Matthew 13:10 the disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?

" He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE A CHILD OF GOD? No, this article is not to persuade you to "give your heart to the Lord" or accept Jesus as your personal savior. This article is written to answer the question: Is the Lord - the God kind reproducing Himself through man - the human kind? Is it true, as some have claimed, God the Father is going to have billions of humans literally born ... into His family? The truth of the matter is found in the pages of your Bible. by Keith Hunt

It is written: "... you are the temple of the living God; as God has said: I will dwell in them, and walk in them. And be a Father unto you, and you shall be MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS ..." (2 Cor.6:16,18, emphasis mine). There it is, straight forward language would you not say, yet some today in the Church of God will tell you this plain talk does not mean what it says, but really means something different. Exactly what it is supposed to mean I am not sure. They say God is not having sons and daughters as we think of sons and daughters in a family environment, but some different kind of "children" that are along the angel kind. If that is so, then why all the effort on God's part, even to the point of one of the members of the Godhead coming to die for all mankind? If the human kind is to become no more than the angel kind, why did God devise such an elaborate plan of redemption and salvation for mortals? Was it only for God to stroke His ego? Was it all for Him to show off His power and generosity, something to play with for nothing better to do, so He would not get bored with all this eternal life He has. Was mankind created to only reach the level of life as the angels or was it so they could go beyond the angels? Is man/woman able to tap into the very nature, energy, power, mind, of the creator? Is mankind ultimately to serve angels or are angels to serve mortal man now and forever? What does the Bible mean when it says God is our Father, and we humans are His children? What does the Bible mean when it says Jesus is our BROTHER, and we are His brothers and sisters? Can we know the answers to these questions? Yes, indeed we can friends. God has made the truth to these questions plain. He really wants us to understand and to know that we know WHY He created the human kind. God wants us to KNOW if He is literally going to have sons and daughters - children born to Himself in every sense of the word - exactly as we mortals can have children born to us in a literal way. The truth of all this is found in the pages of your Bible - let's begin by answering the following question.

CAN HUMANS PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD? There is a God is heaven above, He really does exist and only the fool has said in his heart "there is no God" (Ps.53:1). All the created works declare His power and might and His existence (Romans 1:20). God the Father through Jesus made all things and is over all things, and by Him all things consist and are held together (Eph.1:15-23; Col.1:12-19). We are not talking about some arch-angel, but GOD ALMIGHTY HIMSELF!! The creator of this entire universe that is beyond the comprehension of the mind of mortal man. The size of some of the stars (a football field representing one sun in the universe while a football on that field representing our sun that warms our earth) is mind blowing. The distances to some of the stars and galaxies is mind numbing(some are tens of thousands of light years away, and light travels at 186,000 miles a second - yes a second!). All of this and the entire angelic spirit world was created by this God we are talking about. This God has a spirit nature/power that can be everywhere throughout the universe. It is His DIVINE NATURE as well as His power to do what He wills with what He has made. Nothing is greater than God. Everything that is done by anything this God has created is ALLOWED to be done because this supreme authority we call God the Father permits it to be done. Has mortal man been allowed to tap into this divine power? Has this divine God said that mortal man can partake of His very own nature, His very own Spirit and Mind? It is written: "Of His own will BEGAT(conceived) He us with the word of truth ...... (James 1:18). So God is able to BEGET - CONCEIVE us humans to Himself, so says His word that is truth (Jn.17:17). Now notice what Peter said, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has BEGOTTEN US again unto a living hope"(1 Pet.1:3) . We as humans were conceived or begotten once, through our human flesh and blood parents. Then we can be conceived or begotten AGAIN, a second time, by God the Father. What exactly does being conceived of God really mean? The apostle Peter was inspired to give us that answer in clear terms. "Simon Peter .... to them that have obtained like precious faith with us .... According as His DIVINE POWER has given unto us ALL THINGS that pertain unto LIFE and GODLINESS .... Whereby are GIVEN UNTO US exceeding GREAT and PRECIOUS promises: that by these you might be PARTAKERS of the DIVINE NATURE ..." (Pet.1:1-4). There it is! Christians, mortal flesh and blood can, NOW in this life tap into the very NATURE of God. You can look in vain throughout the entire Bible and you will never find where any angelic being is able to partake of the divine nature of God, only the human kind have been given this great privilege.

This nature of God is also called "the Holy Spirit" and "Spirit of Christ." Jesus said "God is a Spirit" (Jn.4:24), and by that He was saying, God the Father is made of Spirit - His body is composed of eternal spirit(for those who want proof that God does have form and shape, a body, please see our article called "God ... does He have a Body?") and one of the names of God is "holy" (Ps.111:9) - so God is HOLY SPIRIT! Jesus, after being raised from the dead, was again God - He was God before His human birth, and was also WITH God. He gave up His Godship for a while to become a partaker of flesh and blood, but after His death and resurrection He was again God, sitting on the right hand of God the Father in heaven (John 1:1-14; Phil.2:5-11; Heb.1:8). Now look at this wonderful promise Jesus gave to His true followers. "If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and WE WILL COME UNTO HIM AND MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM'(John 14:23). Jesus said He and the Father - BOTH of them would come and live with those who would love and follow His way. How would both the Father and Jesus come into the Christian? They would come into the person via their divine nature - their SPIRIT! Notice what Peter said to the multitudes as he was finishing his sermon on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent in power, you will find it in Acts 2:38. Those who will repent and be baptized can receive the Holy Spirit. They can be filled with God who is both Holy and Spirit - they can tap into the divine nature of God. In so doing they can have the MIND of God in them (Phil.2:5), the very spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind (2 Tim.1:7). This Spirit of God in us is of paramount importance - it is the difference between life and death, between serving God or the flesh, it is the difference between being a child of God or not (Rom.8:6-14). Again I say, no angelic being was ever promised or given this saving nature - the very nature of the Godhead. Over and over again in the New Testament we are given verse upon verse that shows God the Father is willing to give to those who will receive it, His very divine spirit nature, which conceives as a begettal, those individuals into the literal sons and daughters of the Father. The human kind can partake of the God kind - it was planned. FROM THE BEGINNING Genesis chapter one tells about the re-shaping of this earth after it had been covered with water. It tells about the forming of the land masses, about the dividing of the day from the night, about the formation of the heaven that the birds fly in, about the creation of all the land, sea, and air creatures. It tells us HOW God created and brought into existence all these things. It was all accomplished by "the spirit of God" and by "the spoken

word" (Gen.1:2,3). The gospel of John, chapter one, shows that the one who did all this was the person of the Godhead that became Jesus Christ. There were TWO eternal beings from the beginning, who had no beginning, who were eternal and who were God - one God, but two persons, just as husband and wife are ONE but two persons (Gen.2:24) All the creatures that God created were "after their kind" verse 25. Then God said, "Let US(more than one being) make man in OUR image, after OUR LIKENESS .... (verse 26). There is something completely unique about the creation of the human kind - they were fashioned, not after the beast kind, or the angelic kind, but after the GOD KIND! Notice something else that was special about the creation of man, it is found in chapter 2 and verse 7. God HIMSELF "formed man of the dust of the ground" and it was God, personally, that "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" - it was not done by God's spirit or by the spoken word, but by the very God! Man was created in a very personal way by God! He did not have an angel being do it. He personally did the forming of man after His kind, and He personally breathed into the nostrils the breath of air to start the man living. This alone should tell us that the creation of man was of such importance to God that only He was worthy to do it, and it shows what a special creation God was now undertaking. We should not be at all surprised by all of this for we had been told already that God wanted to make man "in our image, after our likeness." Unless the ladies reading this begin to think they are not included in this very special creation of God, I want you to read chapter 2 and verses 18-22. It was the very person of God, not some angel, not just the spoken word, but God Himself who operated on Adam, took a rib, and personally made woman from that rib and then personally brought her to the man. How awesome, how magnificent, is the creation of mankind (man and woman). So great was the plan of God for this first couple, for the creation of humans in the very form of God Himself, that the Eternal wanted to personally come down to earth and mould man from the dust and woman from a rib. Thousands of years later, the man whom God said was after His own heart, David, meditated upon what we have just seen in Genesis 1 and 2. He saw the earth and heaven that the Lord had created and was amazed, but as he thought about the creation of mankind he was practically speechless in wonderment. He was inspired to write this: "What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son of man, that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea.... (Ps.8:4-8). Oh, some will say that David was only restating what Genesis

1:28 had said. They will say David was not saying anything new at all. Possibly that is so, but God did inspire the apostle Paul to put this truth into a whole new context and dimension under the SPIRIT and POWER of the plan of God under the revelation of the New Covenant for those who would be partakers of the divine nature. Turn to it in the second chapter of the book of Hebrews. MANKIND TO RULE EVERYTHING! Paul quotes what David said in Psalm 8 about man to be crowned with glory and honor and to have all things in subjection under him, verses 6,7. Then he proceeds to fully explain God's ultimate plan for man. "....For in that He put all in subjection under him, He LEFT NOTHING THAT IS NOT PUT UNDER HIM."(verse 8). So the original intent of God, was not just to place the physical things of this earth under the control of man BUT EVERYTHING!! The whole created universe, and we shall show later that includes the rulership of the angelic beings. Has mankind in the flesh obtained NOW this rule over everything? Paul answers, "But NOW we see not YET all things put under him."(verse 8). While mankind is in the physical flesh and blood form he is not inheritor of ALL THINGS. The spirit filled child of God is now in this life, an HEIR of God, not yet an inheritor. Paul made this clear to the Church at Rome. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then HEIRS, heirs of God, and JOINT-HEIRS with Christ ... (Rom.8:14-17). Now the angels or any created creature other than mankind has not been declared an HEIR of God, and joint-heir with Jesus. If you are an heir you are to INHERIT all that is promised you. The heir to the throne of Britain is to inherit the throne because that is what is promised them. We as the children of God are heirs not to the angels or arch-angels, but to God Himself, we are heirs to the one being who is above all, we are heirs to the owner and president of the whole company. And we have seen in Hebrews 2 that God the Father intends to put ALL THINGS under the control of mankind, but not until they are "crowned with glory and honor." The children of God are JOINT-HEIRS with Jesus, what He has already inherited is also OURS. Jesus stated after His resurrection, "ALL POWER is given unto me in HEAVEN and in EARTH" (Mat.28:18). As joint-heirs with Jesus, other children of God can inherit what Jesus has inherited. Not that we shall out-rank Jesus, not that we shall ever have more AUTHORITY than He has, no, that will never be so, but authority is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about RULERSHIP and SUBJECTION of all that the Father has created is to be put under the foot of mankind - all power is to be inherited by those who are joint-heirs with Jesus.

