Jesus Christ: Savior, Judge and King of the World

Copyright © 2017 Daniel Ukadike Nwaelene, ThD.

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Unless otherwise stated, scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),

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Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-0975-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0976-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0974-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017918190

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/1/2017

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

PART 1   INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1

1.1 Psalm 110:1–7 (A Psalm of David)

1.2 Praise Him! Praise Him! Prophet and Priest and King!

1.3 The Coming of Jesus Christ

1.4 About This Book

1.5 About Bible References

PART 2   JESUS CHRIST: THE SAVIOR AND REDEEMER OF THE WORLD

Chapter 2

2.1 Mankind’s Need for Salvation

2.1.1 Origin of Sin

2.1.2 God’s Salvation Plan

2.1.3 God’s Promise to Abraham

2.1.4 This Sinful World at Different Periods

A. The World in Noah’s Days

B. Sodom and Gomorrah

C. Children of Israel in the Wilderness

D. Sin in the Days of the Judges in Israel

E. Sin in the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

F. The Kings of Israel and How They Ended Their Reigns

G. Excerpts of the Messages of the Prophets

H. Sin in the First Century AD (New Testament Times)

I. Sin (Ungodliness/Unrighteousness) in Contemporary Times

Chapter 3

2.2 Israel’s Spiritual Life Leading to Its Captivity

2.2.1 Moses’ Commands and the Counsel of Joshua

2.2.2 Warnings through the Prophets of God

2.2.3 Fulfillment of the Curses and the Captivity Prophecies

2.2.3.1 Fulfillment of the Prophecies in the Old Testament Days

2.2.3.2 The Sufferings of Israel during the Intertestamental Period

2.2.3.3 Israel’s Sufferings in Contemporary Times

Chapter 4

2.3 Israel’s Expectation of a Messiah

Chapter 5

2.4 The Coming of the Messiah

2.4.1 The Birth of Jesus Christ

2.4.2 The Ministry of Jesus Christ

2.4.3 Rejection, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

2.4.4 The Post-Resurrection Appearances, Great Commission, and Ascension of Jesus Christ

PART 3   JESUS CHRIST: THE (COMING) JUDGE OF THE WORLD

Chapter 6

3.1 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

3.1.1 As Foretold by the Prophets of the Old Testament

3.1.2 As Announced by Jesus Christ Himself

3.1.3 As Echoed and Taught by the Apostles

3.1.4 False Predictions of the Day of the Coming of the Lord

Chapter 7

3.2 The Destruction and End of this Earth

3.2.1 The End of the Earth as Described in the Old Testament

3.2.2 The End of the Earth as Jesus Christ Taught

3.2.3 The End of the Earth as Mentioned by the Apostles of Jesus Christ

Chapter 8

3.3 Judgment of the Wicked

3.3.1 Judgment of the Wicked as Foretold in the Old Testament

3.3.2 Judgment of the Wicked as Announced by Jesus Christ

3.3.3 Judgment of the Wicked as Echoed and Taught by the Apostles

3.4 Jesus Christ, the Judge

PART 4   JESUS CHRIST: THE (COMING) KING OF THE WORLD

Chapter 9

4.1 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

4.1.1 Announcement of the Return of Jesus Christ to Earth

4.1.2 The Purposes of the Return to Earth of Jesus Christ

4.1.3 The Two Phases of the Return of Jesus Christ To Earth

4.1.4 The Rapture of the Church

4.1.5 The Appearing of Jesus Christ on Earth

4.1.5.1 Some Related Terms

4.1.5.2 Special Signs and Events of the Appearing of Jesus Christ

4.1.5.3 Sequence of Events at the Appearing of the Lord

Chapter 10

4.2 The Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ

4.2.1 Schools of Thought about Millennialism

4.2.2 Characteristics of the Millennial Kingdom and Reign of Jesus Christ

4.2.2.1 A Literal Kingdom and Its Capital

4.2.2.2 The King of the Millennial Kingdom

4.2.2.3 The People of the Millennial Kingdom

4.2.2.4 Spiritual and Religious Life in the Millennial Kingdom

4.2.2.5 Political, Economic, and Social Life in the Millennial Kingdom

4.2.2.6 Elements of Nature and General Life Conditions in the Millennial Kingdom

4.2.3 Benefits of the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ

PART 5   CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusion

5.2 Recommendations.

About the Author

Bibliography

To the following people who influenced and helped mold my Christian life from home through school and my young adult years:

Rev. Sylvanus Nwani Nwaelene—My father, an erstwhile schoolteacher in the Pilgrim Baptist Mission of Nigeria, and later pastor of Issele Baptist Church in Issele-Uku.

