Following on from Part 2, this article looks at the present Heavens and Earth. It describes how Lucifer (now Satan) is influencing humanity to bring about God’s judgment.
Scripture indicates that before the “Heavens and Earth” were created (2 Peter 3:5, 7) and there was “the beginning” (Gen 1:1). This was where God established to send His Son Jesus Christ to the Earth 2,000 years ago as stated below:
“[Jesus] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world [to become the ‘Lamb of God’], but was manifest in these last times for you, {21} Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
1 Pet 1:20–21
God’s Desire to Restore the Heavens and Earth
Scripture indicates that both God and Jesus witnessed the corruption by Lucifer (now Satan) of the Old Heavens and Earth. Possibly millions of years later, scripture implies that God the Father may have said to His Son Jesus Christ:
“My Son, it is time for you to restore the Earth to its former glory. Do this in exactly the way you saw Me create it. I want You to battle with Satan where Your influence on mankind will save the souls I have made. Worldliness and lusts rather than Biblical spirituality will be the means by which this spiritual battle will be won.
“It is My desire to dwell throughout eternity with faithful mankind (Rev 22). I will only do this with those who truly love, honor, and respect Me and my words. Sift My children out of the Earth (Matt 3:12; Luke 22:31) using the Godly requirements of holiness (1 Peter 1:16; Heb 10:12-14), righteousness [Matt 5:20], truthfulness [2 Thes 2:10], justice [Psalm 82:3; Prov 21:3] and love [Luke 6:27-28] that separate My children unto Me.
Paraphrase by Alan Manson
Purify the Earth from the evil and corruption Satan has inflicted upon it [Prov 10:30]. Present it back to Me in the pure state I originally created it to be [1 Cor 15:27-28]. Then I will come to the Earth and dwell among all of My faithful creation, forever [Rev 21:1-3].”
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”
Eph 3:9 See also John 1:3, 10; Col 1:15–18; Heb 1:2; 11:3.
Jesus Christ’s Obedience to His Father
With reference to Label 3 (above), this indicates that Jesus came to do what He had seen the Father do. This is revealed in the verses of scripture below:
” Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. {20} For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth…{27} And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man [or, the son of Mary].”
John 5:19–27
“For he [God the Father] hath put all things under his [Jesus] feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he [God the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him [Jesus]. {28} And when all things shall be subdued unto him [Jesus], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [God the Father] that put all things under him, that God [the Father] may be all in all.” See also 1 Peter 1:19–21.
1 Cor 15:27–28
Christ’s Restoration of the Heavens and Earth
In the darkness of the heavens, Jesus appeared above the Earth as the ‘Light of the World’ (John 9:5).
Jesus came from Heaven while the Earth was in its state of divine judgment. He did this to restore the Earth to its original habitable condition from its watery state (Gen 1:2). Doing this took Him six literal days of restoring it back to its former glorious state.
“And God [the Father] said, Let there be light: and there was light [from His Son Jesus]. {4} And God [the Father] saw the light [from Jesus], that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. {5} And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
Gen 1:3–5
Please note that it was on Day 4 of Creation that Jesus re-established the light from the sun.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
John 8:12
The Six Days of Creation
During the six days of “replenishing the Earth” (Gen 1:28) the Bible records the sequence in which this happened.
- Day 1: Jesus as the ‘Light of the World’ created the evening and the morning (Gen 1:5).
- Day 2: Jesus divided the Heaven from the Earth (Gen 1:6–7).
- Day 3: Jesus divided the Earth from the seas and created the grass, herbs, trees, and seeds (Gen 1:9–14).
- Day 4: Jesus re-established the sun’s light and heat — together with the ‘lights’ from other stars and planets (Gen 1:14–18).
- Day 5: Jesus created the birds of the Earth and the fish of the seas (Gen 1:20–22).
- Day 6: Jesus created all animals and mankind (Gen 1:24–27).
- Day 7: Jesus rested and made the seventh day a day of rest (Exod 20:11).
