We have looked at various facts that seem to point toward an ultimate reconciliation of all, but how do the events described in the Bible fit together? You may have considered and even studied much of God's Word, but have you seen God working since the eons began, moving deliberately toward a happy conclusion when all are reconciled to Him?

As we read the Word of God from beginning to end we can see God working systematically through the ages, and we see Him revealing to mankind His plan in bits and pieces. Some information He revealed to the patriarchs in the Old Testament. Some things He revealed through His prophets. Some things He revealed through Christ Jesus. But some things were concealed until God was ready to reveal them through His servant Paul, after the Jews had been set aside so that the complement of Gentiles could be incorporated into the fold.

Studying individual portions of God's Word is like analyzing a tree, and we can learn many marvelous things about the tree in this way. But sometimes we must step back to look at the entire forest, to see how all of the trees fit together to comprise the forest.

Let us now step back from the beautiful trees for a few moments, to examine this wonderful forest which is God's Word, and to see how God has worked and is working through the eons, or ages.

Genesis describes the beginning of mankind in the Garden of Eden. It is interesting that despite this being a Paradise where Adam and Eve lived in the presence of God, and where there would be no death, evil existed even in this place. The serpent lived in their midst, and had access to Adam and Eve so as to tempt them. This was not a neutral setting, where Adam and Eve would simply live in obedience to God. The evil one lived among them, and tempted them.

Once expelled from the Garden, mankind follows a steady course of self-destruction. Cain kills Abel. Evil runs rampant. In Genesis 6 we start over, with the wicked being destroyed and only the righteous Noah and his family surviving. But we read on, and mankind continues to show no promise. At Babel (Genesis 11) God finds it necessary to confuse the tongues of mankind, and scatter them.

Joseph becomes the central figure in Genesis 37. He is sold into slavery, framed by Potiphar's wife, thrown into jail, and forgotten. But God continues to raise Joseph up, and he eventually becomes the second most powerful man in Egypt, directly beneath Pharoah. At the end of Genesis Joseph's brothers stand before him after their father had died, and they fear what Joseph might do to them. They remember how they had plotted against Joseph and sold him into slavery years before.

God does not choose Israel to show favoritism, or even because the Israelites are better than the non-Israelites. As God's plan continues to unfold we will see how He uses Israel, the nation, as His instrument to ultimately bless all nations.

In 2 Samuel the Israelites become a powerful nation under David's reign, and the success of the nation continues under the reign of his son, Solomon. But at Solomon's death the nation divides. The northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) have a series of kings as reported in 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles. Some kings are wicked, instituting or condoning the worship of idols and other evil practices. Other kings are good, bringing reform and a return to the ways of God.

The prophets of God warn the people that if they do not turn from their wicked ways and return to God, their land will be taken from them. Israel is more wicked than Judah, and is the first to be taken from the land. (2 Kings 17) Judah goes on a bit longer, but is later defeated and taken away into exile. (2 Kings 25) Sin and disobedience have resulted in exile. As Adam and Eve were once expelled from the Garden because of their disobedience, so also the nation of Israel suffers the same fate.

As promised, the scattered Israelites are returned to the land. We read in Ezra of the Temple being re-built. Nehemiah tells of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.

As the New Testament opens, the people are back in the land, but they are under Roman rule. While a part of the promise of the prophets has been fulfilled, more is to come. The people are awaiting the Messiah, the Son of God. They are looking for the days of David and Solomon to return, when the kingdom was strong and the people safe. The Old Testament prophets had foretold that a kingdom like this would be coming, so the people waited.

In Genesis we learned that the penalty for sin was death. Throughout the Old Testament we witness this time and again. Destruction (death) is the lot of the wicked. Ultimately since all sin, death is the lot of all.

It is interesting that throughout all of the Old Testament we read of death and destruction, but never

THE KINGDOM IS NEAR

Peter proclaims to the Jews,

refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord, and He should dispatch

the One fixed upon before you, Christ Jesus, Whom heaven must indeed receive

until the times of restoration of all which God speaks through the mouth of His

This message is very similar to that of John the Baptist and of Jesus Himself. Repentance is called for. But Peter is tying the return of the kingdom to this repentance.