Mrs. Gladys Odimbu Nwaelene (nee Ozoma)—My (late) loving mother, who was a dedicated, full-time housewife for the purpose of bringing up her children.

Rev. Joseph Kaduna Diei—The late principal of Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School in Issele-Uku (my alma mater high school).

Rev. Emmanuel Oladele Bolarinwa—The late two-times pastor of New Estate Baptist Church in Surulere, Lagos, where I was member for twenty-four years. Rev. Bolarinwa later became president of the Nigeria Baptist Convention.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6). And so my thanks and appreciation, first and foremost, go to the almighty God, who gave me the desire, opportunity, ability, and means to write this book, Jesus Christ: Savior, Judge, and King of the World. I can’t remember how many times I had to stop and ask, Holy Spirit, what do I say here? or say, Holy Spirit, help me. And an answer always came, to the glory and praise of the triune God.

Considering that this book is an addition to the sea of books that tell the world about the Lord Jesus Christ, who is, who was, and who is to come (Revelation 1:4), all thanks and glory be to God for making it possible for me to be a part of this great ministry.

While I was researching and writing this book, I revisited other books, journals articles, and Internet sites for necessary information. My gratitude, therefore, goes to all the authors and publishers of such materials so referenced and more so for your kind permission to allow me to reproduce portions of their copyrights. All the materials quoted are indicated in the footnotes within the pages and listed in the bibliography. But any reference that has been omitted by chance is unintentional and regrettable.

My gratitude goes also to my wife, Mrs. Patricia Ifeanyi Nwaelene, for her patience, understanding, and moral support while I was busy producing the book—either studying or typing the material. Oftentimes I was only bodily present with her. Because of the exigencies of work, there has been very little time for us to be meaningfully together as a couple in America; and that little time was further depleted by this project and my seeming absence. Pat, I love and appreciate you.

For his inspiration and personal review of the draft of this book, many thanks also to Brother Chukwudi Ejime Ituwe, president of Christ Power Theological Seminary and an author of some banking and Christian theology books.

I must acknowledge the ingenuity of CreativeMoveWorks, who designed the cover of this book, showing the book title in pictures. I sincerely do appreciate CreativeMoveWorks. I also appreciate my daughter, Ebelechukwu for helping dad to build the index for the book.

Finally, I thank you, the reader. The whole effort into putting this book together would have been an exercise in futility if there were nobody to read it. It is not by accident you have come across the book. I pray that the time you spend patiently reading through the book shall not be in vain and that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the Lord’s plans for you. I hope that you shall end up reigning eternally with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, Judge, and King of the world. Amen.

PART 1

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

1.1 PSALM 110:1–7 (A PSALM OF DAVID)

Announcement of the Reign of Messiah

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

This psalm is said to be one of the greatest announcements (in fact, prophecies) regarding Jesus Christ as the coming Messiah, His deity, and everlasting priesthood.

1.2 PRAISE HIM! PRAISE HIM! PROPHET AND PRIEST AND KING!

The hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby (1820–1915) said in the third stanza of one of her numerous hymns (title given above):

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!

Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring!

Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever;

Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!

Christ is coming, over the world victorious,

Power and glory unto the Lord belong.

There are many books written by many authors found on bookshelves and in libraries (private and public) about Jesus Christ as prophet and priest and King. Most of the books address the roles of Jesus Christ as a prophet (as Moses prophesied to the people of Israel that God would raise for them another like himself in Deuteronomy 18:15) also as a priest (and High Priest) that He became when He sacrificed Himself and entered the presence of God the Father, not with the blood of animals like the Levitical priests but with His own blood (Hebrews 9:11–14). Deuteronomy 18:15 says, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. Hebrews 6:19–20 says, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

Hebrews 10:3–4 says, "But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."

