Throughout redemptive history, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have worked and will continue to work in accordance with each other to accomplish the Father’s designed plan. From Creation to New Creation, all three members work in unity and harmony for this plan to progress. In our present day, we are currently between the stage of Redemption and New Creation; we await the second coming of Christ to usher in this final stage of New Creation. To understand this stage we must look into the future to see what the Bible says about Christ and his New Creation work. As we look into the redemptive stage of New Creation, there are three things that are necessary to understand concerning the second coming of Jesus:
1) Jesus, the Son, upon his second coming will raise the dead in the body and judge believers and unbelievers, the living and the dead. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:23 about the order of the resurrection of the dead, “But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Here Paul speaks of the return of Christ and the resurrection of those who belong to Christ. The question remains, when will unbelievers be judged? There are two main interpretations on this question: First of all, the dead in Christ will be raised to life and reign with Christ for a thousand year period (Revelation 20:1-10), and after the thousand year period the unbelieving dead will be raised in the body and be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20-21). Although an alternative view seems best from John 5:28 which states an “hour is coming when both unbelievers and believers will be raised and judged.”
2) Jesus, the Son, upon his second coming will usher in the New Heaven and Earth and bring with him the New City. Revelation 21 speaks of the time when Christ will usher in the New Heaven and Earth and the New City. The New City that is to come will be the perfect and true Eden. This shows God’s redemptive plan in his purpose of progressing history from a garden to a city, with all the ‘work’ in between.
3) Jesus, the Son, upon his second coming will hand the consumated new creation back over to the Father. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:24, “Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.” This verse shows the majesty and glory of the Father, who is the head of Christ, and who has determined the progressive plan of his creation. When Christ has completely fulfilled all that was given for him to do, he will then hand the perfect creation back over to the perfect Father, giving all glory to the Him.
Conclusion: From Creation to New Creation, the Father is summing up all things in Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is the hero of the Bible. The meaning of human history as recorded in Scripture is found in the exaltation of the Son within the Trinitarian relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although, as we have seen, the glory is ultimately given back to the Father when Jesus hands the finished creation over to Him. The story ends with the 2nd coming of Jesus, and all of fulfilled history is given back to the hands of the Father. As we have seen throughout redemptive history, the Trinity works together to fulfill this purposed plan.
October 2, 2009
New Creation, Redemptive History, The Trinity