THE GLORY OF GOD

THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (GOD’S GLORY REVEALED)

The Triune God has revealed His Plan to us in triad ways. For the remainder of this study we will study and keep in mind the three truths that comprise this pattern. In Numbers 14:21, God swears:

Num 14:21 But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD…

David prays this in Ps 72:19.

Psa 72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

When God swears it and David (the man after God’s own heart) prays it – there should be no doubt that it will happen. The whole earth will be filled with God’s glory. Romans 8:13-25, among many others, gives some insight about the glory to be revealed in this world through us.

Rom 8:13-25 ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. ¹⁸For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility,[1] not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

These verses speak of the manifestation of the sons of God, which occurs when the Body of Christ receives its inheritance in Christ. Verse 18 says that God’s glory shall be revealed in us at this time. Notice from verses 18-23 that the glory revealed in us – the adoption of sons, the deliverance of the creation, the redemption of our body, and the blessed hope – are all closely related. We will talk more about this in a later chapter.

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven…Most of us think of these two concepts as identical. I (Huffman) will highlight why I believe the Bible reveals a difference between the two.

[1] Futility is substituted for vanity in the KJV. This references Genesis 3:17. What is the curse? It is a technical theological matter on God’s act after Adam’s sin. See the Deep Dive, “The Creation Was Subjected to Corruption for Our Glory.” (p. 154-155)

Luke 17:20-21 ²⁰Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; ²¹nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom of God is where God is King. The Kingdom of God is the reign of God in the universe over all His creatures and includes time, eternity, heaven, and earth.

Mark 9:1 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

Luke 9:27-29 ²⁷But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.” ²⁸Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.

Mat 16:28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

In Mark 9:1 above, ‘‘Power’’ – Greek word ‘‘dunamis’’ – means an exhibition of power (from which our WORD ‘‘dynamite’’ comes). This power of God through signs and wonders was exhibited by Jesus Christ and these signs and wonders authenticated His divine mission:

Act 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know–“

Mark 9:2-8 tells the story of the ‘‘Kingdom of God come with power.’’

Mark 9:2-8 ²Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. ³His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. ⁴And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” – ⁶because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. ⁷And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” ⁸Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

In Matt 16:28, Jesus calls this event ‘‘the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom’’ – and in Luke 9:27, “seeing the Kingdom of God.’’

2 Pet 1:16-18 ¹⁶For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ¹⁸And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

What did they see? The cloud of glory! Moreover, the cloud of ‘‘Excellent Glory.’’ So, the sign ‘‘authenticating the divine mission of the doer’’ was the cloud of glory – the same sign that God gave the Israelites in the wilderness. The Kingdom of God was within Jesus and God chose to manifest that Kingdom to three men in the form of the cloud of Glory. By implication: The Kingdom of God within can be manifest without in the form of the Glory of God.

Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 20 and in seven parables in Matthew 13. These describe different aspects of the Church during the ‘‘Church age’’. This is the Kingdom of God manifest through the Church to the world. Indeed, the Kingdom of Heaven is the outward manifestation of the Kingdom of God in space and time. God must first be King within for His Kingdom to be manifest without. The full manifestation of the Kingdom of God features the Glory of God.

There was more to this episode than merely revealing HIS GLORY to those disciples on the mount. Michael Heiser makes clear that the most logical candidate for the “high mountain” is Mount Hermon, because of its height, proximity to Caesarea Philippi and its symbolic religious associations. He places this vital point in the context of the descent of the sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4. In other words, tradition is wrong. The Transfiguration was not on Mount Tabor, but on Mount Hermon. The evil brought to humanity through the 200 watchers discussed in the Book of Enoch was to be reversed there and then. Heiser writes:

Jesus picks Mount Hermon to reveal to Peter, James, and John exactly who He is – the embodied glory – the essence of God, the divine Name made visible by incarnation. The meaning is just as transparent: I’m putting the hostile powers of the unseen world on notice. I’ve come to earth to take back what is mine. The Kingdom of God is at hand.[*]

Heiser asserts that this is the transition point of Jesus’ ministry. After the Transfiguration, Jesus moves toward His death at Jerusalem. While the enemy knows who Jesus is, the enemy is not aware of His plan. Thus, Jesus baits the forces of darkness to act against Him, those evil powers not knowing that Jesus is using them and their hatred toward Him to accomplish His goal. We know now, but they did not know then, that death is how Jesus launched the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, we must underscore the fact that the Kingdom of God is revealed for us, but is also now revealed against the forces of darkness.