Hebrews 9:11–14 says, But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And the Jewish leaders did not let Him play the role of King. Notwithstanding, He died and ascended into heaven as King of the Jews. Of course, He is coming back in glory to reign over not only the Jews but also the whole earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, starting from the millennial kingdom. However, we shall look into the functions of Jesus Christ as Savior, King, and Judge. Why?

The world has been so morally and spiritually bankrupt and dead that the need cannot be overemphasized for a Savior of mankind. Death is the consequence of such spiritual degeneration. And thanks be to God that He gave us that Savior in Jesus Christ! Yes as King over all the earth in the forthcoming millennial kingdom, He will have judicial powers and responsibilities over the subjects of the kingdom. But more than that, He is going to judge (appraise) believers in His name for the purpose of rewarding them according to their works in this life from the time when they become saved and condemning all those who have rejected Him to everlasting punishment. The apostle Paul said,

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13–15)

Jesus Christ will also judge the Gentile nations of the world for their ways of life and especially what they do for the brethren of Jesus Christ during the great tribulation period. He will sentence the condemned (the goats) to everlasting punishment and welcome the others (the sheep) to His kingdom. He will also judge unfaithful people of Israel, all wicked people (living and dead), and fallen angels and banish them all for eternity to their final resting place in hellfire.

It becomes pertinent, therefore, to make prominent in this book the role of Jesus Christ not only as Savior and King but also as Judge. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that we shall all stand before Him (Christ), Paul meant ALL mankind, not only Christians or just all Christians alone.

1.3 THE COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

More than seven hundred years before Christ was born, The Prophet Isaiah wrote a prophecy about Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:1–4).

In His First Advent in a synagogue, Jesus Christ declared His manifesto at the commencement of His ministry, reading the previous passage in Isaiah and omitting from verse 2 the statement And the day of vengeance of our God. As recorded in Luke 4:18–19,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus Christ said that the acts of grace and mercy of God listed in the passage were fulfilled in the very eyes of the listeners in the synagogue. Jesus Christ was later quoted as telling a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who visited Jesus by night,

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17–18).

Compare this with Luke’s record For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). These imply that in His First Advent, Jesus Christ came to save all who would believe in Him and accept His offer of salvation. The work of vengeance to the wicked that reject/rejected Him is reserved for His Second Advent when He will carry out various judgments (mentioned previously).

During the Second Advent, Jesus Christ will also complete the fulfillment of the rest of the prophecy of Isaiah after meting out vengeance to His enemies. It is during those days that Jesus will begin to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6–7, excluding His birth, which has already taken place. The prophecy is as follows:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6–7)

1.4 ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book, written in simple English, is targeted at anyone and everyone who can read—the scholarly, the not-so-scholarly, and the inquisitive-minded. It should whet the appetite of many people and spur them to conduct further research into other aspects of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The book considers the sinfulness of mankind from his fall through the coming of the Savior, noting that sin is not the exclusive reserve of any particular people but of the whole of mankind all over the world with no exception. And the salvation that the gracious almighty God offers through Jesus Christ is not for just a few but for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is Prophet, Priest, and King. He is also Redeemer and Judge. He is Creator of the universe, and the Mediator between God and man. There were (and are) prophets, but Jesus is the Son of God by whom God has spoken in these last days. There were priests and high priests who had to enter God’s presence in the holiest place with the blood of an animal in their hands. But Jesus Christ is the everlasting High Priest after the manner of Melchizedek, who entered the presence of God with His own unblemished blood once for all, and He remains at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, pleading our cause. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

There were (and are) judges, but Jesus Christ is the righteous Judge that will judge the living and the dead without favoritism or sentiments on behalf of God the Father. He alone is the Savior and Redeemer of mankind from their sin and its consequent condemnation, for He is the way, the truth, and the life, and nobody comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Hence, He is the only Mediator between God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5).

