The Everlasting Covenant - Chapter 1

The Everlasting Covenant

By E. J. WAGGONER

Chapter 1 – The Gospel Message

“Announcement to the Shepherds”

When the humble shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem were astonished by the shining of the glory of the Lord round about them, as they watched their flocks by night, their fears were quieted by the voice of the angel of the Lord, who said,

“Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11.

This message of the angel might very properly be rendered thus: “Behold, I announce to you the Gospel of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

In that announcement to the shepherds, therefore, we learn several important things.

That the Gospel is a message that brings joy. “The Kingdom of God is . . . righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17
Christ is anointed “with the oil of gladness,” Psalm 45:7
and He gives “the oil of joy for mourning.” Isaiah 61:3
It is a message of salvation from sin.

For before this time, the same angel had foretold to Joseph the birth of this infant, and had said, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

It is something which concerns everybody– “which shall be to all people.”

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

This is assurance enough for everybody; but as if to emphasize the fact that the poor have equal rights in the Gospel with the rich, the first announcement of the birth of Christ was to men in the humblest walks of life. It was not to the chief priests and scribes, nor to the nobles, but to shepherds, that the joyful news was first told. So the Gospel is not beyond the understanding of the uneducated.

Christ Himself was born and brought up in deep poverty; He preached the Gospel to the poor, and “the common people heard Him gladly.” Mark 12:37 Since it is thus presented to the common people, who constitute the greater part of the whole world, there is no doubt about its being a world message.

”The Desire of all Nations”

But although the Gospel is first of all to the poor, it is not mean and ignoble.

Christ became poor that we might become rich.

The great apostle who was chosen to give the message to kings, and to the great men of the earth, said, in view of his hoped-for visit to the capital of the world, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Romans 1:16

”Unsatisfied Longings”

The one thing that all the world is seeking after is power.

Some seek it by means of wealth, others through politics, others through learning, and still others in various other ways; but in whatever enterprise men engage, the object is the same–power of some kind. There is in the heart of every man an unrest, an unsatisfied longing, placed there by God Himself.

The mad ambitious striving of some to exalt themselves at the expense of others, the unceasing struggle for wealth, and the reckless plunging into a giddy round of pleasures, are all vain endeavors to satisfy this longing. God has not placed in the human heart a craving for any of these things, and the pursuit of them is a perversion of that desire which He has implanted in the human breast.

He desires that man should have His power; but none of the things which men ordinarily seek can give it. Consequently, none of these things satisfy man. Men may set a limit to the amount of wealth which they think to amass,

in the vain idea that when that point is reached they will be satisfied; but when the fixed amount has been gained, they are as unsatisfied as ever; and so they go on seeking for satisfaction by piling up more wealth, not realizing that the desire of the heart can never be met in that manner.

”None but Christ can satisfy”

He who implanted that desire is the only one who can satisfy it. God is manifested in Christ, and Christ is indeed “the desire of all nations” [Haggai 2:7], although there are so few who will believe that in Him alone is there perfect rest and entire satisfaction.

To every unsatisfied mortal, the invitation is given,

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. O fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that fear Him.” Psalm 34:8-9.

“How precious is Thy loving-kindness, O God! and the children of men take refuge under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.” Psalm 36:7-8 RV.

Power is what men desire in this world, and power in what the Lord wants them to have.

But the power which they are seeking would ruin them, while the power which He desires them to have is power that will save them.

The Gospel brings to all men this power and it is nothing less than God’s own power. Jesus Christ is “the power of God” [1 Corinthians 1:24], so that only in Him can the longings of the heart be satisfied. Let us consider the nature of the power that He gives, for when we have discovered what it is, we shall have before us the whole Gospel.

”The Power of the Gospel”

In the vision which the beloved disciple had of the time just preceding the coming of the Lord, the Gospel message which prepares men for that event is thus described:–

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6-7.

”The Power of Creation”

Here we have plainly set before us the fact that the preaching of the Gospel consists in preaching God as the Creator of all things, and calling on men to worship Him as such. This corresponds to what we have read in the Epistle to the Romans, that the Gospel “is the power of God unto salvation.”

What the power of God is we learn a little farther on, where the apostle, speaking of the heathen, says:–

“That which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” Romans 1:19-20.

That is to say, ever since the creation of the world, men have been able to see the eternal power of God, if they would use their senses, for it is clearly to be discerned in the things which He has made.

Creation shows the power of God. So the power of God is creative power.