Notice this wonderful truth from the lips of the Lord. "And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron .... EVEN AS I RECEIVED OF MY FATHER"(Rev.2:26,27). Then from the lips of the Father Himself. "He that overcomes shall INHERIT ALL THINGS, and I will be his God, and he shall be MY SON" (Rev.21:7). JESUS THE FIRST OF MANY CHILDREN Please turn back to Hebrews the second chapter. Paul had just finished saying in verse eight that not ALL THINGS were now, at this present time, put under the control of mankind. One reason, and a very important one at that, was because man had not yet been "crowned with glory and honor" and Paul goes on to explain exactly the meaning of that phrase. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels (for the suffering of death) CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR ... (verse 9). Jesus came as flesh and blood - a little lower than the angels just like all mankind is - for the purpose of overcoming sin in the flesh, and dying for the sins of the whole world. Jesus was the captain or leader of all humans into GLORY. He was the first human to INHERIT HONOR, POWER and GLORY. He inherited power and glory by being raised from the dead. "Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, And declared to be the SON OF GOD WITH POWER, according to the spirit of holiness, by the RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD" (Rom.1:3,4). Jesus was made flesh that He might partake of death for those who were under the penalty of death, but was, through the Holy Spirit(the spirit of holiness - the Father) raised from the dead into POWER and GLORY. Jesus was "crowned with glory and honor" - the first human to ever be so crowned. As Paul tells us in Hebrews 2:10, Jesus was the leader or captain of MANY SONS that would come into GLORY. Jesus was the first of many sons of the Father to INHERIT all that is the Father's. No angel of any kind is said to be a joint-heir with Jesus. Christ did not come to lead or captain any angelic being into "glory and honor" and inheritors of the Father. Jesus was the first of many brothers/sisters to be BORN into the level of eternal life that is the God dimension. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the FIRSTBORN among MANY brethren" (Rom.8:29). Those children of God who are HEIRS of God, who are yet to INHERIT glory and honor, those who will inherit ALL THINGS, had a brother that led the way, who was the first human into eternal life. And that person was Christ Jesus. God the Father had previously determined and planned that all the other humans who would follow Jesus into glory would be "conformed to the image of

His Son" - they would be LIKE HIM, not like some angel or other created spirit being, but they would be BROTHERS AND SISTERS to Jesus, a part of the SAME GOD FAMILY! JESUS -A BROTHER TO THE FATHER'S OTHER CHILDREN We have shown before (the gospel of John chapter one) that Jesus, prior to His human birth, was God, and was with God. Two divine eternal beings who constituted the ONE God. The one being who gave up His glory as God to become human was the person known as Jesus Christ. Shortly before Jesus was to return to the God who became known as "the Father" Jesus prayed a prayer which is really the Lord's prayer, it is recorded in John 17. Some of Jesus' words are very pertinent to our study. Talking about those whom the Father had given to Christ, we read: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That THEY ALL may be one; as you Father are in me and I in you, that they ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that THEY may be made perfect in ONE"(verses 20-23). Jesus prayed to the Father that all who were His Christians - would be "one in us." Christ did not ask that they would be "one with the angels" but one with HIMSELF AND THE FATHER! As Jesus and the Father were ONE, He wanted those who were His disciples to be ONE with both He and the Father. Now I ask you, how closer can you get to understanding that the Father is able to reproduce Himself if He desires through creating human kind that were made in His very image? Add to this verse 23. "I IN THEM, and YOU IN ME, that THEY may be MADE PERFECT IN ONE..." There it is - those who come to Christ, those whom Christ lives in, can be made perfect IN ONE. The Father in Jesus - Jesus in humans - all in ONE. Over and over again the New Testament shows a FAMILY relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ, and all those who will follow Christ and receive the divine nature. God the Father is the Father, Jesus is elder brother who has led the way, and all of His disciples are His brothers and sisters. All as ONE - all ruling everything there is to rule. Notice this glorious truth was clearly understood by Paul. "For both He that sanctifies(Jesus) and they who are sanctified (followers of Christ) are ALL OF ONE... (Heb.2:11). And because Jesus knew that the human kind had been created to eventually be glorified to the God plane of eternal life, Jesus was not ashamed to call us His BROTHERS (verse 1) . All this wonderful truth is further elaborated on by Paul in verses 12 to 17. The Greek word here translated "brethren" in the KJV is ADELPHOS. It's first primary meaning is a brother - male children of the same parents or mother. There can be no mistaking that as used in this section of scripture, Jesus and the

"children that God has given me" are BROTHERS from the same parent. Just as Jesus was BEGOTTEN of the Father in the womb of Mary, so was both human and divine, just as Jesus was later BORN by a resurrection into the very GLORY of God and so was God, as a born son into the God plane of eternal life, so it is for the other children of God. First a begettal by the Holy Spirit into the mind of man, so he/she has the divine nature of God within them, and through the power of that nature, overcoming sin, repenting of sin, having Christ as a merciful high priest interceding for His brothers, then at the first resurrection being also born into the very glory that Jesus, the captain of their salvation, has already inherited - see 1 Cor.15:20-23, 35-54, 1 Thes.4:13-18; Rev.20:4-6. HUMAN-KIND TO RULE THE ANGEL-KIND Are we to become a type of angel upon inheriting the Kingdom of God? Are humans to be governed by angels in that Kingdom, after all they, the angels were created before Adam and Eve? Or can we find evidence in God's word that shows the man-kind will, upon entering eternal life, judge/rule over the angelic beings? What was one of the main reasons for the creation of angels in the first place? Are we told that answer in the Bible? Yes, the answers to the above questions can be found in the word of God. In the book of Job (chapter 1 and 38), God calls the angels His created "sons." The angels existed long before the earth was created (Job 38:4-7). Adam is also called "the son of God" (Lk.3:38). Both angels and physical humans are "created" sons of God. The Bible definitely uses "sons of God" in this loose generic way of speaking. All creatures that can "think" and "reason" - who were created with more than just instinct, who could exercise free moral agency, are the sons of God by that particular process of creation. Yet, as we have shown the Bible tells us that God the Father is performing something very very special, when He puts His divine nature into the mind of man. He is starting the process that can take that human life and transform it into eternal spirit life, with glory and power as He Himself possesses. This the angels can not perform. They can not reproduce themselves. This working and salvation of God is beyond them, many of the plans and doing of the Lord are beyond them and they can only stand back in amazement, the apostle Peter summing it up for them when he wrote: "which things the angels desire to look into"(1 Pet.1:12). At this present time the world is under the influence, guidance, subjection, of angels - fallen angels known as demons and righteous angels. All allowed by the Father of all. But in the world to come - the age to come - that all the prophets have

foretold from the beginning - that world will not be subject to the angels (Heb.2:5). We have shown you by some of the verses that have been given, who will rule that world. It will be ruled by Jesus and the children of God (for an indepth study of this see our article "The Age to Come"). This fact alone tells us that the children of God will be in greater power and authority than the angels when they are inheritors of eternal life. Because of this fact Paul was able to instruct the brethren at Corinth about "Church Discipline" and judging serious matters between brethren within the Church. Some of the members were literally taking each other to the courts of this world in various disagreements and problems. Paul instructed that this should never be the case and why, as he told them: "Does any of you dare, when he has a matter of complaint against another(brother), to go to law before unrighteous men - men neither upright nor right with God, laying it before them instead of before the saints(the people of God)? Do you not know that the saints(the Christians) will(one day) judge and govern the world? And if the world itself is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try (such petty matters) of the smallest courts of justice?"(1 Cor. 6:1-2, Amplified Bible). The truth of the matter is my friends that the children of God will not only judge and rule the world, but they are to JUDGE and RULE ANGELS! Here it is, in the very next verse of 1 Cor.6 verse 3, "Do you not know also that we(Christians) are to judge the(very) angels and pronounce opinion between right and wrong(for them)?" The human kind is only - for the present "a little lower than the angels" but is one day to actually judge the angelic host. Man was indeed created after the image of God and not after the image of angels. He was created to have rulership over ALL THINGS - to inherit ALL THINGS - even the angels. What was one of the main purposes in God creating the angels? Was it to sit at His right hand? Was it to rule the humans that would inherit eternal life? The answer is found in Hebrews 1:13,14. "Besides, to which of the angels has He ever said, Sit at my right hand associate with Me in My royal dignity - till I make your enemies a stool for your feet? Are not the angels all(servants) ministering spirits, sent out in the service(of God for the assistance) of those who are to inherit salvation?" (Amplified Bible). There it is - angels are to serve those who will inherit salvation and GLORY! And the glory they shall inherit we will look at next.

THE CHILD OF GOD TO INHERIT GLORY Many today ask the same question as they did in Paul's day: HOW ARE THE DEAD RAISED UP? AND WITH WHAT BODY DO THEY COME? Paul was inspired to give us the answers, found in the so called "resurrection chapter" of the Bible - 1 Corinthians 15. Death must come before life(verse 36). And the body that is sown in the grave is not the one that will rise from the grave (verse 37,38). The body that will rise in the resurrection is incorruptible, and will be in glory and power(verses 42,43). It will be a body composed of SPIRIT not flesh and blood, for such can not inherit the Kingdom of God (verses 44-50). I want you to notice especially verses 47-49. The first man Adam was made from the earth, flesh and blood and air, the SECOND MAN, the man born of the Spirit, begotten and born of the Father in heaven, glorified in the resurrection to eternal life, is "the Lord from heaven." We are now bearing the image of the first man - earthly materials - made from the dust of the ground. We are born first from our physical earthly parents, so we are composed of the physical. Those that will be "born again" - who will be from the heavenly parent, will be composed of the same substance that the heavenly parent is composed of. As Jesus told Nicodemus, that which is born of the flesh IS flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit IS spirit. And as Jesus said God is SPIRIT - that is composed of Spirit, and as the heavenly Father is producing children by begetting humans with His divine nature or seed, then those humans, when born into the Kingdom of God will be also composed of Spirit - they will have a body made of eternal spirit. Paul tells his readers that we(Christians) shall (at the last trump, verse 51-54) bear the image of the HEAVENLY. We shall bear the second man, who in verse 47 he has told us is not some angel but THE LORD FROM HEAVEN. If mankind was only to be a form of angel in the resurrection, then Paul had ample opportunity in 1 Cor.15 to make that plain to us. He could have easily told us that in the resurrection we would be "like the angels" or on the level of sub-angels, or maybe a rung above the angels. But he did not, instead he picked out the second man, the born again man, the LORD from heaven to explain what our level or plane of resurrected glory and power would be. Yes, of course he did this because Paul knew we were to become like our elder brother that went ahead, that led the way, who was the captain of our salvation, and that we would inherit what He had already inherited - glory on the God plane of existence. Paul knew and understood that to be a son or daughter of the heavenly Father, was greater than the human mind could now comprehend. He knew exactly what the apostle John was inspired to write many years later.

"Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it does not YET APPEAR what we SHALL BE: but we know that, when He shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see Him AS HE IS"(1 John 3:1-2). We Christians are going to be not only glorified in the resurrection at the coming of the Lord, but we are to have our bodies CHANGED to be AS JESUS IS TODAY, for we shall see Him as He is today, and be the express image of Him as He is the express image of the Father. Yes, there may be different degrees of glory, we may not all shine with the same brightness, just as we will not all be given the same rewards or positions in the kingdom, but the least in the Kingdom will be like Jesus, and that is greater than any angel or created spirit being. From the least to the greatest in God's Kingdom, all will have the same form and shape, all will be PERFECT, never able to sin, completely immune to being deceived and led astray, and that is something the angels do not have, they are able to fall into rebellion as many of them did when Lucifer revolted against God and led a third of the angels in war to overthrow the heavenly Father(see the articles about Satan and angels). The glorified children of God will be completely free from sin or the temptation to sin, they will be as Christ is today - living on the God plane of existence, far above the angelic host, ruling and judging the angelic host, full of the glory and power and divine nature that is only from the Father and Son. How does Jesus look today in His glorified form? How will you basically look in the glorified resurrected form? Turn to Revelation 1 and read verses 13-16 for the answer to those questions. YOU CAN BE A CHILD OF GOD THE FATHER As you read through the Bible, especially the New Testament, you will see a Father and son/daughter relationship between God in heaven and those humans on earth who have been begotten with His divine spiritual nature. It is all over the four Gospels and the rest of the book of the New Covenant. It is found in the last book of the Bible - the book of Revelation. For those who have eyes to see and will take God at His word, they will understand that God the Father is reproducing Himself, having many children born into His FAMILY. Paul tells us that the creation around is designed to help us understand God's invisible things and even His eternal power and GODHEAD (Romans 1:20). The human family is a type of the heavenly Godhead family.

Two humans are responsible for the making of another human. So it is in the heavenly Family, it has taken and is taking TWO eternal beings -the Father and the Son - to produce others who will join them in their plane of existence. As the earthly family has a HEAD - the father - so it is with the Godhead. The Father is head of Christ the Son in authority, and Christ as the firstborn and only perfect sinless human, is head of every other man/woman in that divine family (1 Cor.11:3). When all the plan of God the Father is completed, when Christ has reigned and all enemies are defeated, when the end is come and the time has arrived for the New heavens and New earth to be formed, then Jesus will deliver up the Kingdom to the Father (1 Cor.15:24). The day is coming friends when the Father in heaven is going to come to dwell with mankind, who by then will no longer be of the physical man-kind but will be of the second man-kind, the Lord from heaven kind. They will have been changed to be like Him. The Father will wipe away all tears from their eyes, there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain (Rev.21:3,4). Then these words will truly come to pass: "....Behold, I make all things new. It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall INHERIT ALL THINGS, and I will be His God, and he shall BE MY SON" (Rev.21:5-7). Yes, you were created to BE A CHILD OF GOD!

A CHRISTIANS DESTINY?

WHY DID GOD MAKE MANKIND IN HIS VERY OWN IMAGE, AFTER HIS VERY OWN LIKENESS? IN THIS ARTICLE YOU SHALL DISCOVER THE PURPOSE OF WHY YOU ARE HERE. THE TRUTH IS MIND BENDING, MORE GLORIOUS THAN YOU IMAGINE OR COULD EVER DREAM! CHRIST - CREATOR! The Jesus Christ of the New Testament - the one who was born in a stable, who was in the contracting business until the age of thirty - who then preached the Gospel, healed the sick, preached to the multitudes in parables, ate with the rich, slept under the stars at times, and was finally put to death for teaching the truth of God. This Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament. He was the one who made the physical universe, who made all the things recorded in the first chapter of Genesis, the one who talked to Abraham, who wrestled with Jacob, who called and led Israel out of Egypt. This Jesus is the one who spoke and wrote the Ten Commandments to Israel, and who led them for forty years in the wilderness. The New Testament Jesus was the Old Testament God for the most part! Paul tells us that the son (Jesus Christ) made the worlds: "Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.......BY WHOM also He MADE the worlds" (Heb. 1:2). And further in Col. 1:16 we read, "For by Him (the Son - Christ v.13-15) were ALL THINGS created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth....ALL THINGS were created by Him" Jesus Christ was the one who DID the creating ! JESUS WAS THE "I AM" - THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT He told the Jews that He had seen Abraham but they laughed at Him (Jn. 8:56-57). Jesus said unto them, "Truly, truly, I say unto you, before Abraham was born or existed, I was the I AM spoken of in scripture" (v. 58 paraphrased). When Moses was to go to the Israelites, he wanted to know who he should tell them was this "God of your Fathers" that had sent him to them - what name should he give them as to who this God was? "And God said unto Moses, I am that I am" (I will be what I will be - the Eternal One - the one who WAS from the beginning, who IS and who WILL BE forever. Christ lived in glory before the world was created (Jn. 17:5). Christ existed before all things visible or invisible were brought into being (Col. 1:17,16). Jesus calls Himself the beginning and the ending - the one who IS, who WAS, and is to COME, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8). Continuing in Exodus, "This shall you say unto the children

of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you" (Ex. 3:13, 14). Notice! This God who Moses was to tell them had sent him, was the God of their fathers - the God who SPOKE with Abraham and Isaac and who WRESTLED with Jacob (Compare Acts 7:32; Gen. 18:20-22,33; 32:24-30). The God of Israel was the one who became the Jesus Christ of your New Testament. The God who made this universe; who created Lucifer (the covering cherub who became Satan, Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 27:12-16). The one who reshaped this earth in six days; who saved Noah and his family from the flood, who called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; who was their God - this individual became the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. The one who spoke and wrote with His own finger the Ten Commandments - that spiritual rock that went with the Israelites - was Christ! (1 Cor. 10:4). CHRIST IS GOD! Let us notice carefully what John wrote, "In the beginning (from eternity) was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God. The same was in the beginning WITH God" (Jn. 1:1-2). What was this Word? John answers us: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." (v. 14). This word became flesh. He was the only begotten of the Father, (begotten by a divine miracle of a virgin birth). Paul speaking of Christ says that God the Father, "Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.......who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Being made so much better than the angels........for unto which of the angels said He at any time, you are my Son, this day have I begotten you" (Heb. 1:15). This SON that was begotten by the one Paul refers to as the Father (v. 5) was Jesus Christ - the one born of a virgin birth, begotten through the Holy Spirit of God the Father (Mt. 1:28). This Word who became flesh was Christ. He was existing with God BEFORE He became flesh (Jn. 17:5, 24, Col. 1:15-17). The one He was WITH from the beginning was the one who became known as the Father God, when the Word was begotten as flesh. Paul says when the first begotten of the Father God came into the world the angels were to worship Him (Heb. 1:6). Now God ONLY is to be worshipped (see Ex. 20:3-6; Rev. 22:6,8-9). Yet the Son is God, for Paul says, "But unto the Son He says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever " (Heb. 1:8). The God who became the Father, says to the one who became the Son - the Word, - that He is also GOD. The Son's name is God - His name is then Jesus Christ God! This is why John could say that the Word WAS God and that the Word was WITH God. There were TWO eternal beings

from the beginning - both having existed from the beginning both bearing the name of GOD. One became the Father and the other the Son (when He was made into flesh and blood - born of a woman). The one being who became the Son, was the Word before He became the fleshy human person of Jesus. The Greek word used for Word in this first chapter of John is LOGOS. It means spokesman - the one who does the speaking. The "Word" was, then, the executive member of this dual God-head. He was the one who spoke and it was done - who said "let there be light" and there was light. This Logos was the one who made all things - who made the world - who came until His own (Jews and marking) - who was made flesh and dwelt among us human beings. (Jn. 1:3, 11, 14; Col. 1:16, 17). King David understood that there were two Eternal beings with the name of God. Speaking of the resurrection of Christ he stated, "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit you at my right hand " (Ps. 110:1). It could be just as correct to render this as: "The God said unto my God." In the NT (the Gospel of Mat.22:41-44) this phrase uses ONLY ONE Greek word for the two beings. If there were not TWO individuals spoken of here it would not possibly make any sense. The Father God is saying to the Son God, that He will put Him on His right hand until His enemies be made His footstool. This prophecy of David was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was resurrected and returned to be with the one whom He was with before the world began (Jn. 17:5, 24; Acts 2:29-36). Jesus Christ WAS God and IS God - God the Father IS God! ONE God, but two individuals. Christ has a body and shape (Rev. 1:1, 5, 8, 12-15) and so does God the Father (Rev. 21:1-3; 22:3, 4). Request my study called "Does God have a Body?" The name "God" is then a family name. It is applied to all members of that family. My name is Hunt, my father's name is Hunt, my children are also called Hunt - one family but more than one individual. So God is ONE God, but more than one person. We have seen from the New Testament, that there were at least two persons or beings that were in existence from the beginning - both bearing the name - God! This truth is clearly shown to us from the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, and from the first chapter of Genesis. GOD - MORE THAN ONE PERSON? In Gen. 1:1 and in about 2,700 other places in the Hebrew Bible the word for "God" is ELOHIM, which is a uni-plural noun meaning "Gods". It is so translated 239 times in the KJV (Gen. 3:5; Ex. 22:28; I Sam. 4:8; Dan. 2:11, 4:6-9, 5:11,14 etc.). It

is the plural of Eloah meaning "deity" or "God". Translating this word literally in the English it would be "In the beginning Gods created the heaven and the earth." Sometimes it is used with plural pronouns as, "And Gods said, let us make man in our own image" (v. 26), thus showing plurality of persons. Notice Gen. 3:22 where God says, "man is become as ONE of US." In Gen. 11:7, the Gods said, "Let US go down, and there confound their language." Plural pronouns are used of God in other places in both Testaments (Isa. 6:S; Ps. 2:3; Jn. 14:23). So at the very beginning we see that the one name God is PLURAL - there were more than one being present. The literal rendering of the Hebrew in Ecc.12:1 is, "Remember now your CREATOR-S in the days of your youth...." The word "creators" is just that - in the PLURAL! Further proof is found in Jn. 17:1-11, ".......Father.......glorify thy Son....... this is life eternal, that they might know you and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.......and now, O Father, glorify you in me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was." Christ and the Father both existed together - both were known as God. ".......I have manifested YOUR name unto the men which YOU gave me and have known surely that I came OUT FROM YOU, and they have believed that YOU did send ME.......I come to you.......keep through your own name those whom YOU have given ME, that they might be one, as we are." Notice this last part, "that THEY (more than one - many Christians) may be ONE. What are Christians called collectively? They are called the 'Ekklesia' - church -'called out' ones. There is one body of Christ - one church - but many individuals in that church. Christ likened His people (church) to Himself and God the Father. As the word Ekklesia is applied to all members of Christ's body - and is known as the church, so the name Eloah (God) is applied to all who are in that domain - Eloah then becomes Elohim - Gods. The word 'church' is like the word family or kingdom. We speak of the bird kingdom or reptile kingdom or the cat family. So the word GOD is a family name - all its members are known as having the name of God. We have seen that Christ was part of that Elohim - He was God, His name was God. But the one who became the Father of Christ was also God. Were there any more beings other than these two (Father and one who became Christ) in this Elohim? The Bible only reveals two! What about the Holy Spirit - is not it a third Elohim? GOD - A TRINITY?