Acts 2:1-4 ¹When the Day of Pentecost had fully come; they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Figure 2 – The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven
© Gary L. Huffman, 2017

The Kingdom of God in unity and prayer brought forth (in answered prayer) the Church (the Kingdom of Heaven). This included the sign of the tongues of fire or a small pillar of fire (Glory of God) over every head. Now that was very significant to every devout Jew in town! This same pillar of fire had led their ancestors through the wilderness. In other words, while the symbolism could suggest a baptism of fire by which their sins were purged (somewhat like the hot coal placed on the mouth of Isaiah – Isaiah 6:6-7); more importantly, it symbolized that each new believer had become a “pillar of fire” albeit on a small scale. And this small body of little fires would surely grow hotter and spread.

Following is a small chart to contrast the two kingdoms: (The Kingdom of Heaven comprises a subset or part of the Kingdom of God):

Figure 3 – Conceiving of the Kingdom of God

God is working in us to be King in every part of our lives so that He can work through us to manifest His Kingdom throughout the whole earth.

Mat 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The King James Version translates Matthew 6:10, “on earth’’ but it might possibly imply ‘‘in earthen vessels’’ not just a worldly domain. The thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth will be the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Heaven – or the Kingdom of God manifest on the earth (in this place and time). That Kingdom includes God’s glory dwelling with us and through us.

THE KINGDOM AND THE GLORY OF GOD

Glory – as defined in The New Compact Bible Dictionary:

Concerning God, it is the display of His divine attributes and perfections… In both Testaments, there are references to the Shekinah glory of God, although not by name, for the word occurs in the Targums[†] not in the Bible. To avoid anthropomorphisms (ascription of physical characteristics to God) which might lead to erroneous doctrine, the Targum writers spoke of the glory of the Shekinah. This was the actual, physical manifestation of the presence of God, as seen in the pillars of cloud and fire. New Testament references to the Shekinah glory are seen in John 1:14 and Romans 9:4. Glory culminates in the changing of the bodies of the saints to the likeness of their glorified Lord (Philippians 3:20-21, emphasis added).

John 1:14 And the Word became 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.

Rom 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;

Phil 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

The New Compact Bible Dictionary defines Shekinah as the “dwelling of God. The visible presence of Jehovah. It is alluded to in such places as Isaiah 60:2 by the phrase ‘His Glory’ and in Romans 9:4 by the phrase ‘the glory.’ Moses calls this phenomenon, the ‘cloud’…’’ We read in the scripture:

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

Exo 14:19-20 ¹⁹And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. ²⁰So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus, it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

Dake’s Bible cites Luke 2:9 as an example of God’s Shekinah glory:

Luke 2:9: And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

Dr. Smith’s Smaller Scripture History says: “To give the Israelites a visible manifestation of God’s continual presence with them, on the very night in which they began their march, the visible symbol of that presence went before them, in the Shekinah, or pillar of fire by night and of a cloud by day, giving by its advance or halt the signal for their march or rest.” (p. 92, emphasis added)

Num 14:10-21 ¹⁰And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. ¹¹Then the LORD said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? ¹²I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” ¹³And Moses said to the LORD: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, ¹⁴and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ¹⁶‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ¹⁸‘The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ ¹⁹Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” ²⁰Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; ²¹but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

The sin of the people was a setback, but God will not settle for a people that keep on sinning. One day, His glory would be global. And His people will show forth that glory everywhere.

Psa 85:9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.

Psa 72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

Psa 63:1-2 ¹O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. ²So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.

Psa 90:16 Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.

Psa 97:1-6 ¹The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. ²Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. ³A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. ⁴His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. ⁵The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.⁶The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.

Psalm 97 relates the judgments of God and then Christ’s reign during the millennium. Read verse 1 and verse 6 which conveys to us that ‘‘All the people (shall) see His glory.’’

Exo 16:7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what are we, that you complain against us?”

Exo 16:10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

Exo 33:18-23 ¹⁸And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” ¹⁹Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” ²⁰But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 21And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. ²²So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. ²³Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Exo 34:28-30 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. ²⁹Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. ³⁰So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

Exo 34:33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

Isa 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God.

Isa 40:5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Isa 60:2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

Isa 66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.

Compare Moses to Jesus’ disciples’ Transfiguration experience:

Mat 17:2 And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Mat 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Mark 9:3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

Luke 9:29-35 ²⁹As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. ³⁰And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, ³¹who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³²But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. ³³Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” – not knowing what he said. ³⁴While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. ³⁵And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Many times, the cloud of glory is referred to simply as ‘‘cloud’’ as in Luke 9 above. Now, let’s consider the ministry of Jesus in glory and to His disciples after His death:

Luke 24:4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

Mat 28:2-4 ²And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. ³His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

2 Pet 1:16-18 ¹⁶For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ¹⁸And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

This was the cloud of glory as recorded in Luke 9. Being a Jew, Peter understood the importance of that cloud of glory. It supplied strength to Peter, not just to Jesus. Likewise, seeing the glory of God, Stephen was emboldened in Acts 7:55.

Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Jesus saw the progenitors of the Old Covenant. Moses and Elijah represented the law and the prophets at the display of Jesus’ glory before His death. Stephen saw the New Covenant. Jesus was imbued with glory at the right hand of God before Stephen was murdered. Did the Jews, who were stoning Stephen to death, see the glory of God? The Scripture doesn’t indicate this. But we shouldn’t rule out that possibility. Note that the forebears of the New Covenant witnessed God’s glory within and around Jesus. Stephen saw it at his death. James, Peter and John saw it at the Transfiguration. John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus in the shape of a dove. Paul was blinded (temporarily) by the glory of Jesus at his conversion on the road to Damascus (in Paul’s experience, Luke tells us that Jesus’ voice spoke “from the glory of God”). Importantly, this same thing, this occurrence, took place on the Mount of Transfiguration, when the Father’s voice spoke “from the cloud”.

Acts 22:6-11 ⁶Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. ⁷And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ⁸So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. ¹⁰So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

In the Old Testament, the glory of God was the sign that God’s presence and blessing was with Israel. Likewise, to these “New Covenant” Jews, the glory of God showing forth from Jesus showed them that He was the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God. This experience of glory demonstrated that God’s presence and blessing were upon Jesus. In Luke 2:9, God’s glory was also a sign to the Jewish shepherds that this birth was confirmation that God was its author – the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. This event was like other moments of the display of God’s glory as had been told to them by their ancestors. “The cloud” led the children of Israel through the wilderness. “The cloud” filled Solomon’s temple. In the same way, there was no mistaking the meaning of what was happening. The glory of God authenticated the event of Messiah’s birth.

Luke 2:9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

A physical, visible manifestation of God’s presence in glory is emphasized throughout scripture as something tremendous, something so extraordinary its meaning lies beyond our comprehension! We may echo Ezekiel 3:12, “Blessed be the Glory of the Lord from His place.”

It often goes missed that the deep conviction of the Apostles was mightily influenced by witnessing the glory of God and the glory of Jesus. The glory of God – sensing it, seeing it – no doubt was a major factor influencing the spiritual wherewithal of those foundational leaders of our faith. As we noted above, Peter, James, John, Stephen, and Paul directly experienced it. At the resurrection of Jesus when a great earthquake occurred, on the road to Damascus, and possibly at the death of Stephen, non-believers saw the glory of God – however, it was seen in a faith-enhancing way. When Jesus ascended, the glory of God appeared again in “the cloud.” This is an important point to keep in mind as we continue. God’s glory appears during key events in the life of the Church. At selected moments, in situations of greatest import, many witness God’s glory. Therefore, we are led to ask, “When the Church has been raptured, should we expect God’s glory to be re-presented then?” If we say, “No,” do we doubt because we have grown to be “naturalists?” Why would the rapture not show forth the glory of God? Is there a more important event for the Church other than Christ’s own resurrection?

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

The resurrection of the dead is a foundational truth that we must understand before going on to maturity.

Heb 6:1-3 ¹Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ²of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ³And this we will do if God permits.

In other words, as God permits, we will go on to maturity – even unto perfection.

So, we pose a question: Does the writer of Hebrews mention heaven as a foundational truth? Our answer is, “No” because ‘‘going to heaven’’ is just one aspect of the magnitude of the resurrection. At the resurrection, those who have previously gone to heaven will return to earth and dwell here, at least for a thousand years. Heaven as it is traditionally understood considers the “afterlife” the “mansion in the sky” (John 14:1-3) But for the mature in our faith, it would be far more accurate to think of “heaven” as a temporary holding place for those who have died in Christ. There is even conjecture about whether the New Jerusalem should be considered “heaven” before it descends from the third heaven and becomes the dwelling place of God, Christ, and believers from all time.[‡]

We have body, soul, spirit. Before rebirth (born again experience) our spirit is dead. At rebirth our spirit is made alive by God’s Holy Spirit:

The first birth – body and soul born (natural birth).
The second birth – spirit born (spiritual birth) –’’born again”.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

At death, the body goes to earth, while spirit and soul go to the third heaven to dwell with God (and Hebrew’s “great cloud of witnesses”), the saints who have died and gone before us. At the resurrection/rapture, the complete body, soul, and spirit are reunited so that we might have fellowship with God as a whole person.

Psa 139:13-16 ¹³For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. ¹⁵My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Every physical, earthly element of David’s body was prepared by God before David’s birth and recorded. God knew every molecule and wrote it down in ‘His Book.’ This is the same truth for each of us.

Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Jesus’ statement, of course, implies every aspect of our body is precious to God – not just our hair! [I (Huffman) don’t know about you, but God would not be challenged by counting the few hairs left on my head!]