And since the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, it follows that the Gospel is the manifestation of creative power to save men from sin. But we have also learned that the Gospel is the good news of salvation through Christ. The Gospel consists in the preaching of Christ and Him crucified.

The apostle says:

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthinians 1:17-18.

And still further:

“We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:23-24.

This is why the apostle did as he says: “And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-2.

The preaching of Christ and Him crucified is the preaching of the power of God, and therefore it is the preaching of the Gospel, for the Gospel is the power of God. And this is exactly in harmony with the thought that the preaching of the Gospel is the setting forth of God as the Creator; for the power of God is creative power, and Christ is the one through whom all things were created. No one can preach Christ without preaching Him as the Creator. All are to honour the Son even as they honour the Father.

Whatever preaching fails to make prominent the fact that Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, is not the preaching of the Gospel.

”Creation and Redemption”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14

“In Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17 RV.

Let us give particular attention to the last text, and see how creation and redemption meet in Christ.

In the verses just before it we read that God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” And then, after a parenthetical remark as to who Christ is, the apostle tells us how it is we have redemption through His blood.

This is the explanation: “For in Him were all things created,” etc.

”Creation by the Cross”

So the preaching of the everlasting Gospel is the preaching of Christ the creative power of God, through whom alone salvation can come. And the power by which Christ saves men from sin is the power by which He created the worlds.

(a). We have redemption through His blood.

(b) The preaching of the cross is the preaching of the power of God.

(d) Therefore the cross of Christ has in it creative power,

which is the power that redeems. Surely that is power enough for anybody. No wonder that the apostle exclaimed, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6:14.

”The Mystery of God”

To some it may be a new thought that creation and redemption are the same power; to all it is and must ever be a mystery. The Gospel itself is a mystery. The Apostle Paul desired the prayers of the brethren, that utterance might be given him, “to make known the mystery of the Gospel.” Ephesians 6:19.

Elsewhere he says that he was made a minister of the Gospel, according to the gift of the grace of God, given unto him by the effectual working of His power, that he

“should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things.” Ephesians 3:8-9

Here again, we see the mystery of the Gospel to be the mystery of creation.

This mystery was made known to the apostle by revelation. How the revelation was made known to him we learn in the Epistle to the Galatians, where he says,

“But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” And then he makes the matter still more definite, by saying, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach 25 Him among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.” Galatians 1:11, 12, 15, 16.

”The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

Let us sum up the last few points.

The Gospel is a mystery.
It is a mystery that is made known by revelation of Jesus Christ.
It was not merely that Jesus Christ revealed it to him, but that he was made to understand the mystery by the revelation of Jesus Christ in him.
Paul had to know the Gospel first, before he could preach it to others; and the only way in which he could be made to know it was to have Christ revealed in him.

The conclusion therefore is that the Gospel is the revelation of Jesus Christ, the power of God, in men.

This conclusion is plainly stated by the apostle in another place, where he says that he was made a minister

“according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:25-27.

”The Life of Jesus Reproduced in Men”

So we are fully assured that the Gospel is Christ in men, and the preaching of it is the making known to men of the fact of Christ’s dwelling in them.

And this agrees with the statement of the angel, that they should call the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, “which, being interpreted is, God with us” [Matthew 1:23], and also with the statement by the apostle that the mystery of God is God manifest in the flesh.

The life of Jesus is to be manifested in mortal flesh until He comes again.

When the angels made known to the shepherds the birth of Jesus, it was the announcement that God had come to man in the flesh; and when it was said that this good news should be to all people, it was revealed that the mystery of God dwelling in human flesh was to be declared to all men, and repeated in all who should believe Him.

And now let us briefly sum up all that we have thus far learned.

The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Salvation is only by the power of God, and wherever the power of God is there is salvation.
Christ is the power of God.
But Christ’s salvation comes through the cross; therefore the cross of Christ is the power of God.
So the preaching of Christ and Him crucified is the preaching of the Gospel.
The power of God is the power that creates all things. Therefore the preaching of Christ and Him crucified, as the power of God, is the preaching of the creative power of God put forth for the salvation of men.
This is so, because Christ is the Creator of all things.
Not only so, but in Him all things were created. He is the firstborn of all creation; when He was begotten, “in the days of eternity” [Micah 5:2 (Margin)], all things were virtually created, because all creation is in Him. The substance of all creation, and the power by which all things should be made to appear, were in Christ. This is a statement of the mystery that only the mind of God can comprehend.
The mystery of the Gospel is God manifest in human flesh. Christ on earth is “God with us.” So Christ dwelling in the hearts of men by faith is all the fullness of God in them.
And this means nothing less than the creative energy of God working in men through Jesus Christ, for their salvation. “If any man be in Christ, there is a new creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2:10

All this is indicated by the apostle when he says that to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ is to make all to see “what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:9.

