DOMINION

[8thdaypriest]

I'm going to explain my understanding of what Christ did.   Scripture is in blue.  

Hebrews 2:8 "You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him."

God speaks of things which are not yet - as if they are.  All things are NOT YET in subjection to Christ, but they will be.  I Corinthians 15:28 speaks of the day when all things have finally been "made subject to Him" - including death itself.  So we know this is future - but is a sure thing. 

1 Corinthians 15:28 "Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."

For me, the concept of dominion explains the what and why of Christ's incarnation and death. 

Psalm 115:16 "The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind." 

God GAVE it to mankind.  He did not - and will not - take it back.  It's a done deal. Earth belongs to mankind, to live in with God's blessing, or to destroy without Him. 

Genesis 1:26-28  “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion 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.  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply;  fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

1.  God gave dominion of the earth to mankind, on CONDITION of perfect obedience. 

2.  Adam and Eve could "have dominion" over the earth, only if the LORD protected that dominion from Satan. 

3.  Satan knew that IF he could get the first humans to rebel against the LORD, then the LORD would have to withdraw His protection.  Satan - who was much stronger than Adam - could usurp the rulership of earth.  Which is just what he did.  He used deception, then followed up with mind manipulation. 

4.  In order to recover the DOMINION - for mankind - the LORD needed a perfectly obedient man.  

This would have to be a human being, in order to recover the dominion of earth.  Which explains why Jesus came with the nature of Abraham - a man - NOT a superman with divine powers. 

He would have to remain PERFECTLY loyal to God the Father.  He could not "sin" once.  Perfect obedience was the CONDITION for DOMINION. 

When Jesus incarnated as a man, and obeyed perfectly the "law of God", He fulfilled the condition - for dominion.  Jesus' death was included in the perfect obedience.  Death was the Father's will.

He was "obedient unto death" (Heb 2:8). 

Included in the DOMINION - is everything within that DOMINION.  This includes all of mankind.   Which explains why "all judgment has been committed to the Son".  Jesus - as LORD of His dominion - gets to decide which humans will remain within His dominion.  Simple.

Daniel 7:9-10 is the scene - in Heaven - when Christ officially receives the "dominion". 

Robert's constant argument that all humans are "in Christ" - IS VALID - in one sense.  Christ won DOMINION of the earth.  Therefore all human beings live within Christ's DOMINION.  He "paid" the price for DOMINION of the earth.  He did this FOR all mankind.  He did this because mankind lost the dominion - to Satan, because of their sin (rebellion). 

Christ now has legal permission to give everlasting life, to any human within His dominion.  

He also has legal permission to remove - from His dominion - any humans who remain rebellious against Him. 

The earth is NOT currently mankind's dominion.  Not since the first rebellion in the Garden.   It is currently Satan's dominion, subject to some limitations imposed by the Father.   Satan is "the ruler of this world" (John 14:30).  But dominion of this earth will finally be TAKEN FROM Satan, and given to "the saints of the most high".   They will live forever within Christ's dominion. 

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I don't feel we need a metaphysical explanation of the atonement, wherein mankind is somehow merged with the body of Christ on the cross.  I don't feel we need a forensic explanation, in which God demands the execution of the sinner, and accepts a substitute victim in place of the one who sinned.  That doesn't fit with God's character, or His law.  I realize that some Scripture explains the atonement in this way, but I think it is a simple step - for babes - towards a fuller understanding. 

 

[Gail]

Great topic starter! I love that word- dominion

I think that the concept of substitution was better understood in the times it was given than it is today.