So, now we see how God can resurrect the body – dimensions, elements – down to the atoms if He so intends. Cremation, nuclear annihilation – no problem for God. We will be resurrected with a new body.

Luke 24:39-40 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” ⁴⁰When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

Jesus’ same body was resurrected minus His shed blood. His blood had to stay before the Father on the altar in the heavenly tabernacle for you and me. But the scars on His hands, His feet, and pierced side will always be visible – to remind us of the price He paid for our salvation.

1 Cor 15:4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Of course, the ‘‘Scriptures’’ here means the Old Testament.

Psa 71:20-21 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. ²¹You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.

Psa 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

These passages reveal David’s confidence in the resurrection. But remember, David has yet to see that resurrection as we write these words in The Revealing, on May 31, 2017.

Acts 2:29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.”

And God’s promise to Abraham cannot be fulfilled until the resurrection.

Gen 17:8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Isa 26:19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

The dew is the Holy Spirit which brings forth the fruit of resurrection. The Spirit is the Living Water. Those that have become dust will be reconstituted (rehydrated!) with the water of Life.

Dan 12:1-3 ¹“At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. ²And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

WHAT HAPPENS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAPTURE?

During this ‘‘time of trouble’’, also known as the Great Tribulation, is this shining – of which Daniel speaks – to be understood as a symbol or does it in fact signify the glory of God? With the significant testimony of Scripture we have already reviewed, the conclusion should be that such a shining will take place. That is why we conclude the manifest presence of God in His people will be made known at some point during the last days. The issue of course, is whether this shining for those resurrected – and raptured (before the visible return of Christ) – becomes evident to the “earth dwellers” during the Tribulation. Will they see our glory with Christ’s?

Hos 6:2-3 After two days He will revive us; On the third day, He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. ³Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Just as He rose on the third day, so will He raise us all through His power (1 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 1:19). This resurrection is for all those who “follow on (make progress) to know the Lord”. The ‘‘latter rain’’ of the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost until now. The ‘‘rain, the former rain and the latter rain’’ will come at one time in the last days to flood the earth in the Spirit of God to bring in the most abundant harvest of all time! From Hosea, we can infer that the Former and Latter Rain, whose fulfillment comprises the Feast of Tabernacles, closely coincides with the resurrection of believers up to that moment in time.

Let’s take another look at the Sheaf of Firstfruits (recall this was the third portion of the Passover feast):

Lev 23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Mat 27:52-53 ⁵²And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

This was a partial fulfillment of John 12:24 and of the Old Testament Feast of Firstfruits. Those who were resurrected appeared as a witness to those in Jerusalem.

Will those who are resurrected at the time of the resurrection/rapture disappear to “heaven” – not to appear again until Jesus returns with them (i.e., “the clouds of heaven”) at his visible return to judge the “earth dwellers?” Or will those resurrected/raptured appear on the earth in some fashion as a witness to what is happening in the last days? There were saints that did this at the first resurrection. Will there be resurrected witnesses appearing to unbelievers after the Rapture?

John 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Jesus was the seed of wheat that died to bring forth much fruit. The Old Testament saints rose as a testimony to this truth and a fulfillment of the Sheaf of Firstfruits. Jesus and these saints together were the sheaf of firstfruits waved before the Lord at this resurrection time. This was celebrated in the Old Testament times before the general harvest. That fulfillment in the New Testament happened before the vast resurrection harvest to come when the Feast of Tabernacles is fulfilled on the earth in the last days.

Allow me to underscore that this also served as an assurance that all others – dead and buried in Jesus – would be resurrected. Matthew 27:53 indicates that these saints had been resurrected once and for all. And the word ‘‘appears’’ indicates glorified bodies like their Lord who could ‘‘appear’’ and “disappear” at will. It is only quite reasonable to assume that these saints who had resurrected with Jesus, also ascended into heaven with Him. Consider that Acts 1:9-11 teaches Jesus’ ascent into and return from heaven will closely parallel each other.

Acts 1:9-11 ⁹Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ¹⁰And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, ¹¹who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Mark 13:26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

Zec 14:5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus, the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You.

Jude 1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints…

Mark 13:26 says ‘‘in the clouds’’ while Zechariah 14:5 and Jude 14 say ‘‘with His saints.’’ Jesus was taken up into heaven in a cloud. We are only following precedent by pointing out the implied parallel (in Acts 1:11) by suggesting that Christ ascended into heaven together with those of His saints who were resurrected at that time. The use of cloud is key.

Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1 links Old Testament saints with a “cloud”. Was this choice of words coincidental? What might it imply about glory? It does not say, “A crowd of witnesses, but a cloud of witnesses: who are clearly saints from the context just read in Chapter 11. The word for cloud is νέφος néphos, (nef’-os), whose Latin form, according to Strong’s, aligns with nubes or nebula, and thus, identical to the English word, nebula, which means “an interstellar cloud.” But there is more. Says Wikipedia (definition): “A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases. Originally, nebula was a name for any diffuse astronomical object, including galaxies beyond the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy, for instance, was once referred to as the Andromeda Nebula before the true nature of galaxies was confirmed in the early 20th century by Vesto Slipher, Edwin Hubble and others.” We may say that a nebula is a cloud formed from millions of stars. And that fits into the concept of the glory of angels and of saints compared to that of stars. [See the later Deep Dive in this chapter on “Being as the Stars in Heaven.”]

This usage of cloud would fulfill the typology of the Firstfruits in the Old Testament and exactly parallel Jesus’ return from Heaven mentioned in Zechariah 14:5 and Jude 1:14. It only stands to reason by citing the scriptural precedent. These were firstfruits, as is Christ, and as will be those who are “at Christ’s coming”:

1 Cor 15:22-23 ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

The word translated coming is the Greek word parousia, mainly used in the New Testament to denote Christ’s second coming for the Church as the Bridegroom to take His Bride – what most Christians call the ‘‘Rapture.’’ ‘‘They that are Christ’s’’ indicates possession or ownership. Ephesians 1:14 states: ‘‘redemption of the purchased possession’’ – possession indicates full surrender and obedience; but also, that Christ “paid the price” to redeem us – which employs an Old Testament term that means “to buy back” one that has been already sold into slavery.

For every single promise concerning Christ’s First Advent there are five promises concerning His Second Advent. How much more will the Lord exhibit those glorified during this process. God’s emphasis is a witness to the value He places on this event! Allow us to propose there are (at least) five purposes in Christ’s second coming:

Christ, the Bridegroom, comes for the Church, His bride. (Rev 21:2,9-11)
To save nationally (in some sense) the people of Israel. (Rom 11:26-27)
To overthrow the antichrist and Satan. (Rev 12:5,9-11;19:11-20)
To judge the Gentile nations and their gods. (Matt 25:31-32)
To establish His thousand-year kingdom on earth. (Isa 24:23; Rev 20:4)

Considering the truth introduced to us recently by the scholarship of Dr. Heiser, a sixth purpose should be included also: To judge the deposed Divine Council members and install the newly adopted Sons of God – the glorified members of the Body of Christ. (Psalm 82)

1 Th 4:15-17 ¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.

‘‘We shall be caught up’’ (gr. harpazo) which means a ‘‘sudden, swift violent grab.’’ “To snatch out of”. Revelation 16:15 and Matthew 24:42-43 use the term in this way, but Jesus will snatch up only what is His (the jewels from the earth).

Rev 16:15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the word ‘‘air’’ is the Greek aer. It should be distinguished from aether – aether referring to a higher air more distant from the earth. Aer denotes a “lower air” in immediate contact with the earth’s surface. Paul indicates that the meeting of the Lord and His saints will take place in the lower air – closer to the surface of the earth. Would this event be visible? Would the glory of Christ and His Bride be seen?

There appear to be different phases to the first resurrection, but we will not examine these in our study. We will remain with the rapture doctrine as traditionally set forth by Pre-Tribulational and Mid-Tribulational believers, (and those who ascribe to the Pre-Wrath view) – namely, that the Rapture occurs sometime before the visible Second Coming of Christ in Matthew 24:29-31, which is also when “every eye shall see Him.” (Revelation 1:7) Of course, the classic passage from Paul in 1 Corinthians, reveals to us “the mystery” of the catching up of the saints – both living and asleep:

1 Cor 15:35-44 ³⁵But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” ³⁶Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. ³⁷And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain – perhaps wheat or some other grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. ³⁹All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. ⁴⁰There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. ⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. ⁴²So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ⁴³It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

DEEP DIVE: A NEW BODY IS LIKE MOVING INTO A BRAND-NEW HOUSE

Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, that our afflictions amount to very little and are only temporary; nonetheless, they work on our behalf to create in us that which far exceeds in value the ‘price we are paying’ now. It comprises a property which will last for all eternity—a “weight of glory” (the meaning of which we will discuss more later). We are paying but a small monthly rent now—but we will soon own a mansion (in ourselves), the deed included, without any further payments due. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

This new life amounts to a creation. Paul is building toward that conclusion later in 2 Corinthians 5:17. (“We are a new creation”). That is why he states here, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) Already (but not yet), we have the seed within us that will blossom into a fully glorified body. He teaches, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (verse 7) Our mortality allows God to shine through us. We read, “always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body… For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (verse 8-9, 11) And finally, “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (verse 16)

In verse 18, Paul reminds us that we must set our ‘eyes’ (today we would say ‘our focus’), on eternal things not seen. For Paul, ‘seeing is disbelieving!’ We must focus on what is eternal, what we see only “with the eyes of faith.”

