Plan of Redemption
51
At his creation Adam was placed in dominion over the earth. But by
yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan. “Of
whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”
2
Peter 2:19
. When man became Satan’s captive, the dominion which
he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became “the god of this
world.”
2 Corinthians 4:4
. He had usurped that dominion over the
earth which had been originally given to Adam. But Christ, by His
sacrifice paying the penalty of sin, would not only redeem man, but
recover the dominion which he had forfeited. All that was lost by
the first Adam will be restored by the second. Says the prophet, “O
tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee
shall it come, even the first dominion.”
Micah 4:8
. And the apostle
Paul points forward to the “redemption of the purchased possession.”
Ephesians 1:14
. God created the earth to be the abode of holy, happy
beings. The Lord “formed the earth and made it; He hath established
it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.”
Isaiah 45:18
.
That purpose will be fulfilled, when, renewed by the power of God,
and freed from sin and sorrow, it shall become the eternal abode of
the redeemed. “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein
forever.” “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and
of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him.”
Psalm
37:29
;
Revelation 22:3
.
Adam, in his innocence, had enjoyed open communion with his
Maker; but sin brought separation between God and man, and the
atonement of Christ alone could span the abyss and make possible the
communication of blessing or salvation from heaven to earth. Man
was still cut off from direct approach to his Creator, but God would
communicate with him through Christ and angels.
Thus were revealed to Adam important events in the history of
mankind, from the time when the divine sentence was pronounced
in Eden, to the Flood, and onward to the first advent of the Son of
God. He was shown that while the sacrifice of Christ would be of
sufficient value to save the whole world, many would choose a life
of sin rather than of repentance and obedience. Crime would increase
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through successive generations, and the curse of sin would rest more
and more heavily upon the human race, upon the beasts, and upon
the earth. The days of man would be shortened by his own course
of sin; he would deteriorate in physical stature and endurance and