LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Beginnings in the Enemies' Territory
"Then God said: Let us make man in our image, in our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them: Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth, and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves along the ground." (Genesis 1:26-28).
"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden and there he put the man he had formed, and the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground: trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden he put the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:8-9).
And the Lord God commanded the man; 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17).
Yesterday we came to the part of Genesis where we saw how God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In chapter 1 we saw how God created the heavens and the earth. Then the camera of the Holy Spirit concentrates only on our planet. So then we are told the story of our planet, the earth.
Now, after the judgment of God upon this earth, God would prepare this planet for something that was already in His mind. When we study chapter 1, it is very clear how this earth was prepared. Roughly 6.000 years ago, God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but it was still the enemy's territory. This was Paradise; the Garden of Eden. Starting from there, God would carry out His will.
Looking for the first river in Eden
However, before we look at that, we have to remember that the Garden of Eden is a real place on this planet. There were four rivers that flowed through that land. Today only two rivers exist, the third and the fourth, Tigris and Euphrates.
If you visit Iraq today, and begin from the Persian Gulf and travel north, you will discover that the river Euphrates is to your left, and the Tigris to the right. In history on the riverbanks of the Euphrates there was a great called city Babylon, and along the Tigris riverbanks there was another great called city Nineveh. Babylon was the capital of the Babylonian empire, and Nineveh the capital of the Assyrian kingdom. Assyria today is the north of Iraq, and Babylon is the south of Iraq.
Today in Iraq we have two rivers that flow throughout the land. However, the Bible speaks of four rivers. There were another two. The first one is called Pishon, and the second is called Gihon. Do you see? Here we have another two rivers. But today both have disappeared; we don't know where they are. If you are able to locate those two rivers, you would almost be able to locate the Garden of Eden. Thank God, according to new discoveries, some scientists from the United States made the following discovery: the scientists found some small round stones near the Persian Gulf in Kuwait, and that proves that there was a river which flowed into the sea near Kuwait.
The scientists were very excited, and they wanted to find the river. That meant that somehow there was a river which had disappeared, and couldn't be traced. However these stones tell us that there is a hope; this is what happened in Kuwait. If you know your geography, Kuwait is next to Iraq. So then the scientists began to look for the same small round stones: they began to research because they knew the compositions of those stones, and they had all the data in their hands, so they began to look for the other stones that were missing.
Then they went to Saudi Arabia. You know that there are two famous cities in Saudi Arabia. One of them is Mecca and the other one is Medina. Near Medina there is a hill. The scientists visited that hill and they discovered the exact same round stones in that hill. What did this mean? It meant that it is very possible that there was a river all the way from Medina to Kuwait. However, you need evidence. Then they looked at the pictures from NASA. NASA had taken many photos from outer-space. They decided to concentrate on the region between Medina and Kuwait, and to see if there was any trace of a river. They were very excited because when they studied all the photos, there truly was a river that was buried under the desert.
Saudi Arabia is all desert. However, there truly is a river buried under the sand. Of course there was no way of knowing that. However, if a river really flows through there, you can imagine that the color of the sand along the river, because of the vapor from the water, is different from the sand in the rest of the desert. If you walk in the desert you will not be able to see that. Only when you look from above. It is very clear; there must be a river buried under that sand.
If this is the first river in the Garden of Eden, you need some indications from the Bible. How do you know this is the first river? There are two clues. First, if you follow the course of the river, you will discover gold, pearls, and precious stones. The scientists tried to discover if this is really true. Again the news is too good to be true. They found very fine gold near Medina, and also precious stones and pearls. But more than that, the Bible says that that river surrounded the land of Havilah. If you study the Bible carefully, where is Havilah? In Saudi Arabia. So, you see, if we gather all this information together, the scientists began to believe that they had probably found the first river from the Garden of Eden.
So, brothers and sisters, the Garden of Eden is a real place. Yes, in the beginning you had the four rivers, but after man's fall two disappeared. Do you see? In the beginning, when Adam and Eve were in the Garden, they didn't need clothes, because they were clothed with light; they were clothed with glory. The temperature was such that that land was like a paradise, almost like Chile (Laughter). When you come to this part of the world... I am serious, brothers and sisters. I like two places on this planet: one is New Zealand, the other is Chile. Because these two places have a low population and so there is not much pollution. If there is anywhere on this planet that today can remind you of the Garden of Eden, I think it is these two places. You have to visit not just the southern islands of New Zealand, but also this country. I don't mean Santiago. You probably have to go very far south.
