Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim. 2:15

King James AV1611

 
 

Mystery of The Ages
Mystery of The Ages© -is a book written by Dr. James Modlish
-reprinted here with the author's permission-



THE EDENIC DISPENSATION


INTRODUCTION: The recreation of the earth is followed by creation of inhabitants on the earth (sixth day of creation). Man was created in God's own image which explains why man has two faculties no animal has ever had, or ever will have; the faculty to speak, "In the beginning was the word" (John 1:1); and the faculty to write, "Thy word is true from the beginning" (Ps. 119:160). Why would any true revelation of a true God come to man in any other way than in the form of words in a Book? (See Ps. 119:89, 105, 130). The image is further defined in (Heb. 1:1-3 and Col. 2, and 2 Cor. 4:4) as being the Lord Jesus Christ. The image is a person, and Adam is so "Christ like" that Jesus Christ is called "the second Adam" (I Cor. 15). Furthermore, the image proves that Adam was a trichotomy (Body, Soul, and Spirit) even as God is three parts. The three parts of man can be seen in (Gen. 2:7).

  1. The Body - is the dust (Ps. 119:25). The body goes back to the dust because "in my flesh dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18). The body of God is Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-3).

  2. The Soul - The soul or "I am," corresponds to God the Father in type, and it constitutes that part of the image which "No man hath seen, nor can see" (John 1:18; I Tim. 6:16). After the fall of man, this soul is stuck to a "body of death" (Ps. 119:25), and consequently, the Old Testament writers used the word "soul" as synonymous with the body (see Gen. 19:20; 17:14; Rev. 20:4; Num. 31:28). The soul leaves the body at death, and departs long before any dirt is shoveled over anyone (see Gen. 50:3; 49:33, 35:18).

  3. The Spirit - The spirit, as wind or air, is common to all men (I Cor. 2:11) and common to all animals (Ecc. 3:21). After the fall this is a dead spirit, and it must be "born again" before the soul of its possessor can enter the presence of God permanently. It is the spirit in a man that is "born again" when he is born again, not his "soul" (cf. John 3:6). The unconverted man in this age then, is like a flat tire. He is a live body with a dead spirit (Eph. 2:1-6), whereas, the child of God is a live spirit within a dead body (see Rom. 6:2- 10).

 

I. INNOCENCE

A. The State of Man - In this garden of matchless delights, and amid scenes of indescribable loveliness, with God for his counselor, and angelic beings as visitors, with a sinless nature and environment most favorable to a pure and holy life, the progenitors of the human race were placed. The conditions were ideal.

B. The Crowns - God made a king and of his kingship there can be no doubt, for in the day of his creation he was said to be one who was, "Crowned with glory and honour," and "set over the works of thy hands," and God put "all things in subjection under his feet" (Heb. 2:6-8).
This is "His Majesty, Adam the First" - like Satan, in that he was "a son of God." (See Luke 3:38, Job 38:1-7, and Job 1:6).

This new king is provided with a helpmeet (mate) who can match (meet) his needs; he is given a commission and an authority over two kingdoms, which were left to him by a fallen cherub. As king over the KINGDOM OF GOD, Adam is a "Son of God," made in God's image. As King over the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, he is given a commission to replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over everything on it (Gen. 1:26-28).

C. Salvation - Salvation will be defined as "the gift of eternal life" (Rom. 6:23). Adam was required to do two things to have assurance of eternal life:

[1]. Obedience - abstain from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17).

[2]. Accept the gift, eat of the tree of life (Gen. 3:22-24). The Bible seems to make a complete circle (Rev. 22:14). Will God complete His plan? (Isa 45:18). You can't help but wonder if the tree of life is somehow synonymous with a person (John 15:1) even as the Word of God is (John 1:1).

 

II. THE FALL

The critics of the Bible always try to blame God for Adam's fall. Let's back up and work through some sound reasoning.

[1]. Why did God make the heaven and the earth? (Gen. 1:1)

Answer: He made them to be INHABITED! (Isa. 45:18; 2 Pet. 3:13) This is a nasty turn of events! Can it be that the Bible and the unregenerate scholars, scientists, philosophers, and historians have the same plan?

[2]. If God made them (and God is perfect), Why did He not make them perfect?

