The Kingdom in Eden: The Original Design - Part 2

Very good. Now, we will have to move, and I do apologize for moving us so quickly, but unfortunately, that's going to be one of the things of these Bible readings. The significance of Adam's rule, the scope of Adam's rule, the sphere of Adam's rule, the garden anticipating the world.

Of course, every king, and Adam really is in the sphere of a king here. He's not called a king, but he is the delegated authority of God. There are subjects in a kingdom, and you say, what were the subjects of the kingdom here? There are three areas that are under Adam's dominion.

Adam, he was to have dominion over the fish of the sea, he was to have dominion over the fowl of the air, and he was to have dominion over the animal life. And so that's the subjects that are under Adam's control in federal headship here in the garden. So just to ask the question for clarification, although we know we talk about Adam being overall creation, but there were angels created.

Adam never had angels as his subjects. No, that's true. So there was, in a sense, we're speaking about God's creation with regard to this universe.

We acknowledge that there had been the creation of other beings. Now, when that took place, there's always an interesting discussion. I'm going to leave it.

I have been in meetings, and some of our brethren, our brother Jim Allen, he was quite dogmatic on when he believed the creation of angels took place. He based it on Psalm 33 and some of those passages. I won't mention it this morning, because if we got into angelology, we'd be here all day, nevermind kingdomology.

But we'll have to move from this. So the subject of Adam's reign is seen here, but it is in relation to this sphere. It's in relation to this world.

I appreciate our brother Brody mentioning that. You could probably, and you probably will for us as we move down, identify the time of the opposition when that took place. I might not identify the time, but we will identify the opposition.

You could have a whole conference in angelology. And demonology. I think William's looking for ideas.

What's that? William's looking for ideas from this chair. Can I ask you maybe a slightly more speculative question, brother Don, in relation to the subjects and so on? And to some extent, if you want to say that's a pointless question because we can't answer it, that's fine. But one of the interesting things, you've mentioned Genesis 10 and Genesis 11.

One of the interesting things is that Genesis 10, though it chronologically comes after Genesis 11, is mentioned before Genesis 11, so that we have a list of the nations given before the judgment that produced them. Almost as though the spirit of God was wanting us to see that there was divine purpose in connection with the nations. Had Adam never fallen, and this is where it becomes speculative, do you think there would still, it was still in the purpose of God that there would be these as the earth was filled, would there still have been nations? There would still have needed to be a degree of sort of organization, would there not? So that's a question, brother Mark, that I'm not exactly sure about, to be quite honest.

I think, and our brother Mark knows this, I appreciate the question because you see by the time we get down to point C here, we're going to have to analyze that question. Nations will come into play. I personally accept, brother Mark, that nations will stay as they are, nations eternally.

And I base that on the fact that the nation of Israel will remain as and retain its national identity eternally. And so one of the things that we're not sure about is this, would there have been nations? I presume not, but I couldn't be exactly dogmatic on it. The fact that they're, as you say, whatever about eternally, they're clearly an important part of the structure of the millennium would make you wonder.

Yes. But we definitely know, and we can be sure of this from Genesis 10, running right into the millennial kingdom, those nations will be there. And that will set up that point for our brother tomorrow, Lord willing.

Now, what about the submission to Israel? You see, every kingdom has a law. And you say, where is the law when it comes to this kingdom? I judge that actually God introduced that business about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for a reason. And the reason is this, that it actually showed an aspect of submissiveness that would be seen in the life of Adam.

And Adam himself is going to have to still maintain submissiveness to the ultimate authority in the garden. And the ultimate authority is God. So in every kingdom, there will be laws that mediate and laws that are mandated in that kingdom.

And we can see it right here in the beginning, in this Edenic kingdom, right here in Genesis 1 and 2. And we're happy with that. Our brethren, no dead air. The support.

One of the things that our brother Mark has told us, and he was setting up his own Bible reading, Lord willing, for tomorrow, is the fact that here, some of the things that we see at the beginning, we see at the end. We noticed that there's a sanctuary here at the beginning. At the end, there's a sanctuary, a sanctuary setting.

