Summer 1991

This Marvelous Redemption
Wade E Taylor

Redemption is like a many faceted diamond which becomes more beautiful and reflective with each increase in the number of facets it contains. The following is but one facet, or view of our journey into this marvelous Redemption, which has been purchased for us by our Lord Jesus Christ.

"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 he stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will belike the most High" Isaiah 14:12-14.

"I will ascend ... I will be like the most High." This speaks of the ambition and pride which caused Satan to fall from His place. Scripture speaks of Gabriel and Michael as being Archangels. It is probable that there were three Archangels; Satan being the third, who fell from his place due to his rebellion in saying he would ascend into the place of God.

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth" Rev 12:3-4a.

This speaks of angles who believed Satan in his statement, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" Isa 14:13a. These followed him in his rebellion against God and along with Satan, were brought down from their position in the heavens, and became the principalities against whom the Church is to wrestle.

Because these statements concerning His desire and ability to rule in God's stead were made by Satan in the presence of all creation, God in His infinite wisdom determined to create a people (Adam) who would be given the right to choose, through a probationary test, who would rule over them, and then become a visible exhibition of that rule.

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest
freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die ... Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then you eyes shall be opened, and YE SHALL BE AS GODS, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened" Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-7a.

Through enticement and deception, this Adamic creation came under the rulership of Satan, and the law of sin and death. Knowing that this would happen, God, in infinite wisdom and love, pre-determined to send His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to become a Saviour to all who would accept His gift of redemption.

Jesus, very God, became a man in order to die for man. Satan came and offered Him all of the Kingdoms of this world, if He would but worship him. Jesus did not say, "You cannot give them," rather, He recognized Satan's present right to make this offer and refused it. Jesus totally submitted Himself to His Father where Satan had risen up in rebellion. He fully obeyed His Father where Adam had failed.

Now Jesus could go into Gethsemane and drink the cup of our sin and then pay the full penalty for it upon the cross of Calvary. As a result, each and everyone who repents and accepts the cleansing power of His shed blood is redeemed. Through regeneration, these become a new creation in Christ, and are brought under the rule of the Kingdom of God. Otherwise, all of mankind remains subject to the rule of the Kingdom of Satan.

Through these who choose salvation through Jesus, and submit to the rule of the Kingdom of Heaven, the serpents head will be bruised by the heel of the woman (The Bride of Christ). "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" Gen 3:15. This is confirmed and amplified in a statement by Jesus to those who were His disciples. "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" Luke 10:19.

Satan had said that he could rule better than God. Had God judged and removed him at the time of his rebellion, this question of who could rule best would have been left unanswered for all eternity. Now, the question is being forever answered. At the same time, God is gaining a people who are willingly choosing to serve Him. This is the outworking of the infinite wisdom of God, the miracle of all miracles.

Down through human history, there has been a manifestation of how the Prince of this world rules. It has resulted in famine, hatred, war, murder, drugs, evil, disease, death, etc. But God, in the midst of this, is calling a people apart, who are choosing to worship and serve Him only. At this present time, the Lord is not enforcing His rule upon the world. He is only ruling over those who choose to submit to His rule. In fact, He has made it seemingly easy to go the other way.

Suppose the Lord suddenly pulled down the curtain of time and Satan stood before God in final judgment. He would have to admit that his rule over Adamic creation did not go very well. The only thing he could say in his defense would be that God could not successfully rule Adamic Creation either.

But there is to be a final answer, which will silence his accusation against God forever. In the millennial reign of Christ, there will be an enforced righteous reign. God will rule with a rod of iron, through an overcoming people whom He has quietly prepared within the camp of the enemy.

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" Rev 2:26-29.

We are living in the final time of this preparation. There is nothing to be compared to a life that is turned over to the Lord and completely submitted to the rule of His Kingdom. Today, the Kingdom of God can be entered only by a violent action. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" Matt 11:12. What is this violence? It is the putting off of our self-life by crucifying all of the ambitions, drives, and pressures of this world system. It is overcoming every attack of the enemy by making Jesus Lord over every aspect of life.

There is an enemy who actively works to frustrate the intention of God in preparing a people for His millennial day of rule. But our Lord, right in the midst of Satan’s rule, is quietly gathering a people to Himself who experientially know Him, and are capable of bruising the serpent's head. This is a people who are presently developing a quality walk with Jesus, and are gaining spiritual substance in their lives. These are being prepared to rule, because first, they have fully submitted themselves to the rule of the Kingdom of God.

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock THAT FOLLOWED THEM: and that Rock was Christ" I Cor10:1-4. Notice that the Rock, (Jesus) is following them. This was not the original intention. They were to follow the Rock.

When Israel came up out of Egypt into the wilderness, there was provided for them a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day. This represented the manifest presence of the Lord being with His people. Whenever the pillar of fire or the cloud moved, they were to move. When it stayed, they were to stay. They were to follow the manifest presence of the Lord. They were being conditioned for the setting up of a Theocratic Kingdom.

When Israel came to Jericho, they were given specific instructions, which they followed, and a great victory resulted. This is a type of spiritual warfare. As long as they received their directions from the Lord and followed them, they were victorious. However, they did not continue in submission and obedience. They took the lead. Therefore, the Lord, (Rock) is following them.

"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" Rev3:20. If we have gone ahead of the Lord, He is yet seeking for us. We still have an opportunity to respond to His seeking presence, and to make Him our Lord.

"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted" I Cor 10:6. We are to put spiritual values first in the worldly environment in which we live. Recognizing that Satan is yet the prince of this present world system, we are to crucify all that pertains to him. Only then will we be able to make Jesus our Lord and follow Him.

If Jesus is our Lord in this present evil day, He will be our Lord in the coming Millennial day of His Kingdom rule. We will be lifted up to rule and reign with Him. As a result, Satan will be forever silenced and judged, and there will come a new heaven and earth in which harmony and peace will reign.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever ... And I saw a 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, the 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 be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the Throne said, Behold, I make all things new" Rev 20:10; 21:1-5a.

It is essential that we submit our lives to His Kingdom rule now, that we may have a part with Him, in that day.