Remember, these are probably the only two places that still remain unpolluted by mankind. So, brothers and sisters, remember that in the beginning there really was a paradise, but unfortunately, man fell, then the earth was cursed. So you have thorns and thistles. Where do you find thorns and thistles? In the desert. The desert is full of thorns and thistles.
It was supposed to be a paradise with four rivers flowing through it, giving life, giving blessings. Light everywhere, blessings everywhere. That is paradise. However, when the land was cursed, there was no more paradise, the whole Garden turned into a desert. Now you can understand that formerly those four rivers flowed through the garden, but because of Adam's fall, the whole area was changed. Saudi Arabia became a desert, and the two rivers were buried. The scientists tell us that, most likely, during the time of the Garden of Eden, in this planet there were many bands of rain. And when those bands of rain went through the land, everything became green, everything became fresh; it was like a garden. However, according to the scientists, in the beginning that band of rain was over Saudi Arabia. Then, because of man's fall, this band of rain moved north. Now, today if you visit the north of Iraq, everything is green, but if you visit the south of Iraq, everything is yellow.
So it is very clear; because of man's fall, the whole climate changed. And not only that; the whole garden of Eden turned into a desert. So you have the thistles and the thorns. Brothers and sisters, if you visit the Middle East today, it reminds us of the true story given in the second chapter of Genesis. It is a real place!
Two rivers of blessing convert into rivers of persecution
Some of us are thinking think that after two or three years, when the situation in Iraq calms down, we would like to take a study trip, beginning in the Persian Gulf, and then travelling north. First, we would like to visit Abraham's native city, Ur which is not far from the Euphrates. Then we would like to travel further north, and we will visit Babylon. And if we travel along the Tigris river, we will pass through Baghdad, Nineveh. Nineveh is today the called city Mosul.
You know that Saddam Hussein was captured in a place not far from Tigris. Saddam Hussein could literally see that river. According to the information that we have, when he tried to hide, he had allowed his beard to grow and had put on typical Iraqi dress. You can imagine, many times before sunset he would probably walk alongside the Euphrates, along the riverbank. Before man's fall these four rivers gave life to this world as well as blessing. However, after man's fall, when Satan took over this planet, the river Euphrates and the river Tigris, became two rivers that persecuted the people of God in this earth.
The ten tribes of the northern Kingdom of Israel were taken captive to Assyria; under the persecution of the river Tigris. However, a hundred years later, the two tribes of the southern Kingdom were taken captive to Babylon. They were under the persecution of the river Euphrates.
So, it is no coincidence that Saddam Hussein was captured not far from the river Tigris. If you know the history, if you know what is happening today, you can understand from the word of God that there was a tragedy. These rivers were supposed to give life and blessings to everybody, but now they have became instruments in the hands of Satan.
Anyone who wants to follow God, any people who confess that God is their God, will definitely go through persecution. That is the history of the Old Testament, and it is also the history of the New Testament. There are only two types of people that are persecuted.
Once again, if you go to Revelation and apply the principle of symmetry, now, brothers and sisters, in thegreat tribulation, there are only two people who suffer so deeply. If you study your Bible carefully, those that keep the commandments of God, and also those who live for the testimony of Jesus. You know who those people are. Now you understand why there is a Euphrates in the beginning and a Euphrates at the end; why the history of mankind began in the Middle East and one day will end in the Middle East. Why nowadays Iraq, Iran, Israel and Syria are always in the newspapers? Because our Lord will return soon. The whole universe is coming to its end.
So everything that is written in Revelation is so real to us every day, especially after September 11th. The whole world has woken up. It brought such a big change to our planet. It is a wake up call. Our Lord Jesus will return very soon, sooner than you think, sooner than you expect. That's why I said, if you want to understand Revelation, you have to understand Genesis. If you don't understand the beginning, how can you explain the end?