”The Fellowship of the Mystery”

In the following portion of Scripture, we have the details of this mystery well summarized:–

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love; “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, “Wherein He hath made usaccepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence; “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to the good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; “Even in Him in whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will; “That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ; in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation. “In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. “Wherefore I . . . cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:3-20.

Now we will note the different points of this statement.

All blessings are given to us in Christ. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.
This gift of all things in Christ is in accordance with the fact that He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that in Him we might obtain holiness. “For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9.
In that choice the destiny determined for us was that we should be sons.
Accordingly He accepted us in the Beloved.
In the Beloved we have redemption through His blood.
All this is the making known to us of the mystery, namely, that in the fulness of times He will gather together in one household all things in Jesus Christ, both things in the heaven and things on the earth.
This being the fixed purpose of God, it follows that in Christ we have already obtained an inheritance; for God makes all things work out the purpose of His own will. “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.” Psalm 16:5.
All who believe in Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is called the Holy Spirit of promise, because He is the surety of the promised inheritance.
This seal of the Holy Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30.
Those who have the Spirit as the seal, know what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance; that is, the reality of the glory of the future inheritance becomes theirs now through the Spirit.

”The Gospel Proclaims an Inheritance”

In this we see that the Gospel reveals an inheritance; in fact, the mystery of the Gospel is really the possession of the inheritance, because in Him we have obtained an inheritance. Now let us see how the matter is stated in the eighth of Romans. We shall not quote the scripture entire, but simply summarize it. Those who have the Holy Spirit of promise are sons of God; “for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” But if we are children we are necessarily heirs; heirs of God because sons of God. And if heirs of God, we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. The one thing above all others that Christ is desirous that we should know is that the Father has loved us even as He loved Him.

”Heirs of All Things”

But of what are we heirs together with Christ?–Why, of all creation, because the Father has constituted Him “heir of all things” [Hebrews 1:2], and has said that “He that overcometh shall inherit all things.” Revelation 21:7.

And this is shown by what follows in the eighth of Romans. We are now sons of God, but the glory of the sons of God doth not yet appear. Christ was the Son of God, yet He was not recognized as such by the world; “therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” 1 John 3:1. In possessing the Spirit we are in possession of “the riches of the glory of the inheritance;” and that glory will in due time be revealed in us, in a measure far exceeding all present sufferings.

“For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:19-23.

Man by creation was a son of God; but through sin he became a child of wrath, even a child of Satan, to whom he rendered obedience, instead of to God. But through the grace of God in Christ those who believe are made sons of God, and receive the Holy Spirit. Thus they are sealed as heirs until the redemption of the purchased possession, that is, the whole creation, which is waiting for its redemption when the glory shall be revealed in the sons of God.

“The Purchased Possession”

Redemption means buying back.

What is to be bought back? Evidently, that which was lost; for that is what the Lord came to save. And what was lost? Man, for one thing; “for saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourself for naught; and ye shall be redeemed without money.” Isaiah 52:3. What else was lost? Necessarily all that man had. And what was that?

”Man’s Dominion”

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28.

The Psalmist says of man:

“Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” Psalm 8:5-8.

”The Dominion Lost”

This was man’s original dominion, but it was not retained. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we have the words of the Psalmist quoted with the following comments:–

“For not unto angels did He [God] subject the world to come, whereof we speak. But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower [or, “for a little while lower”] than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands; Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that He subjected all things unto Him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. But we behold Him, who hath been made a little lower [or, “for a little while lower”] than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour; that by the grace of God He should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 2:5-9

A wonderful picture is in these words opened to our view. God has put the earth, and all that pertains to it, under the rule of man. But that is not the case now. “We see not yet all things put under him.” Why do we not now see all things put under man? Because man lost everything by the fall. But we see that Jesus, who was made “lower than the angels,” that is, He was made man, has tasted death for every man, so that all who will believe may be restored to the last inheritance. So that just as surely as Jesus died and rose again, and just as surely as by His death and resurrection those who believe in Him shall be saved, so surely will the lost inheritance be restored to those who are redeemed.

”The World to Come”

This is indicated in the first words of the passage quoted from the book of Hebrews: “Unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

Has He then put the world to come in subjection to man?

