November 23, 2008
It is God’s design that men have dominion over the earth. God gave Adam and Eve this command. This dominion obviously has not happened with this fallen civilization. Adam’s fallen seed is in the process of producing a civilization of “after his kind.” It is a civilization of sinful people that are locked in time and space – and like grass – they are all destined to die and perish. And the human glory – all that sheds light upon them: human pride, human wisdom, human beauty, human talent, human wealth, human achievements – is temporary and its fame is fleeting. It appears briefly like a vapor and it is quickly gone (James 4:14).
Jesus Christ as the last Adam is using the spiritual incorruptible seed of the word of God to generate a heavenly people after His kind destined to live forever. John explains, “He [Jesus Christ] came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13). “Who were born” is taken from the original word meaning, “to beget.” Children of God are born from the source of God. Christians are those who are born into God’s forever family.
We are to have bodies like Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection body. Paul says that our “citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). Paul describes these new bodies as bodies that please God, bodies with a new kind of flesh, bodies with a glory all their own, and they will be powerful spiritual bodies that will not perish (1 Corinthians 15: 38-43).
Paul mentions two Adams and the civilizations that they produce reflect the nature of each of them. He said, “It is written that the first man Adam became a living being” (1 Corinthians 15:45). This is a reference to Genesis 2:7. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Adam sinned and died spiritually. He became the father of a fallen race. “The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). The last Adam is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is breathing the gospel into the minds of many giving them, not physical life, but spiritual life. Paul says that the spiritual is not first but the physical (is first). But afterward comes the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46).
Paul then makes his contrast of the two Adam’s clear. He says that the first was a man of the earth made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:47). He then makes this contrast! As was the man of dust so are those who are made of dust. And as is the heavenly Man, so are those who are heavenly. Paul’s conclusion is this. “As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Corinthians 15:48- 49) Jesus said it like this, that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit” (John 3:7).
Jesus Christ alluded to this very thing when He spoke these words to His disciples. So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:27).
Jesus is speaking of the new birth of the earth under His sovereign dominion at the time of His second coming (Revelation 19:16; Daniel 7:27). It will be cause the world to be “reborn” which is a global parallel to the individual rebirth of Christians.