Many will agree and say, "Yes, God is more than one person God is three persons! The third person of this Godhead is the Holy Spirit. Elohim then to them becomes a closed triangle - no less and never any more. They have limited God, which is like limiting the church to only so many members and then the door is shut. In so limiting God, they then fail to see the meaning of some very plain statements in the Bible - and so do not understand why the Gods(one God but more than one person) made man and woman. Is the Holy Spirit a literal bodily being like Christ and the Father? Those who believe it is, say that because the word "he" or "him" is used when talking about the Spirit - that must prove it is a being or person separate from the Father and Son. Not so! We still today call ships, cars etc. "she" or "her." Tropical storms are given female names by the weathermen, but a storm does not have a literal body as a woman. We think nothing of doing this, yet religionists want to make a huge doctrine out of the writers of the Bible referring to the Holy Spirit as "he." It is no big thing. Why, the iron gate that Peter went through after God released him from prison is called by the name "his" (Acts 12:10). Other scriptures are used, like Mt. 3:16-17, to try to show that the Holy Spirit is a person. If this is so, then the Holy Spirit was the Father of Christ (see Mt. 1:20) and not God the Father, and further Christ TALKED and PRAYED to the wrong person as His Father. We cannot, nor is it the intention of THIS article, to go into detail on the Trinity idea of God. But let me challenge any reader to find ANY verse in the Bible that shows the Holy Spirit having a head, body, legs, arms, etc. There are many verses that show God the Father and Christ glorified, having bodily parts, but you try to find where the Holy Spirit has these same parts - you've got hundreds of verses where the words "Holy Ghost," - "Spirit of God," - "Holy Spirit," - "Spirit," is used, so you should be able to prove the Holy Spirit is a person, if indeed it is? So none misunderstand, there IS a Holy Spirit. It does a GREAT work - without it none could be saved (Rom. 8:9, 11). But it is the invisible power or life of God and Christ (much like electricity) that enables BOTH of them (God and Christ) to come into us - see Jn. 14:23. Now if the Holy Spirit was a separate distinct person, it would be him and not the Father and Christ in us. But Christ said in Jn. 14:23 that both He and the Father would be in us. And they do come into EVERY Christian through this invisible electricity like power essence, that can be EVERYWHERE at the same time. This power is generated and sent out from their own personal bodies - so truly, Christ in us is the hope of glory.

MEN CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (v. 27). The famous wax museum in London, England, has dozens of images of famous people. These images look exactly like persons they represent and the likeness is quite remarkable. True, these images are made of wax and not flesh and blood, but they are just like the real person that they are an image of. Now God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24) - that is, He is composed of Spirit - He is invisible to the human eye (I Tim. 1:17). But man was made of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7) - he was made of physical matter - a different substance than God, but to look at, just like God in basic form and shape. Speaking of Jesus, Paul says He was the express (exact) IMAGE of God's person (Heb. 1:2,3). Philip asked Christ to let the disciples see the Father (Jn. 14:8). Christ answered that by seeing Him, they had seen the Father (v. 9). God is then like man! Man was made in the likeness - the same shape and features of God - but made of matter, not spirit. God has created many spirit beings with different shapes and forms (see a Bible Dictionary on cherubim, seraphim, living creatures, angels) but only man was made in complete likeness to God themselves. Man was not made with a tail, or wings or four faces - God does not have any of these things. Can we begin to see? Man was, as far as to LOOK at, made like God, not angels. He was made with the features of the Gods from the God level of form, which should indicate to us, that His PLAN for mankind - for creating mankind, is far greater than His plan for creating angels or seraphim. MANKIND'S ULTIMATE INHERITANCE? David asked, "What is man (or why is man) that you are mindful of him (why did you create him) and the Son of Man, that you visit him" (Ps. 8:4). David goes on to answer his own question in verses 5-8. Man is to be crowned with glory and honour. But what does that actually mean? The apostle Paul in the Book of Hebrews was inspired to tell us exactly what David meant. Paul tells us why God created angels in chap. 1:7 and 14, "God speaks of His angels as messengers swift as the wind, and as servants made of flaming fire......for the angels are only spirit, messengers....... "(Living Bible). Angels are servants and messengers of God and are sent to serve (minister) those who shall receive salvation (v. 14 last part) - mankind. Paul goes on to say in chap. 2:3 not to neglect

so great a salvation. How great is this salvation? Paul tells us beginning with verse 5. "And the future world we are talking about will not be controlled by angels. No, for the Book of Psalms David says to God, what is mere man that you are so concerned about him? And who is this Son of Man you honour so highly? For though you made him lower than the angels for a little while, " Man is now lower in power than the spirit beings that God made, continue, "Now you have crowned him with glory and honour," It is God's purpose to eventually give man glory, "And you have put him in complete charge of everything there is. Nothing is left out." Can we grasp this mind-bending revelation? The angels were never created to be given COMPLETE CHARGE of EVERYTHING, but mankind was, for Paul continues, "We have not yet seen all of this take place....." (v. 5-9, Living Bible). Paul goes on to show that only Christ of ALL human beings has received this glory (after his resurrection He told His disciples that all power was given Him, MT. 28:18) - that Christ is the captain or leader (the first to be glorified) of mankind. He calls us His brothers (v. 9,11) not servants (as the angels are), see Jn. 15:15. Will we believe what God has written for us in Revelation 21:7, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things and he shall be my son." Christ was a son of God (Heb. 1:5). We are His brothers (Heb. 2:11). God gave Christ power over all things - WE are called sons of God - we have been promised complete charge of everything as Paul said. We can inherit all things as our elder brother Christ has already done. The angels were never promised this glory of God. Do we see? Can we understand what the Elohim were doing when they created mankind? THEY STARTED THE PROCESS OF REPRODUCING THEMSELVES !! There was created the animal kind, the fish kind, the bird kind, the angelic kind, and when God made mankind He made them after HIS LIKENESS or kind. God started to reproduce Himself! God is a family - not just one being or two beings - He has the POWER to create more beings just like Himself, and this He decided to do when He said, "Let us make man in our image." The word of God only reveals three types of decision making beings God, angelic spirits, and man. Paul tells us that man is now, at present, lower than the angels. But it wild not always be this way. Man is to become higher than the angels. The only level of life above the angels is that of God's level. Man is to he raised up (by a resurrection to glory - I Cor. 15; I Thes. 4:16) to God's level - to inherit all power and glory just as their brother Christ Jesus has

inherited. God - Elohim - is a family name. God the Father is reproducing Himself. Man is to become God - that is a member of that God family. Christ is called a Son of God - He is also CALLED God (Heb. 1:8). We shall also be a glorified son of God (Rev. 21:7) - our name will then be God. There will be the Father God, Jesus God, Abraham God, Isaac God, Jacob God, David God, Paul God, etc. There will still be only one God, (unity of mind and purpose) but comprising many individuals - many God beings. Man is to inherit the God level of existence. MAN - A SON OF GOD Christ was begotten of God and He was born of God - Christ was born again! Does that sound shocking? Well I shall prove it. Christ was BEGOTTEN of God when He was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit. Paul says, "For unto which of the angels said He at any time, thou art my son, this day have I BEGOtTEN YOU and again, when He brought the FIRST BEGOTTEN into the world, He said, and let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb. 1:5,6). Christ was the Son of God by a begetal from the time of His conception. But He was also declared to be a Son of God with power by, and at the time of His resurrection - see Rom. 1:3,4. Now notice! Col. 1:15 and 18, speaking of Christ, "Who is the image (Christ was made flesh and blood as we are) of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature......and He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning (first human to receive salvation) the firstborn from the dead....." Speaking to Christians Paul says they have come, "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn (Christ)" (Heb. 12:23). Christ was born again - He was born once of a physical woman, and He was born a second time by God the Father from death, into power and glory, and into the family of God, when He again became God at His resurrection (Mt. 1:20; Heb. 1:5,6; Rom. 1:3,4; Mt. 28:18; Heb. 1:8). Christ went through the same process to salvation and glory that we must go through, except he never sinned (Heb 4:15) - He never needed to repent or be converted. Christ needed God's Spirit - so do we (Rom. 8:9,11). He was tempted - so are we (Heb. 4:15). Jesus was made completely perfect (glorified body - free from temptation) at His resurrection (Rom. 1:3,4) - so will we be (I Cor. 15; Heb. 11:39,40; I Thes. 4:16). Jesus Christ WAS and IS a Son of God we are also now God's sons (I Jn. 3:1) but not yet glorified (I Jn. 3:2, 3). God is to have many more sons born, just as Christ was - He was only the first. He is our elder brother who led the way ".....that he (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Greek is adelfos - the womb, a brother).

