Order in the Court of the King! (What Jesus Started)

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Order in the Court of the King! (What Jesus Started)

In the last part of our series we looked at what Jesus ‘finished.’ He came from Heaven to earth to ‘destroy the works of the devil’ (1 John 3:8). He began His earthly ministry by telling people to ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17). Jesus demonstrated His power over Satan during the wilderness temptations and through His miraculous ministry. Jesus took on the ‘works’ of the devil and overcame them one by one (e.g. sickness, demon possession, death). Then, Jesus finished all of the work God gave Him to do by sacrificing Himself on the Cross – ‘It is finished.’ And, finally, we saw that Jesus had the devil ‘cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.’

That’s quite a story, but when did it begin?

In Eternity

Everything we see today ‘began’ in Eternity. I use the words ‘Eternity’ and ‘Eternal’ carefully because they are outside of what we know as ‘time and space.’ To say that something ‘began’ is using a term of ‘time.’ Eternity is not in time, so to say that something ‘began’ in Eternity is a difficult idea to comprehend.

The Prophet Moses told the children of Israel that “The eternal God is your refuge” (Deuteronomy 33:27). The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy” (Isaiah 57:15). King Solomon wrote, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome that “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20). The Apostle Peter wrote that God called us to “eternal glory by Christ Jesus” (1 Peter 5:10). James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem Church, said “Known to God from eternity are all His works.” (Acts 15:18)

What does it mean that God is ‘eternal?’ What does it mean that God ‘inhabits eternity? What does it mean that God’s glory is ‘eternal?’ What does it mean that known to God ‘from eternity’ are all His works? What does it mean that God has placed ‘eternity’ into the hearts of people? What is God’s ‘eternal power and Godhead?’ How did God know ‘all His works’ from ‘eternity?’

Let’s begin our understanding of this important subject with some definitions. These are from some of the primary Hebrew and Greek words translated by the English into ‘eternal’ and ‘eternity.’

Eternal

“everlasting, duration of time that is concealed or hidden, that which is before, ancient” – Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies

“forever and ever, perpetuity, perpetual, continually, long duration, antiquity, futurity” – Strong’s Hebrew Concordance

“unlimited duration” – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

“age-long, and therefore: practically eternal, unending; partaking of the character of that which lasts for an age, as contrasted with that which is brief and fleeting” Strong’s Greek Concordance

Eternity

“aforetime, forevermore, ancient time, before, east end, part, side eternal, everlasting, forward” – Strong’s Hebrew Concordance

Everlasting to Everlasting

We are creatures of ‘time.’ We have just 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, 52 weeks in a year, only a limited number of years to live. We are also creatures of ‘space.’ We live in a country, in or near a town, in a community, in a neighborhood, in a dwelling. Because we are creatures of time and space, it is difficult to imagine anything that could exist outside of time and space. But the fact is that there is such a thing. The Bible speaks of it as God’s ‘habitation.’ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed before ‘time’ began, before there was ‘space.’

The Bible does not begin by explaining eternity. It simply states that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” We might make the assumption that God must have existed before He created, but Genesis 1:1 just says that God created ‘In the beginning.’ It is later in the Bible that God revealed through His prophets that He is “from everlasting to everlasting.” This is from the Prophet Moses –

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:2

That is a direct statement from the Prophet Moses who met personally with God on multiple occasions over a period of 40 years. God, who has always existed, started something. He created time and space. He created the heavens and the earth. Why?

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he wrote this about Jesus Christ –

He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16

This adds more to our understanding of the meaning of Eternity. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ‘dwell’ in unapproachable light. They ‘inhabit’ Eternity. As Moses wrote, “Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Moses also wrote, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29) While God has revealed many things to us through His Word, there are some ‘secret things’ that belong to God.

One of the ‘secret things’ of God is why He created the heavens and the earth knowing what was going to happen. I think we’ll find some insights to the question as we move through the series, but there are some things that may remain a secret until we join Him in Eternity.

The Kingdom of God

Jesus taught His disciples a simple prayer that emphasized the fact that God is King of the universe –

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

Notice that God’s position as King is in ‘Heaven and earth.’ Jesus, the King of the universe, had come from Heaven to earth to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus knew the perfect words for His disciples to pray because He knew the purpose for which He had created the world. He knew how people should pray and how they should live.

