Theme: Obtaining a more excellent name
(Key verses: Genesis 1:24-27; Heb 1:1-4; Heb 2:6-11)
Jesus Christ was appointed by God, the Father, to be the Creator and God of this physical universe:
Joh 1:1-5 and Joh 1:14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
As this Light is before anything in this physical creation (the darkness), so is Jesus the beginning (Hebrew: “rê’shı̂yth” = firstfruit) of the creation of God (Gen 1:1; Rom 11: 16; Col 1:17; Rev 3:14). He was in perfect spirit and in that sense the express image of the Father.
Heb 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Mankind on the other hand is from the earth (ground), and they first experience spiritual darkness and emptiness before they can receive this spiritual light (Gen 1:2-5; Mat 4:16). In the same way the first man Adam was also limited to only drink of the “dark waters” under the firmament which was gathered together and separated from the life–giving waters above the firmament – the “pure water” from heaven (Gen 1:6-8; John 4:14; John 7:38; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; 1Pet 3:20):
Psa 18:11 He made darkness his secret place [covering/parable]; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
As all in Adam is first subjected to vanity and darkness by God, they are also subjected to hope – that hope is the Light, Jesus Christ, by whom spirit life will be given to all in the first Adam (1Cor 15:22-28). But for most this Hope for all in Adam is still hidden in darkness, but few can start to see this Light (His day) through judgement in this age (Isa 45:3; Isa 48:6; 1Cor 2:7; Mat 22:14). All upon the earth (in the flesh/darkness) shall eventually receive and see His glory:
Col 1:26-28 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
“Every man” (all) in the generation of Adam will be presented perfect in Christ Jesus as He is God’s “book” of spirit life which is the only “light of men” (Rev 20:12; John 1:4). The names of the natural first man Adam and all in him are not written in the Lamb’s book of life because nothing that is defiled (fleshly) and works abominations and lies can be entered into the “Lamb’s book of life” unless it goes through the fire:
Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it [that is the city of God, Jesus Christ] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the [Lamb’s] book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
As we have also seen the first day of creation links intimately with the fourth day especially as far as the division of the light (day) and the darkness (night) are concerned. Day two links with day five as far as the waters are concerned and more in particular the creatures that were dependant on the waters below the firmament. On the sixth day of creation in Genesis 1 all of the things created on the first five days are now being brought to a climax as it all reveals what the generations of the first man Adam was all about for those who are given to see it:
Gen 1:24-27 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature [Hebrew: “nephesh”] after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Day six also links to day three as these creatures are placed on the dry land (earth) with its air (heaven), water and green vegetation. God created the cattle, the creeping things, and the beast of the earth with the first Adam on the same day for a very good reason. They are all made / formed / created (same act of God) out of the earth with breath in their nostrils – mankind has the same natural “estate” as beasts:
Ecc 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [Hebrew: “âdâm” = all “the sons of men”] of the dust of the ground [Hebrew: “ădâmâh”] , and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul [“nephesh”].
Like the moving creatures in the waters, all these beasts (“the sons of men” included) are called in the Hebrew by the word “nephesh” (Gen 1:21; Gen 2:7). All these creatures of the fifth and sixth days are sustained temporarily by the same waters (under the firmament) and green vegetation of the earth. They were all “earthy” and not “heavenly”:
1Cor 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
The earthy is sown in “corruption” and in need of a spiritual resurrection to receive “incorruption” or spirit life:
1Cor 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
The first man Adam, like all the other “nephesh”, does not have a life-giving spirit from the beginning. This life-giving spirit is only brought by the last Adam:
1Cor 15:45-46 (ASV) So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual.