The subject of this book is presented in five parts, including this introduction. Each part presents what the Old Testament prophets foretold, what Jesus Christ taught, and how the apostles of Jesus Christ echoed the message. Bear in mind that the Bible says that a matter must be established upon the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15b).

1.5 ABOUT BIBLE REFERENCES

The Holy Bible (a.k.a. the Scriptures) is a library of books. In the books can be found literature, history, theology, philosophy, architecture, prophecy, law, management, science, and virtually every subject or discipline. God used about forty-four men at different locations in the world to write the sixty-six books of the Bible. All were addressed to different people over a period of about two thousand years. The authors of some of the books are still unknown. About the Bible the apostle Paul says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Many readers of Christian books and journals hardly read the Bible references found in the materials they read. Meanwhile, such references constitute the bases for or justification of ideas presented in the materials. This avoidance of the references prevents such readers from understanding the full information and the bases for the writer’s comments. Many people do not revert to the Bible to read the references either because they have no Bibles or they do not want to lose the thought flow of the material they read. They may also feel they will check the references later, which they may never do. This is why I have quoted verbatim the Bible passages referenced in this book, except where they are included in quoted passages. In addition, let the Bible speak to you directly. The apostle Paul said,

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:10–11 NASB)

All Scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version (KJV) Bible except where specifically mentioned.

PART 2

JESUS CHRIST: THE SAVIOR AND REDEEMER OF THE WORLD

CHAPTER 2

2.1 MANKIND’S NEED FOR SALVATION

Apart from the fact that Darwin’s evolution theory has failed to explain why mankind has not evolved into something else that is greater than what human nature has been since it got to this point, the theory has not told us how sin came into the world and how to escape from it and its consequent death. This is unlike the account in the Holy Bible, the Word of God. Equally, there is no other known account of the entrance of sin and its remedy apart from the Bible’s, although according to the New World Encyclopedia,

Islam teaches that all humans are innocent by birth and they become sinful only when they consciously commit a sin. It regards the doctrine of original sin not as the teaching of Jesus, who was a prophet and the Messiah, but of misguided Christians who misunderstood Jesus’ intent and falsely made him into the divine Son of God who died to atone for universal sins of humankind.

The question is as follows: How did that sin come into the world? How does the child grow up to embrace and commit sin without being taught?

The Bible relates that in the process of the creation of the world and all it contains, God created man.

Genesis 1:26–27 says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Being made in the image of God (rational), man has the ability to choose. God blessed man and commanded man not to become extinct by asking him to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:28). And this accounts for the growth in human population and how mankind has been exploring and exploiting the earth.

Man, therefore, has over the centuries been discovering and inventing many things, some of which make life appear better, while some others are helping to inadvertently destroy the earth. Examples include all inventions that have been aiding and abetting the depletion of the ozone layer, leading to the global warming, and invention of weapons of mass destruction, which have led to an increase in man’s inhumanity and the destruction of God-given lives and property.

2.1.1 ORIGIN OF SIN

Scripture tells us that God put man in the Garden of Eden with the following instruction:

Genesis 2:16–17 says, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

After this, God made a woman—a suitable helper for the man—whom Adam called woman (Genesis 2:23). Unfortunately, man disobeyed God by eating the very fruit God instructed them not to eat, thereby automatically invoking the consequence of death, which God cautioned would be the result of a contrary action (i.e., disobedience). This death is both physical and spiritual. The story of this disobedience—and that is sin—is recorded in Genesis.

Genesis 3:1–19 says, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

In addition to physical and spiritual death (loss of fellowship with God), man lost the beautiful and comfortable Garden of Eden as God chased them out of it.

