Thursday, April 24, 2008

LIFE IN THE KINGDOM Part 2

The material kingdom was cursed: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake” (Gen. 3:17). The vegetable kingdom is cursed: “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee” (Gen. 3:18). Before the curse, all Adam had to do was to dress and keep the garden (Gen. 2:15), but after the curse he was told that he would earn his bread “in the sweat of thy face” (Gen. 3:19).

The animal kingdom is cursed: The curse is placed upon the serpent in Genesis 3:14, but it was not until Noah came out of the Ark that fear of man was placed on animals. “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every foul of the air, and upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon the fishes of the seas; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things” (Gen. 9:2, 3).

Creation shall be delivered from this bondage:

Rom 8:21-23

21 Because the creature [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
KJV

The curse on nature will be lifted, in a large measure, at the beginning of the millennial era, at the time of the “redemption” of the body.

Isa 35:1-2, 6-7
35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

2 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.

6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
KJV

Ezek 34:26

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.
KJV

At the start of Christ’s reign, the vegetable kingdom will have its curse lifted too:

Ezek 34:27

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
KJV

Isa 55:13

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
KJV

Amos 9:13-14

13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
KJV

Because of the change in nature and the fruitfulness of the soil and peace upon the earth, there will be a material prosperity that the world has never known (Ps. 72:16). Labour problems will be solved (Isa. 65:21-25; Amos 9:13-14; Ezek. 36:29-30).

And what about he animal kingdom? There will be peace between animals and between man and animals.

Isa 65:25

25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
Isa 11:6-9

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
KJV

Hos 2:18

18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
KJV

The curse will be lifted from the material, vegetable and animal kingdom and from the weather so there will be no storms or drought except as a disciplinary measure (Zac. 14:16-19). There will be an increase of light:

Isa 30:26

26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
KJV

This is just a glimpse of what Christ’s reign will be like, there is much more to be mentioned. No wonder the Scripture says:

2 Cor 4:17-18

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
KJV.

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