Yes; for when the earth was created He put it in subjection to man, and Christ has taken man’s fallen state in order to redeem both him and his lost possession, for He came to save that which was lost; and since in Him we have obtained an inheritance, it is clear that in Christ we have in subjection the world to come, which is nothing less than the earth renewed as it was before the fall. This is shown also in the prophecy of Isaiah:

“They shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. 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; I am the Lord; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye Me in vain; I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” Isaiah 45:16-19.

”God’s Purpose not Frustrated”

The Lord formed the earth to be inhabited, and since He works all things after the counsel of His own will, it is certain that His design will be carried out. But when He had made the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, and man upon the earth, He “saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good” Genesis 1:31. Then since God’s plan is to be carried out, it is evident that the earth is yet to be inhabited by people who are very good, and that it is to be at that time in a perfect condition.

“Crowned with Glory”

When God made man, He “crowned him with glory and honour” and gave him “dominion over the works of His hands.” He was therefore king, and as his crown indicates, his kingdom was one of glory. By sin he lost the kingdom and the glory, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

Then Jesus stepped into His place, and through death, which He tasted for every man, He became “crowned with glory and honour.” It is “the man Christ Jesus” [1 Timothy 2:5] who has thus won back the dominion that the first man Adam lost.

He did this in order that He might bring many sons to glory. In Him we have obtained an inheritance; and since it is “the man Christ Jesus” who is now “in the presence of God for us,” Hebrews 9:24. it is plain that the world to come, which is the new earth–“the first dominion”–is still man’s portion.

”Christ Bearing the Curse”

The following texts also make this appear:

“Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28

When He was offered He bore the curse, in order that the curse might be removed.

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Galatians 3:13.

But when the curse of sin came upon man, it came also upon the earth; for the Lord said to Adam:

“Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” Genesis 3:17-18.

When Christ had been betrayed into the hands of sinful men,

“when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head.” Matthew 27:29-30.

Thus when Christ bore the curse that came on man, He at the same time bore the curse of the earth. So when He comes to save those who have accepted His sacrifice. He comes to renew the earth as well.

”The Time of Restitution”

Therefore it is that the Apostle Peter said:

“And He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:21.

So we have the words of Christ:

“When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Mathew 25:31-34.

This will be the consummation of the work of the Gospel.

“The Beginning of the Inheritance”

Now let us return to the first chapter of Ephesians. There we learned that in Christ we are predestinated to the adoption of sons; and if we are sons we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. Therefore it is that in Christ we have obtained an inheritance, for He has gained the victory, and is set down at the right hand of the Father, awaiting the time when His foes shall be made His footstool, and all things be put in subjection under Him. The fact of our inheritance in Him, is as sure as that He overcame. As the pledge of this inheritance which we have in Him, He has given the Holy Spirit. It is of the nature of the inheritance, and therefore makes known what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance.

”The Spirit the Surety”

The Spirit is the representative of Christ.

Therefore the Spirit dwelling in men is Christ in men the hope of glory. And Christ in men, is creative power in men creating them new creatures. The Spirit is given “according to the riches of His glory” [Ephesians 3:16], and that is the measure of the power by which we are to be strengthened. So the riches of the glory of the inheritance, made known through the Spirit, is nothing less than the power by which God will create all things new by Jesus Christ, as in the beginning, and by which He will create man anew, so that he may be fitted for that glorious inheritance. Thus it is that when the Spirit is given in the fullest measure, those to whom He is given taste “the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.” Hebrews 6:5.

“A Thing of the Present Time”

So the Gospel does not deal exclusively in promises for the future. It is present and personal. It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, or that is believing. While we believe we have the power, and that power is the power by which the world to come is to be made ready for us, even as it was made in the beginning. Therefore in studying the promise of the inheritance, we are simply studying the power of the Gospel to save us in this present evil world.

”Who are Heirs?”

“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29.

Of what are we heirs if we are Abraham’s seed?

Evidently of the promise to Abraham. But if we are Christ’s then we are heirs with Him; for they are Christ’s who have the Spirit, and they who have the Spirit are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. So to be a joint heirs with Christ is to be an heir of Abraham. “Heirs according to the promise.”

What promise?

The promise to Abraham, as a matter of course. And what was that promise?

Read Romans 4:13 for an answer.

“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.”

So then, they who are Christ’s are heirs of the world. We have already learned this from many texts, but now we see it connected definitely with the promise to Abraham. We have also learned that the inheritance is to be bestowed at the coming of the Lord, for it is when the Lord comes in His glory that He says to the righteous, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

When the world was created it was designed for the habitation of man, and was given to him. But that dominion was lost. True, men now live on the earth, but they do not enjoy the inheritance that God originally gave to man. That was the possession of a perfect creation by perfect beings. While the earth abideth for ever, “Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.” 1 Chronicles 29:15.