There's a tree of life at the beginning, a tree of life at the end. One of the remarkable things is there's a bride at the beginning and there's a bridegroom. And of course, at the end, there's a bride and there's a bridegroom.

And that gives us a remarkable symmetry from the beginning to the end of scripture. And here we've got Eve. Now I take it.

And again, I'm being tangential. I shouldn't do this, but we know that the book of Genesis functions like the book of Revelation. Keep in mind that there are aspects of Genesis 2, which are explanatory.

They have already happened in Genesis chapter 1. When was Eve formed? I take it it was the sixth day. She was part of the creation. Before the rest.

Before the rest. Yes, that's before. Before God rested.

And before God said that it was all good. Now that's a very special thing. I'm only throwing it out.

We won't, we won't develop it. When did God start? He started on a Sunday. When did God rest? He rested on a Sabbath day.

What happened on the Friday? On the Friday, Adam is put into a deep sleep. On the Friday, Adam's side is pierced from the man that was put into a deep sleep in the darkness whose side was pierced. There is a bride which is produced.

And if you and I can't see the symmetry and the correlation of that, when it comes to the New Testament, you've obviously yet we're not discussing this this morning. I personally believe the Lord died on a Friday. I personally think the darkness took place on a Friday.

I think his side was pierced on a Friday and from the wounded side and the one that was pierced, there was the great provision for a bride and the whole thing is set forward here. And of course, we can see the rest on that Sabbath day that followed there. When it comes, the Sabbath day was on high day.

Now we are going to have to move to point number two. Is there anything our brethren would like to speak about? Yes, brother William. Yes, without being controversial yet, I do note and you will too, dear brother, that Eve is never called a bride.

No. Okay. A wife.

Uh-huh. All right. Never called a bride.

Now, what's the significance of that? Well, in this respect, listen carefully. Eve was unique in her relationship to Adam. She was actually literally bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh.

That happened once, only once. Every coming together of man and woman for procreation since has been but a reflection of that unique relationship. All right.

Back then, she was literally of his body. Now, what's the antitype of that? You come into the New Testament and the first fruits of the new creation, that's the old creation. First fruits of new creation is Christ, his head, the church as his body.

Now, there was a development in the old creation and there were subsequent unions coming together, right? They were reflecting the original. Similarly, in the new creation, there are other spousal relationships that are spoken off as the creation develops. For example, Israel restored is spoken off in a spousal relationship to God and Jehovah, right? There's one.

You have the bride, the lamb's wife in Revelation 21. That's another area distinct, but the church is uniquely the body, not literally in a spiritual sense, is the body of Christ. Everything else is a reflection of that.

Very good. I appreciate it. We are going to leave this section.

Just before we leave this section, keep in mind that there are four ways in which people have entered this world. We've got Adam and that's by creation. We have got Eve from the hand of God by formation.

You and I have entered by natural generation and there was one man, he came by incarnation. Those are the four ways that people have entered into the world. Now, what we're going to do is spend 10 minutes on point number B. And the antagonism and opposition to God's temporal kingdom.

Because here we are, we're not exactly sure how much time elapsed from the events of what we have read from Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 until we enter into Genesis 3. We're not exactly sure of how much time has run its course, but we reached Genesis 3 and now there's opposition to God's kingdom. You will notice that I've called particular opposition. We'll definitely consider that.

We'll notice the purpose of the opposition. Why is the opposition coming now into the garden and its opposition to Adam? The perpetual opposition, because what we are seeing here now is again the principle of protology. That's basically a big word in theology that means the doctrine of first things.

We see opposition now, but that opposition will run its course right to the end. And in fact, when our brother Mark finishes his Bible reading tomorrow afternoon, there will still be opposition at the end of the millennial kingdom. So perpetual opposition and persistent opposition that is coming directed by the devil.

Now, if we could particularly look at point number one and point number two, I would appreciate that just trying to conserve the time to get to point C in the outline. Does this, what is the impact of this opposition on the kingdom? Yes, that's exactly the point. You see what our brother Donald has said.

It's the impact of the opposition on the kingdom that is going to be called into question. And brother Donald, let me ask you, why did Satan target Eve and Adam in the garden? What was the point of targeting Eve and through that targeting the headship of Adam? I hadn't given thought to that. It's the target of humanity and his totality that he has targeted.

