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CONTENTS

 

 

FOREWORD

 

1.  GENESIS AND JOHN

 

2.  EXODUS AND REVELATION

 

3.  LEVITICUS AND 1 JOHN

 

4.  NUMBERS AND 2 JOHN

 

5.  DEUTERONOMY AND 3 JOHN

 

 

FOREWORD

 

Some form of the following statement is what one invariably hears in almost any so-called fundamental church of the land, or in books dealing with salvation written by men associated with these churches, or from like-minded Christian groups or organizations.

 

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, put your faith, your trust in Him, allowing you to pass ‘from death to life’ — be saved — and one day spend eternity in Heaven with God and His Son rather than spending eternity in Hell with Satan and his angels.”

 

It all sounds very good to many Christians, and there are usually a lot of “amens” with these type of statements.  The problem is that these type of statements are partly right, partly wrong, and very misleading.

 

The preceding statement is correct with respect to there being only one way to be saved — believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30, 31) — and it is correct with respect to the eternal destiny of any and all who do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, though Scripture calls this place “the lake of fire,” not Hell (John 3:18; Acts 4:12; Revelation 20:11-15).

 

The statement is incorrect and very misleading with respect to where the saved are going to spend eternity.  The thought that saved man will spend eternity in heaven with God and with His Son is not only completely out of line with anything taught in Scripture but such a teaching serves to obscure and do away with that which Scripture actually does teach about saved man’s future destiny.  And this false ideology is so ingrained within man’s way of thinking that one often hears it from individuals who, in reality, know better.

 

Man’s creation in the beginning had to do with regality.  Man’s creation had to do with his ruling the earth in the stead of Satan and his angels (the incumbent powers and authorities), a rule to occur during that time foreshadowed by the seventh day (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:1-3).

 

Man’s fall had to do with Satan bringing about his disqualification to occupy the throne, allowing the incumbent rulers to continue occupying the throne (Genesis 3:1ff).

 

And, by and through any sound method of biblical interpretation, God effecting man’s salvation could only have to do with man ultimately being brought back into a position where he could one day realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning, which has to do with ruling the earth during a seventh millennium in the stead of Satan and his angels (Genesis 3:21ff).

 

And by and through the manner in which God had previously established matters during 6,000 years of redemptive work (foreshadowed by the six days of restorative work involving a ruined creation in Genesis 1:2b-25), this rule for Christians will be as co-heirs with God’s Son.

 

(For a more complete picture of the matter, refer to the author’s book, God’s Firstborn Sons.)

 

Then, beyond the 7,000 years (which had been foreshadowed in Genesis 1:1-2:3 by the complete picture of Creation, Ruin, and Restoration throughout six days, followed by Rest on the seventh day), one finds a new heavens and a new earth.  God, His Son, and redeemed man will dwell on this new earth; and God’s continued universal rule will emanate, not from heaven as we know it today, but from the new earth.  “The throne of God and of the Lamb” will rest on the new earth, and God with His Son will rule from this throne, with redeemed man exercising regality from this throne as well (Revelation 21, 22).

 

During the Millennium, man’s rule will have to do with the earth; but during the succeeding eternal ages, man’s rule will evidently have to do with the universe itself.

 

Thus one can easily see the problems involved by the erroneously promulgated thoughts so prevalent today that saved man is destined to spend eternity in heaven with God.  Such a teaching, not being even remotely biblical, could have a very damaging effect on one’s present Christian life as it is viewed in relation to the future.

 

The truth of the matter is set forth at the beginning of Scripture, in the five books of Moses; and this is equally what the five parallel books of John are about.  And, as well, this is what any other part of Scripture can only be about, for all subsequent Scripture must be completely in line with the way matters are set forth at the beginning, in line with that which is revealed by and through Moses.