INTRODUCTION
I have discovered that WordPress, which enables me to set up and publish this blog, likes posts that have cornerstone content – foundational concepts – for other blog posts. I will therefore publish this one, which lays out my philosophy of who reigns on Earth. It is based on the claim of King Jesus that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)“
CREATOR MADE HUMANS TO RULE ON EARTH
This is the first bedrock truth taught by the writer of the Genesis 1 Creation story. After setting up the realms of the heavens, the sky, and the waters and land, the Creator made inhabitants for those realms.
He made the Sun, Moon, and starry host to rule in the heavens. These were believed to be spiritual beings, just as the Creator is. These “gods” are called His divine council, the sons of god, the host of heaven, fiery beings (seraphs).
He made flying creatures to inhabit the sky, and fish, sea creatures, and sea monsters for the deep waters. He made wild animals, flocks, and creepy- crawlies for the land. Then He made humans in His image to rule over all these Earth creatures.
The Creation story of Genesis 2 depicts the Creator gathering and watering the dust of the ground and forming a clay statue – an idol/ image of Himself – into which He breathed His own Spirit/ wind/ breath (ruach). He made Humanity to be as creative, organized, and life producing as Himself. The Creator desired that they fill the Earth with His rulership and creative organization. (pic: creation-of-adam-sistine-chapel)
The Life Giver made a high place, a land of pleasure (eden), which was the overlap of Heaven and Earth, of the spiritual realm and the earthly. He planted a garden with fruit trees for food. In the middle of the garden, He planted the Tree of Life and the Tree of Morality (the knowing of good and bad). The humans were meant to learn how to discern good and bad His way, not by eating the fruit of the Tree of Morality.
HUMANS BELIEVED THE DECEIVER AND DISOBEYED
Genesis 3 shows how a creature of the land, a serpent, a fiery being (seraph?) spoke shrewdly to Eve and convinced her to act independently of the Creator’s word. She saw all the good things about that fruit. It was good for food; pleasing to the eye, nose, and tongue; and would enable the humans to discern morality w/o Creator’s input. She reached out, took, ate, and gave some to her husband. This set the pattern for every act of disobedience since. Everyone acts independently of the Creator’s instructions.
In this way, Humanity lost its ultimate reign over Earth. We submitted to slavery to the Enemy, which resulted in being exiled from the plentiful garden and from the land of Pleasure in the Creator’s presence. We lost the easy provision of food and the needs of life. Death became the “wages” earned by each human. We became unable to resist the Enemy’s lies and impulses to disobey the Creator.
ORIGIN OF OTHER “GODS”
Genesis 11 says that the humans tried to thwart the Creator’s will for spreading throughout the Earth to continue organizing it for His rulership. They built a city to stay together to make their own name great and a tower to reach into the heavens and obtain the benefits of Eden.
The Creator saw this tower in Babel, said that humans could become unstoppable in their ungodly creativity, and turned their languages into babble. He scattered them over the Earth and assigned spiritual beings to rule over them, keeping only the people of Israel for Himself (Deuteronomy 32:8-9, RSV).
These became the principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15, RSV), the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12) Paul wrote about.
CREATOR NEEDED A HUMAN TO RULE HIS WAY
The Creator begat the baby Jesus by Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-35). Jesus was a totally human male – the Son of Man. He was totally divine with the Creator as His father – the Son of God. He was totally able to resist the Enemy’s lies. He totally laid down His godly powers, having been born a human (Philippians 2:6-8).
In His humanity, Jesus submitted to water burial and the Wilderness Experience. He died to any independent human life and committed to living by the guidance and power of Holy Spirit. He resisted the lies of the Enemy and did all His earthly work by the Father’s instruction.
Jesus submitted to the Father’s plan of redemption and atonement. He allowed the principalities and powers to use humans to kill Him. Thus, they illegally killed an innocent man, one not submitted to slavery to them. He destroyed their right to rule over all of Humanity (Acts 2:22-24).
His innocence allowed for His resurrection, making Him God’s Anointed King (Acts 2:36).
“ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH”
This is what Jesus declared to His apostles just before He returned to Heaven and took up His place on the throne of the Creator. That kingship is His by right as an innocent human, as God’s Anointed King. He is King over the principalities and powers in the heavens. He is King over all the peoples on Earth. He delegated His apostles to spread the Good News of His Kingdom throughout the Earth. He still rules over the Earth through His body, His ecclesia (Eph 1:18-23, my Ecclesia Bible).
RENEWED HUMANITY HAS RIGHT OF RULERSHIP
We who believe in Jesus and submit to His rulership are delegated by the King of Heaven and Earth to rule as His governing assembly all over the Earth. We are to have influence in the Seven Mountains of Society and in all political arenas.
What we say, goes (Mark 11:22-23, RSV). When we discern His will for a situation, as a gathering of His people, we are to proclaim that will to the heavenly beings and work to bring it about. See
QUESTIONS
Do you believe in your rulership as a human on Earth? Submit to the reign of King Jesus and He can make that more and more true, especially in concert with other believers.