I do think so, but I think if you'll allow me, I think it goes wider than that. The idea of why the devil did this was it was an attack on the authority of God. Satan understood that God has authority.

Before Genesis, before these passages of Genesis took place, there was actually something had happened. And we find some of the background details of this in passages like Isaiah chapter 14 and Isaiah chapter 28. There had actually been sin in the universe before the entrance of sin here in Genesis chapter three.

If you read Isaiah chapter 14, you'll read of Satan speaking and the words are there. You'd almost think they're coming from a prince or a king, but behind the prince and the king, there's someone else and it's his evil satanic majesty, Satan. And five times we get Satan saying, I will.

And the ultimate, and the last one was this, I will be like the most high. What Satan always and ever has wanted is this. He wants to be like God.

That unique title of God, the highest high one, Elion, the highest high one, and the strongest strong one. Satan's design and desire has been, I will be like God. There was an insurrection in heaven.

There was a rebellion against the throne of God. Satan rebelled and there were angels that rebelled. According to Revelation chapter 12, it was one third of the angels of heaven rebelled with Satan and Satan was cast out.

Now what's happening in the garden is this, this is again, an attack on Eve and Adam. Adam is the head. Remember he will bear responsibility for it.

But beyond an attack on Eve and Adam was an attack on the authority of God. And as you mentioned, when we go to Isaiah 14, those words of Satan are peppered with kingdom terminology, thrones and the sides of the north and that sort of thing. And I think as we see that the work of Satan continue, and particularly of course, when we get to Nimrod and then on through history, right the way to Antichrist, we see that Satan has a real, I mean, Satan has a problem with divine authority.

Satan has a problem with headship, but he has a real problem with kingdom truth. And that is one of the main focuses of satanic attack that he, and whether, you know, I mean, you've sort of indicated you don't have thoughts on the timing, whether you want to link it with the unfolding of divine kingdom purpose and Satan feeling that he should be at the head of any kingdom that's set up. So, so just, just so that some know what our brother Mark has just alluded to there, Satan in that passage that we have spoken about is actually called the prince of the morning, son of the morning.

And it could be some of our brethren feel that Satan saw a kingdom here that was being established on earth. Some of our brethren feel that Satan saw a man created and dominion given to the man. And Satan felt that he as the mightiest being as a being of tremendous majesty, as a being of tremendous beauty, as a being of tremendous intellect, he should have been the one that administered divine authority on earth.

And because he didn't receive that authority, he rebelled. That might be, there might be some, might be something in that, but we let you consider that. One of the things that we do need to pick up is what our brother Mark has said, because it brings us to persistent opposition.

When the woman is told in Genesis three about the effect of her sin, she's told about something that will continue between thy seed and his seed. Now, ultimately that has in mind the Lord Jesus, ultimately thy seed. But when there's the reference to his seed, that's Satan in mind.

And right from the beginning, we get the idea that there is going to be opposition in seed that is linked to Satan. You say, where would we ever see that in the Bible from Genesis three, Genesis four, Cain is linked to the seed of the devil and the prototype of the man of sin, the antichrist, the spirit of antichrist that will be seen in the end times. You say, when did that begin? It began in Genesis four, according to first job.

So you can see again, beloved saints that this business of kingdom permeates the whole of the scriptures. There's opposition from Satan. There's opposition from Satan's seed.

Our brother Mark has introduced nations. Why is it that Cain went out and he wants to build a city? Why is it that Nimrod, the first one that's linked to having a kingdom in scripture, Genesis chapter 10 is linked to Assyria and he's linked to Babylon is because this is an attack against God in nations and in cities. So keep in mind, this is all showing us an attack against God's dominion right here in the garden.

In relation to that, brother John, is it fair to say the impact of the opposition as you move through history and we will be tracing the various initiatives that God makes, if that's the right word in, in bringing about and reestablishing rule on earth through the stages of history, the impact of that opposition is really delaying the reestablishing of rule as God would have it. Is that fair to say? At least from our perspective, looking at it. So when it comes to delay, I'm reticent to use the word delay, brother William, because God's purpose is always running according to God's time.

