Chapter 1

No Hope Under Adam's Headship

"There is now power but of God..."

It is of primary importance to understand that all power belongs to God. There was a time when the Godhead was in full and undisputed authority in all the universe. God in His wisdom saw that it was good to delegate certain measures of power to His creatures. Long before the creation of man, God delegated authority to angelic beings. One such case of delegated power was to "the anointed cherub that covereth," whose name was "Lucifer, son of the morning." Sin began in the universe when he said "I will" against the will of God. He aspired to be like God' and to displace God in rule. This angel is now known to us as Satan and the devil. He appeared to the newly created pair in the Garden and told them the lie about being like God. The natural seed of Adam has always sought to realize the lie, and like Satan, has aspired to be like God and to displace Him in rule. Every great world-power has been ruled over by men who have sought to displace God. Thi3 series will make clear this tendency and constant effort of man. (Examine Isaiah 14:1220 and Ezekiel 28:11-19.)

"The earth hath He given to the children of men..."

Adam and Eve were given the commission to have dominion over every living thing. The sin to befall man was known and provided for before his creation (Acts 2:23; I Pet. 1:20). Adam and Eve fell into sin and lost their charter. Man in sin and apart from God can never run the world successfully. He thinks he can, and God is giving him a trial. There are seven dispensations revealed in the Bible; every dispensation is a demonstration that natural man — mankind of Adam's seed — can never succeed in having dominion. Below we give a few samples which may be traced on the chart. In the series, of which this is the first chapter, this fact will be made very prominent. Natural man must always fail. The only hope lies in the new headship, the second Adam — the Lord Jesus Christ.

Adam and his boys fail...

Adam's charter of world-dominion embraced "every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Sin came in, and man fell and lost his charter. The devil got a squatter's claim, but the real title reverted to God. Man in sin — Adam and his boys were given a chance and failed. All his children were begotten in his image and likeness. The earth became corrupt and was filled with violence, and the flood took them all away in judgment, except four pairs carried over in the ark.

Noah and his boys fail...

In Genesis 9:1-4 God gives Noah and his three sons a new charter of world-dominion. It was substantially the same as that given to Adam. There were some changes. Flesh was given to man and beast for food. The fear of man was placed in every living creature. The foundation of human government was laid in granting permission to man to take human life to preserve order. Noah and his sons failed because they chose to disobey God and build the tower of Babel, out of which came the confusion of tongues, and the people were scattered over the face of the earth. In this confusion nations formed and became idolatrous

Abraham and his boys fail...

God chose Abraham out of the nation of Assyria. Out of Abraham came Isaac and Jacob; out of Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel When God brought Israel out of Egypt, He gave them a land and a law. This nation became God's peculiar treasure. Under Him, and obedient to Him, they were to be come a nation of kings and priests to the other nations of the earth. After a long training and trial God set the nation aside because of disobedience. Abraham and his boys had failed. God took the kingdom from Israel but reserved the right to take them up again for the sake of his Davidic Covenant. (Read Exodus 19:3-8; Ezekiel 21:25-27; Psalms 89: 28-37.)

The Gentiles Fail...

When God took the kingdom from Israel, He gave it to the Gentiles and "the times of the Gentiles" began (Dan. 2:37-38; Luke 21:24). This dominion was just as wide as thai given to Adam: it reached to "wheresoever the children of men dwell.' God made them "to rule over then: all." We ai-e to this day living in "the times of the Gentiles" and will no1 see the end of such time until the Lord Jesus shall return to take the rule (Rev. 11:2-15). Prophecy indicates the utter failure of the Gentiles to rule the world for benefit tc themselves or to the honor of God

We can see that failure now in this war-torn world where more than nine-tenths of the nations are now fighting the second world war within one generation. This series will have much to do in featuring this failure.

Christ and the new headship take over...

When God took the kingdom from Israel it was to be so "until He come Whose right it is" (Ezek. 21:24-27). In Revelation 11:15 we see the announcement of His coming, and at such time the kingdom of this world will become His. He will then have what God has promised Him (Ps. 2: 8-9). What He gets from God He shares with His saints (Rev. 2:26-27). The overcomers of the world are seen in heaven looking earthward and they are saying, "We shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:9-10). In Revelation 19:11-21 we see the final conflict and dispossession of the Gentiles, and the next chapter shows the reign of the Son and the Saints. After this reign, the kingdom passes back to God — the Godhead (I Cor. 15:20-28).