Post 17. The Spiritual Aspect of Redeemed Man's Destiny as It Applies to the Future Age (The Creation, Volume I: Chapter 3, Subhead 5)

The Spiritual Aspect of Redeemed Man’s Destiny as It Applies to the Future Age (Post 17. CVIC3S5)

The authority for the spiritual aspect of redeemed man’s destiny as it applies to the future age is considered to be the passages of the Bible and the inspired sources.  Because Satan and the spiritual angels that served him in the present age will not dwell in the blessed part of the creation, where the kingdom of God will exist in the future age, this kingdom will be a kingdom of joy, righteousness, holiness, peace, and prosperity.   In addition, because Jesus Christ will reign over this kingdom, and he is the incarnate Son of God, and one with the Creator, in the person of the Son (the Word), the second person of the Triune Godhead, all things that are the will of the Father will be possible for him.  He, of course, will be capable of creating life, and it is possible he may delegate this creative authority to others.  The latter will then bring forth life on planets of star systems in galaxies of the changed matter universe that are suitable for this in the future age.  Based on the inspired sources, it appears that no life of any kind presently exists outside the Milky Way Galaxy.  Therefore, the kingdom of God, over which Jesus Christ will reign in the future age-though it may eventually be comprised of many smaller kingdoms-will be unique because it will be the source of created life throughout the changed matter universe in the age to come (Mt. 12:31-32).

The life that will be created in the changed matter universe in the future age, it is believed, will be accomplished by means of separate manifestations of the spoken word-one for each planet that is suitable for life-by the Son (the Word) or those delegated by him for this purpose.  After its initial creation, this life, through the guiding hand of the Creator, will subsequently evolve and differentiate into different lines of living entities on the planet.  One of these lines eventually will possess an intelligence suitable to receive a soul-spirit from the Creator.  The living entities of this line, now in possession of a soul-spirit nature, in a fundamental spiritual sense, probably will be similar to man on earth after the latter began to receive a soul-spirit, and possess a soul-spirit nature in the present age.  However, they will not know Satan and the angels that serve him, because the latter will not dwell in the kingdom of God in the future age.  Therefore, original sin may be impossible in that age.

The next stage of development of this line of living entities may involve the development of a civilization on the planet.  Then, according to the theory of the development of civilizations in galaxies, a planetary civilization, advanced civilization, and an advanced interstellar civilization should, eventually, follow.  Presumably, many civilizations of all kinds (except crisis civilizations) will exist in the kingdom of God in the future age.  All of these civilizations, or kingdoms, will serve Jesus Christ and will be part of the kingdom over which he will reign in that age, that is, the kingdom of God.  The above is a brief, imaginative account of how life may be created, evolve, receive soul-spirits, and rise to civilization on a planet of a stellar system of the kingdom of God in the future age.  Life, therefore, will be created in the changed matter universe in the future age, and this activity, as well as the nurturing and developing of this life, probably will be the most important activity of the kingdom of God in that age.

Although it is not contemplated that the living entities that originate in the kingdom of God in the future age will one day turn from Jesus Christ and the Creator and worship and serve another, this cannot be ruled out entirely.  However, it would be idle speculation to try to understand how this could occur.  If sin one day does make its appearance in the kingdom of God, then it is possible that those who sinned would have need of spiritual salvation, just as man and other living entities dwelling in the matter universe of the material realm did in the present age.  Then, perhaps, the Creator would provide a means for the salvation of these, also, just as he did for man and other living entities, who presently dwell, or once dwelled, in the matter universe in the present age.  However, without Satan and the angels that serve him, it is likely that original sin, and perhaps, all willful sin, will not exist in the kingdom of God in the future age and this sinless state will continue for ever and ever.

Therefore, the spiritual aspect of redeemed man’s destiny in the future age, it is believed, pertains to the latter’s service to Jesus Christ and the Creator in the kingdom of God in that age.  One of the most important activities that will involve redeemed man-particularly the church of Jesus Christ-in that age, it is believed, will be the creation, nurturing, and development of life throughout the changed matter universe.  This activity, and the goodness of the Creator associated with it, will contribute to the blessings of this age, and help make the age one where joy, righteousness, holiness, peace, and prosperity are not merely  rarely-attained ideals, but ideals that are normally experienced in the course of everyday living.  

The church of Jesus Christ, it is believed, will exercise greater authority than other members of redeemed man or the spiritually saved living entities of the advanced interstellar civilizations in the kingdom of God in the future age.  The reason for this may be that man’s future advanced interstellar civilization was the last such civilization to develop in the present age of any of the advanced interstellar civilizations presently in existence.  Perhaps, in one context, the words of Jesus Christ found in Mt. 19:30 apply in this circumstance, "...and the last shall be first." Perhaps, the trials and tribulations that redeemed man endured on earth overcoming the temptations of Satan in the present age, prepared him to serve Jesus Christ more effectively than other saved living entities, in the kingdom of God in the future age.  Whatever the reason, the high esteem with which the Creator holds the church of Jesus Christ is revealed in several passages of the Bible.  In Rev. 19:7-9, the church is referred to as the “wife” of Jesus Christ.  Rev. 19:7-9 reads:

                                  7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him:
                                  for the marriage of Lamb is come, and his wife hath
                                  made herself ready.
                                  8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed
                                  in fine linen, clean and white:  for the fine linen is the
                                  righteousness of the saints.
                                  9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which
                                  are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.  And
                                  he  saith to me, These are the true sayings of God.

Also, in Rev. 21:2, the church of Jesus Christ is referred to as the “bride” of Jesus Christ. Rev.21:2  reads:

       2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
       down  from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
       adorned for her husband.

The terms, wife and bride, referred to above, suggest that a special relationship exists between Jesus Christ and those members of redeemed mankind that comprise the church of Jesus Christ.  This special relationship exists in the present age, and, it is believed, will continue to exist in the future age, as well.  Although it is not known, for certain, in what ways the church will serve their Lord in the kingdom of God in the future age, other than possibly being instrumental in the creation, nurturing, and development of life, the contributions of the church of Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God in that age, most certainly, will be many.

In conclusion, the destiny of redeemed man, as it pertains to the future age, appears to possess both a spiritual aspect and a technological aspect.  The spiritual aspect derives its authority from the passages of the Bible and the divinely inspired words associated with these. The technological aspect derives its authority from the inspired sources, and the divinely inspired symbolism associated with these.  This may explain why the passages of the Bible, though their inspired words are believed to originate with the Creator and pertain to redeemed man’s destiny in the future age,  primarily, are concerned with man’s spiritual destiny, rather than his technological destiny; while the inspired sources, though their inspired symbolism is believed to originate with the Creator, also, and pertain to redeemed man’s destiny in the future age, also, primarily, are concerned with man’s technological destiny, rather than his spiritual destiny.


Commentary

This subhead concludes Chapter 3 of The Creation:  Its Infinite Features and Finite Realms, Volume I:  The Mystery of Inspired Sources and Their Significance to Man.






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