Yes. From our perspective, as we look at history, you know, God makes an initiative, there's failure, then there's another initiative and there's failure. And so as history progresses, it's like the end result is being held back because of the impact of the opposition.

So keep that in mind because that's a very pertinent question. You see what our brother William has just said, God commences and then there's failure. God recommences and then there's failure.

God recommences and then there's failure. Where are we going to ever see that in this Bible reading? We're actually going to see it in point C. So just keep that in our mind just as we tie up some loose ends here in point B. It's interesting and I think very significant that Satan has, in a sense, very limited imagination. So the best that he can come up with is a subversion of what God had already designed.

There's nothing creative about Satan. He just takes what God has set up and he seeks to subvert it. And so it's the divine master plan and Satan's attempt to corrupt that because he cannot come up with a master plan of his own.

And we'll see that right at the end, brother Mark, when it comes just to the end times and even in the tribulation. What Satan will come up with, even in the tribulation, is just a replication of what God has already done. And so that thing, the only one who can give life is our God.

The only one with originality and plan and foresight is the God that we worship. Beloved saints, we have got down into some of the nitty-gritty here, but let's keep in mind the big picture. Our God is still on the throne and this God that is still on the throne is the God that we worship and he will be our God forever and ever.

Brother John, impact. Does the kingdom cease? No. So the phase and the aspect of how God is going to work out his purpose changes.

I'd be happy to call it that, but the temporal aspect of God's rule never ceases. Are you happy with that, brother Donald? I had taken it that the kingdom ceased and then what you have, particularly in the five major covenants, is God's program of how he's going to establish the kingdom. For example, when you come to the disciples to pray thy kingdom come, it obviously wasn't there then.

No, that's right. So what I would be happy to say is this, that that aspect of the kingdom wasn't there then. But I don't think... Are you telling me that God does not rule now, brother Donald? God does rule universally, but in terms of the kingdom of God as envisaged, for example, in the new testament, the terrestrial temporal mediatorial kingdom.

I take it it came to an end here and it's going to be re-established in the future. In this aspect of it, yes. I would agree with that in the aspect that we have here personally and it's obviously going to raise a few questions when we get to our brother Donald's bible reading later.

I anticipated that myself and obviously I take a slightly different view. We're good friends, by the way, and we'll remain good friends, but I personally do not think that the rule of God ceased here when this Edenic thing came to an end at the entrance of sin. Now, brother Brody.

Okay, just on that, would it be more fair to say that it paused while God was working in different phases? This aspect of a man there in dominion, yes. Correct. Okay, but my question is just for clarification, Satan has tried to usurp authority in God's kingdom, but does Satan currently have a realm of rule and a kingdom of his own? Yes, so in the scriptures we read, for example, in Ephesians chapter 2, and Satan there is called the prince of the power of the air.

He's called the god of this age, so there is a measure of authority that Satan has. There's two kingdoms very clearly that are set forward in the scriptures. There is the kingdom associated with God, and there is the kingdom associated with darkness.

A kingdom of light and a kingdom of darkness. We see a ruler with power in one kingdom. We see a ruler with power in another kingdom, and that's where our brother Brody is.

Now, so in the temptation when Satan offered to give the Lord, absent the cross, the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, he was making an offer that he really had the right to make. And the Lord Jesus, as our brother Mark knows very well, the Lord Jesus did not censure the devil for saying that. When the offer of the kingdom was made to the Lord Jesus, the Lord did not say, you have no right to offer that, because that was in the domain of Satan that he has taken, and he has usurped.

Now, we will have to move, beloved saints. We're not now looking, just at this stage of the Bible reading, of the administration and objective of God's temporal kingdom. We're not looking at the antagonism and opposition to God's temporal kingdom.

What we're going to consider now for a few minutes is the activity and operation of God's temporal kingdom. God is still in control. You say, how will he ever do this? Well, you will notice that I've put there point number one, his creation of Adam.

That's how it commenced. You will notice that the next stage that we have here on the outline is his care for Noah. That's point number two.

And then the third thing that we're going to notice is his call of Abraham and his commitment to Israel. Now, I just want you to just think with me for a moment. Here's God, and we're coming back to what our brother William mentioned.