Rom. 8:29. God has not adopted us - we are LITERALLY His sons! The passages of scripture (Rom. 8:15, 23, 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5) that use the word "adoption" in the KJ Bible should have been translated from the Greek "the placing of a son" or "sonship." See Strong's Concordance of the Bible. Do we see? God the Father is enlarging His family! He will have many sons/daughters born to Him. Throughout the Bible there is a Father/son relationship portrayed between God, Christ and Christians. Man was created to become (if we accept) as literal a son of God as Christ was and is. The angelic beings were never given or promised this glory - WE ARE! CHRISTIANS ARE BROTHERS OF CHRIST "You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (Jn. 15:14-15). The angels are servants of God (Heb. 1:7, 14) and they desire to look into the mysteries of God (I Pet. 1:12) that have been given and revealed to US (I Pet. 1:10-12) by God's Spirit (I Cor. 2:6-16). God's word not only says we are friends to Christ but brothers: "For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He (Christ) that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers (Greek - adelfos, a brother). Saying I will declare your (Father's) name unto my brothers (adelfos).......behold I and the children which God bath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. He also Himself likewise took part of the same, for verily He took not on Him the nature of angels.......wherefore in all things it behove Him to be make like unto His brothers (adelfos)" (Heb. 2:10-17). Do you see! There is a family relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ (the firstborn of many brothers, Rom 8:29) and Christians (who are brothers to Christ - sons of God also). How much of a brother shall we be to Christ? How literal a son shall we be to the Father - will it only be in a spiritual sense? We can know if we will believe what God tells us in His word. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God (we are now begotten sons of God, I Jn. 5:1) and it does not yet appear what we shall be (glorified in the resurrection - I Cor. 15) but we know that,

when He shall appear (at the trump of God, I Thes. 4:16) we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jn. 3:2). Notice!! We, Christians, are to become like Him - just like Christ is today! And how does Christ look today? If you read Rev. 1:13-16, you will find how Christ looks today in His glorified state. We are to look like He looks! So says your Bible - will you believe what God plainly tells you, or do you want to believe the ideas of men and what they say God says? We are brothers of Christ - we are to be just as He became at His resurrection. How much more of a brother can we become than to be LITERALLY like Him? and He is called God (Heb. 1:8). The angels have never been called the brothers of Christ! We have been! WE ARE the brothers of Christ! CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE CALLED - GOD! Blasphemy, blasphemy! Many will now be shouting. That's not surprising - the religious leaders of Christ's day accused Him also of blasphemy for preaching these truths of God's word. Let me say again, will you be willing to believe what Christ and God's word says? Christ, speaking to Christians says in Rev. 3:12, "Him that overcometh I will write upon him the name of my God." We read in Rev. 14:1, ".......a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His FATHER'S NAME written in their foreheads." Speaking of the redeemed in the new earth, Rev. 22:4 says, "And they shall see His face; and His (the Father's) name shall be in their foreheads." Christians who overcome and endure to the end shall have written upon them the name of the Father - so says your Savior Christ. Now what is the Father's name? The Father's name is God God the Father! Born sons of God will also bear the SAME NAME that their captain of salvation - Christ, now has. He has the name of God (Heb. 1:8). We too are to be given this family name - God. In the resurrection there will be, Paul God, John God, Noah God, Abel God and thousands of others who will be called by the name of God. CHRISTIANS TO BE GIVEN CHRIST'S NEW NAME The same verse in Rev. 3:12 also says to the overcomers, ".......and ('I will write upon him' are in italics, not in the Greek) my new name." True Christians are to be given Christ's NEW name. What name did Christ have while a physical flesh and blood human? The angel sent to Mary by God said His name should be called - Jesus (Lk. 1:31). He was also called Christ (Mt. 1:16).

His name while on earth was - Jesus Christ. We have seen that Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power by a resurrection (Rom. 1:4). He also received a new name at that time - His new name was GOD (Heb. 1:8). Christ says His brothers can also receive this new name - they can also be called GOD, ".......a name better than of sons and of daughters, an everlasting name" (Isa. 56:5). The word God (Elohim) is a family name, given to all that are in that family. Just like the family name Smith is given to all the members of that family. So the name God is given to all who are in that family, all who are the sons/daughters of God the Father. CHRISTIANS WILL BE GODS! When in the flesh, Christ proclaimed to the Jews of His day, that He and the Father were one, (Jn. 10:30). He went on to say that, that statement meant He was the Son of God, (v. 36). But notice how the Jews understood what Me meant by that statement they were going to stone Him for it, ".......because that you, being a man, makest yourself God" (v. 33). And Christ did not deny it! Me just went on to qualify it by saying, yes that is correct - ".......because I am the Son of God." He was the begotten Son of God at that time, and He knew He would He the born Son of God at His resurrection, when He would be God - when He would be in the family called - God! The Jews claimed He was blaspheming (v. 33). Notice what He said to them (verses 34, 35, 36), ".......is it not written in your law" (look at your own scriptures that God gave you, and see what they say and you'll see I'm not blaspheming) 'I said (God said) you are Gods.' " Christ knew why mankind was created - He should have, He was the one who made man. He knew that man was made to become God - to become a born son of God, when he would be on the same level of existence, above the angels level, on the God level. Notice! "If He called THEM Gods, unto whom the word of God came......." The people of Israel - human beings - mankind, God the Father calls them Gods - because the purpose of God is to glorify them, put them into His family, to make them just like Himself (I Jn. 3:1). Then they will have the name - God. "If mankind in general are to become Gods" Christ is saying, "why do you say unto me, the person who was with the Father from the beginning, and who the Father chose and sent down to this world to lead the way, that I blaspheme, because I said, I am the SON of God" (paraphrased). He was telling those unbelieving Jews that they should have known the reason for their existence - it was written in the law (Ps. 82:6). Mankind was made to become God, to become Gods. If sinful mankind are given this potential, then HOW MUCH MORE (the one who existed with the Father before, and was sent by the Father to this earth to make it possible for mankind to reach his

potential) - should He be the Son of God who was sinless and doing the Father's will and works (v. 36:38). CHRISTIANS TO BE WORSHIPPED! There is a scripture in the Book of Revelation that has been unnoticed by professing Christianity for nearly two thousand years - its plain significance is mind numbing. You want to "blow your mind", as young people say today - well this scripture will do it! It is found in Rev. 3:9. Speaking to TRUE Christians in verse 8, Christ (the words are in red, if you have a red letter Bible) says in verse 9, "Behold I will make them of the synagogue (church) of Satan, which say they are Jews (spiritual Christians) and ARE NOT but do lie (see Mt. 7:21; Titus 1:16; I Jn. 2:4) behold I (Christ) wild make THEM to come and WORSHIP before YOUR feet." Now, notice what it says in Rev. 22: 8, 9. John in verse 8 falls down to WORSHIP before the feet of the ANGEL. The angel says in verse 9 ".......see you do it not; for I am your fellowservant (yes, angels were created to be servants of man and God as we've seen) worship God." Yes, God ONLY is to be worshipped (Ex. 20:3-5). Do you see! Did you understand? In Rev. 3:9 false Christians - the church of Satan - are one day to come before the feet of true Christians (then made immortal - glorified) and worship! ".......worship before your (not Christ's or the Father's) feet....." Jesus said. Only GOD is to be worshipped. These Christians whom others will come and worship before, must then be God! (See the Appendix for arguments contrary, answered). Oh, the truth of why man was created is mind shattering!! God is a family - all in that family are God - there is one God, but made up of many individuals - all in that family are to be worshipped. When God, the Elohim, Gods (Father and one who became Christ) made man, they started the process of reproducing themselves. Mankind was created to become God-kind, to become Gods. KINGDOM OF GOD Now there is a flower kingdom - there is the bird kingdom there is the fish kingdom. We speak of the animal kingdom, and there is the human kingdom. The Bible reveals a kingdom of angelic spirit beings - the angel kingdom. And far above that kingdom we have the God kingdom - the Kingdom of God. God is not just one or two or three persons - God is a kingdom of persons. Right now there are only two persons in that

Kingdom - the Father and firstborn(from humans) son - Jesus Christ. But Christ came to show man how he too can be born into that Kingdom - born again, but this time of God the Father, not of a human. Man is to be born of the Spirit (Jn. 3:5) and that Spirit is God (Jn. 4:24). He will then be Spirit - composed of Spirit. He will be like the wind (Jn. 3:8) - he will then be invisible, just as God is (I Tim. 1:17). Man will then have passed from being mortal to immortal - from human to divine - from earthly to heavenly (I Cor. 15: 35-54). Man will then have passed from the human kingdom to the God Kingdom - Kingdom of God. GOD THE FATHER - THE GREATEST! Did Jesus ever say He was God the Father? No! Did Jesus ever say He would BECOME God the Father? No! Of course not! He prayed to the Father - the Father was a distinct, separate, and different bodily being than Christ. Have we anywhere in this article stated that you or any human being will become God the Father - no! Never! Is there a chain of authority in the Kingdom of God? Is one greater in authority than another? Does Christ have more or less or the same authority, as God the Father? Is Christ as great or greater in authority than the Father? Will you believe what Christ Himself said? Jesus said in Jn. 14:20, ".......my Father is greater than I." Christ, after His resurrection, ascended to heaven to be on the Father's right hand (Acts 2:34, Rev. 3:21). He did not dethrone or remove the Father. He was placed upon the Father's right hand. The Father is greater in authority than Christ, so says Christ Himself! And further, Jesus said, "My Father is greater than all " (Jn. 10:29). Nobody has ever, nor ever will be as great as the Father. let me make that plain - God the Father IS and will ALWAYS be the greatest!! Jesus Christ OUR saviour - the only human who has ever been sinless - is NEXT in authority under the Father. He will always be our elder brother - the next greatest to the Father. Who will be on Christ's right and left hand? - the next ones in authority in that God Kingdom, is for the Father to decide (Mt. 20:20-23). Everyone in that Kingdom will be a son of God and so will be God - but the Father will always be the greatest. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU God the Father is wanting to share with mankind - with you all that He has. He is wanting to share His ability to uphold,

sustain and even create! Do you think He will give this power to those who will not now obey Him - to those who will not let Him rule them? That kind of power can only be given to those who now and forever will say to Him, "YOUR will be done not mine." Do you see, if He gave this glory and power to anyone who would not obey His Laws, statutes, and commands, He would have produced millions of Satans. What does this mean to you? It means you must be completely yielded to His will - to His laws - to living by His every word. (Mat. 4:4). You must be preparing yourself now in your mind and life to live as God lives. You must repent. (request the article "Real Repentance''). You must accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and let Him come and live His life in you (Gal. 2:20). You must overcome and endure to the end (Mt. 24:13). Then God will say to YOU one day, "Well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Mt. 25:21). WHAT JOY AND GLORY THAT WILL BE!

Written 1983 APPENDIX

Some will no doubt read Rev.3:9 in another translation other than the KJV. They will probably discover it reads something like, ".....I will make them come and FALL DOWN at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you." See such translations as the NIV, RSV, LIVING BIBLE, MODERN LANGUAGE, JERUSALEM BIBLE, AMPLIFIED BIBLE. This they will say is not WORSHIP (as worshipping God) but mere human respect to someone in a great office as we would bow before a human King or President. The NT was written in Greek - we need to study the original Greek word here used and translated WORSHIP in the KJV. This I shall do presently. If God through John wanted us to understand that those of the Synagogue of Satan would one day just come and bow down or kneel before God's true children in humble respect (as before a human King) with no worship as we do to God intended, it would have been so easy for the Lord to have inspired John to have used one of the many Greek verbs that are used throughout the NT to mean fall, bow, kneel, prostrate, bow down, without any worship connected with such acts. See VINE'S Expository Dic.of NT Words p.403 and The Englishman's Greek Concordance p.622, 403, 426, 703, 126. The fact is John did not use any of these Greek words in Rev.3: 9.

