning of ‘having neither origin nor an end’. For example, man by faith in Christ possesses eternal life- this however

12

does not mean that man had no beginning of life. Habbakuk 3.6 speaks of “everlasting mountains” and “perpetual hills” of the earth; but which are destroyed at the second advent. (Please also remember that these “everlasting mountains” were non-existent before the 3rd day of creation, Gen 1.9-13). The Scriptures also speak of “the eternal fire” that consumed the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude 1.7. The word of God also speaks of the Hannah ‘lending’ Samuel to live at the sanctuary “for-ever.” See also Matt 25.41; Matt 18.8; Mark 9.44,46,48; Ex 21.6; Isaiah 66.24.etc. All of the events or situations in these texts that are “everlasting”, “forever” or eternal” all have a real beginning and/or a real ending. The words “everlasting”, “forever”, “eternal” therefore should in these cases be understood as contextual linguistic expressions or metaphors which do not mean possessing neither beginning nor termination point. “Brought forth” in Hebrew is “chwul”; it is commonly used to mean “to dance, swirl or writhe as in child birth or labour. It may thus be understood from Prov.8.22-26 that by some divine and infinitely mysterious way Christ was begotten or “set up”. He was “brought forth” or “proceeded forth” from God. This event took place so far back in eternity that to the finite angelic and human mind Christ’s “goings forth [have been]…… from everlasting.” Micah 5.2. Paul in Hebrews also refers to this event in past eternity when Christ became the Son of God, and God Himself, His Father: Hebrews 1:5 “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”

13

It is then that Christ, as the Son of God, became the “appointed heir of all things.” Heb 1.2 Christ the Firstborn of heaven of every creature Col 1:15 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” As Isaac was Abraham and Sarah’s first-begotten son in time so also was Christ, the first “son of God”. Angels, other unfallen beings and the redeemed are all “sons of God” by creation and/or by adoption. Job 1.6; 2.1; 38.7; Rom 8.14,15,19 ; Gal 4.5. But Christ, as the only begotten Son was before all these; His Sonship preceded that of all other beings; He therefore is the First-born of heaven. Col 1.15. He marks the beginning of biblical time: “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Christ is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” John 1.1; Rev 22.13. He is the “beginning of the creation of God” Rev 3.14. “ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”. John 1.3. All things “that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers” or dimensions of space and time all have their material origin in Christ. Col 1.16. Christ the First-born from the dead Col 1:18 “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.” Rev 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth..…”

14

Christ is the first-born or the first-begotten from the dead in the every way that He is the first born of every living creature. Scripture records of individuals who lived and were resurrected before the time of the incarnate Christ; these include Moses, the Shunammite’s son in the time of Elisha, the dead man who was raised back to life when his body fell into Elisha’s sepulcher. Matt 17.1-5; Jude 1.9; 2 Kings 4.18-37 2 Kings 13.21. How then is Christ the First-born of the dead if scripture testifies of these individuals who died and were resurrected before Christ’s own death and resurrection? Christ is the first and only being in time who was and who will ever be resurrected from “the death of the cross”. Phil 2.8. The deaths of all who have ever been born of woman are all natural consequences of sin. Yet, Christ’s death was “the death” promised by God to Adam as the judgement for transgression. Gen 2.17. Christ’s death was not a natural sleep of death caused by such physiological phenomenon such as torture or hemorrhage by the bleeding wounds in His hands, feet and head. It was the death of the atonement. Rom 5.10,11; 2 Cor 5.19; 1 Pet 3.18. In that death He tasted the curse of death for every man. Heb 2.9. He suffered not the consequences of sin but received its full penalty. In His bosom He bore the full unmingled wrath of God’s malignity against sin. The sword of divine justice was unsheathed and smote Him relentlessly until by His divine sufferings of death He had paid the wage for each and every sin ever committed by man. Isaiah 53.4-12; Zech 13.7; Rom 6.23. Christ’s resurrection on the third day from that ignominious death made Him the First-begotten of God from the dead: Acts 13:30 “ But God raised him from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,