He commenced with Adam, and there's failure. You say, where will the next great, great focus of God's purpose be seen? It's going to be seen in a man called Noah. Now, the order of Scripture, our brother Mark highlighted for us the order of Scripture, and it's very pertinent.

The order of Scripture is this. We get to Adam, from Adam we go to Noah. The next great stage is Abraham.

In the order of Scripture, from Adam to Noah, there's 10 generations. From Noah to Abraham, you could hardly make this up. They tell us that there's no God, but there's 10 generations.

When we're with Adam, there's failure at a tree. And God, through 10 generations, brings us to Noah. What happened with Noah? There's failure.

What was the failure? It was failure at a tree. God recommences, and you say, what's going to happen? Sure, the purpose of God's in ruins again. Noah has failed.

God says, no, no, we'll remove ourselves another 10 generations. And you say, who will that bring us to? That will bring us to Abraham, and God recommences again. And you see, what's the whole point of us moving from Adam, and moving to Noah, and ultimately to Abraham? God has someone else in mind.

And Abraham is going to be told about his seed. Genesis chapter 12, and that will bring us to Christ. And so the whole focus, you can see, you say there's a disconnect.

There's a disconnect from what we have read here in Genesis 1, 2, and 3. There's a whole disconnect from this point to Exodus 19, right into where our brethren are going with the kings and such like. There is no disconnect at all. The whole Bible is connected to bring us to Christ, and is connected through kingdom.

So every time there appears to be a failure, and the rule of God is brought into question, God takes an initiative. That's right. And so he's going to start again.

And isn't it remarkable, just as we move through, and we'll come to it in Donald's reading, how small and insignificant each initiative is. That's right. You know, you take Abraham, for example.

You're going to build a nation from a man? Yes. Wouldn't you have a young couple? Or here's a man that's near 100. His wife's 90.

Oh, this will never work. Sure. See? And yet God starts small, and he'll end up with a multitude, sand of the sea for multitudes, stars of the heavens, so on.

Good. And we need to highlight that practically, Brother William, because here we are in a Bible reading, and the saints are saying, this is a lot of theology. And we're listening to this stuff today.

And a lot of them are in small assemblies. Beloved saints never forget, whether it was with Noah, Noah and his wife, and his three sons, and their wives, there was eight. Or whether it was Abraham, God will work, and God is able, even in the smallness of the operation, God is able to expand things.

And so where you and I are, let's keep our focus on God, and let's keep our eye on the bigger picture, and let's keep our eye on a God who will accomplish his goal. Can I ask you, John, and if this isn't the right time to ask this question, just tell me that, but I know you're keen to get to the covenants and so on. It's a very interesting thing that God says to Moses in Exodus 19.

If we're okay to go there, you will be a peculiar treasure above all people, all the earth is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Could you unpack for us a little bit of what's involved in that very special designation of Israel, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation? Good. Do you mind if I make a few comments first, Brother Mark? Because we'll let's move to Abraham first.

One of the very things that we need to touch about Abraham is what our brethren have introduced formerly in this Bible. We've had nations, failure in the nations, overreaching at Babel, God confounding the nations, God confounding the languages, and you say, sure, what's going to happen now? God calls one man, and God gave the man three promises. Genesis chapter 12, it says, I will bless thee.

There was promises personally. I will make of thee a great nation. There was promises nationally.

And then God says, through thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed. So there were promises personally, there were promises nationally, there were promises universally. Now that nation that God called into being, you say, this will never work.

This will never work. Look at them. Sure, there's Abraham, and there's Isaac, and there's Jacob, and there's the 12 sons of Jacob, and they can't get along.

You know, it's always a good thing when brethren can get along. Remember, we're keeping this as practical as possible. It's always a good thing when brethren can get along, but you say it'll never work.

And sure, they've gone down into Egypt, and there they are in Egypt, and this thing will never work. God calls them out of Egypt, and in divine purpose, he brings them to Mount Sinai. And at Mount Sinai then, we have read these words in Exodus chapter 19.

These three things that our brother Mark has told us. They're a peculiar people. They're a priest, a kingdom of priests.