Answer: He DID make them perfect; go back and notice that verses 3-28 are dealing with a re- creation of a former creation, which was finished in (verse 1). (Even Satan was created perfect in (Ezek 28:15); not as a "serpent" or as a "devil" but as a "Cherubim."

[3]. If God made them perfect, why are they not perfect now?

Answer: Because something happened between (Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1:3) to the physical creation, and something happened between (Gen. 2:7 and Gen. 3:13) to the spiritual creation - the first man and woman.

[4]. If God is perfect and loves "perfection," why did He not prevent this "something" from happening?

Answer: Because although the material creation was perfect, the MAN that God created was not perfect; he was only sinless, but not perfect!

[5]. Didn't God know the result of the test before it occurred? (If He is perfect, He must have known.)

Answer: Good thinking - He did (Acts 15:18). He knew Adam would fall, and knowing this He gave him a freedom of will and of choice, so he could (or could NOT) fall.

[6]. Then is not God indirectly (or directly) to blame for what took place in His creation at the start?

Answer: Yes, the Lord could have prevented sin from entering, and DID NOT (Lam. 3:38; Job 2:10).

[7]. Then is not God responsible for Adam's sin and the mess man now finds himself in?

Answer: NO, God does not tempt any man, neither can He be tempted, but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and is enticed (James 1:13-15).

[8]. Then who tempted Adam?

Answer: Eve (Gen. 3:4-6; I Tim. 2:12-14).

[9]. Who Tempted Eve?

Answer: A "serpent" (2 Cor. 11:1-3).

[10]. Who tempted the serpent, if it wasn't God, Himself?

Answer: Before the serpent was a "serpent," he was not a serpent, but a Cherubim, and he was drawn away of his own lust and enticed to put his own will above the will of God. (See Eze. 28:10- 17; Isa. 14:12-15).

[11]. Get off that! If God is eternal and knew the end from the beginning, He would have prevented the "Lucifer" of (Isaiah 14) from falling to the level of a serpent!

Answer: True. God lets a lot of things "fall" in order to work out His original plan (Rom. 11: 11-32).

[12]. Then God is not only responsible for MAN'S sin, but the serpent's also, since He allowed BOTH to take place - isn't that right?

Answer: If I say "Yes," what then?

[13]. Then Darwin and Marx are right. "There is no God" (Ps. 14:1), because a God that is so imperfect that He is responsible for imperfection, is NOT perfect!

Answer: Let me ask you a question, bright eyes, "Suppose God remedied the entire thing and made right what was made wrong; has He not then cleared Himself of ALL guilt and responsibility in the matter?" (Rom. 3:4-6).

If God is perfect, then LOVE is one of His qualities (I John 4:;8), and this LOVE has to be perfect LOVE. For "love to really be perfect LOVE, there has to be two parties. (One party loving the same party is not LOVE, for self-love is not real "LOVE",) God, therefore, creates a second party - MAN (Heb. 2:6) - on which to manifest this attribute. If the man does not have a free will and a free choice, then he cannot return God's love. An automaton cannot "love". The man must have a choice (Josh. 24:15), and to have a choice there must be a third party. The "eternal triangle," in this case, is a cherub who becomes a serpent. You can choose him (2 Cor. 4:4) or God (I Ki. 18:21). God allows this being (the cherub) to appear and tempt mankind so that man can freely choose GOD as an object of love. Adam chooses his wife as an object, and his wife chooses knowledge - as do all good "intellectuals"! The man falls and God redeems the man, by bearing the entire blame (Rom. 5:6- 19) for both the man and the cherub; he does this sin- bearing by coming down and dying, as a man! (Phil. 2; Isa.53; Rom. 10; 2 Cor. 3 ). Having absolved Himself of ALL guilt, it is now possible for the man to be confirmed sinless forever by receiving a sinless Saviour as his own (John 1:10- 12). "Your move." - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman 

III. THE JUDGMENT

Adam died spiritually immediately (exactly as God had said) and physically in due time (Heb. 9:27). His death was passed on (Rom. 5:12-14) in that his children were born in his image and not God,s (Gen. 5:3). He lost his spiritual crown (Kingdom of God) in that he lost God's image and his physical crown (Kingdom of Heaven) in that his dominion was cursed (Gen. 3:17-19).





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