God made all “nephesh” of the same temporary and corrupt “estate”. This was confirmed when God revealed to Adam and Eve that the ground (“ădâmâh”) from which they were taken, will never produce any incorruptible or spiritual things:
Gen 3:17-19 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice [the words] of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground [Hebrew: “ădâmâh”] for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
If we are given the faith to accept that all plant life was created on day three, then we can also see that the curse on the ground relates directly to the first man Adam and “the sweat of thy face”. His own works (“thorns and thistles”) in the flesh (the ground) will only bring forth sorrow, more corruption and groaning (Rom 8:20-22). God had it all planned before the foundation of the world that only Jesus would bring spirit-life to all – it was not an afterthought as some propagate. The curse on the first man Adam was also not an afterthought. Corruptible things cannot be incorruptible at the same time. Corruptible things cannot redeem us from our sinful earthly nature:
1Pe 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
God has subjected all earthy things to destruction from the beginning, including the “nephesh” or “living souls”. A soul can indeed die or be destroyed (Ezek 18:4, 20; Mat 10:28). That is why the false doctrine of the immortality of a (“living”) soul is nowhere to be found in the scriptures. Another important thing to note is that God has given mankind dominion over all these other creatures:
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion [Hebrew “râdâh”; this verb’s tense is Qal imperfect = expresses an action, process or condition which is incomplete] over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
These creatures are types of the spiritual entities which affect and influence our mind/heart by God’s design. This dominion is giving to humanity in a progressive way – “little by little” (Ex 23:29-30; John 3:30) Humans are different from all the other earthy creatures in this sense that God has reserved a spiritual resurrection only to those in the first Adam and not to any other creatures of the earth. We are first appointed to death (an earthly life which we must give up or die to) through judgement which comes after we can see our death state:
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
This is the one event all must go through:
Ecc 9:2-3 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
It is indeed through judgment that we all will get spirit life. Jesus Christ is the life-giving spirit that all “living souls” in the first man Adam will eventually receive to have complete dominion in the end:
1Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening [life-giving] spirit.
In Genesis 2 this dominion is further explained as Adam was to name all the other creatures made on the fifth and sixth day of creation:
Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Many debates have been fought about how it was possible or impossible for Adam to name all these animals. But this name-giving confirms man’s ultimate spiritual rulership over the things in his life to be an overcomer through Jesus:
Heb 1:1-4 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Heb 2:5-9 For unto the angels has he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visits him? 7 Thou made him a little lower than the angels; thou crowned him with glory and honour, and did set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for [Greek: “huper”] every man.
(Please note: The Greek word “huper” is translated “for” here and has caused much confusion and led to a false doctrine that says that Jesus’ death was a substitutionary death. The word “huper” in verse 9 has to do with Jesus who went before us (or above us) into this dying on a cross so that every man will be able to die with Him – carrying his own cross).
We are first ruled by the first man Adam before we are overcomers over all in that first Adam by the spirit of the last Adam – the Lamb, who is also called “the Lord of lords, and King of kings”:
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him [the beast – “…the estate of the sons of men”] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 17:14 These [the “ten kings” in the beast] shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Jesus Christ is the final word or highest authority of this creation, although He is in total submission to His Father. This relationship is also reflected when Adam gave his wife her names just as The Father gave Jesus His names. Adam’s relationship with the animals is completely different from his relationship with Eve:
Gen 2:18 and Gen 2:20 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting (aeonian) Father, The Prince of Peace.
Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The “name” of Jesus has nothing to do with the verbalising of this particular proper noun or name in a certain language, but it has everything to do with His doctrine and authority, and our submission and obedience to Him (Phil 2:9-11; Ps 119:160; Rev 3:12; Rom 2:22-24; 1Tim 6:1; Jn 17:8; 2Jn 1:9-10). The “name” of Jesus embodies just the opposite of what the “name” of the first man Adam is all about. The generation of the first Adam is inhabitants of the world as the world populates them (1John 2:16). They are a “generation of vipers” initially who will be redeemed by God’s judgement to be part of the new creation or generation of Jesus:
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation [judgement] of hell [“geenna” = judgement through fire]?
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
A change of name in the scripture always has to do with a change of “estate” or heart (from darkness to light – from night to day):
Gen 17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
Act 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
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