It could be assumed that it was Jesus who “walked as God” (Phil 2:6) “in the cool of the day” (Gen 3:8) with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In this, Jesus gave Adam ONE commandment to NOT eat of ‘The Tree’ in the Garden (Gen 3:8).
Satan’s Deception with Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve did this faithfully until Satan in the form of the serpent approached Eve.
He cast doubt in her mind about what God had commanded them NOT to do (Gen 3:1). Here, Satan caused Adam and Eve to offend God. This required God to bring judgment upon them for their disobedience (Gen 3:24). Their act of disobedience allowed Satan to usurp the authority over the Earth. This negated what God had previously given to Adam and his descendants (Gen 1:26–28). This proves Satan is a liar and a thief (John 8:44; John 10:10).
Satan’s Temptation with Christ
Jesus final confrontation with Satan during His 40 days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus to worship him by claiming all the kingdoms of this world were his. Jesus did not dispute his claim, as highlighted in the verses of scripture below:
“Again, the devil taketh him [Jesus]…And saith unto him, All these things will I [Satan] give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me…”
Matt 4:8–10
It is worth considering that the spiritual battle between Jesus Christ and Satan commenced in the Garden of Eden.
The points to note in this are:
- God has permitted Satan to roam about on the Earth (Job 1:7; 2:2) for the purposes of testing all of mankind. He uses the same techniques as he used with Adam and Eve to tempt their obedience to God. Satan is known in the Bible as “the tempter” (Matt 4:3; 1 Thes 3:5).
- If a Christian dies with any sins not repented of, this means they have succumbed to Satan’s lies. Christians who believe such lies will realize not long after their death it is too late for repentance. God has reserved a place in eternity for all who prefer to act on Satan’s lies.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving [that God does not punish sin], and…all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Rev 21:8
Satan’s Role in Deceiving Mankind
Satan once attempted to invade Heaven with his angels to overthrow God’s rule of the Earth. He proudly believes [Job 41:1, 34] he can still achieve that goal.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have responded to his challenge. Jesus came to the Earth in the weakness of human flesh to engage in this battle with Satan.
In this battle for the souls of mankind, Satan has spiritual power to silently afflict mankind at his will.
In this he uses:
- Evil angels
- Evil men and women
- Demons – or evil spirits
In contrast to this, Christ had only Himself in the weakness of human flesh to counter Satan’s temptations. However He did have God the Father and the Holy Spirit (Col 2:9) and certain angels to assist Him.
The Need for Spiritual Fruit in God’s Kingdom
Speaking about Christians and of an important requirement to achieve Salvation, Jesus said these words:
“I [Jesus] am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth MUCH FRUIT…{8} Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be my disciples.”
John 15:5–8
God requires all Christians to read, believe and apply what the Bible tells them – in FAITH! If Christians ignore this requirement by enjoying the pleasures of this life instead, they will forfeit their Salvation. This because it is Satan’s desire that Christians don’t read, believe and do what their Bibles tell them.
“For if [Christians] after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein [in their former lusts and sin], and [have therefore become] overcome [by Satan], the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. {21} For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2 Pet 2:20–21
Summary
Lucifer’s rebellion in Heaven caused him to be cast to the Earth by God the Father. Jesus was witness to that event (Luke 10:18).
It is believed that prehistoric animals roamed the the Earth at this time – together with mankind.
Lucifer (now termed ‘Satan’) corrupted the institutions of good government that God had established with mankind.
God’s wrath was so fierce at what Satan had achieved, that He destroyed the Earth. In this His wrath was so severe that “…the heavens, and they had no light“!
Heaven and the Earth were kept in this state of ‘judgment’ until Christ restored it to its former glory. It also signaled the battle between Jesus Christ and Satan had commenced. The one who becomes ‘victor’ would eventually rule the Earth – forever. This battle is still in progress, and the souls of mankind are the spoils for each contestant.
Please read the next article in this series titled, “The End of the Age”.
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