Was God merely trying to show us that His true children would one day be given ACCEPTANCE by those who claimed they were Christians (spiritual Jews) but who really were not ? If so, the Lord could have inspired John to have used one of the many Greek words used in the NT for accept, acceptable. See VINE'S p. 12. None were used. Are we to understand this sentence as meaning God's children will be LOOKED upon with favourable regard only, and no worship as we worship God? If so, then the Greek verb Epiblepo or Epeidon have been used by John. See VINE'S p. 685. They were not. Is it only a type of human RESPECT these false Christians are showing to those who are proved to be the real Christians? If so, then the verb Epibepo could have been used. See VINE'S p. 959. It was not used. Maybe it is with FAVOUR or PLEASURE that these false Christians now acknowledge the true Christians? If this be all that the Lord is saying here in Rev.3:9 then the Greek noun Karis or the verb Karitoo would have been used. They were not! See Lk.1 :28,30; 2:52; Acts 7:10,46; 24:27. Perhaps it's some kind of mental or emotional KINDNESS that God's children will be shown by those who stand before them? Then one of half a dozen Greek words could have been used. They were not! See VINE'S p. 622. Do you see? The modern translations give you the connotation that it is only a form of acceptance, respect, favour, that is being done, such as we would to some head of state or human King. They have not been willing to render the Greek word here as "worship " because of the clear implications. There are FIVE Greek verbs used in the NT and translated WORSHIP, WORSHIPPED, WORSHIPPING (see Vine's p.1247). We need only concern ourselves with the verb Proskuneo as it is the one used in Rev.3:9. It is used as WORSHIPPING Jesus 16 times (Mt.2:2.8.11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17; Mark 5:6; 15:19; Luke 24:52; John 9:38; Heb 1:6-7; Rev.15:4). It is used as WORSHIP towards the Father 8 times (Mt.4:10; Lk.4:8; Jn.4:21, 23, 24; Rev.4:10; 5:14; 14:7). It is used as WORSHIPPING God 6 times (1 Cor.14:25; Rev.7:11; 11 :16; 19:4,10; 22:9). It is used in a RELIGIOUS WORSHIP sense 9 times (Jn.4:20,22; 12:20; Acts 7:43; 8:27; 10:25; 24:11; Heb.11:21; Rev.11:1). It is used as WORSHIPPING falsehood 9 times (Rev.13:4,8,12,15; 14:9,11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). It is used as to WORSHIP Satan 3 times (Mt.4:9; Lk.4:7; Rev.13:4 with 12:9). It is used as to WORSHIP demons one time (Rev.9:20).

It is used as to WORSHIP righteous angels two times (Rev.19:10; 22:8). It is used one time by Jesus in an analogy of the Kingdom of heaven ( Mt.18:26 ). We shall look at Mt.18:26 in more detail later. Now, by putting some of the above verses together i.e. Mt.4:9,10; Acts.10:25; Rev.19:10; 22:8,9 we should be able to see that this Greek verb always means, as used in the NT, WORSHIP in the sense of the 1st and 2nd Commandments. Either worship towards God, and so complying with the first two of the 10 commandments, or worship of Satan, man, angels, or things, that break the commandments and needs correction (as John worshipping an angel or Cornelius worshipping Peter) or punishment (as those who will face the wrath of God for worshipping the Beast or its image). Remember, if any of these verses where this Greek word is used was only meaning some sort of human respect, favour, acceptance, or physical bowing down, then other Greek words could have, and would have been used to cover such man to man acknowledgments, as is done in other verses of the NT. We must look at Mat.18:26 for some will say that here is the one place where this Greek word is used as man respecting man with no classical worship. This argument does not hold water when one considers that men do worship men, i.e. Cornelius not only did physical prostration to Peter but also worship, at which Peter told him not to do so(Acts 10:25,26). John did the same to an angel(same Greek word) and was likewise told not to do so, but to worship only God (Rev.19:10). Men can and do worship the unseen world of Satan and demons (Rev.9:20; 13:4; 12:9). Men can and do worship Powers (Rev. 13:4,1 2, 15). Men can make the error of worshipping Angels (Rev. 22:8). Men can and do worship their JOBS, MATES, HOMES, WEALTH, and EMPLOYERS. Anything that comes between obeying and serving the true God and His holy commandments is worship of false gods. From this alone it should not surprise us that Jesus said a servant who was about to loose all that he had would worship his master and king, in order to avert slavery for himself and his family . There is another answer to this 26th verse of Mt.18. The King is obviously representative here of God the Father - the servant who owed ten thousand talents represents the Christian. As the servant fell down and worshipped the King, so the Christian is to worship the heavenly Father. Notice, after being forgiven the servant went out to his fellow man, who finding himself in trouble fell down (same Greek as in verse

26) also and BESOUGHT him to be patient. Jesus used here a different Greek word than Proskuneo (worship) used in verse 26. It is the word Parakaleo which means in part - to beg, entreat, beseech. Both servants fell down, showing human respect for someone with some sort of power over another (the one towards the King = heavenly Father, the other towards a man he was in debt to) BUT only one WORSHIPPED - the servant towards the King, who in this analogy represented God in heaven. The other servant did not worship his fellowservant but beseeched or begged him to be merciful. It should be clear now. The Greek word Proskuneo means to WORSHIP as complying with the first two commandments or as disobeying them. If Rev. 3:9 is only teaching that some kind of honour, respect, favourable acceptance or respectful bowing is being shown, then many other Greek words could have been used to clearly signify this, as we have seen. The Lord in having John use the verb Proskuneo was teaching us something that very few understand or are willing to believe. These people are coming before ones who have been made immortal who have been changed from human to divine - ones who at the appearing of Jesus the second time are to be made LIKE HIM (1 Jn.3: 2). They come before their feet and Proskuneo - WORSHIP! ! Only God is to be worshipped (Ex, 20:3-6; Rev.19:10). God the Father is, through creating mankind reproducing Himself. He will have many sons and daughters BORN into His Kingdom, who will be brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ. They will bear that Kingdom's name - God. All in the God family will be worshipped!

Armageddon And The Age To Come

Armageddon has become a term associated with destruction. World leaders and scientists use this term when speaking of the inevitability of nuclear warfare and World War III. The word Armageddon IS found in the Bible! Yet few really understand what Armageddon is all about. When World War I broke out, many excitedly proclaimed: "This is the war of Armageddon." Again the phrase was used at the onset of WWII, during the Korean War, after he was relieved from duty, General Douglas MacArthur in his farewell address to the United States Congress stated very clearly that if we did not solve the problems of war that OUR ARMAGEDDON is at our doorsteps. Today, over thirty years after General MacArthur's warning, the entire world is faced with certain destruction. There have been over 50 wars since WWII! People are tired of war and the cost in terms of human lives, property damage and money are

absolutely staggering! There seems to be no end in sight. The daily threat of nuclear holocaust has given birth to a tremendous grass-roofs "peace" movement around the world. Yet, the Bible shows that mankind does not know the way to peace, nor is he able to attain it. If God would not intervene and send Jesus Christ back to the earth, all life on earth would be destroyed. Jesus Christ Himself prophesied that this would be the condition of the world. "For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened (by God's intervention) there should be NO FLESH saved:but for the elect's sake (the true Christians) those days shall be shortened" (Mat. 24:21-22). Now it is commonly taught that Armageddon will be the last battle between the Western Democracies and Communism, before the return of Christ. Is this really what Bible prophecy foretells? Who will be fighting whom at Christ's second coming, and where? World War 3 is on the way! Most world leaders agree, it is only a matter of when and not if. Right now the nations of the world are attempting to prepare their citizens for survival of a nuclearattack. Military leaders have hinted that nuclear war, that is, a "small limited nuclear war," in Europe or the Middle East could be survived! Only God has the power to stop mankind from committing suicide! How will He do this and what lies beyond? Will the earth remain a hulk of total destruction for a thousand years? Or, will there be a NEW AGE? If so, what will that age be like? The Bible, the inspired Word of God gives us the answers to these questions. In this lesson we shall see what God tells us about ARMAGEDDON and THE NEW AGE to come.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

Most people have heard little about the DAY OF THE LORD, yet the Day of the Lord is described in more than 30 different prophecies in the Old and New Testaments. In this lesson we will cover many important scriptures about the Day of the Lord. To add to this study, you are encouraged to use a concordance of the Bible as an aid. This will help you delve more deeply into each topic. An excellent concordance is Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (e.i. Then you will be able to look up each reference for yourself). Rev. 6:16-17

What question is asked in verse 17? Is this the day of God's wrath? Note: Jesus Christ came the first time as a meek lamb to be slain for the sins of the world. (Isa. 53:1-12; John 1:29; Rev. 13:8). But, when He comes again, He will be wrathful, angry, and against all evil! Do these scriptures also tell us about the DAY OF GOD'S WRATH? Isa. 2:10-21; Jer. 30:6-7; Joel 2:1,11; Zeph. 1:14-18; 2:2-3. The wrath of the Day of the Lord will be manifested through the seven trumpet plagues which will occur consecutively over a period of months. Rev. 8:1-13; 9:1- 21. This will culminate with the seventh trumpet. When it is sounded the dead in Christ are resurrected to eternal life. Rev.11:15-11 1. Is this the seventh trumpet sound? 2. Who is to take over the kingdoms of the world and reign and rule? 3. Is God wrathful? 4. Are the nations angry? 5. Will God destroy many people? Note: The Day of the Lord and the wrath of God will not be finished with the sounding of the seventh trumpet plague. Revelation 15:1-16:21 shows that there will be an outpouring of the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES, WHICH WILL END IN THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST!

Rev.19:11-16; 17:14; John 1:29. 1. Will Jesus Christ make war? 2. What are some of His titles? 3. Is this the same one who is called the Lamb of God? Note: These verses show plainly that Christ will come with the armies of resurrected saints and will conquer the rebellious nations. Zeph. 1:17; Rev. 11:18; 9:20-21; 16:11. Why will God have to punish the rebellious? Note: God will be angry because of the sins of mankind.

Jesus Christ will have to come to save the human race alive (Mat. 24:22). But, because God is love, He will punish in love! It might seem like a contradiction to some, that God, who is love, will punish so severely. But the nations and people of the world will have reached a point that they will listen to nothing else. God will have to punish this world to bring it to repentance. Rev. 11:18. When Jesus returns will the nations of the world be cooperative and accept Him as Savior, or will they be angry and determined to fight Christ? Note: The people and nations of the earth want peace. The Americans want peace, the Russians want peace, the Jews want peace, the Arabs want peace, the Chinese want peace, the Europeans want peace. But they all want peace their way! However, the history of the world has conclusively proven that mankind does not know the way to world peace - man's peace always leads to war. When Jesus Christ comes the nations will be angry and at war with each other, but on seeing Christ and His armies, they will stop fighting among themselves. They will all see the coming of Jesus Christ and convince the rest of the world that the earth is being invaded by aliens from outer space. Then they will join forces together to fight against Christ. In turn Jesus will deal with them in the only language that these rebellious nations will understand - THE POWER AND FORCE OF GOD ALMIGHTY! Rev. 15:1,6-7. In what is the wrath of God filled up? Note: The seventh or last trumpet, Rev. 11:15, completes the trumpet plagues and announces the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES. THIS IS THE WRATH OF GOD!