In Chapter 5, verse 1, Paul justifies directing our focus in this manner because our bodies on earth are growing older and running down minute-by-minute. But in heaven our eternal bodies are like houses that cannot depreciate even one penny. “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

In verses 2-4, Paul continues this analogy. We live in a dilapidated house now; we sigh and groan and hope for the day when we will obtain our ‘new house.’ Not that we want to have no house at all—for we do not want to be found living without one. After all, he tells us, being naked indicates we do not possess a new house ‘to come home to’—perhaps because we did not deserve one! Perish the thought!

In verse 5, Paul advises us not to worry. God’s promise to us regarding owning a new house in heaven has been guaranteed by an earnest payment: He has given us the Holy Spirit as a constant companion. His Spirit in us confirms the house will be waiting for us to move in immediately when we arrive! “He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

In verse 6, he switches subjects slightly, even lamenting a bit. While we live in the ‘old house’ we are not residing in God’s neighborhood! However, just as soon as we move out of the old house, we instantly move into the new one next door to where God is! (As a quick sidebar, Paul states, “Remember now… we live by the truth of what we know, our faith, not by what we see” (verse 7 paraphrased). “For we walk by faith not by sight.” He finally concludes this discussion by saying, “You know I am so confident about this, I had rather be absent from my body right now and be in my new house, in the new neighborhood, present with the LORD.” Paul is brimming with confidence. “We would rather be away from the body and with the Lord.”

Perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we readily concur with Paul’s wish. Do we believe our prospects to be so bright we would rather change houses right away? Or do we just want to cling to the old real estate? Are we ready to move into the new neighborhood? Or do we want to stay put?

Douglas Woodward, based on a passage from Blood Moon: Biblical Signs of the Coming Apocalypse, (2014), Oklahoma City: Faith Happens Books, pp. 279-280.

Human beings need a different type of body to reside in the heavens (the sky, “outer space,” and the heavenlies). God will provide such a body. And remember that heaven is not the reward that we anticipate. However, in receiving our glorified bodies, we are enabled to operate in the heavens (the sky as well as “outer space”) as well as upon the earth. Where the LORD calls us to work, we will be empowered to serve Him. He has a job for us (at least one!) in the ages to come. Indeed, all of creation is eagerly waiting for the revealing… the “manifestation of the sons of God”. (Romans 8:19)

That venerable scholar writing at the end of the Nineteenth Century, G.H. Pember, broke ground on the so-called Gap Theory of creation, the relationship of Orthodox Christianity to the heretical Theosophy of Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, and fascinating speculation regarding the nature of Satan’s domain as “prince and power of the air”. Presented here is Pember’s fascinating teaching on these subjects which complements what we have presented in this book.

DEEP DIVE: REPLACING THE PRINCE OF THE AIR AND HIS POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES WITH THE
GLORIFIED CHILDREN OF GOD

But (Satan) is also called “the Prince of the Power of the Air.” [Ephesians 2:2] This principality would seem to be the same as “the heavenly places” – our version incorrectly translates “high places” – which, as Paul tells us, swarm with the spiritual hosts of wickedness. It is by no means necessary to restrict it to the eighty or a hundred miles of atmosphere supposed to surround the earth: for if Satan’s power extends to the sun, as we suggested above, and so to the whole of our solar system, the kingdom of the air would include the immense space in which the planets of our center revolve; and in such a case it seems not unlikely that the throne of its prince may be situated in the photosphere of the sun… [Note: Pember was a man of the nineteenth century!]

What, then, is the nature of the power indicated by these titles of Satan? To understand it we must glance at the general hints of Scripture concerning spiritual agencies. For, though unseen and little suspected by the rulers of earth, there are also spiritual powers, all originally appointed by God, whether they be loyal to Him now or not. Rank above rank these watchers stand, each passing on his account to a superior until it reaches the Most High at the apex of the pyramid. So in Zachariah’s first vision, those whom the Lord had sent to walk to and fro upon the earth are represented as delivering their report to the Angel of the Lord, who then appeals to the Almighty Himself. And hence we read of thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, archangels, and angels. Nor can we know much of Scripture without discovering that vast numbers of these invisible beings, who supervise the affairs of men and their world, are in open rebellion against the Almighty; that there are principalities, powers, and world-rulers of darkness, with whom, as Paul tells us, we have to wage a fearful warfare. These all render account to Satan, their prince, who, in his reports to the Most High, makes use of their intelligence to accuse ourselves and our brethren before God day and night.

It is then plainly revealed that spiritual as well as human powers are concerned in the administration of our earth. And these diverse agencies are mentioned as making up the totality of its government in a verse of Isaiah, where we are told that the Lord at His coming will depose and punish two distinct governing bodies, “the High Ones that are on high, and the Kings of the Earth upon the earth.” Of these, the former are manifestly identical with Satan and his angels [Heiser might say, “the corrupted members of the divine counsel”]; the latter with the antichristian world-powers. Nor will Christ alter the form of government, though He change the rulers. For Himself and His Church will then take the place of the High Ones that are on high, while the first rank among the Kings of the Earth upon the earth will be given to the seed of Abraham according to the flesh… it is probable that they are the appointed successors of Satan’s ministers, who will hereafter take possession of the elements to use them in the execution of the wrath to come. For until the Devil be deposed from the throne of the air, it is likely that he will exercise control, to a great extent at least, over atmospheric phenomena [UFOs maybe?]. In the Book of Job, we find him even wielding the lightning: for at his bidding the fire of God fell from heaven, and consumed both the flocks and servants of the patriarch. And when, many centuries afterwards, our Lord arose from His sleep and “rebuked” the winds and the sea, it cannot be supposed that He was chiding the mere rush of the blast, or the senseless waves; but rather, those malignant spirits of air and water which had combined to excite the storm…

Seeing, then, that the government which Christ will shortly take upon His shoulders appears to be exactly identical with that which was once committed to Satan, and that God’s first arrangements were of necessity perfection, does it not seem likely that, when the times of restitution arrive, the original order of things, will begin to be restored in Christ’s Millennial kingdom?

If so, we can easily discover the outline of Satan’s pre-Adamite world [an assertion of the Gap Theory, that before Adam (Pember, Dake, and many others contend) there was another race of humanoids upon the earth].

For in the Millennium, Christ and His Church, the members of which will then have been made like unto Himself, are to reign in the heavenly places over earth and its inhabitants. So, probably in remote ages, before the first whisper of rebellion against God, Satan, as the great governing head and the viceroy of the Almighty, assisted by glorious beings of his own nature, ruled over the sinless dwellers upon earth. At the same time, he directed the worship of his subjects, and expounded to them the oracles of the all-wise Creator. (emphasis added)

(Pember M. A., G. H. (2012-06-20). Earth’s Earliest Ages and Their Connection with Modern Spiritualism and Theosophy (Kindle Locations 776-784, (Kindle Locations 800-816, 889-897, 968-976, 1211-1218). Kindle Edition.)

A STARRY-EYED GROOM AND GLORIOUS BRIDE MEET ABBA

2 Cor 4:14 Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.

The scripture suggests that we will be presented to the Father by Jesus, in the same way a bridegroom would present his bride to his father and mother, and “glory” in her! This presenting of His Bride possibly happens immediately after the moment we are translated.

2 Cor 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Please make note: we will not be naked when clothed with the glory of God, just as Adam and Eve before the fall.[§] In addition to a white robe, the glory of God will gleam bright. This is the special clothing God has always intended for His children. Nevertheless, there will be different orders of glory for not all children did great works after their salvation (by faith alone):

2 Cor 5:1-5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, ³if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. ⁴For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Gen 15:5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars [a double meaning] if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Gen 22:17 Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven [implying multiple meanings as we will see below] and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

GOD’S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM HAS MULTIPLE MEANINGS

In a paper presented at the 2016 Society for Biblical Literature meeting entitled, ‘“So Shall Your Seed Be”, David A. Burnett presented a detailed study, a portion of which we reference here. His title: “Paul’s application of Genesis 15:5 used in Romans 4:18 in Light of Early Jewish Deification Traditions.” He also published this material in the Journal for the Study of Paul and his Letters, Vol. 5, No. 2 – Fall, 2015. His primary thesis is this: he argues for the “qualitative” as well as the “quantitative” interpretation of God’s words, in Gen 15:5 and 22:17 cited above. His paper is an outstanding one and we recommend you read it. However, because of copyright issues and the expressed wishes of the author Burnett, we provide only a brief recap of his worthy scholarship here.

DEEP DIVE: BECOMING AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN

Scholar David Burnett provides an important insight into Paul’s understanding of the Genesis account regarding God’s promises to Abraham as presented by Paul in Romans 4:18, “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” Burnett indicates the traditional quantitative interpretation is not the only way scholars have explained Paul’s teaching concerning Genesis 15:5 and 22:17. While it is certainly true that Abraham’s descendants could be described as “countless, innumerable, or vast” Paul conveys Abraham’s seed will also possess powerful capabilities, equaling, or exceeding the angels in heaven.

This view stands in contrast to most contemporary scholars who emphasize the meaning of Yahweh’s promises strictly refers to “the multitude” of offspring. However, there are several “ancient” Jewish sources who challenge that point of view, suggesting there is more to it than that.

