The Bigger Picture of Creation
Christ's redemptive work brings harmony to his father's creation The Jew and gentile are made one in Christ through his blood, the dividing wall has been broken down so that we become one new man.
However this speaks of something even greater than Jew / gentile relations.
It speaks of harmony within creation, which is Gods temple where he dwells.
His purpose is not just to bring Jew and gentile together but something far greater, his plan of redemption is to bring creation back into alignment, to synchronise it with his purposes rather than mans.
God not only brings down the wall that divided sacred and secular, he brought down the temple and made it irrelevant under a new covenant.
Why? Because God cannot be contained in a temple with walls, his temple is his creation.
The cross does not solely unite humanity, it reforms creation into its rightful place.
Therefore this brings hope to our world rather than a longing to escape.
The bigger picture is creation not humanity, Israel or the church.
Israel were chosen to become lead stewards of God's creation on earth.
They were to be a light of stewardship, an example of good stewarding to the gentile nations.
However Israel/humanity proved to be bad stewards.
God therefore sent the creator / gardener to redeem the garden /creation and also the failed stewards of the garden.
Humanity is one aspect of the much greater creation that had to be redeemed.
We are now redeemed stewards in which the Gardner, that is Christ, lives within to bring his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Creation is God's temple God's greatest purpose is that He may fill the earth with His glory, "the earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it" (Psalm 24:1).
Creation is redeemed for the sole purpose that he may fill it with his presence.
Creation is his temple.
Acts 7:48-50: 48 "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.
As the prophet says: 49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be? 50 Has not my hand made all these things?' Ezekiel prophecies regarding the new covenant God will make with his people.
Ezekiel 37:24-28: 24 "My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.
25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them.
And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.
27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.
28 And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.
"'" God's purpose is to dwell amongst his creation forever on earth.
Ezekiel prophecy's that Gods sanctuary/temple will be in our midst forever under the new covenant.
All that God has made he dwells in and with.
He cannot be confined to a temple, to buildings made with hands.
Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation".
His purpose is that we steward the earth, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ who redeems creation in order that it may be a sanctuary for God.
For those with dispensationalist theology regarding the rebuilding of the temple I would suggest that moving towards a rebuilding of an earthly temple made with hands is contrary to the bible in the light of the greatness of God and new covenant, he cannot be contained.
God can only dwell within that which he has made.
Psalm 78:68-70 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.
God has founded the earth forever to be his tabernacle.
His sanctuary as the psalmist declares is built like the heights.
In other words there is no limit.
"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool".
His tabernacle is not temporary like temples made by man, it is eternal, designed to be a dwelling place for an eternal God.
However this speaks of something even greater than Jew / gentile relations.
It speaks of harmony within creation, which is Gods temple where he dwells.
His purpose is not just to bring Jew and gentile together but something far greater, his plan of redemption is to bring creation back into alignment, to synchronise it with his purposes rather than mans.
God not only brings down the wall that divided sacred and secular, he brought down the temple and made it irrelevant under a new covenant.
Why? Because God cannot be contained in a temple with walls, his temple is his creation.
The cross does not solely unite humanity, it reforms creation into its rightful place.
Therefore this brings hope to our world rather than a longing to escape.
The bigger picture is creation not humanity, Israel or the church.
Israel were chosen to become lead stewards of God's creation on earth.
They were to be a light of stewardship, an example of good stewarding to the gentile nations.
However Israel/humanity proved to be bad stewards.
God therefore sent the creator / gardener to redeem the garden /creation and also the failed stewards of the garden.
Humanity is one aspect of the much greater creation that had to be redeemed.
We are now redeemed stewards in which the Gardner, that is Christ, lives within to bring his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Creation is God's temple God's greatest purpose is that He may fill the earth with His glory, "the earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it" (Psalm 24:1).
Creation is redeemed for the sole purpose that he may fill it with his presence.
Creation is his temple.
Acts 7:48-50: 48 "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands.
As the prophet says: 49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be? 50 Has not my hand made all these things?' Ezekiel prophecies regarding the new covenant God will make with his people.
Ezekiel 37:24-28: 24 "My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.
25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever.
26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them.
And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.
27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.
28 And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.
"'" God's purpose is to dwell amongst his creation forever on earth.
Ezekiel prophecy's that Gods sanctuary/temple will be in our midst forever under the new covenant.
All that God has made he dwells in and with.
He cannot be confined to a temple, to buildings made with hands.
Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation".
His purpose is that we steward the earth, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ who redeems creation in order that it may be a sanctuary for God.
For those with dispensationalist theology regarding the rebuilding of the temple I would suggest that moving towards a rebuilding of an earthly temple made with hands is contrary to the bible in the light of the greatness of God and new covenant, he cannot be contained.
God can only dwell within that which he has made.
Psalm 78:68-70 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.
God has founded the earth forever to be his tabernacle.
His sanctuary as the psalmist declares is built like the heights.
In other words there is no limit.
"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool".
His tabernacle is not temporary like temples made by man, it is eternal, designed to be a dwelling place for an eternal God.
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