Kingdom Ready Blog

In doing some Biblical research I ran across the following chapter from a short 136 page book titled “God’s Got a Problem on His Hands”.  Now I don’t know much about the “Simple Truth Ministries” & its minister Earl Clampett Jr. (other than this bio) and I might have a quibble or two in certain details, but all-in-all this web-published chapter hammers home a very vital Biblical truth.  One that everyone should pay heed to.

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Before we build anything, it’s normal to set into motion a process, called a plan. God did the same when He created man, the earth, the angels, the heavens, etc.

If you have ever been on a construction site, you’ll note that nothing happens without consulting a blueprint. It sets out all the details and specifications of the proposed building or project to be constructed. The blueprint in essence sets out the goal of the undertaking.

We Christians do not have a keen understanding of God’s plan for man.

If we look at the original design of God for man, we begin in Genesis chapter 1 verse26-31. We see that God’s original idea was that man was to govern the earth and everything associated with it. Man was to have a relationship with his Creator here on this earth. Everything created by God was described as ‘very good’ by God Himself. Before the fall of man into rebellion against God, there is no mention in the account of Genesis chapter 1 of the plan or goal of sending man off to a spiritual location away from earth. As we read the first chapter of Genesis, we can see that earth contained all that man needed for his survival and pleasure.

As we travel from the first book of the Bible to the last, we see that man is still supposed to rule and reign with Jesus on the earth. Just as God was on the earth with Adam in the beginning. He will be present with us again on the earth in the end.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: And hast made us into our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelations 5: 9-10)

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear; let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:19-22)

The thrust of the scripture seems to definitely emphasize the deposing of Satan’s kingdom of rebellion here on earth and in the heavens while re-establishing the kingdom of God (His government) here on earth. Most of the action in the end time scriptures is taking place here on earth.

In war, a key element in defeating your enemy is to distract them from their goal. If the eyes of the opposition’s soldiers are not focused on the correct target, they will probably lose the war. Man has been distracted from God’s real target for mankind. The Christian church today emphasizes that the goal for man is to die and go to a spiritual location called heaven to live there forever. No doubt, heaven is a wonderful place. Jesus described it as paradise to the thief on the cross. I want to go to heaven when I die. But a question that must be asked is whether or not it was designed to be the permanent home for man.

And I saw and new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, that tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there by any more pain; for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:1-4)

We mentioned earlier that before the fall of man in the garden, there was no notion of death. Man would live forever on earth, The original plan of God was to give all of the earth to man to govern. Man was to live forever. If man were not going to die, there would not be a need for him to go to another place, a spiritual place. Did God change His mind somewhere along the line? Or did someone take our eyes off the target?

Question: If there had been no rebellion against God which took hold in the earth causing man to be condemned, would God have removed man from earth to send him to a spiritual place? The more you think about it, the more you will probably conclude ‘no’. What would have been the point of setting up man to be in control of the physical creation if he were later on destined to go and remain permanently in a spiritual place? God wanted man to be located here on earth, in charge of creation, under God’s headship.

In order to keep in mind the bigger plan of God, we must ask ourselves the following questions: What did man have before the fall? What did we lose after the fall? What does God want to restore to man and to the earth?

Before the fall, man had relationship with God and rulership over the earth.

After the fall, man lost both.

God plans on restoring man to his previous status and stature.

Satan, on the other hand, wants the earth and all of it’s inhabitants.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations? For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (Isaiah 14:12-13).

And the devil taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will give it. (Luke 4:5-7)

Satan wants to claim a throne he does not have in order to rule the earth and its nations. That throne however, belongs to God and man.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him , and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:20-21)

Satan wants our focus someplace else. He would love nothing more than to remove all who possess the presence of God away from the earth so that he might ravage everything that God found to be ‘very good’ in Genesis 1:31.

Have you ever noticed with what Satan attempted to tempt Christ in the second temptation in the desert mentioned in Luke 4:5-6? The temptation was all kingdoms of the world which Satan claimed had been handed over to him. Jesus and Satan understand what the issue is. We do not.

The issue between the supernatural powers is who will govern the earth and its nations?

If man were not destined to rule the earth under the headship of Christ, for what purpose would man be given a body? When Jesus came to the earth, He did not show up as only a spirit. He also possessed a human body for use here on earth. His body was later resurrected to a glorified body as a first fruits example of what we would be experiencing when we are resurrected at His second coming.

The emphasis of the scripture seems to stress the importance of the human body being resurrected at the coming of Christ, as a sign of final victory over death caused by rebellion against God.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father: when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15: 20-26)

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, beings made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11)

Human bodies are not required to exist in heaven. Bodies are designed for living in an earth environment. If it were not so, why would Adam and Eve be given bodies? If bodies were not essential for the governance of the earth, why did God not just allow the angels to be rulers of the earth before the fall of man to rebellion? That was not God’s plan. Mankind, not the angels, was to rule and reign over the earth, as we shall see. God’s original plan for man has never changed.

Do ye not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)

As Paul the apostle asked in the preceding verses, don’t you know that the saints will judge the world and the angels? Read these verses carefully and marvel at God’s plan for his church.

We now know His blueprint.