15

who are his witnesses unto the people.:32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, :33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” In all eternity no being apart from Christ has ever or will ever suffer the penalty or “the curse of death” and be resurrected. It is He who” liveth, and was dead”; and now is “alive for evermore”; It is He who forever holds “the keys of hell and of death”. Rev 1.18. None but Christ can ever be the “First-begotten of the dead.” In the last remaining sections of this paper, we will be examining the nature of the heir-ship of Christ, the First born of heaven, the only begotten Son of God and the seed of Abraham. Heb. 2.16.

16

Section Three Christ inherits the nature of God

Christ –the express image of the Father Every son inherits the attributes and dispositions of his father. In mankind, the reproduction of those traits of the father in the son is not perfect. But there is no imperfection in God. The Son of God, was begotten in all the brightness of the glory, the majesty, the holiness, the wisdom, and in all other infinite divine perfections of His Father in perfect replication and expression. Christ was begotten in “the express image” of the Father’s person. Heb.1.3. By the natural law of birth, “man” begets “man”. Deity begets Deity. From man “proceeded forth” a son of man. From God proceeded the Son of God. As a Son, Christ was begotten in His Father’s nature which is God; “…and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1.1. Christ’s Godhead or divinity is therefore neither assumed nor conferred upon Him. It is His by right; by right of birth. Christ the Anointed of God All that God is, the Son received by inheritance - even the Father’s Spirit “without measure”; “for it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fullness dwell” John 3.34; Col 1.19. The holy Spirit is that mysterious omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent living expression or emanation of the divine mind that proceeds from the Deity. (Compare Isaiah 40.13; 1 Cor 2.16 and Rev 5.6). It was by the agency of that Spirit that the Son of God would operate in executing all the will of His Father. Ps 139.7-10; 1 Peter 3.18-20.

17

Anointed by the Spirit of His Father, the Son of God is therefore the Messiah in Hebrew and the Christ in Greek. Messiah and Christ both mean “Anointed”: “Yet have I anointed my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee”. Ps 1.6,7 margin. The Anointing of the Son of God maketh the “Spirit of the Father” also “the Spirit of Jesus.” The Spirit then, is as much the Spirit of the Father as it is the Spirit of the Son of God. Matt 10.20; Rom 8.11; Phil 1.19; Gal 4.6. We know that this is true because there are no two holy Spirits, but only one: Eph 4.4; Eph 2.18; 1 Cor 12.13. If therefore there can only be one holy Spirit and yet there is “a Spirit of the Father” as well as “a Spirit of Christ,” it logically follows then, that the Father and the Son have and share that one and same holy Spirit: Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. Notice in the above verse that Paul conclusively shows that the one Spirit of God is also the same one Spirit of Christ. Bible writers depict this holy Spirit as proceeding first from the Father and also from the Son of God to the church: John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” see also Act 2.33. When seen as proceeding from the Father –it is the Spirit of the Father; when seen as proceeding from the Son, it is the Spirit of Christ but it is the same one holy Spirit.

18

Christ the Eternal Self- Existing God Besides Christ possessing the same divine nature as His Father by inheritance, it was ordained by the Father that the Son should have independent inherent life in Himself even as He (the Father) had life within Himself: John 5:26 :“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;” As seen in the above verse, this life Christ received from God. It was also ordained by God that Christ should have power to bestow this life to His creatures as a gift: John 17.2 “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” This is that original, underived, unborrowed, and eternal life of the Father. Being in possession of this independent inherent life as well as full divinity, Christ Himself is “the I AM”, the Eternal Self Existing God.