Rev.16:1-Il. I. Upon what and whom will these seven last plagues be poured out? 2. Will there be great suffering upon the rebellious? 3. Will the people repent of their sins, of their Satan worship? Or will they continue to be deceived?

ARMAGEDDON

Rev.16:12. 1. What will happen when the sixth vial of God's wrath is poured out? 2. From which direction do the kings come? Note: Look at any map of the world and notice what nations kings and kingdoms - lie east of the Euphrates River. Rev.17:14. Who will the nations of the earth fight against? Note: Verse 14 shows that it is the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ, as we have seen, is the Lamb of God. Rev. 16:13-16. 1. Who incites the nations to fight against Christ? 2. Will the kingdoms that war against God only come from the east? Or, will it be all nations? 3. WHAT IS THIS GREAT BATTLE CALLED? 4. What is the place called where the armies of the world are gathered? Note: The Bible interprets for us who the dragon is. It is Satan (Rev.12:9). The spirits are Satan's angels or demons. The word devils in the KJV ought to be translated demons. There is one fallen archangel (Isa.14:12-14; Ezk. 28:12-17) called the Devil, but there are many fallen angels (Jude 6; Rev. 12:7) now called demons in the Bible. These demons are responsible for gathering the armies of all nations together to fight against the returning Jesus Christ. The proper translation of the Greek in verse 16 should be "...and they gathered them together..." See other translations such as: RSV, Living Bible, Phillips, etc. Additionally, verse 14 proves it is many evil spirits that gather these armies together. The Bible shows that these demon spirits directly control the world now by influencing the leaders of the nations. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph.6:12). Just before the final battle of the nations against the returning Christ, these demons will deceive the nations again with miracles and they will be gathered into one place. The nations will assemble their armies at a place called Armageddon. The word Armageddon is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew

name Har Megiddo, meaning, hill or mountain of Megiddo. Megiddo was a strong fortification dating from ancient times, situated approximately 60 miles Northwest of Jerusalem. The mound that remains is a few miles south east of Haifa, a natural port which is ideal for landing troops. The Plain of Megiddo is an oval shaped valley once called the Plain of Esdraelon, but now is often called the Valley of Jezreel. It is a large flat area ideal for the gathering together of large armies.

THE BATTLE OF THE GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY

Rev.16:14; 19:11-21. 1. What is the name of this climactic battle? 2. Who will fight whom? 3. Will it be a battle between the Western Democracies and Communism? Will it be between the Arabs and Jews? Joel 3:1-2, 9-14; Zech. 14:2; Rev. 14:18-20. In what exact areas of Palestine does this battle take place? Note: The word Jehoshaphat means Judgment of Jehovah. The focal point of the battle will be in this valley at Jerusalem. This valley is also called in the Bible The Valley of Decision. It borders the city of Jerusalem on the east. The Pictorial Bible Dictionary states that this valley situated between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives is now called the Kidron Valley (P.408). This battle is likened to the "great winepress of the wrath of God"(Rev. 14:19) which is trodden without the city. God says in Zechariah 14 that He will fight against the nations of the world at Jerusalem. The blood of these enemies, represented by the juice of grapes being pressed out in a winepress, will flow, "without (outside) the city." There will be so much blood flowing that it will rise, in some areas, as high as the horses bridles. The river of blood will flow for 1,600 furlongs. According to E.Leslie Carlson, under money, weights, and measures in the Teachers'Heritage Edition of the Bible published by World Publishing, a furlong is 606.5 English feet. 1,600 furlongs would be approximately 183 miles. There is a land depression running from the plain of Megiddo down passed Jerusalem and continuing south to the ancient land area of Edom. The distance of this depression from Megiddo to where it ends, south of Jerusalem, is approximately 180-200 miles.

Rev.16:17-21. 1. How will the battle of Armageddon end? 2. What are the "natural" forces God uses against the armies? 3. Will the surface of the earth be changed? Note: The hail stones will weigh one talent, which is approximately 180 lbs.

WILL THE EARTH BE DESOLATE DURING THE MILLENNIUM?

We have seen some important passages of the Bible that tell us what Jesus Christ and the saints will do after His return to the earth. As we shall see there are literally dozens of passages in God's Word which clearly show that God will restore the earth for human beings and have a glorious reign of 1,000 years here on earth. During this time all people will be blessed and prosper. There will be peace and love. But we need to stop and consider the teachings of some, who say that the earth will be completely desolate during the 1,000 year period. Christ and the saints. it is alleged, are transported to be in heaven and are not on the earth. The teaching of a desolate uninhabited earth during the 1,000 years is based on a few scriptures. We shall examine these scriptures and read their setting in the context of the meaning of the passages in which they are found. As we shall see, the Bible reveals that the earth will not be desolate and uninhabited. We are admonished by God's Word, "...To prove ALL THINGS and hold fast to that which is good!" (I Thes. 5:21). To prove means to test and try, and in this case by SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES (Acts 7:11). To help clarify the misunderstanding about the earth being desolate for 1,000 years, we will see that there are two renewals of the earth and heavens. The first one is when Jesus Christ returns to the earth and the second one is when God the Father comes to the earth. Just to review: When Jesus Christ returns, the saints will be resurrected. They will be given eternal life (1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Jn.3: l-3; Jn. 3:16-17; 6:51-58; Rom.6:23). They will reign as kings and priests under Christ, who will be king over all the earth (Rev.1:6,5:10,20:6). As we have already seen there will also be human beings, who

will survive these horrible end time events. So what we find is this: There will be two types of people on earth. 1) The spirit beings, Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints, who will be those in God's government. They will rule the world. 2) Human beings, who have lived on over into the New Age and carry on as the beginning generation of people at the start of the Millennium. There will be two renewings of the earth and heaven. 1). When Christ returns it will be renewed for human life. This means that the atmosphere will have to also be cleansed - a new heaven. This is the new heaven and earth in which there are human beings, who are under the government of God. Those in the positions of the government of God will be spirit beings. 2). The renewal of the earth and heaven when human life has ceased to exist. All who have qualified for eternal life will be spirit beings. All who have rejected God's salvation will be burned up in a lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15). This is at the end of the Millennium and God's final judgment. This final lake of fire will consume the entire surface of the earth and atmosphere (II Pet. 3:10- 14). Then will come the second new heaven and earth. In this setting it is apparent that it is for spirit life only, not human life. "And I saw a new heaven and new earth: for the first heaven and first earth were passed away: and there was no more sea" (Rev. 21:1). Human life could not exist without oceans. This is where the confusion has come in the minds of some, because they could not distinguish between the renewing of the earth at the return of Jesus Christ, and the renewing of the earth in preparation for the habitation for spirit beings and the coming of God the Father to the earth. As we go through these scriptures it will become clear that where there are references to human, flesh and blood beings, it is talking about the restoration at the return of Jesus, and not the restoration at the end of the Millennium, which will be for spirit beings. Isa.24:1-6 Note: Is this a prophecy for the end time? Yes. Please read chapters 25,26 and 27, and you will see that these also talk about the end time. Does verse 1 of Isa. 24 show that the inhabitants are scattered? Does verse 6 show that the earth will be desolate? But does it also show that a curse has devoured the earth, the inhabitants are burned, and show that there will be few men (human beings) left? NOWHERE IN THE ENTIRETY OF THESE SCRIPTURES DOES IT SAY

THAT all human life is destroyed and the earth is uninhabited and left desolate for 1,000 years! Isa. 26:21 Note: This verse nowhere says that every last single soul will be slain, the entire context before and after disprove any such idea. Isa. 31:1-10. Does this not show that there will be human life? Also, animal life? Isa. 11:1-12. Note: This shows a world of peaceful human and animal life, not desolation. Please study the rest of the chapter and the next chapter,12, as well. These clearly show this is a time when Christ is on the earth just after His return. Isa. 65:21,22. Note: This clearly shows that there will be human life at the restoration at the return of Jesus Christ. The new heaven and earth spoken of in verse 17 is the restoration for human flesh and blood life. There will be birth and death. The second restoration, or the new heavens and earth, for spirit beings will usher in a time when there will be no more death (Rev. 21:4-7). Jer. 4:23-26. Note: This is not a prophecy against the entire earth, but against Judah and Jerusalem. See the preceding verses: 5-6, 10, 14, 16, 22. Verse 20 says: "the whole land," yes, the land of Judah. Verse 23 where the Hebrew is translated "earth," can also be translated "land." The Amplified Bible renders it "land" as in verse 20. Verse 27 shows that there will not be total destruction, "...yet I will not make a full end." Jer. 25:33. Note: This verse nowhere says every single soul will be stain - only that there will be slain people all over the earth.

Jer. 25:30-32. Note: God will plead with all nations, many will repent, (Jer. 23:3-6; 16:14-21; Isa. 25:7-9; 29:18-24). The wicked are the ones whom God will slay - verse 31. Ezk.9:1-11 Note: When this entire chapter is read it shows that it applies only to the house of Israel and Judah, including the city of Jerusalem, not the entire world. Other references are used by those who believe that the earth will be desolate and uninhabited during the Millennium such as: Mat.24:36-44; II Thes. 1:7-9; 2:8. But in everyone of these instances when the entire context of the verses and chapters are closely examined it is apparent that it is a misunderstanding of the Bible. So it is apparent from the Bible that the earth will not be a desolate wilderness and uninhabited during the Millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ. Let us now look at more scriptures that show us what the conditions of this earth will be like during the New Age of the Kingdom of God.

Part II THE KINGDOM OF GOD on Earth

The NEW AGE of the Kingdom of God will be headed by Jesus Christ who will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Bible shows that there will be survivors of this final holocaust who will live and begin the new generation of human beings under the rule and government of the Kingdom of God. What happens after this final battle of Armageddon? Zech.14:1-21. 1. After the great battle of the wrath of God, as it is popularly called the Battle of Armageddon, where will Christ go? 2. Who will come with Christ? 3. Will it be one literal day? 4. Who will be king over all the earth? 5. Will the physical land be reclaimed? 6. Will the city of Jerusalem be inhabited in safety again? See Zech.8:1-5. 7. How will God deal with those who will still be rebellious?

