You may remember the story in Genesis (Gen 25:30-33) of the twin births of Esau and Jacob with the latter holding on to Esau's heel.  Later, famished Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup.  The ramifications of these events are now again center stage through the seemingly complicated developments of the present day Middle East.

In the Apocrypha book of 2nd Esdras, we are given the meaning and understanding of this unusual birth.  It spoke of the day when God would establish His Kingdom upon the earth through Jesus Christ.  That there would be no interlude between the end of the race of the first man, Adam, who (lost his birthright) was put out and thoroughly judged by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the new creation Man, introduced by God to the world in the person of Jesus Christ.  In other words, the end of the one race would be the beginning of the other race with no interlude in time even as it is with each one of us who receive Christ this very day.

Once we understand this, we will realize that the opposing religious Jews at the time of Christ's suffering were actually summed up as being in Esau who sold (lost) his birthright.  In fact, their accepted king at that time was a descendant of Esau, an Edomite named Herod, whose anointing was via the "high priest" Caesar of Rome, even though God promised David that He would not fail him a descendant upon the throne with the one exception of course, the prophecy given by Jacob regarding his son Judah.  That prophecy stated, that when Shiloh, the Prince of Peace would come into this world, someone other than a descendant of Judah or David would occupy Israel's throne (Gen 49:10) --- and this turned out to be Herod.  He still kept His promise to David however, through the Root as well as the Offspring of David, Jesus Christ our Lord God and Eternal King.  God is no respector of persons whether they be Arab or Jew or Barbarian.  All nations and peoples as such were eliminated and brought to naught at the Cross of Christ.  That Cross was the death of every descendant of Adam, not Christ's, who knew no sin, and He was vindicated by His resurrection. 

Way back before ever this world was created (long before Gen:1), God purposed to have a vessel called the Church through which He would display His complete wisdom:

"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord   (Eph 3:10-11). 

Notice that His eternal purpose was not any particular nation or tribe, but "the Church" into whom provision has been made for all the nations and peoples by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for the sins of the whole world.  This vessel, the Church, was to be filled with the Life and Nature of God and as such would display God's infinite wisdom, which is, that Christ should fill (be in) every human being.  Some of us have invented products of various kinds, but who could invent something that would then emanate or display (be filled with) our own very life and nature.  God did this marvelous thing by the Cross of His Son, whereby, His Spirit could be poured out upon all the earth's peoples as the waters cover the sea.  Who could imagine how God could accomplish such a creation, in which each one should "be filled with all the fullness of God  (Eph 4:13)."  That animals should produce after the animal kind, trees after the tree kind but God after God's own kind: "Let us make man after our image and likeness (Gen 1:26)".  The Cross, the wisdom of God declared the apostle Paul.

As we look out across our own country or the world in general today, we see the terrible consequences of rejecting Jesus Christ and His Church,  His (God's) eternal purpose.  Jeremiah, while speaking of the Church - the bride of Christ, declared that God was going to do a new thing upon the earth "a woman will encompass a man" (Jer 31:22), and so we read in Ephesians 1:23,  the Church is the fulness of Christ.  Yet, while exalting their knowledge above the knowledge of God, mankind, even religious men, although pawns of lucifer, "who hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor 4:3-4)", insist that mankind evolved from a monkey or animal.  This slanderous attack is directed at none other than the character and Person of Jesus Christ and in actuality it is calling our Eternal Father (Isaiah  9:6), Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, an animal.  For Jesus Christ, who is God (Jn 1:1; Jn 1:14), was born of the virgin Mary who is a descendant of the first Adam whom they insist evolved from an animal.  Yet instead of evolving from the animal, those rejecting Jesus Christ have become even more brutish than the animals they claim to have evolved from.  For what animal has ever strapped dynamite around his tummy to wipe out whole communities of other animals?  What monkey has ever inserted utensils inside the womb of another monkey to tear asunder, limb by limb, the progeny of that other monkey?  What ape has ever dressed itself in condoms or swallowed human pesticide pills, or inserted mass destruction capsules into its arms or other members to chemically kill its very own offspring?  No my dear friends, the animals would stand before God on judgment day, and declare: "Man did most assuredly not evolve from us.  We do not know them".

God's judgment is complete. Sin and sinner has been forever dealt with at the Cross of Christ. The only judgment remaining will be whether or not man is being conformed according to Christ.  How much of Christ is in our lives.  Did He fill us until Christ was our all and Christ was in all?  Is there a oneness with Him such that when people meet us they meet Him?  For Adam to have a wife, she had to be a part of (or taken out from) Adam.  Similarly, for Christ to have a wife, she must be taken out from Him.  God did not bring multiple Eve's to Adam.  Christ likewise has only one wife, the one that is out from Him, a member (piece of) His body, the Church is her name.  Where two or three are gathered UNTO My Name...  Ideally a husband and wife and a growing church (family) in every home.  Then gathering with other churches (families), still one Church by One Spirit.  This Church is to be one with Him in Life, Nature and purpose, to fill the whole earth with His glory, which is Christ in every human being.  For Christ is the God of glory who appeared unto Abraham (Acts 7:2), and because Man is to be made in the image of God, He wants His sanctified ones to be glorified likewise (Rom 8:30). 

Christians know very well that we do not evolve into Christ likeness but rather upon believing the eternally appointed Gospel of God and being washed in His precious blood, we are born from above (a new Spiritual birth from Heaven) by Christ's Holy Spirit.  For though "the first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Man Adam (Christ) was made a Life giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45)".  A miracle (not an evolving) new birth of having Jesus come into our bodies, joined to our spirit.  Yet the wars for possession of "the promised land" still rage daily while possession of the true "Promised Land", Jesus Christ, remains hidden to most, even among confessing Christians to our common shame.  "For it will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.  A ruin! A ruin!  I will make it a ruin!  It will not be restored until He comes to Whom it rightfully belongs; to Him I will give it  (Ezek 21:26-27)".  Beginning with Christ's redemptive work, the complete nation of Israel (spiritual Israel) is continually being restored as He now sits on the throne of David forever. "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve Thee (Jesus) shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted (Isa 60:12)." Such is world history beginning with the part of the natural Israel that rejected Christ  as of 70 A.D.,  and " His enemies shall lick the dust (Ps 72:9)".   Please read the account of the Roman siege of Jerusalem  70 A.D. and the accompanying famine. A short version is provided at www.life.org/Jerusalem.html

"The earth is The Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; (Psalm 24:1)".  When He came to earth He showed forth by His "dominion over the earth" (Gen 1:26), that these words were written of Him alone.  He walked on water, calmed the storm, even the demons had to ask permission of Him to enter the pigs.  Do you think He owed that farmer some money when the pigs jumped off the cliff?  What were swine doing in Israel in the first place?  No, He is the rightful owner, the heir of all things.  Though Adam lost all, Jesus saw us as treasure hidden in a field and so He sold everything (left His throne in Heaven above) and bought us with His precious blood and then gave the entire world ( with that little strip of land called Israel included) to His redeemed bride, the Church.  For "all authority is given to me in Heaven and in the earth, go ye therefore into all the world (Mat 28:18)", all the nations, not just Israel.  When Arab and Jew come to Christ, as they already did in the early days of the Church; they will share all things in common.  When they become members of His One body, then they will no longer kill steal and destroy but glory together in God's true Promised Land, Jesus Christ, that they might be found in Him and then be known throughout the world "by the love that they have for one another".  Oh what a day that would be...pour out, pour out again Your Spirit Lord.

God's promise to Abraham still remains, "And in thy Seed (Jesus Christ) shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice (Gen 22:18)." For though Esau squandered his birthright, Christ loved all of us Esau's, Arab, Jew or Barbarian. "Christ died for the ungodly...for while we were yet sinners, Christ loved us and gave Himself for us (Rom 5:6-8).  Now, please hear again these words, "to all who received Him, He gave them the right that they might become the children of God...born of God (John 1:12)".  Jesus recovered the birthright for Esau, whether Arab, Jew or nominal (name only) Christian,  "the right", the glorious Spiritual birthright, that we all together should become His very own family, called by His Name, the Church, the New Jerusalem that comes down out of Heaven whose author and finisher is God.  He has made all the provision necessary for obtaining His eternal purpose.  And, " I will build My Church".  Oh Lord Jesus, we need You to build us together again this day.  You alone the ground.  You alone the foundation and You alone the material for the entire building.

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