19

Section Four Christ inherits all the names of God

Heb 1:4 “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? :6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” Every son by virtue of birth inherits not only the nature of his father but also his name. In the same way the first-begotten of God by right of birth has inherited from His Father a more excellent name than that of angels. That name is “God”. Thus Christ is Deity and is therefore at equality with God. Phil 2.6. John 1.1. The divine nature of the Father is in the Son, even “all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Col 2.9. Therefore, when speaking to the Son, the Father could rightfully say “Thy throne, O God, [is] for-ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Heb 1.8.9 As Christ has inherited the name “God” as a birth-right, He consequently also inherits, in the very same way, every other name of God, His Father. Hear what the Father says of Christ: “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and

20

obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name [is] in him.” Ex 23.20,21. See also John 5.43. That Angel is Christ who is also “called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” “THE LORD (JEHOVAH) OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS”, “the I AM ”, “the Almighty” etc. Isa 9.6; Jer 23.6; Rev 19.16; John 8.58; Rev 1.8. It pleased the Father to so highly exalt His Son and to give “him a name which is above every name” “not only in this world, but also in that which is to come”, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth. And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2.9-11; Eph 1.21. Such eternal weight of honour, majesty, glory and power has the Father invested in Christ that the authority of Christ is the very authority of the Father Himself. The Son of God taking upon Himself all the names of His Father, is the Grand Executer of all the divine counsels of God in all the unlimited power and authority of the Godhead.

21

Section Five Christ Inherits the kingdoms of God

In the same way that Isaac was the rightful heir of all Abraham’s inheritance, so also Christ, the Firstborn of heaven has the right to all the blessings of the first-born, even the “double-portion” of all His Father’s possessions. As God’s only begotten Son, He is in verity the only heir of the entire heritage of God. That entire heritage of the Father consists “all things”: even “all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things…..created by him, and for him:” Col 1.15. God rules the entire kingdom of the universe from His throne in heaven. It pleased Him to so exalt Christ as to make Him sit on His throne and to place the septre of the kingdom of righteousness in the hands of His Son. The kingdom of God, then becomes also the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ: “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?” “But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom”. Heb 1.13,8. By a life of righteousness and by His sacrificial death Christ - the second Adam, made atonement for the entire fall of the first Adam on behalf of all humanity. The Prince of the world who had usurped authority over the earth was by the victorious death and resurrection of Christ cast out. Luke 4.5; John 14.30. Christ was then exalted in heaven as a King

22

and Priest over His people; God’s “kingdom of grace” now had fully come: “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”Rev 12.10. As a high Priest after the order of Melchizedek, Christ fully establishes this “kingdom of grace” in His subjects. At the close of this priestly ministry, at the time of the voice of the seventh trumpet, Christ will receive from His Father the New Jerusalem, the Capital of “the kingdom of glory:” “ I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. :14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.” Dan 7.13,14. In possession of the Capital of the universe with the great glorious throne of God within it, the Son of God consequently also possesses full inheritance and ownership of all other kingdoms with their thrones, dominions, and principalities in the entire universe. Rev 22.1-3; Col 1.15. Even the apostate kingdoms of earth, through which Satan had been reigning and resisting the authority of Christ, are to be wholly taken over by the First-begotten of God as His rightful inheritance:

23

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Rev 11:15 . Heretofore, the Son of God had been sitting at the right hand of God as a Mediator, but now, as that work has ended, He stands up to set up His everlasting “kingdom of glory” and to reign as KING OF KINGS AND LORDS OF LORDS. It will be then time for Him to shake, to destroy, to consume and to fully possess the territory of all His enemies, the confederate apostate powers of the earth: Ps 2:1 “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? :2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying], :3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. :4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.:8 Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession.:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” see also Dan 7.26; Rev 19.16-21. When all the enemies of Christ (including sin and death), have been made His footstool, and have been destroyed in the lake of fire, it will then be time for Him and His redeemed saints to inherit or possess the promised “Kingdom of glory” under the new heavens and the new

24

earth. Ps 110; Heb 10.12,13; Heb 1.13; Act 2.32-35; Dan 7.22; Matt 25.31-34. Christ, the First-begotten, under God, then will be the invincible and undisputed “head of all principality and power”. Col 2.10. “Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.:26 The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor 15.25-28.