Note: The Bible shows in Zech. 14, that He is going to require all nations to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This is one of the Feasts of God, which the true Church of God should be keeping today. (For a complete listing of the sacred feasts of God please study Lev. 23). Here God is showing how He will deal with those nations which refuse to keep the Feast of Tabernacles during the I ,000 year rule of Jesus Christ. Isa.66:15-24. 1. Is this passage referring to the battle of the great day of God's wrath and what shall occur there and afterwards? 2. Will some be sent out to tell others about God? 3. Will gifts be sent up from all nations to the Lord God at Jerusalem? 4. Will all people who live through the end time holocaust into the millennium (the 1,000 years rule), called flesh in verse 23, come to worship the Lord? 5. Will they worship God on His designated days? The New Moon days and the Sabbath days are even today, part of God's sacred calendar. If all people will worship God on those days at that time in the future, should not True Christians be worshipping God on those days now? 6. Will God continue to punish the rebellious? Micah 4:1-5; Isa. 2:1-4. 1. Will most people and nations want to learn about the True God and His laws after Christ has returned? 2. Will there be any more wars? Habakkuk 2:14; Isa. 11:9. 1. Will the glory of God eventually cover the whole world? 2. Will the knowledge of God be readily available? To what extent will it be known? Rev. 20:1-6. This setting is at the beginning of the Millennium. 1. What will happen to Satan the Devil, the author of all evil, and for how long? 2. Are the saints, now resurrected spirit beings, given thrones of authority and judgment and co-rule with Jesus Christ? 3. Does all this occur after the first resurrection? 4. How long do they reign with Christ? 5. In what capacity will they function? Note: This I ,000 year reign of Jesus Christ and the saints is

commonly known as the Millennium. The word millennium does not appear in the KJV Bible. But the word millennium means "a thousand." The Bible reveals that the resurrected saints of God, who are raised to eternal spirit life at the first resurrection, have the promise of being kings and priests to reign and rule with Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). True Christians today are qualifying for these positions, see Rev.2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26-29; 3:5; 3:10-13; 3:21. What does Jesus Christ promise the overcoming Christians? The rewards are tremendous! This is why God demands that Christians keep the commandments of God! The rebellious who refuse to keep the commandments of God will never inherit the Kingdom of God! Read Rev. 22:14. What does commandment keeping insure? I John 2:3-6; 5:1-3; 3:4 and 22; Mat. 19:17. Are there blessings of knowing God's love, and eternal life at the resurrection because we keep the commandments of God and do those things that are pleasing in His sight? What will happen to those who will not obey God and keep His commandments? Will they suffer the second death in a lake of fire? (Rev. 20:13-14; 21:8,27; 22:15).

THE LAND RECLAIMED

Isa.27:6; Ezek.36; Jer.23:1-6; 30:1-9; 31:1-14. 1. Will God gather the descendants of Israel and Judah? 2. To where will He bring them? 3. Will the land again blossom and produce? 4. Will the cities be rebuilt? Note: When this gathering and rebuilding occurs, Israel and Judah will never again practice heathen ways or go into war or captivity. This has not happened yet. Jer.33:1-13; Zech.8:1-8. Will there be peace and safety and happiness in the cities of the New Age? Jer.3:17; Zech.8:3; Isa.62:1-7. 1. Will Jerusalem be the capital city of the whole earth? 2. Will it be a fine example to the rest of the world?

Isa.41:8-20; 35:1-2, 7-10. Will the desert lands become productive and forests reappear and spread during the Millennium? Isa.51:3.

Will God transform Zion and the land of Palestine into a veritable garden of Eden?

A TIME OF MIRACLES

Isa. 11:1-9; 35:l-7. 1. Will the nature of the animals be changed so even wild flesh-eating beasts will eat grass and be household pets for children? 2. Will those who have great physical handicaps, such as blindness, deafness and lameness be healed by God? Note: There will be no need for hospitals in the New Age of God.

Isa. 33:20-24; 61:1-3; Jer. 30:10-22. Will God also free mankind from sickness and disease? Note: There will be no need for health insurance in the New Age of the Kingdom of God.

A PERFECT CLIMATE Ezk. 34:26; Isa. 30:23; Jer. 31:12; Amos 9:13. 1. Will God cause the rains to come at the right time? 2. Will there be rejoicing over the abundance of crops that God will bestow during the Millennium? 3. Will there be a super abundance of food? Note: Most of the land surface of the earth is unproductive, today only about 7% of the land is actually tillable. The exact opposite will be true in the utopia of the New Age of God as He begins to bless the entire world. Micah 4:l-4; Isa 2:1-5. 1. Will there be economic reform from a war based economy to a peaceful agricultural economy? 2. Will there be land reform so every one will have his own land and produce his own food? Note: Farmers will no longer have to gamble with the weather; their work will always be successful, as long as they obey God.

THE GREATEST RIVERS

Zech. 14:l-8; Ezk.47:1-12. 1. What happens when Christ's feet touch the Mount of Olives? 2. Will a mighty river flow through this new channel? 3. Will one half of this water flow east to the Dead Sea and the other half flow west into the Mediterranean Sea? 4. Does this living water produce life, fish and health to the barren places of the earth? 5. Does this living water proceed from the very sanctuary of God - from the spot where God's temple will stand? (Joel 3:18). Note: The Dead Sea is 1286 feet below sea level. It is the lowest spot on earth. The Jordan River constantly empties into the northern extremity of the Dead Sea. It has no natural outlet, but the level of the water remains fairly constant, because the hot weather causes the water to evaporate at about the same rate as the inflow of water. Because of this, the water is extremely salty. So much so, that no plant or marine life can live in it today. But when this new river begins to flow into it, its waters will rise until they overflow southward through the desert regions. There is an indication that the Dead Sea Valley as it is known today, will actually be raised. Then the pure healing waters from God's throne will flow out into this area and south to what is now the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea and on into the Indian Ocean and circulate towards the east. It will heal every thing as it goes. The waters which flow out towards the west will do the same thing in that direction, until the entire earth is healed. This is how God will heal the entire world from the pollution and destruction described in the book of Revelation.

A PURE LANGUAGE AND PROPER EDUCATION

A major barrier to mutual understanding and cooperation between peoples of the world has been the barrier of language. This was caused by God at the tower of Babel, right after the Flood, as a result of the sins of mankind. God will remove that curse and restore the entire world to one pure language.

Zech. 3:9.

Will God institute one pure language for the whole world? Note: As well as one common language for all people, the language of the New Age will be free from any pagan ungodly words. There are many words we use everyday that are derived from heathenistic sources - the days of the week and months of the year are mainly of pagan origin- derived from the names of false gods.

EDUCATION

Proper God-oriented education will be one of the top priorities during the Millennium. During the New Age of the Kingdom of God people will be taught the laws that will produce peace, happiness, safety, productivity and blessings. God will still give each person the choice of whether to obey Him or not. The majority will want to obey God's way, but mankind will have to be re-educated out of the false deceptive harmful ways as inspired by Satan the Devil. Mankind will learn that there is a way that seems right to him, which only lead to death, misery and suffering.

Isa. 11:9. In this re-education, how much knowledge of the Lord will be known? Isa. 25:7. Is wrong education like a veil that hides the truth from the mind receiving it? Note: Rev. 12:9 shows that Satan the Devil is the one who has deceived the world and is the author of the false education of the world today. Rev. 20:1-3. Will the Devil be allowed to do his work during the age to come? Hosea 4:6. What knowledge and education is most lacking today? I Cor. 3:19. What does God think of the wisdom of the world? John 17:17; Ps. 119:142,151,172.

What is God's truth? Note: God's truth is a way of life based on love. Jesus Christ said that all the law and prophets were based on love (Mat 22:37-41). In the Book of Acts 19:9, 23 it is called That Way. Most of the world today does not approve and rejects God's way, just as they did in the early apostolic days (Acts 24:14). God's way is based on His divinely revealed will and laws, based on love. He has given to us His foundation of right knowledge and education. It is found in His inspired Word - the Bible. Jer. 16:19. After the climax at the close of this age of mankind's rule under the sway of Satan the Devil, what will people acknowledge? Note: By the time Christ has finished His intervention to save mankind from complete annihilation, they will, for the most part, be willing to confess their false ways and ignorance of God's Truth. At that time humanity will be teachable and will be taking the first step to repentance and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. Isa. 55:6-9; 30:21-26. Will mankind be receptive? Will they listen to their teachers as they are shown the right way to live? Jer. 30:7-9; Ezk. 34:23-24; Luke 22:29-30; Mat 28:19-20. 1. Will the resurrected King David rule over all Israel? 2. What were the 12 apostles promised in the New Age of the Kingdom of God? 3. What will they teach? Rev. 2:26; 5:10. Who else will help teach the nations of the world in the New Age? Note: Then the resurrected immortal saints will be priests as well as kings. The function of a priest is to teach (Mal. 2:7). The glorified children of God will teach people the Word and the ways of God, His laws, commandments, statutes and judgments. They will be able to appear in visible form at will (Isa. 30:20-21). They will be ever present to teach or to stop any open crime or rebellion. Because they will be like Christ is now, they will be able to come and go as necessary, pass through walls or instantly disappear, such as Christ was able to do after His resurrection (John 20:17, 19,25-27; Luke 24:31).

Eventually through God's system of proper education and true worship of the True God, the world will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the oceans. There will be peace, joy, happiness and a truly abundant life for all people. Zech. 14:16-19; Isa. 66:19-23. Will the nations of the world keep the appointed feasts and holy days of God? Note: The world today, including most of professing Christianity are following the pagan Babylonian mystery religion customs, festivals, celebrations, which were derived from the pagan philosophies, customs and beliefs of Babylon, Egypt and Rome. In the New Age of the Kingdom of God all people will be taught the right and proper way to worship God and what are the right and proper days of worship.

MANKIND'S NEW NATURE

Mat 12:35. Is the heart and nature of mankind a mixture of good and evil, with the evil dominating? Note: Mark 7:21-23 shows that sin originates from within the minds of human beings. Jer. 17:9; Mat 15:19. Does the nature of man lean towards being deceitful and wicked? Rom. 8:5-7. Is the natural mind of man enmity and hostile to the law of God? Is it possible for it to be subject to it? Note: This way of mankind seems right and natural but it results in death (Pro. 14:12; 16:25). Ezk. 36:22-27; Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:10; 10:16. 1. Will God change the hearts of people during the Millennium age? 2. What will God add to the minds of people that will enable them to be at peace and reap the blessings of serving God?

WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE ETERNAL FILLING THE EARTH, AS IT IS UNITED WITH THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF THE PHYSICAL PEOPLE UPON EARTH, AS JESUS AND ALL THE SAINTS RULE WITH THE POWER AND THE WORD OF THE LORD, THEN THE WORLD WILL HAVE THE UTOPIA IT HAS DREAMED ABOUT FOR CENTURIES. THEN WE SHALL HAVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD UPON THE EARTH. AS JESUS TAUGHT US, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PRAY, "THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN."