March 14, 2008
As I turned to the first Chapter of Genesis, I began to read it prayerfully verse by verse. But it was primarily one word that illumined the path to further understanding: “Then Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion - vayirdu - over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’ " (Genesis 1:26 emphasis added).
Upon this discovery, my thoughts burst out joyfully: “Of course, dominion; YHVH’s Kingdom, rule and sovereignty were already present in the beginning-- with Adam and Eve!” Both man and his wife were delegated authority to rule and serve all the other living creatures that YHVH had created in the fifth and sixth days.
Two verses later, the very same word caught my attention again: “And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said unto them, ‘be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion – u’rdu - over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth’ ” (Genesis 1:28 emphasis added).
The Creator did not relinquish His own sovereignty, but instead entrusted a dual position to Man (both male and female): “And YHVH Elohim took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden [delight] to till [work/serve] it and to guard [watch over] it” (Genesis 2:15). Thus Man was to be an “Eved” (servant) and a “Shomer” (watchman). The dominion that was granted to Man/Woman in YHVH’s Kingdom on earth was, therefore, that of a servant-king-priest, ruling over all living creatures. As watchmen, Man and Woman would "walk with" the Creator; in other words they would have an intimate relationship with Him and thus receive from Him His Life and Light. This Life and Light they were to minister to the creation. However, Man was not to rule or have dominion over other human beings. That position was reserved to Elohim alone, who was King of kings (or Sovereign) over all.
As long as Man would maintain his relationship with Elohim through obedience, this state of harmony would prevail. But if Man were to fail to live up to the Creator's instructions, he would experience the consequence of a broken relationship with Him. Elohim, fully aware of the weakness inherent in natural Man and what this weakness would cause, had prepared a way even before the foundation of the world for restoring humanity's relationship with Himself. His scheme for dealing with Man's rebellion, or disobedience, and fall under Satan's kingdom authority is alluded to in the following words: "And I will put enmity between you [talking to the serpent] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel ["akev" in Hebrew - root word for Yaacov – Jacob] (Genesis 3:15).
The fulfillment of this enigmatic pronouncement would have to wait until the time that a New Covenant would be made with the house of Israel and Judah (ref. Jeremiah 31:31). The New Covenant had been designed into Elohim's plan, to be fulfilled through a faithful Firstborn-Redeemer-Son, born of the seed of a woman (ref. Genesis 3:15; Mathew 1:23), who would ratify it by His blood. On the day when the intended recipients of the New Covenant will finally enter their promised restoration it will lead to their union; they will become the one house of Jacob – or heel company. As such, they will magnify their Redeemer's victory over the enemy, fulfilling the words penned by the apostle Paul: "And the Elohim of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Romans 16:20).
In the book of Revelation we get a glimpse into YHVH's judicial order of redemption; reference is made there to a scroll that was to the right-hand of the throne (ref. Revelation 5.1). The requirement to take and break the seals of this scroll in which were specified the terms for redemption and restoration (cf. Jeremiah 32: 6-16), was so high that no one in heaven, on earth or under the earth qualified. As we see from this text, Elohim's Son was the only one able to meet the stringent conditions. The provision, therefore, for restoration was not an afterthought.
From the very beginning, Elohim had determined that humanity would be cognizant of the fact that He is faithful to perform that which He had declared. This is a fundamental principle demonstrated in the very act of creation: "And Elohim said…. And it was so…" YHVH declared in no uncertain terms that He "would watch over His word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:12), and that He will accomplish and fulfill all that He has spoken by the mouths of all His holy prophets from of old (ref. Acts 3: 20). There is, therefore, an assurance and guarantee that His redemptive plan, backed up by His faithfulness, will find its total fulfillment in the fullness of the times and seasons.
As I turned to the first Chapter of Genesis, I began to read it prayerfully verse by verse. But it was primarily one word that illumined the path to further understanding: “Then Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion - vayirdu - over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’ " (Genesis 1:26 emphasis added).
Upon this discovery, my thoughts burst out joyfully: “Of course, dominion; YHVH’s Kingdom, rule and sovereignty were already present in the beginning-- with Adam and Eve!” Both man and his wife were delegated authority to rule and serve all the other living creatures that YHVH had created in the fifth and sixth days.
Two verses later, the very same word caught my attention again: “And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said unto them, ‘be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion – u’rdu - over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth’ ” (Genesis 1:28 emphasis added).
The Creator did not relinquish His own sovereignty, but instead entrusted a dual position to Man (both male and female): “And YHVH Elohim took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden [delight] to till [work/serve] it and to guard [watch over] it” (Genesis 2:15). Thus Man was to be an “Eved” (servant) and a “Shomer” (watchman). The dominion that was granted to Man/Woman in YHVH’s Kingdom on earth was, therefore, that of a servant-king-priest, ruling over all living creatures. As watchmen, Man and Woman would "walk with" the Creator; in other words they would have an intimate relationship with Him and thus receive from Him His Life and Light. This Life and Light they were to minister to the creation. However, Man was not to rule or have dominion over other human beings. That position was reserved to Elohim alone, who was King of kings (or Sovereign) over all.
As long as Man would maintain his relationship with Elohim through obedience, this state of harmony would prevail. But if Man were to fail to live up to the Creator's instructions, he would experience the consequence of a broken relationship with Him. Elohim, fully aware of the weakness inherent in natural Man and what this weakness would cause, had prepared a way even before the foundation of the world for restoring humanity's relationship with Himself. His scheme for dealing with Man's rebellion, or disobedience, and fall under Satan's kingdom authority is alluded to in the following words: "And I will put enmity between you [talking to the serpent] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel ["akev" in Hebrew - root word for Yaacov – Jacob] (Genesis 3:15).
The fulfillment of this enigmatic pronouncement would have to wait until the time that a New Covenant would be made with the house of Israel and Judah (ref. Jeremiah 31:31). The New Covenant had been designed into Elohim's plan, to be fulfilled through a faithful Firstborn-Redeemer-Son, born of the seed of a woman (ref. Genesis 3:15; Mathew 1:23), who would ratify it by His blood. On the day when the intended recipients of the New Covenant will finally enter their promised restoration it will lead to their union; they will become the one house of Jacob – or heel company. As such, they will magnify their Redeemer's victory over the enemy, fulfilling the words penned by the apostle Paul: "And the Elohim of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Romans 16:20).
In the book of Revelation we get a glimpse into YHVH's judicial order of redemption; reference is made there to a scroll that was to the right-hand of the throne (ref. Revelation 5.1). The requirement to take and break the seals of this scroll in which were specified the terms for redemption and restoration (cf. Jeremiah 32: 6-16), was so high that no one in heaven, on earth or under the earth qualified. As we see from this text, Elohim's Son was the only one able to meet the stringent conditions. The provision, therefore, for restoration was not an afterthought.
From the very beginning, Elohim had determined that humanity would be cognizant of the fact that He is faithful to perform that which He had declared. This is a fundamental principle demonstrated in the very act of creation: "And Elohim said…. And it was so…" YHVH declared in no uncertain terms that He "would watch over His word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:12), and that He will accomplish and fulfill all that He has spoken by the mouths of all His holy prophets from of old (ref. Acts 3: 20). There is, therefore, an assurance and guarantee that His redemptive plan, backed up by His faithfulness, will find its total fulfillment in the fullness of the times and seasons.
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