25

Section Six The Inheritance of the Seed of Abraham

The Promise to Abraham Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. God’s covenant promise of inheritance to Abraham was not confined to the possession of the territory of Canaan only but it virtually extended and embraced the entire territory of the earth: Rom 4:13 “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” The scriptures reveal that Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God”. Heb 11.10. This city is the New Jerusalem. Rev 21. It will descend out of heaven, at the opening of the eighth millennium and land upon a plain formed by Christ when His feet shall touch the Mount of Olives. Its length and breadth will extend over the entire area of the land of Canaan wherein Abraham was a sojourner. Zech 14.4-11; Rev 21.16. This City is the future centre of the government of the world and of the universe. With the inheritance of this Capital by Abraham and his Seed also comes the inheritance of the entire territory of the earth since all the kings, citizens and nations of the earth will be subject to “the light” and the dominion of this City and will they bring their glory and honour into it:

26

Rev 21:24 “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.:25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.:26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.” The Promises to all the Seed Gal 3.16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” The covenant promise of inheritance of the kingdom of God was to Abraham and to his seed. That Seed is Christ, the only begotten Son and heir of God. All who receive Christ are born of God and become the adopted sons of God. John 1.12,13. By the new birth, they are “made partakers of Christ”. Heb 3.14. “For as many...have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal 3.27. Being found in Christ, the sons of God are members of His body, (1 Cor 12.27) --- that is, they are members of the Seed and are therefore in the Seed and part of that Seed. Consequently, all the sons of God (being found “ in” the Son of God) all become partakers of God’s promise of inheritance to Christ the Seed: “And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise”. Gal 3.29. Gal 4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law :5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons :6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your

27

hearts, crying, Abba, Father:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Rom 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God :15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.” Rom 8.17 The sons of God will be heirs of God on the throne of the universe and rule the “Kingdom of glory” together with Christ: Rev 3:21 “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.” Rev 2:26 “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: :27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” Dan 7:27 “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” The Son of God was “appointed heir of all things,” by His Father; the same Father has also promised His redeemed sons that “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Heb 1.2; Rev 21.7.

28

The Saints – the Purchased Heritage of God Exo 34:9 “And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” Ps 74:2 Remember thy congregation, [which] thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, [which] thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. Man and was made for the glory of God. Isaiah 43.7. God purposed to dwell and walk in man, to inherit and to rule all his faculties and affections in divine love. 2 Cor 6.16. Thus, man was to be a living temple for the habitation of God through the holy Spirit. Eph 2.21,22. But by the fall of Adam, this grand purpose of God was forfeited – To re-establish and restore this experience in man eternally is the great object of the plan of redemption. Through Christ, “the Kinsmanredeemer” God purchased man and delivered him from the power of Satan. God has purposed to complete this experience of salvation in His people before they can inherit the “kingdom of glory”. It is Christ’s special work to prepare them by His ministry in the most Holy Place: He makes atonement for them by the blotting out of sin; He effects the final end of transgressions, and of sins; He makes reconciliation for iniquity, and brings in everlasting righteousness in the lives of the saints by the refreshing presence of His holy Spirit. Acts 3.19; Dan 8.14; Dan 9.24. Christ’s work for His people ends with them having the seal of the living God in their foreheads. Rev 7.1-3; Eze 9.4-6. In this seal is the name of the King of the universe- God the Father, the name of Christ-

29

the First-born- the heir of God, and the name of the city of God - the New Jerusalem- the capital of the Kingdom. Rev 3.12. Thus by Christ’s completed work of grace in their hearts, the saints are fully prepared and entitled to possess the “Kingdom of glory” forever and ever as “joint- heirs with Christ”. Dan 7.22; Mat 5:5; Rom 8.17 “ He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”. “Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Rom 8.32; Ps 37.29.

The End