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Chapter
178
Home of the Saved
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For what purpose was the
earth created?
"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that
formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in
vain, He formed it to be inhabited." Isa. 45:18.
Why was man made?
"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou has put
all things under His feet." Ps. 8:6 (Gen. 1:26) (Ps. 115:16).
Does man now have all
these things under him?
"Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He
put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But
now we see not yet all things put under him." Heb. 2:8.
When man lost his
dominion, to whom did he yield it?
"For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in
bondage." 2 Peter 2:19.
NOTE. - Man was
overcome by Satan in the garden of Eden, and there yielded himself and his
possessions into the hands of his captor.
What circumstance shows
that the earth came into Satan's possession?
"And the Devil, taking Him up into a high mountain, showed unto Him all
the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said unto Him, All
this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto
Me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it." Luke 4:5, 6.
NOTE. - This was the
occasion of Christ's temptation in the wilderness. It cannot be truthfully said
that Satan lied, when he told Christ that all the kingdoms of the world had been
delivered into his (Satan's) hand. There was a sense in which his pretensions
with regard to the kingdoms of the world, their power and their glory, were
truthful, otherwise how could his words have been a temptation to Christ?
Is this first dominion to
be restored? And to whom is it to come?
"And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of
Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come
to the daughter of Jerusalem." Micah 4:8. The "tower of the
flock" is Christ.
If man lost the dominion
through sin and death, through whom will it be restored?
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God
should taste death for every man." Heb. 2:9.
What blessing did our
Saviour pronounce upon the meek?
"Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt.
5:5.
NOTE. - This
inheritance cannot be realized in this life; for here the truly meek have the
least of earth's good things.
Who does David say have
the most of earthly things?
"For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the
wicked... Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could
wish." Ps. 73:3-7.
Will there be a
difference between the portion of the righteous and that of the wicked?
"Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit
the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." Ps. 37:34.
What promise was made to
Abram concerning the land?
"And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him,
Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and
southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to
thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever." Gen.13:14, 15.
How much did this promise
comprehend?
"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith." Rom. 4:13.
How much of the land of
Canaan did Abraham own in his lifetime?
"And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot
on; yet He promised that He would
give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had
no child." Acts 7:5. (Heb. 11:13).
How much of the promised
possession did Abraham expect during his lifetime?
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing
whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God." Heb. 11:8-10.
Who is the seed to whom
the Abrahamic promise was made?
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And
to "seeds" as of many: but as of one, And to thy "seed,"
which is Christ." Gal. 3:16.
Who are counted heirs of
that promise?
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according
to the promise." Gal. 3:29.
Why did not these ancient
worthies receive the promise?
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received
not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they
without us should not be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40.
What is to become of our
earth in the day of the Lord?
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;
in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also; and the works that are therein
shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. (Isa. 13:9) (Isa. 24:1-6) (Jer.
4:23-27).
What will
follow this great conflagration?
"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and
a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13. (Rev.
21:1-5).
To what promise did Peter
refer, when saying that he looked for new heavens and a new earth?
"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former
shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Isa. 65:17.
What will be the
condition of things in the new earth?
"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. 65:25.
How will the ransomed
demonstrate their joy in that place?
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come
to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they
shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa.
35:10.
How extensive will be the
reign of Christ at that time?
"He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the
ends of the earth." Ps. 72:8.
What does Daniel say of
this kingdom?
"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High,
whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey
Him." Dan. 7:27.
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