Bible Readings for the Home

Chapter 178

Home of the Saved

For what purpose was the earth created?
"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited." Isa. 45:18.

Why was man made?
"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou has put all things under His feet." Ps. 8:6 (Gen. 1:26) (Ps. 115:16).

Does man now have all these things under him?
"Thou hast 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 see not yet all things put under him." Heb. 2:8.

When man lost his dominion, to whom did he yield it?
"For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." 2 Peter 2:19.
NOTE. - Man was overcome by Satan in the garden of Eden, and there yielded himself and his possessions into the hands of his captor.

What circumstance shows that the earth came into Satan's possession?
"And the Devil, taking Him up into a high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto Me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it." Luke 4:5, 6.
NOTE. - This was the occasion of Christ's temptation in the wilderness. It cannot be truthfully said that Satan lied, when he told Christ that all the kingdoms of the world had been delivered into his (Satan's) hand. There was a sense in which his pretensions with regard to the kingdoms of the world, their power and their glory, were truthful, otherwise how could his words have been a temptation to Christ?

Is this first dominion to be restored? And to whom is it to come?
"And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." Micah 4:8. The "tower of the flock" is Christ.

If man lost the dominion through sin and death, through whom will it be restored?
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Heb. 2:9.

What blessing did our Saviour pronounce upon the meek?
"Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5.
NOTE. - This inheritance cannot be realized in this life; for here the truly meek have the least of earth's good things.

Who does David say have the most of earthly things?
"For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked... Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish." Ps. 73:3-7.

Will there be a difference between the portion of the righteous and that of the wicked?
"Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." Ps. 37:34.

What promise was made to Abram concerning the land?
"And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever." Gen.13:14, 15.

How much did this promise comprehend?
"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Rom. 4:13.

How much of the land of Canaan did Abraham own in his lifetime?
"And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on; yet He promised that He would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child." Acts 7:5. (Heb. 11:13).

How much of the promised possession did Abraham expect during his lifetime?
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb. 11:8-10.

Who is the seed to whom the Abrahamic promise was made?
"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to "seeds" as of many: but as of one, And to thy "seed," which is Christ." Gal. 3:16.

Who are counted heirs of that promise?
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29.

Why did not these ancient worthies receive the promise?
"And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Heb. 11:39, 40.

What is to become of our earth in the day of the Lord?
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also; and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10. (Isa. 13:9) (Isa. 24:1-6) (Jer. 4:23-27).

What will follow this great conflagration?
"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13. (Rev. 21:1-5).

To what promise did Peter refer, when saying that he looked for new heavens and a new earth?
"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Isa. 65:17.

What will be the condition of things in the new earth?
"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord." Isa. 65:25.

How will the ransomed demonstrate their joy in that place?
"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. 35:10.

How extensive will be the reign of Christ at that time?
"He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Ps. 72:8.

What does Daniel say of this kingdom?
"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him." Dan. 7:27.