This is the original sin, which is borne by every person born of a woman, with the only exception being the God-incarnate (Jesus Christ), who was born of a virgin lady without union with a man. In Psalm 51:5, the psalmist David acknowledged, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. And the implication of sin in every person born of a woman is that he is doomed to die as we find in Romans 3:23, which says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. But God does not desire that anyone should die, according to The Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 18:32, which says, For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. This statement by the Old Testament prophet was echoed by the apostle Peter as recorded in 2 Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2.1.2 GOD’S SALVATION PLAN

In view of God’s desire, He made a plan for salvation and redemption of mankind, which dates back to times before creation. Apostle Peter asserted,

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. (1 Peter 1:18–20)

The New International Version (NIV) Bible comment on verse 20 says that the eternal, omniscient God began the plan for the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for mankind’s redemption long before the creation of the earth. It was not an after-thought or a solution He adopted because the world spun out of control.¹ In fact, as a result of their disobedience (sin), Adam and Eve soon discovered that they were naked. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them (Genesis 3:21). Some scholars believe that the lamb, which God slew to obtain the skin with which to clothe Adam and Eve, was a pointer to the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. In addition to clothing Adam and Eve in the garden, God cursed the serpent, through whom the devil masterminded or orchestrated the drama of man’s fall thus:

Genesis 3:14–15 says, "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

This curse was fulfilled when Jesus Christ successfully went through the cross of Calvary: Satan bruised Jesus’ heel by seeing Him nailed to the Roman cross in addition to continually inflicting temptations and hardships, including imprisonment on the followers of Jesus Christ.² And Jesus Christ, the Seed of the woman crushed Satan’s head in that He did not fall into Satan’s temptations, and when He died and was buried, He arose to come back to destroy Satan and his works.

One of the most popular, most memorized, and most recited verses in the New Testament is when Jesus Christ says to Nicodemus,

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

We are also told that Jesus said in the same discussion session with Nicodemus,

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14–15).

God does not desire that anybody should perish as we read in Ezekiel and Paul’s first letter to Timothy.

Ezekiel 33:11 says, Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

First Timothy 2:3–4 says, "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

God made believing in Jesus Christ the only way out. Refer to the following passages:

First Timothy 2:5–6 says, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

John 14:6 says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Certainly, many passages abound in the Scriptures, which talk about God’s redemption plan for mankind. For instance, the psalmist said,

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations" (Psalms 22:27–28).

After the fall of man, God said to Eve, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15).

Some evidences of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, as the One whom God has appointed to reconcile man to Himself (God) are recorded in the following Bible passages:

John 1:29 says, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Acts 2:22–24 says, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man

approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it."

Acts 4:12 says, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Matthew 17:5 says, While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Matthew 17:5 says, While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

It is important to note that God made this great plan of salvation through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for all men (and women, boys, and girls) to be saved from the inevitable consequence of sin, yet God does not force salvation on anybody. Salvation has been offered free in Christ Jesus to all, but it is only people who accept the offer by believing in Jesus Christ that will receive it. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans further explains this:

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:8–13)

Just as man exercised his right in choosing to sin, which leads to death, so also he has to exercise his right in choosing to accept God’s offer of salvation, which leads to eternal life with God.

2.1.3 GOD’S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that in order to achieve His salvation plan for man, God took a step that was to last several centuries, beginning with one man and ending with the man’s Seed or Offspring. God called (approached and made an offer to) one ordinary man to depart from his ordinary people and go to an unnamed place that was unknown to the man, with a promise to him. The call, response, and role of Abraham are seen as significant and key in the redemption process of man.

Abraham (known as Abram before he became the friend of God) was one of three sons of Tera. His brothers were Nahor and Haran. They hailed from Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia. Abraham was married to a lady named Sarai. Like other people in their locality, they were idol worshippers. They did not worship the true God. But when God called him, he obediently followed in childlike faith, and he became the father of faith and eventually, the route by which the only Mediator between God and men was born into the world.

Genesis 12:1–3 says, "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

This call from God came to Abraham after the death of his father, Tera in Haran, where his family had moved after the death of one of his three sons, Haran (the father of Lot). The call to Abraham to follow God was simple but involved. Abraham had the freedom to choose between doing God’s seemingly unusual bidding and refusing it. In verses subsequent to the previous three, we see how Abraham responded:

So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. (Genesis 12:4–6)

When God called Abraham, he was already seventy-five years of age. Notwithstanding that, he put his trust in God and set out, according to Hebrews 11:8, not knowing whither he went. It is noteworthy that God fulfilled every aspect of His promise to Abraham. His obedience changed Abraham from an ordinary man to an extraordinary one. His obedience contrasts with Do not eat … (Genesis 2:17) … and I ate (Gen. 3: 12). The Bible comments, And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). God changed his name from Abram to Abraham, meaning a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). Sarai, his wife, was also renamed Sarah since she’d parent many nations and kings.