In response to Peter's proclamation, had the

One of the first incidents we read about in Saul's ministry is the encounter with Elymas, the Magician, also known as Bar-Jesus, in Acts 13. Sergius Paul, a proconsul who is an intelligent man (a Gentile), calls for Saul and Barnabas. Sergius Paul asks to hear the word of God, but Elymas the Magician until the appointed time.

Remember Paul has received a dual commission. He is to go to the

Peter, who had been the primary figure in the early part of Acts begins to fade, and Paul becomes the primary figure after the incident with Elymas.

The final two verses in Acts report that Paul remains in Rome for two years, welcoming all who come to him. He heralds the kingdom of God, and teaches

We err when we think there is just one

Throughout Matthew the

When Paul went to take the

But it is not just a difference of who the

There are several instances where Paul refers to the evangel as my evangel.the evangel?

my evangel,

through Jesus Christ.

Here Paul is speaking of the nations, not of the Jews who are awaiting a restoration of their kingdom. It is a different topic; a different message; a different evangel.

secret hushed in times eonian, yet manifested now...

Could Paul's

Paul tells us in Galations 1:11 that this evangel he brings

taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

If Paul's revelation of Jesus Christ.

In Galations 2:7 Paul makes the distinction between the evangel to the Circumcision or Uncircumcision, but the evangel of the Circumcision or Uncircumcision. The distinction is not made between the recipient of the evangel. Instead, the distinction is made in the evangel itself. Paul has been entrusted with the evangel

We struggle with this distinction today, and try to blend the messages together into one

If we fail to see this distinction, we blend together things that are different as we proclaim upon this earth, with Christ reigning upon the throne.

So Christ does return, and the kingdom of the heavens as prophesied by Daniel and proclaimed by Christ now comes upon the earth.

became our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall be reigning for the eons

But even through the very end of Revelation the kingdom is for the Jews. The nations are blessed through Israel, but Israel is prominent.

1. Apart from Christ

2. Alienated from the citizenship of Israel

3. Guests of the promise covenants

4. Having no expectation

But now:

1. Christ razes the barrier

2. He makes the two (Jew/Gentile) into one new humanity

3. He reconciles both into one body

The rejection of the kingdom by the Jews seems to defeat God's purposes, but God's will cannot be thwarted. The rejection of the kingdom evangel has resulted in the Gentiles being brought into the ecclesia ... the Body of Christ. Like Joseph's rejection by his brothers which eventually led to the fulfilling of God's purposes, now Israel's rejection has ultimately been used by God to accomplish His purposes.

To help us understand Paul's function as God's chosen instrument, let us remove him from the scene for a moment. In the classic movie

Without Paul, our Bible would contain 13 fewer books. We would jump from Acts to Hebrews. The kingdom that was foretold by the Old Testament prophets and proclaimed in Matthew through Acts would have come more quickly. There is no setting aside of Israel until the complement of Gentiles comes in, which Paul spoke of. The Gentiles are only blessed indirectly through the nation of Israel.

But if there is no delay for the sake of the Gentiles, there is also no need for Hebrews through Jude, which were letters directed to the scattered Jewish believers (those who had received the evangel of the Circumcision), as they awaited the kingdom. We lose 8 more books from our Bible.

The kingdom which was preached by Christ, and which was later proclaimed by Peter and the other apostles after the resurrection in Acts, now comes in Revelation. As Revelation ends we have the Jewish kingdom restored, and the nations are blessed through Israel.

Christ reigns upon the throne. Satan is in the lake of fire. Those whose names were not found written in the scroll of life have also been cast into the lake of fire.

Without Paul, this is where things end. At least this is the extent of God's plans that would have been revealed to us, if Paul had not been given more revelation to be shared.

George Bailey is brought back to reality. His mouth is bleeding, his clothes are wet, and Zuzu's petals are back in his pocket (my apologies to those who have never seen this movie).

Paul did live! Paul did see the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, as undeserving as he was. God did reveal things to Paul, which he shared with us in his evangel.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, as both are on equal standing as joint heirs. Just as in Adam all died, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Through one offense for all mankind for condemnation (Adam), thus also it is through one just award (Christ) for all mankind for life's justifying. It is God's will that all men are saved. God is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will. Christ is the Saviour of all mankind, especially (but not exclusively) of believers.

But if the book ends with the lake of fire burning, how can these things come to pass?