And then we are told that they're going to be a holy nation. I take it, brother Mark, that the three things that God intended in the nation were not only for the nation. God has set forth three things.

First of all, they're a peculiar people. You ever hear some of the brethren mentioning, and they say, we're a peculiar. It's true sometimes.

Some of us are a bit more peculiar than others. But did you say amen? The Dubliners. I'm only kidding.

But that idea of peculiar people, that's just the idea of a possession. So what God is saying is this. This is my possession.

The nation is my possession. Then they're a kingdom of priests. They're not only a possession of the nation, but they're a priestly nation.

And then the third thing is this. A kingdom of priests. And God says, what's the third one? Take a mental point.

A holy nation. It's not so much their possession, and it's not so much their priestly character. It's their purity.

The purity of the nation. Now tell me, brother Mark, was that only for the nation of Israel? I don't think so. So I don't think the idea here is that Israel was to be a nation populated by priests.

The idea is that Israel as a nation would have a priestly ministry, as she will in the millennium, to the rest of the world. So we see here in the Garden of Eden, one of the reasons why I asked our brother Mark that question is this. In the Garden of Eden, Adam's remit was to start in the garden and to work out to the world.

Well, you say, what about Israel? Israel's remit was to start in relationship to God. And through relationship to God as his possession, because they are pure, they will be a priestly nation to the world. You know what a priest is.

A priest is someone who moves into the presence of God, and he's able to represent God. He moves in, and then he moves out. And because he's linked to God, he's able to represent God to others.

Now, beloved saints, I judge that's the whole purpose of Exodus chapter 19. Israel views itself as God's chosen people, exclusively. But when you go back to the promise of Abraham, you've already mentioned it, and Mark's brought it in with Exodus 19.

God didn't choose Israel in isolation. He chose them as an instrument. Exactly.

And an instrument through which the whole kingdom would flow. So Israel was an elect nation, brother Donald. But the idea, now listen to this carefully.

This Bible reading is not on election. But if our view of election is it's only for a select few, our view of election is wrong. The view of election in the scripture is this, that God has made choice so that it will be widened out, and so it will reach others.

That's the whole idea. John. Yes.

I think we should pause for a moment to see if there's any questions. Our brother William told me, he says, take a breath and see if there's anything from the audience at large. Now, if there is, beloved brethren, we would like that.

Brother A, brother Dustin. No, no, go ahead, Dustin. The part touched on this.

Repeat, repeat the question. The kingdom of priests, was this the nation entirety and its entirety or because it contained the lights for priests? So our brother Dustin has just asked the question, the kingdom of priests, is this the nation in its entirety or because the nation contained a priesthood? I personally don't believe it's because the nation contained a priesthood, brother Dustin. I think it's God's idea for the nation in its entirety that they as priests, priestly in their character, would represent God to the world.

I think that's what we have in mind, that they would act in a priestly capacity to represent God amongst the nations. That will be ultimately what will happen in the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus. And it did happen in a limited extent.

If you think about Rahab and what she knew about Israel, what she'd heard, what happened because of the Exodus, there was a sense in which they, in a very limited and a way that was marked by failure, but people knew about the character of God through the vehicle of Israel. So the whole point of this, brother Mark, is not so much that the focus will be on the nation, but the whole point is that the focus will be on the God of this nation, that they will come to know Him. And don't forget, beloved saints, that's exactly why we function the way we function.

We function so that through us, others will come to know our God and know and appreciate the Lord Jesus. Now, should I? Anyone else? Don't all speak at once. Was there a particular failure connected to the necessity that Levi at the house of Aaron were the only priests? Did God mean it on a wider scale? And then the failure brought that in.

So prior to this, this is another, it's a little bit tangential, but it's important too. In a sense before this, priesthood was centered with each family and each head of the family would have been the priest. We can substantiate that from some of the passages in the book of Genesis.

Then when it comes to the nation, there was three things that were associated with the nation. You'll find that there was blessing. The oldest member of the family would have received blessing.

They would have received rule and they would have received priesthood. But you see what happened with the nation of Israel? Was it all coalesced into one tribe? No. The blessing was given to the tribe of Joseph.

