In this last chapter on the meal offering we will see how the humanity of Jesus is necessary for the kingdom. In the above verses, we can see from Genesis 1 to the end of Revelation that humanity has much to do with God’s kingdom. In the beginning, God created man not only to be in His image, but also to have dominion. “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....And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and conquer it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen. 1:26, 28, lit.).
Image is a matter of expression. God created man in His own image that man may express God. The image of God is for the expression of God. But man was also created to exercise dominion over all the earth. This is the kingdom. The word “over” is used five times in Genesis 1:26-one time for the living things in the air, and three times for the living things on the earth. And it is especially mentioned that man is to have dominion over the creeping things. Satan, who is called the old serpent, is the head of all the creeping things; therefore, this means that man must have dominion over Satan, the rebellious one. God’s intention is for man to control the earth.
Then in Genesis 1:28, the Lord says that man must subdue or conquer the earth. If there were nothing rebellious on the earth, there would be nothing to subdue. But because of the rebellion of Satan, there is the need of subduing the earth. God would never do it Himself, although He could. To deal with a rebellious creature would lower His position as Creator. Therefore, God needs another creature, a man, to subdue the rebellious creature. This is a matter of God’s kingdom.
At the end of the Lord’s prayer, we have the words, “Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.” Here we see the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Without the kingdom, it is impossible to exercise power, and without power there is no glory. Glory depends upon power, and the power is exercised only in the kingdom. Hence, God needs a kingdom on the earth so that He may exercise His power to manifest His glory. God’s intention is to build a kingdom on the earth, and in this kingdom God will be free to exercise His authority and power. It is in this realm of His authority in the kingdom that God can express His glory. Glory is simply the manifestation of God Himself. When God is manifested, that is glory.
For example, the glory of an electric light is just the manifestation of the invisible electricity. The glory and the light of electricity is the electricity itself manifested. When electricity is manifested, the glory in the light appears. God is a mystery; He is hidden and invisible. Like the mystery of electricity, we can see the light when the electricity is manifested. Likewise, when God is manifested, we can see His glory. However, to express God’s glory, a realm is needed where God may exercise His authority and power. This realm of authority and power is God’s kingdom.
In a sense, the church on earth today is God’s kingdom. This is shown in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (lit.). Romans 12 speaks of the Body, the church. Then in chapter fourteen Paul speaks of the church, not as the Body, but as the kingdom of God. If we put these chapters together, we can see that the kingdom of God mentioned in Romans 14 is just the church. The church is not only the house of God or the Body of Christ, but also the kingdom of God. And in the kingdom of God, the main factors are God’s authority, God’s reigning, and God’s ruling. God’s kingdom does not require angels; God’s kingdom needs man. The need is for humanity.
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