Burnett points to Philo, Sirach, and the author(s) of the Apocalypse of Abraham, who interpreted the promises to mean that Abraham’s descendants would possess a likeness to stars and powers exceeding those of humankind.

Assuming Burnett is correct, we can easily see that the “seed of Abraham” exposition Paul provides in Romans, chapter 4, supports a much more extensive promise than scholars typically admit. “For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13, ESV) Furthermore, we feel safe to see in this interpretation, one which reinforces Dr. Michael Heiser’s insights into (1) the divine council of the Old Testament that we have covered previously as well as, (2) the future role of the saints in the Millennial Kingdom.

Burnett indicates there is a tradition in early Judaism that asserted Abraham’s offspring would one day replace the sons of God (i.e., the stars of heaven) taking on similar power and authority to the angels; thus, “inheriting” the nations as their possession. In this respect, Paul can be seen to agree with other contemporary Jewish interpreters. Therefore, it would appear to be biblically accurate to understand the promise of “becoming as the stars of heaven” as a simile, but one far greater than modern scholars have allowed. Based upon the demonstration of Abraham’s faith at the “binding of Isaac” (known in Judaism as the Aqedah – Genesis 22), God’s promise to Abraham involves far more than fertility or progeny. It asserts his offspring will rule the nations. Burnett suggests that Paul connects the promises of God to comprise more than the number of descendants, but to the creation (the cosmos) and the resurrection of the dead. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:2-3).

Burnett references Origen, the early Church father (Origen’s Commentary on Romans 4:6-7) who stated (citing Origen): “Your seed and your works can ascend to heaven and become works of light and be compared to the splendor and brilliance of the stars, so that when the day of resurrection arrives, you will stand out in brightness as one star differs from another star” (4.6.9). Therefore, it appears it was not just the Jewish contemporaries of Paul who taught that Abraham’s seed would become as the stars of heaven, but one of the early Church Fathers as well, understanding in Paul’s exposition of Romans 4 to be both qualitative as well as quantitative.

In short, those that are true sons and daughters of Abraham will become like the angels in power after their resurrection and, apparently, rule not just the earth, but the cosmos. They will be given this authority instead of the corrupted “principalities and powers”, i.e., the divine council established by God at the division of nations after the Tower of Babel incident.

The physical bodies of men and women are adapted to express and satisfy the soul – but their new resurrected body will be adapted to express and fulfill God’s highest spiritual aspirations for humanity.

Prov 3:35 The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.

1 Cor 15:47-49 ⁴⁷The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

1 Cor 15:51-53 ⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Phil 3:20-21 ²⁰For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

The transformation of our bodies is the last chapter in God’s total redemption of humanity. When our individual bodies are changed at the resurrection, the full and complete Body of Christ is ready to serve God in all dimensions of creation – physical and spiritual – with Jesus as the Head over His Body, the Church. The secret of resurrection power, however non-intuitive it is, remains the secret of spirituality: one must die to oneself before we can receive this life from God. To die to oneself means to put the priorities of serving Christ and doing His will before your own will. It means trusting in Him that He will save you from the wrath to come. It means believing His Spirit has come to dwell in you, enabling you to live a new life, as a new creation. It means to join with the lives of others in the Body of Christ so that all may be glorified together.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

Whether we are physically alive or are “asleep” when Jesus returns, during our earthly existence, we must have died to self, that is – acknowledging our sins and inviting Christ into our spirits to save us from sin, if we are to receive His resurrection power. And while dying to self is a metaphor… it remains more than a metaphor: Our “old life” must be crucified before our “new life” can be appropriated. For demonstrating resurrection power in our everyday lives is proportionate to our dying to self and allowing the life of Christ to live and work through us.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

[*] Heiser, op. cit., pp. 285-287.

[†] The Targums were commentaries of the Jewish scriptures for the benefit of Jews after the captivities who ceased to understand the sacred tongue. – Dake’s Bible.

[‡] Randall Price, in his essay on the New Jerusalem, points out this issue (along with many others we intend to touch on later). “We must also look to another context to explain the “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” as already in the New Jerusalem before the eternal state, if it is contended the New Jerusalem begins with the eternal state rather than is preexistent. Regardless of when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, it is the prophetic promise of it as the eternal home of God’s people which at the conclusion of John’s Revelation, compels the prayer of the saints, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). Randall Price, The New Jerusalem, p. 7. Retrieved June 4, 2017 from http://www.worldofthebible.com/Bible%20Studies/The%20New%20Jerusalem.pdf

[§] Some scholars assert that Adam and Eve were “innocent” but not glorified. Michael Heiser argues that they were living in a state of glorification. Huffman sides with Heiser on this matter. Woodward believes the glorification in Eden was real, but not anywhere near the level after we are glorified and share in Christ’s glory imputed to us.