Joseph received two tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. The kingship was given to Judah, Genesis chapter 49. And our brother Brody will have this in mind moving forward into his reading later on, Lord willing.

The kingship, Genesis chapter 49, until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. And you say, what about the priesthood? The priesthood was given to the tribe of Levi. So the nation of Israel, God is now working with that.

All right. They were slaves. Yes.

They're down there in Egypt. They're slaves. So what did God do? Well, he took the initiative.

He brought them into salvation. He delivered them. Then he takes them into the wilderness, as you've indicated, and he gives them his statutes at Sinai.

But a nation will need more than just salvation and statutes. So what does he do? He gives them the land. He gives them a state, if you will, the state of Israel.

So he's moving forward and he's coming closer and closer to a nation that will rule for God. Happy with that? Very happy. There was one you left out.

I thought you were going to mention. So we've got salvation. We have got the statutes.

We've got the sanctuary. And then we've got the state sanctuary. Those are the four things that God has in mind.

So keep in mind, one of the things we do need to keep in mind is this, and it will be unpacked tomorrow afternoon, that God always had in mind one particular country, one particular area on planet Earth. And you say, where would that be? It's actually the center of the world. According to the book of Ezekiel, a couple of passages in the book of Ezekiel, Psalm number 74, thou art my king of old, working salvation.

Now listen to this, in the midst of the earth, there is a particular country that is just at the junction of three continents. And God is going to show, and God has in mind, that will be the center of it all in a coming day. And that's where our brother William has brought us.

Now, some concluding remarks or possibly none on that. We've followed, we have moved through the administration and objective of God's temporal kingdom. We've seen it in Adam.

We have looked at the antagonism and opposition to God's temporal kingdom. We have seen that through Satan, still happening through the power of Satan. We have looked at the activity and operation of God's temporal kingdom.

God worked with Adam, and he moved to Noah. From Noah, he comes to Abraham. From Abraham, he has developed the nation of Israel.

His expectation of the nation of Israel is they will be a kingdom of priests. Now we come to this last point that I have, the arrangement and order of God's temporal kingdom. Is this just happening? Or has God designated a variety of ways in which his authority will be known on planet earth? Two of those ways we have right here on the outline.

You will notice I've mentioned God's structure of the ages, Bible dispensations and Bible covenants. God's scrutiny during the ages. What is the point and the focus of those dispensations? Human beings are going to be tested in these ages that God has designed.

And then God's supremacy during all the ages. God is still on the throne and God is still ruling. So let's spend a few minutes, and we've only 10 minutes left, but we'll spend a few minutes on the first point of the arrangement and order of God's temporal kingdom, God's structure that he has given us in the scriptures.

So in relation to the covenants, John, this relates to the point you were making about the 10 generations. So when we're thinking about a covenant, we're thinking about a solemn promise that God is making to mankind. We could flesh that out.

So these are commitments that God makes. And as you've been emphasizing, the way we move in an orderly way through the generations, these covenants are not made in a haphazard fashion. God structured history with these covenants.

Very often, as in the case of Noah, and indeed as in the case of Abraham, these covenants are made against a very dark backdrop. So failure at the flood, failure at Babel in relation to the nations. So at a point where things seem to be kind of spinning out of control, and whereas you've been emphasizing, it seems impossible that God's kingdom program is ever going to be achieved.

God, with absolute calm and with absolute authority, speaks to an individual. And without any equivocation and any hedging of his bets, he says, this is what's going to happen. I'm going to commit myself to you.

And one of the remarkable things about the covenants is that God binds himself, because that's involved in this idea of covenant. He binds himself to humanity. And God can do that because he has the power, in spite of all the difficult circumstances, what he promises will be brought to pass.

That's very valuable, and I appreciate that highlight. Now keep in mind that there are a number of Bible covenants. I'm going to mention something that some of our brethren will read books.

Be careful about reading books from a Reformed theology background. In Reformed theology, they talk about a covenant of redemption. The Bible never talks about a covenant of redemption.

They speak about a covenant of works. Again, the Bible doesn't speak about a covenant of works, doesn't substantiate a covenant of works. They speak about a covenant of grace.