Only the Word of God can interpret the Word of God
Why, are people so confused today when they study Revelation? There are so many interpretations, and many of them are bible scholars, many of them are servants of God. However, brothers and sisters, only the Word of God can interpret the Word of God. Only Alpha is able to explain Omega. Only Genesis can explain Revelation.
The enemy of God hates these two books. They attack the first book. They say: it is not scientific, it is only superstition. Brothers and sisters, they hate this book. You just cannot understand it. It is the same with Revelation; there is so much confusion. John Calvin, the great reformer, a great bible student, was almost the only person in the whole history of the Church who interpreted the Word of God in a scientific way. He wrote commentaries on all the books of the New Testament, except one; Revelation.
What does that mean? It means people think that this book is almost impossible. No. Why? At the end of Daniel, what was the instruction there? Daniel had to close the book until the last days. One day, the book of Daniel would be opened. However, in that time Daniel had to close the book. In other words, one was not able to understand that book. It was closed. But, thank the Lord, when you come to the last chapter of Revelation, you discover that Revelation is supposed to be opened in these last times.
Now the 66 books are ready. God has concluded His work; His Word. Brothers and sisters, the whole Bible became a closed system. God has finished His Word. But if God had not finished His Word, we would have no way to interpret the Word of God. For example, suppose a mother talks to her daughter and they are a family that lives in Toltén, and the mother says to her daughter: "please, go out. Go out...." She did not finish her sentence. And if the daughter only hears those first two words, she will totally misunderstand her mother's words, because the mother has not finished speaking. Listen carefully, listen with patience until the mother finishes her words. If you have enough patience, what the mother means is: "please, go out to the bakery to buy bread for us." Do you understand? If you wait for mother to finish her sentence, now your interpretation is correct.
That is our problem. We try to explain Revelation only by studying the book of Revelation. Thank God, one day He concluded the 66 books of the Bible, and now we can understand Revelation. It is open. And now we are able to understand Daniel. Now, in Daniel we have one time, two times and half a time. In Hebrew, that doesn't mean one year, two years and a half a year. No, it only means one period, two periods and half a period. If you only study Daniel, you won't know how long this time is. You may guess, but you are not sure. If you ask a rabbi, they know the Old Testament very well. I tell you, brothers and sisters, according to the Lord, this book was closed until the end times, when God revealed His Word through the book of Revelation.
The whole thing now becomes clear. You need the book of Revelation to interpret Daniel. How do we know? Because in Revelation we also have the expression one time, two times and half a time; but, thank God, at the same time, the Holy Spirit said through John, forty two months, or 1.260 days. The rabbis today reject the book of Revelation, so Daniel remains a closed book for them. They may be bible scholars, but they don't know the will of God.
However, thank God, when we come to Revelation, it becomes very clear. That is why, on this occassion, we want to study the Alpha book and the Omega book. Then we will be able to know the eternal counsel of God. Now, that is what I wanted to share with you to show that the garden of Eden is a real place.
God puts man in the enemies' territory
But now we ask a very important question. Why did God put Adam and Eve in the Garden? Don't forget, the Garden of Eden is in the enemy's territory and that God wants to deal with Satan. Now, here comes the drama. From behind of the drama, there is wisdom. God will disclose this drama; here we see the Garden of Eden, and starting from there, God will get what He wants. For God as a Creator, it would be very easy to deal with the created beings. It is very easy for God to choke the enemy to death. Very easy. But God didn't want to do that, because there are two thirds of the angels in this universe, to whom God not only wants to show His power. He is the almighty God, but He is also the God of all wisdom.
God had in His mind to do the following: he didn't want to deal with Satan as a Creator. Then there would be no comparison, like an adult that fights with a baby. When you defeat the baby, when he throws the baby to the floor, people say: "he is an adult, of course he can do that." God won't do that; He doesn't want to act as the Creator. He wanted to create another created being, (because Satan was a created being,) and He called it man. The first one was Adam. Why did God create mankind? In other words, God decided to deal with one created being through another created being. Now it is a fair, clean game.