God, who created ‘the heavens and the earth,’ is the King of the ‘heavens and the earth.’ That should come as no surprise to God’s people, even though many don’t act like it. The Bible is filled with many examples of how God is worshipped as the King of Heaven –

The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. Psalm 103:19

O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Isaiah 37:16

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints— Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the Lord! Psalm 148

Notice that God ‘established’ His throne in Heaven. His ‘kingdom’ rules over all. God dwells ‘between the cherubim.’ God alone is God and King over ‘all the kingdoms of the earth.’ That’s because God ‘made heaven and earth.’ All of creation will praise Him. Why? Because He is God – Creator and King of all He has made.

God the Creator of Order

God is Creator, which means He is Ruler over all His Creation. Though alone before Creation (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), God designed a plan in Eternity that would bring about an orderly system of supernatural government. That supernatural government would occur in two specific places –

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

God’s design included two large spaces known as “the heavens and the earth.” That’s where He would rule. He also created time – “So the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:5). That’s when He would rule. God said that the “day” would be made up of ‘twelve hours’ – “Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” (John 11:9) God also designed for the evening (night) to be made up of twelve hours – “go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night” (Acts 23:23). God also designed days and years, signs and seasons, that would be divided by ‘lights in the firmament of the heavens’ – “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).

What we find throughout Scripture is ‘order.’ God is orderly in all that He does. God is not haphazard in designing or carrying out His design. He doesn’t forget what He’s doing. He doesn’t make mistakes. He is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

However, some may question that based on Genesis 1:2 – “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Why would the first verse in the Bible say that God created the heavens and the earth, and the second verse in the Bible speak of the earth being without form and void? Is that a contradiction? Did God create the earth in such a way that He started with a mistake or mess? Let’s see.

The Hebrew words “without form” and “void” mean “formlessness” and “emptiness.” “Darkness” (to be or grow dark) was “over” (above, upon, over) the “deep” (abyss, sea). God the Spirit “was hovering” (relaxing, growing soft) “over” (above, upon, over) the “face” (face, faces, surface) of the “waters.”

While this verse has caused many disagreements and disputations through the centuries (known as the ‘Gap Theory’ among other things), this verse makes complete sense to me. Let me explain.

Genesis 1:1 is thematic. Anyone who knows about basic writing knows that. The theme is stated first. God created the heavens and the earth. That’s the theme. The following verses are the ‘development’ of that theme. A writer uses detailed descriptions that include informational examples to develop the theme. I call it the ‘thematic process’ – the steps a writer takes to build on the theme in a way that explains the process leading to ‘thematic support.’

Keep in mind that though Moses physically wrote the Book of Genesis, he did so based on two important factors.

God revealed His secrets to Moses over a period of many years. God spoke directly to Moses, who wrote what He heard from God.
The Holy Spirit ‘inspired’ Moses to write what he heard accurately (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16).

What we read in Genesis 1 (and following) are the Words God spoke to Moses. If you disagree, disagree with God. Jesus often pointed out to people that the words Moses had written were God’s commandments –

He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do. Mark 7:9-13

If Jesus Christ said that the words Moses wrote were the Words of God, who are we to disagree? Unfortunately, many ‘church leaders and members’ do disagree and argue about the words Moses wrote. As Jesus said, they make the Word of God ‘of no effect’ through their tradition. Church, wake up. Your time is growing short.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21

I view Genesis 1:2 as ‘processive,’ meaning that it is part of the process King Jesus used to create the heavens and the earth. God often refers to ‘potters’ creating something from clay. The Apostle Paul wrote –

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Romans 9:20-21

If you have watched a potter create a beautiful vessel, you’ve seen the process. The potter gathers raw materials, mixes them with water, places them on a wheel, and creates the beautiful vessel he envisions in his mind. I believe this may be what is happening in Genesis 1:2. The Holy Spirit ‘hovers over’ the face of the waters and the creative process begins.

The King and His Court

Even as human kings and queens have a ‘court,’ so does God. However, His is an eternal one. Human rulers die and disappear from view. Not so with King Jesus. He is with us always. Because He is King of the Universe, our Lord reigns with a court of hundreds of millions of angels. Billions of saints will bow before Him and cast their crowns at His feet.

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. Revelation 5:11-14

The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. Psalm 93:1-2

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:1-4

Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested. Revelation 15:3-4

Next Time

Jesus is King – no doubt about that. But why would chaos and disorder ensue so soon after He created the heavens and the earth? We’ll look at that question in the next part of our special series. We’ll also look how ‘relationships’ play a major role in the spiritual and physical worlds we inhabit.

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Order in the Court of the King! (What Jesus Started)