When we read a book we are used to events that flow chronologically as we read. But the Bible is not an ordinary book. The end of all things is not found in Revelation, for God showed things to Paul which had been secrets in the past, but which were revealed to him. Things were revealed to Paul which were not revealed to John, the writer of Revelation.

As John was given the revelation he recorded which is found at the end of our Bible, he was shown the events upon the earth as the promised kingdom was instituted. As Daniel had prophesied, it was a kingdom which was greater than any previous kingdom. Christ Himself is upon the throne. The righteous live, and the wicked are punished.

But it is within Paul's writings that we are told what will happen even beyond the events of Revelation.

As Revelation comes to an end, we see the end of the ages. But as the last

Many believe the end of Revelation is a description of the eternal heavens that we will experience when the resurrection takes place. But there are a number of reasons to conclude that this is not the case, and that 1 Corinthians 15 happens after the end of Revelation 22.

22:5 The slaves of God are reigning 15:24 All sovereignty, authority and power

21:24 There are still

the earth

21:5 Christ is seated on the throne 15:25 Christ must reign until He places all

enemies under his feet.

15:28 When all is subject to Christ, Christ

subjects Himself to God.

15:24 All sovereignty, authority and power

nullified.

21:8 Lake of fire (second death) 15:27 Last enemy (death) abolished.

still exists

22:2 Leaves on the tree for

cure of the nations

seem to imply corruptible

bodies needing the leaves

to sustain life.)

21:12 Twelve tribes No Jewish connotations in 1 Cor 15.

21:14 Twelve apostles In Paul's writings, no barrier between

21:24 Nations outside city Jew and Greek.

Overall, a picture of a very Overall, a picture of a spiritual realm,

physical place, with mortal with no corruption, no reign, no power.

Bodies ... much like our present All are subjected. No enemies, no

world, except with Christ death, no sin, no rebellion. The purpose

reigning and keeping evil of the ages has been achieved. God is

out (22:14-15) now All in all. How can He be All in all

with death (the enemy) present?

The culmination of God's Word, then, is found in 1 Corinthians 15 when God becomes All in all. The book of Revelation does not take us quite this far.

With God All in all, all things have been reconciled to God, despite the plans of the enemy and the rebellion of the flesh which have seemed to triumph at times. Corruption is eliminated, and even our bodies are now incorruptible, not even needing the leaves from the tree of life to sustain life. The worst enemy of all, death, has been abolished.

In 1 Corinthians 15 we finally see every knee bowing before the Lord. The Salvation of all has not meant the ignoring of sin. The lake of fire, the second death, has accomplished its work. All men now recognize the wondrous ways of God, and His grace as expressed through the work of Christ.

The Salvation of all does not negate or minimize the work of the cross. The work of Christ upon the Cross, and the power of God as displayed through the resurrection, were both very necessary. But now, at the end of the ages, we see the true scope of God's work. Despite the sin and rebellion of humanity, God has found a way to bring every soul to the point of acceptance, and every knee now bows before Him.

The ages have ended. The purpose of the eons has now been fulfilled; to reconcile all to God. Wickedness and evil are gone. Death is no more. God is love, and He is All in all. Eternal life in perfection has begun!

Don't take my word for these conclusions. Do not take the word of scholars, teachers, or pastors. They do not even agree amongst themselves.

The most common teachings within the orthodox church today are based largely on traditions and teachings passed along through the church since the 5^th century. These teachings are not based upon the word of God, but upon the fallible traditions of men and the fallible translations of Scripture which are confused and which are strongly influenced by the biases of the orthodox church.

In the realm of science, theories are proposed and then tested to detect error. Corrections are then made to the theory. It is the same with theology, which is simply mankind's

Your current beliefs about God, and about the destiny of mankind after death, have been shaped by things you have been taught since childhood. I'm not asking you to throw out your beliefs and accept mine. I am asking you to consider what I am presenting as a theory to be tested. The old theory I was always taught, with an endless torment for the wicked, has many defects that cannot be reconciled. There were many things that appeared to be contradictions in God's Word under this old theory.

I personally see the basic theory presented in this chapter to answer many questions and eliminate many difficulties. This is not a theory I developed myself. Many have believed these things since the early days of

Use the methods suggested in this book to get back to the actual words used by God in the original languages. Consider the evidence. Study God's Word. Think and pray, and come to your own conclusions.