No one really possesses anything of this world. Men scheme and labour and fight to amass wealth, and then they “perish, and leave their wealth to others.” Psalm 49:10.

But God works all things after the counsel of His own will; not one of His purposes will fail; and so as soon as man had sinned and lost his inheritance, a restoration was promised through Christ, in these words:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” 60 3 In these words the destruction of Satan and all his work was foretold. The “great salvation” “at the first began to be spoken by the Lord.” Genesis 3:15.

Thus “the first dominion” [Daniel 7:27] even

“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.”

That will be real possession, for it will be everlasting.

”The Promise of His Coming”

All this is to be consummated at the coming of the Lord in glory,

“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:21.

Therefore the coming of the Lord to restore all things has been the grand hope set before the church ever since the fall of man. The faithful have always looked forward to that event; and although the time has seemed long, and the majority of people doubt the promise, it is as sure as the word of the Lord. The promise, the doubts of the unbelieving, and the certainty of the fulfillment of the promise are vividly set forth in the following portion of Scripture:–

“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance; that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water [compacted out of water and amidst water–R.V.]; whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. “But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire [or, stored with fire] against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. “But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. “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. “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation [living] and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:1-13.

”Some Plainly Revealed Truths”

Now read the passage again, and note the following points:

Those who scoff at the promise of the coming of the Lord are willingly ignorant of some of the plainest and most important events recorded in the Bible, namely the creation and the flood. They say that “all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” But they were not there, while God, who was there, says that things have changed much since creation.
The word of the Lord created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33:6. “And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31.
After a few hundred years, however, “God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” Genesis 6:12.

4 Then by the same word by which the earth was made it was covered with water, the water with which it was stored being made to contribute to its destruction. By the flood the earth “perished;” the earth in its present condition bears scarcely any resemblance to that which existed before the flood.

By the same word by which the earth was created and destroyed, the earth which is now is kept until the time of perdition of ungodly men, when it will be overwhelmed by a lake of fire instead of a flood of water.
“Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” The same word accomplishes it all.

“The Grand Climax”

Thus it appears that the coming of the Lord has been the one grand event toward which everything has been tending ever since the fall. The “promise of His coming” is the same as the promise of a new heaven and a new earth. This was the promise to the “fathers.” Those who scoff at it cannot deny that the Bible contains the promise, but they think that there is no probability of its fulfillment. They ignore the fact that things have changed much since the creation; and they have forgotten that the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

”The Lord not Forgetful”

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” Notice that it is the singular, not the plural form of the word. It is not promises, but promise. It is a fact that the Lord does not forget any of His promises, but this Scripture mentions a definite promise, namely, the promise of the coming of the Lord, and the restoration of the earth. It will be a “new earth” in very fact, because it will be restored to the condition in which it was when it was first made.

”The Shortness of Time”

Now then, although it has been a long time, as man counts, since the promise was made, “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” A thousand years are with Him as one day. So then it has been, as it were, scarcely a week since the promise was first made, at the time of the fall. It has been but a few days with God since the “fathers fell asleep.” The passage of a few thousand years does not abate one jot of the promise of God. It is as sure as when it was first made. He has not forgotten. The only reason why He has delayed thus long is that “He is long-suffering to usward; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” So we should “account that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation” [2 Peter 3:15], and should gratefully accept the kindness thus graciously offered, instead of taking His merciful delay as an evidence of lack of good faith on His part.

”A Thousand Years as One Day”

It should not be forgotten that while a thousand years in with the Lord as one day, one day is with Him also as a thousand years.

What does that mean?

Simply that while the Lord may wait a long time as man counts, before carrying out His plans, that should not be taken as evidence at any stage that to do a given amount of work will necessarily take as great a length of time as has been taken for the same amount of work in the past. One day is just as good as a thousand years with the Lord, whenever He chooses to have the work of a thousand years done in a single day. And this will yet be seen. “For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make in the earth.” Romans 9:28.

One day will suffice for the work of a thousand years.

The day of Pentecost was but a sample of the power with which the work of the Gospel is yet to go. And now that we have had this summary of what the Gospel of the kingdom really is, and have been referred to the promise to the fathers as the foundation of our faith, we may proceed to the study of that promise beginning with Abraham, whose children we must be if we are to be heirs with Christ.

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The Everlasting Covenant – Chapter 1