The Bible never speaks about a covenant of grace, does not substantiate a covenant of grace. But there are certain covenants in Scripture that are very clear. And the ones that we are particularly interested in are the ones that are called everlasting or eternal covenants.

Our brother Mark has raised the covenant with Noah. In Genesis 9 verse number 16 it is called an everlasting covenant. Then there's the covenant with Abraham, that God made with Abraham in Genesis 15.

In Genesis 17 verse 17 it is called an everlasting covenant. Then there's the covenant with David, 2nd Samuel chapter 7, 1st Chronicles chapter 17. In 2nd Samuel 23 and in verse number 5 it is called an everlasting covenant.

And then there's the new covenant which we find in Jeremiah 31 and into Jeremiah 32. And in Jeremiah 32 verse number 40 it is called an everlasting covenant. Now beloved, keep in mind that whenever we look at the covenants, there's always components to the covenants.

Abraham was told about land, he was told about seed, and he was told about blessing. Whenever we speak about the covenants there are always conditions. No, there are no conditions to the entrance into those covenants.

They are unconditional. Whenever we speak about those covenants we learn the character of them. They are everlasting.

And of course there's confirmation of those covenants. Each of those covenants was ratified by a particular sign. You see when it was the covenant with Noah, God gave the sign in the sky.

When it was the covenant with Abraham, God gave circumcision, the sign in the skin. When it was the covenant with David, David was assured of a son that would sit upon his throne. So it's the covenant and the sign of the son.

You say, what about the new covenant? It's the sign of the spirit. According to the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel tells us one of the things that marks the new covenant is that they'll get God's spirit. And so beloved saints, these are all things that play into these Bible covenants.

Don't all these covenants, don't they spring from the Garden of Eden and the failure of man in Eden? In that it was God's Word that was doubted in Eden. And now God is going to give these covenants of his Word and they will not be broken. And so you get stages through history.

Not only that, but God's presence was lost. You mentioned the sanctuary. There's various sanctuaries that are brought into play throughout history until ultimately the tabernacle of God is with man.

So we can see that from Eden, God is going to move forward through history and establish what he began with. Good. So the reason I mentioned those everlasting covenants, the covenant with Noah, an everlasting covenant.

God will never destroy the earth by a flood again. The covenant with Abraham, that covenant of Abraham, he's been given the land, he's been assured of a seed, and he's been assured of blessing. You say, where's that today? You see, we can't go along with everything that Israel does today.

Israel is in the land, but keep in mind that Israel is in the promised land with the Lord. What will happen in a future day is Israel will be in the land with the Lord, in the right relationship to the Lord, but the covenant with Abraham and with David and the new covenant that they'll be brought into is an everlasting covenant. It will never cease to be.

It's often been said that, we happen to abuse this definition, but when you think about a kingdom, there's a realm, there's a ruler, there's a realm. There are people that are ruled and there is a recognition of that rule. And you can see how that God in the covenants is just putting all that in place.

Will there be a realm? If the earth is going to be destroyed, no, God says there's going to be a realm. Are there going to be people to be ruled? So there's a promise made to Abraham in relation to the seed. Is there going to be a ruler that will do the ruling? Yes, he says.

There's a promise to David. And will the rule be recognized? Yes, he says, because there's a new covenant that's going to change their hearts. Very good.

Now, we're going to have to finish here. Let me just recommend, our brother Mark wrote a very helpful book. I hope you don't mind me mentioning this.

So our brother Mark, he wrote a very helpful book on the dispensations. And I realized we have gone over this very quickly, in two hours. And we have hardly done justice to it in two hours.

I would advise that you buy the book and read the book and appreciate the book. It will give you a very valuable insight into some of these things that will help us for the glory of God. Now, just as we conclude, where have we been? We have been in the Garden of Eden, the pattern for God's temporal kingdom.

We have moved to Exodus 19 and the preparation of God's temporal kingdom, that the nation is going to function as a missionary nation to the others around. And so, beloved saints, the one thing that we want to get is this. Our God is a great God.

Our God has a kingdom and on earth will have a kingdom, physically and literally, in the millennial kingdom. We have the design of God. We have the domain of God.

We have the great declaration of God. And the wonderful thing is that we sit here and we can worship this everlasting God. From eternity.