Why does God Allow
Evil? Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
Should God’s existence be
proven? /Apologeticshtml/Should the Bible and God Be Proven
Fideism vs WCG.htm
Does the Bible teach blind
faith? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Gospel of John Theory of Knowledge.htm
What
Is the Dominion Mandate Given to Adam and Eve?
What
is the nature and characteristics of mankind’s dominion over the earth? How does that relate to the coming kingdom
of God after Jesus’ return? Ultimately,
the kingdom of God will restore what was lost physically and surpass
spiritually what Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden.
The
dominion mandate that God gave to Adam and Eve doesn’t mean that they would
necessarily have physical prosperity or good health. This mandate simply told them to reproduce and have control over
the earth physically, including over the animals and plants. Let’s look at the actual wording (Genesis
1:28): “And God blessed them; and God
said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and
rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every
living thing that moves on the earth.”
So there’s no promise here about humanity in general gaining great
physical wealth or always avoiding sickness.
The dominion mandate gives humanity authority over God’s creation with
His permission. Adam and Eve’s sin in
the Garden of Eden didn’t cancel this mandate:
God still wants people to have children and to exercise control over His
physical creation in order to prepare their characters for life in the kingdom
of God.
Now
eventually Jesus will return again in order to restore the pre-Edenic
conditions to the world. For example, animals
will no longer attack and eat each other after Jesus returns (Isaiah
11:6-7): “And the wolf will dwell with
the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the
young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. And the cow and the bear will graze; their
young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox.” Even the nature of animals, not just people,
will change after the Kingdom of God rules over this earth after Jesus’
return. However, for the time being, we
have to wait until Jesus comes back to undo the curses placed on Adam and Eve
(Genesis 3:16-19), which affected the earth as well. Notice what Peter said about what Jesus would do after Jesus
comes back (Acts 3:20-21): “He may send
Jesus the Christ appointed by you, whom heaven must receive until the period of
restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouths of the holy
prophets from ancient time.” So until
Jesus returns, such problems as poverty, crime, and bad health will affect many
people.
So
then, we pray for God’s kingdom to come when we model our prayers upon Jesus’
words in Matt. 6:9-13, which is traditionally called “The Lord’s prayer.” When we say (in so many words), “Thy kingdom
come,” we’re asking God to send His Son in order to clean up the mess of the
world that humanity, Satan, and the demons have made of this earth. One day Jesus will return to earth
(Zechariah 14:3-4) and His saints will rule with him over this earth
(Revelation 5:10): “And thou has made
them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the
earth.” God’s kingdom will be a literal
kingdom with police powers to rule and punish people, just like the governments
created by people today can reward and punish both good and bad behavior. Notice that the rock that hits the statue
that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon saw in his dream represented God’s kingdom
and Jesus’ return to earth to rule it (Daniel 2:44-45). It will not be something abstract without
clear consequences for disobedience to its commands at that time. Furthermore, God’s truth will fill the earth
spiritually at that time (Isaiah 2:3):
“And many people’s will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us
concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion, and the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
Here
above the nature of the dominion mandate and God’s kingdom has been explained
briefly. The dominion mandate doesn’t
promise physical prosperity to people, but does give the authority to rule over
nature and to multiply in numbers.
God’s kingdom will be a literal government that will eventually replace
all human governments after Jesus’ return to this physical earth.
Eric
V. Snow
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Why does God Allow Evil?
Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why
Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
May Christians work on
Saturdays? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Protestant
Rhetoric vs Sabbath Refuted.htm
Should Christians obey
the Old Testament law? /doctrinalhtml/Does
the New Covenant Abolish the OT Law.htm
Do you have an immortal
soul? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Here
and Hereafter.htm
Does the ministry have
authority? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Is
There an Ordained Ministry vs Edwards.html
Is the United States the
Beast? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Are
We the Beast vs Collins.htm
Should you give 10% of
your income to your church? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Does
the Argument from Silence Abolish the Old Testament Law of Tithing 0205 Mokarow
rebuttal.htm
Is Jesus God? Click
here: /doctrinalhtml/Is
Jesus God.htm
Will there be a third
resurrection? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Will
There Be a Third Resurrection.htm
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