When our brother fights with his daughter Elisa, it is not a fair fight. He should have another daughter that has the same age and stature as Elisa; then it would be a clean fight. That is the wisdom of God! Satan was created as the most beautiful, most perfect creation, representing God's masterpiece. Unfortunately, Satan rebelled, but God wanted to do something. Here mankind comes in. They are also created beings, but remember this; they were created a little different. They were created according to the image of God. What does that mean? That this is His desire, His will; when humanity was created, they were so similar, they were created according to the image of God. So no matter where they went, they would always remind people of God. The glory and beauty of God is supposed to be shown through those people. That is God's desire. That's why we were created according to the image of God. In other words, God wants all mankind to become like God.
That doesn't mean that they will become gods. No, they were created according to His image. So, it wouldn't matter where they went. Just like an ambassador in the United States. When an ambassador of Chile goes to the United States and is walking down one of the streets in Washington, he truly represents all the Chileans. When we see the ambassador, we know what a wonderful people there are in Chile. This is the same thing; God has created us according to His image.
Now, let us remember, it is God's desire that one day we all be conformed according to His image. But if that purpose is carried out, they can never depend on themselves; they need a life of complete dependence, and there is only one life in this universe: God only has one begotten Son. Only the life of the only-begotten Son is life indeed in this universe. All the other things that we call life are nothing but shadows of this true life.
Only that life is the life of obedience. Why? Because Satan rebelled against God; he challenged the authority of God. It was the throne of God that kept everything together. Where the throne of God governs, there is unity. When the Lamb is in the middle of the throne of God, now one knows the whole universe has been summed up in Christ. We have to remember that only that life of obedience will maintain all things together. When you find a rebellion in this universe, you discover it was Satan who challenged the authority of God; he challenged the throne of God. When the throne is shaking, the whole universe was shaking. He wanted to overthrow the throne of God. In other words, they wanted to turn the whole universe upside down. For that reason, they were driven from the presence of God all the way to our planet.
This small part of the universe now lies under the evil one's power. But, thank God, He truly wanted to begin working in the enemy's territory. So, remember, we are created in the image of God. Now, when we live on the earth, how can we truly manifest the glory and the beauty of God? Only when we receive that life. Because Christ said: "I am the life." Aside from Christ, there is no life. The secret of the universe is this: Who is the image of the invisible God? Only His Son. It is very clear. His only begotten Son is the full manifestation, and expression of God Himself. If God's desire will be fulfilled, you need a life.
We were created; but this is only human life. What we need is to one day receive that life. That is the secret of being transformed into the likeness of God; only when we are being transformed into the image of the Son of God. Now not only are we created in the image of God, but now people can really see the glory and beauty of God. This is God's purpose.
Created with free will
But don't forget, everything is still in the enemy's territory. The whole earth is under the sway of the evil one. What can God do then? Again I say, in order to have this life, God put this life amid the Garden of Eden. God created man with free will. Why? Because God has a free will. We were created according to His image. God can say Yes, God can say No. God has created many stars. The stars always say Yes, they can never say No. God has enough stars. God wants someone that is like Him who can say Yes or can say No.
And not only that, when God created us according to His image, remember that God is all wise. So, in some way, some spark of His wisdom came to us, and we began to think. How do I know that I am here? I think and therefore I know that I am here.
That proves that we were created according to His image. God is love. Thank God. Somehow the spark of love entered into us through creation. So now we learn how to love as a mother and father love their children, as a husband loves his wife. What does this mean? That we were created according to the image of God. But this is not enough. In order to fulfill God's purpose, He put two trees in front of Adam. He created Adam with free will. He can say Yes, he can say No.
Our brother Jairo is a mechanical engineer. He can build a robot, and put some software in it, and press a button. Let us suppose that it is a female robot. When pressing the button, the robot will say: "I love you, daddy." You can make it do anything. The robot will follow you. That is what happened with Hitler. When Hitler gave a speech on the platform, he had many buttons. When he pressed a button, everyone applauded. There was nothing spontaneous. Everything was according to the buttons that Hitler pressed.
God has enough stars and even planets; Mars, Venus. The reason why a space ship can land on Mars, is because Mars doesn't have a will of its own. It will always say Yes, it will never say No. Every day, the sun rises from the east and sets in the west. The sun always does the same thing, it always says Yes. If the sun said No, then we would be in problems. The sun will never rise in the west.
Everything obeys God. The problem was this: He created something with free will, because man was created according to the image of God, and God can say Yes, God can say No. And we can say Yes, or we can say No.
There is a true story, that happened in Korea. A wife spoke too much. Finally her husband said: "You speak too much. I would like you to keep quiet." Then the wife was truly quiet. From that moment on, she never opened her mouth again. Her husband panicked. He couldn't do anything. That is called the "cold war." He couldn't do anything. When that began, he thought, "it will only last one week." But one month went by, and one year went by and nothing happened. During that time, their daughter was still a small girl. And eventually that girl grew up, and she wanted to get married. She asked her father. The father said Yes. However, she now had to ask her mother. She went to her, and in that very important moment, the mother should say Yes or No…. Nothing. She only made a movement with her head. That is all. That is the power of the will. Husbands should be careful! Wives should also be careful!
We were created with a free will. But God never allowed the cherubs to be around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If that happened, there would be no way for Adam to fall. So Satan would say: "Look, you put him in such a position that he has to obey." If God is like a dictator, then there is no choice. This is God's wisdom. God didn't put any protection there. You have the two trees in front of you; this one or that one. However, God gave a hint to Adam. This is a very important principle for parents. Today we go to another extreme like in the United States. They forgot their responsibility. When your children have grown up, you should respect them because God has created them as people with free will, but that doesn't mean that you don't have an influence over them.
God let Adam choose. However, God gave a warning. What did God say? "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for when you eat of it you will surely die." But at the same time, whilst there were so many trees, God put two trees in the middle. You could never miss those trees. When God says: "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden", there was one tree that was forbidden; so by this suggestion here, it is very clear: he should choose the tree of the life. That was what God wanted.
When we truly receive the tree of life, what type of life is that? The life is in Him, the life is in Christ, the life is in the only-begotten Son of God. That life is the life of obedience. There was only one obedient Son in this universe. We love our children and thank God for them but we all know that sometimes they just don't listen to us. They obey, however they are very slow. They sometimes say: "Yes, daddy", however next day they do something different. It is not so with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Created with a dependant life
Let us remember that the life of Satan is rebellious; it is division, it is to tear the universe apart. Only the life of that obedient Son keeps everything together, everything in harmony, and He is the peacemaker on the cross. With one hand, He took our hand, and with the other, He took God's hand. When he died, he put those two hands together. Now we can be reconciled to God. And not only that. The enemy of God's rebellion caused a separation between heaven and earth. Previously, heaven was heaven and the earth was also heaven because the earth had been created to reflect heaven. One could distinguish them, but one couldn't separate them.
But because of sin, we discover a separation between heaven and earth. Christ is the heavenly ladder toward the heavens: on the one hand, he touches heaven, and on the other hand, he touches the earth, and the cross, dear brothers and sisters, shows the whole universe being reconciled in Him. This is the nature of the tree of life. Now you understand why God created man; because that life is a dependant life. That's why the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, as the Creator, can do many things, but He said: "I only do what my Father wants me to do." What obedience! That is the nature of the tree of life: dependence.
Let me tell you a true fact. When a baby is born, its IQ is zero. How do you know if somebody is wise or not? It doesn't depend on how much education he has. The scientists have a way to know if somebody is wise or not. They try to measure their IQ. Very interestingly: when a baby is born, its IQ is zero. However, if you compare a human baby with a newly born animal, you discover that an animal has a greater IQ. For example, a calf, on the day that it is born, can stand and suck the mother's milk. Its IQ is not zero. Have you seen a baby in its cradle on the day of its birth that can stand up and say: "Hello, mom?" The mother would faint! That is impossible. The IQ of a human baby is zero.
When a shark is born, on the first day, the baby shark has all its teeth, and can swim and feed itself. Have you seen a baby that has all its teeth on the first day? The IQ of a baby shark is bigger than a human baby's. But wait for five or ten years. Now if you invite a monkey here and have two groups of peanuts, on the left and on the right, I tell you, the monkey can only distinguish that there are more almonds on one side than on the other. It cannot say how many peanuts there are here, nor how many there are there. But that's not the case with man. So our children know that this is ten and this is twenty. Now he tries to count with his ten fingers. If there are more than ten peanuts, he will take his shoes and socks off and with the help of his ten toes, be able to say that there are ten peanuts here and twelve peanuts there. What is the secret? The secret is that the baby has begun from zero; but with the animals they have already become very independent. However, from the first day, the baby only knows how to cry. What does that mean? When he cries, the help comes from the mother, or the whole family. What does that mean? "I cannot live by myself; all I can do is cry." It is a life of dependence. In other words, I can live on this earth because I depend on my mother and my father.
This is the principle of the tree of life, because the baby starts from zero, and finally becomes so wise. That is the secret. But, unfortunately, this is not our case. I remember a true story when I was in New York. I liked visiting bookstores. One day I went to one, and I found a book. In the cover, it said that this book was very useful. It was for authors, poets, for secretaries, for bankers, for house owners and students. I thought that this book must be very useful. And it only cost two dollars. So I had to buy this book. I was very happy about finding that book. When I began to read it carefully, the title of the book said: Nothing Book. And when I opened it, it didn't have anything written inside. Everything was blank. No wonder it was useful. The secretary could write something in it. So could a mother. This is the meaning of nothing: zero.
We are zero, because we have a dependant life. Now, Christ can write everything in our hearts. Thank God! That is the principle of the tree of life. Sometimes we cried, because we were desperate. When one has ten thousand dollars in their pocket, it is very difficult to pray. When you don't have anything in your pocket your knees become very soft and now you pray. When you pray it is like when babies cry. So the doctors are very careful; if the baby is not crying when it is born, he turns it up-side down and spanks it. What does that mean? There is a secret. What is our cry? Our prayer. That's how we grow, brothers and sisters. When you pray, it means: I surrender, I cannot live without God, I cannot live without Christ. This is the tree of life. So, thank God, this is the principle of the tree of life.
Extending the Kingdom of God
Now, if Adam and Eve had taken that fruit from the tree of life, on the one hand, they would have been transformed into that life. Then the beauty and the glory would have been manifested through that life. But more than that, God said to Adam: "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth, and subdue it." What does it mean to subdue? The earth was under sway of the wicked one; the earth had never been subdued. What did God want? Beginning from the Garden of Eden, in the beginning, Adam and Eve were to multiply. After multiplying, they would discover that the paradise was not big enough. Then with the life of the tree of life inside them, the more they multiplied, the more they would spread out. And when they had spread out, God's desire was that the whole of mankind would fill the earth. Think about that. If each one had the life of the tree of life, that obedient life that always says Yes to God, and always says No to Satan, it would put Satan to shame. But more than that, they would expand to fill the whole earth. And God said: Subdue it. What does that mean? It means to exercise authority over it, to put it under you.
What is the secret? When they received that life, Adam and Eve and the other descendants would be under the authority of God. Then mankind would become a delegate authority. They would be under the authority of God, because they would have the obedient life of God. They would always say Yes to God, and shame the enemy of God, because those rebellious angels always said No to God.
On the one hand, they would express the glory and beauty of God and on the other hand, the blessing that started from there; the influence of heaven would begin to expand, and finally God's desire was that all mankind would eat from the tree of life and would finally fill the whole earth. Then the whole earth would be subdued under His feet; that is the desire of God. When that happens, the will of God will have been done on the earth as it is in heaven. In this way, God will recover that territory.
When everything is under mankind's feet, it is because mankind is under God's feet, with the authority of God. Then we will have the Kingdom of God here. The throne of God has been established here. In this way, the enemies will be put to shame. This is the manifold wisdom of God.
Previously, how did we know that this planet was the Kingdom of darkness? We had crocodiles everywhere, we had dinosaurs everywhere, so we knew that that was the Kingdom of darkness. Thank God, God said: "Let there be light." How do you know that the name of Jehovah will be so beautiful all over the world? When mankind fills this earth, and bring the authority of God to all its parts. They are not the authority, they don't have authority, but they obey God; they are under authority, and then they become a delegate authority. It is an authority derived from the life that is within them. That is the desire of God.
Now, one day, through the creation of mankind, God will recover that territory which is in the enemy's hands for Himself. Then the will of God will be done on the earth, as it is in heaven. This is the eternal will of God. When that happens, we will have the Kingdom on this earth. How do we know?
The manifold wisdom of God is communicated through the Church
Before finishing let me give you a very important verse, which many people forget and misunderstand. Let us look at Matthew 25:34. It is the word of our Lord. "Then the king will say to those on his right: Come, blessed of my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Read your Bible carefully. Sometimes, when we are puzzled by this verse, we know that the Kingdom of the heavens is from before the foundation of the world. But here we have a Kingdom that is since the creation of the world. So in God's desire, in the eternal purpose of God, we see how He will deal with the enemy; He will establish a Kingdom on the earth. However, that is the Kingdom which is from the foundation of the world.
Here we can see that this is indeed the will of God, and this is indeed the wisdom of God. Today we have received Jesus Christ as our Savior. The life is in us. Now we have eternal life. All of us, in the beginning, took from the tree of life. So, when we fill this earth, wherever we go, on the one hand we are being transformed into Christ's image, and on the other hand, we are bringing the authority of God everywhere.
When you gather these people together, according to the Bible, there is a name for this people that has Christ's life: the Church.
Before finishing, let us read Ephesians 3:10. "His intent was that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." How will the angels in heaven learn the manifold wisdom of God? They worship God because God is almighty. The angels see the glory in the heavens. The angels witnessed the power of the creation. However, they have never understood the manifold wisdom of God. They need to be taught it through the church. What does that mean? It simply means that those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior, now have Christ's life in them. When they are together, when they fill this earth, they become a delegate authority for Christ. Wherever they go, here you will find heaven and earth, and those Christians take heaven everywhere. They take the authority of God everywhere.
So in this way the enemy of God is put to shame. Do you see how important the church is, why the enemy of God hates the church? He has divided the church time and again. When we are divided, the enemy of God is laughing. But don't forget: through the church; that it is the eternal will of God. Only by this way will the enemy of God be put to shame; in this way all the angels will say: we not only know that God is almighty, but we also know his manifold wisdom. We are witnesses of a drama that began in the Garden of Eden, all the way to the cross, all the way to the Lord's return. Brothers and sisters, throughout the ages, thank God, the church is not something small at all. The church is something that is connected with the Kingdom. God uses the church to fulfill His purpose. He will recover all the lost territory, and finally the will of God will be done on the earth, as it is in heaven.
Do you see how great our responsibility is today? We cannot only consider the church as a building, or like others who consider it to be an institution, or only a congregation. Brothers and sisters, if you borrow the ladder of Jacob, and go up to heaven today, see how important the church is in the heart of God! When Christ's life is in His church, that life is an obedient life. Not only to announce to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord; through their life, it is a living testimony.
One goes to their kitchen, one goes to their school, you know that Jesus Christ is the Lord in their lives. It is not just a slogan; it is a reality, brothers and sisters. Now you see that that is the eternal will of God. It is the purpose of God that the heavens and the whole universe be summed up in Christ. Now we understand the eternal counsel of God. For that reason, in Genesis, you have the Kingdom, the Kingdom since the foundation of the world. We arrive at chapter 11 of Revelation, when our Lord returns, the Kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Christ.
Finally, God has completed His purpose, and the drama comes to its end. Then we see the New Jerusalem coming down from the heavens. When you look at the New Jerusalem it will remind you of the Garden of Eden.
If you follow the course of the rivers, you have gold, precious stones and pearls. With that material, God is building the New Jerusalem. Finally, Babylon is fallen, and the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. In the beginning, you have the tree of life, and at the end, the tree of life. Finally, we see God and His Lamb on the throne. The throne is the center of the power of the whole universe. And that is the center that puts all things together, the center that maintains the whole universe in harmony. Now, in the very center of the throne, God and the Lamb.
So, brothers and sisters, now you see Christ, and Christ only, becomes the center of the universe, because that day will come in which God will sum up all the universe in Christ. This is the picture that we are given in Revelation. Thank God, in this way, by the mercy of the Lord, we have a glimpse into the eternal counsel of God.