God told Abraham to move out of his home, and He made Abraham a promise as found in verses 2 and 3 and repeated the same promise in Genesis 17:3–8 with a demand on Abraham and his descendant sons to maintain a covenant of circumcision. The promise consists of several components (precisely six, though many writers have compressed the list to four or expanded it to seven).

(1) I will make of thee a great nation.

(2) I will bless thee.

(3) Make thy name great.

(4) Thou shalt be a blessing.

(5) I will bless them that bless thee.

(6) [I will] curse him that curseth thee.

(7) In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

This fulfillment has culminated in and includes the salvation of man. This fulfillment is detailed as follows:

1) God would make of Abraham a great nation. God expounded on this promise by saying, And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered (Genesis 13:16).

In fulfillment, Isaac was born to become the heir of the promise. From Isaac and his two sons, Esau and Jacob, God brought forth the twelve tribes of Israel and the nation of Edom. From Ishmael, the son who Abraham sent forth with Ishmael’s mother on God’s instruction, the numerous Arab nations and people came to be.

Genesis 17:18–20 says, "And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."

Spiritually, today all believers in Christ Jesus are children of Abraham by extension. Similarly, all Muslims who practice Islam and all who are into Judaism grew from Abraham and his monotheistic belief. All the people that comprise these nations and religions cannot be numbered. They are, like God said, many as the dust of the earth.

2) God would bless Abraham. The Bible says, And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2). Similarly, Abraham’s son, Isaac, was rich materially.

Genesis 26:12–14 says, "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him."

The Jews (descendants of Abraham) have not been known as a poor people despite suffering great persecutions throughout their history on a global level. They have always been powerful in business, economic policy, and political issues. A great deal of wealth in Europe and America are in the hands of Jews.

3) God would make Abraham’s name great. Apart from the name Jesus Christ (a descendant of Abraham), Abraham is one of the universal names that people want to be associated with and bear. A typical instance was the discussion between Jesus Christ and some Jews, recorded in the gospel of John as follows:

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. (John 8:31–36)

As cited previously, the three major religions in the world (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) can be traced back to Abraham.

4) God would make Abraham a blessing. God has made every believer in the Seed of Abraham a partaker of the blessing of Abraham. The apostle Paul explained this in his letter to the Galatians,

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26–29)

5) God promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse him. Scofield says that the fulfillment of this promise is wonderfully evident in the history of the dispersion. Life did not go well for people who despised/persecuted the Jew, while people who protected them fared well.³ Another writer on the Internet cited the events of the Six-Day War of 1967 between Israel and its neighboring Arab nations. The story of this war can be read in many modern records about Israel.

6) God said that in Abraham should all families of the earth be blessed. The greatest blessing any man needs is reconciliation to God—restoration of fellowship with God. Jesus asserted, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). This promise of God to Abraham has been fulfilled in Christ Jesus in whom ANYONE who believes shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The real purpose of God’s call to Abraham was later revealed as God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins.

Genesis 18:17–19 says, "And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."

God actually wanted to make in Abraham a God-fearing nation to be an example to other nations of the world that were mostly heathen. Consequently, God established an everlasting covenant with Abraham, which He extended to David, a descendant of Abraham. Second Samuel 7:16 says, And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

In fulfillment of God’s promise, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, and he would become the heir of the promise for the nation through which Abraham would be a blessing to the whole world. God reiterated this after Abraham’s sacrifice of his son, Isaac. Genesis 22:18 says, And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau had wives and many children, whose descendants later became the Edomites. Jacob married two wives and had two concubines (his wives’ maids), and all four women bore him twelve sons, who grew into the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel.

God delivered them from a 430-year bondage in Egypt, which God had told Abraham would befall his descendants.

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for