The Edenic Commandment

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” In creating the heaven and the earth, God also created both good and evil. In the beginning, although both were created, only good things were seen; evil was not yet manifest. Heaven was, and is, and always will be beautiful beyond description for it is the abode of the Godhead; the most high God in the persons of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God created angels, the heavenly host, as ministering spirits who worshipped Him and ministered to Him continually. Like heaven, they also are beautiful beyond description. God created three chief angels, archangels, to oversee matters in heaven. They were named Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer. Each of these commanded a third of the heavenly host. There was peace, tranquility, and order in heaven. All was good.

Yet, in the infinite capacity of the loving heart of God this was not enough. God yearned for a depth and an intimacy in relationship that the angels were incapable of providing. The angels were created to be obedient, only knowing to do as they were instructed by God. God desired fellowship with others like Himself – but there was no one else like Him. For there to be others like Him, they would have to be created. God is able to do anything; nothing is impossible to Him, therefore He could do this any way in which He chose. In the brilliant mind that is God’s alone, He chose to invite selected vessels to walk in His image as a result of choice. Lucifer was the first to receive this opportunity to ‘be as God’.

When God created the earth, He created a stunningly beautiful place in the image of heaven called Eden; the garden of God. Most likely, this garden was given to Lucifer for oversight. Lucifer was also given wisdom and beauty above the others. “You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You have been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering; the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared in you in the day you were created. You are the anointed cherub that covers; and I have set you so; you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:12-14). Lucifer had been given much and had been entrusted to oversee much by God. Now God would open his eyes to give him understanding of all he possessed.

“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:15). Lucifer was given understanding of who he was in God’s eyes; he saw his beauty and all of which he had been given power to oversee. He was now faced with a choice which he didn’t see as a choice at that moment. All he knew was that he felt different; he felt good about himself: he felt pride. Lucifer was experiencing the effects of evil that existed in creation for the first time; because whether he realized it or not he now had knowledge of good and evil. Lucifer could have been humbled by what he now realized about himself and could have chosen to be thankful to God for His goodness. He could have chosen to worship God, submitting all he had been given to God as an act of obedience and gratitude. By doing so, God would have received him as a son and would have given Lucifer a renewed mind with understanding of His thoughts and His ways. Lucifer would have become the image of God.

“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground” (Ezekiel 28:17). “How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven (from earth), I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Because Lucifer chose to be prideful and arrogant, he led a revolt in heaven leading the third of the heavenly host he commanded; and was cast out by God. Jesus said “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Lucifer lost all he had – including his mind. The mind that was full of wisdom was now darkened as God gave him over to a reprobate mind. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:21&28).

Genesis 1:2 – “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Darkness was upon the face of the deep (tehom – Hebrew for abyss, which comes from the root word (huwm) meaning agitate greatly, destroy). All that Lucifer, who was now Satan or the devil, was and possessed was destroyed and thrust into darkness. He was “cast to the ground” (earth) into the abyss. The Spirit of God was now moving upon the face of the waters (mayim) a Hebrew word as used in this context would suggest ‘a flood of waste water’ – more like sewer water. God did not create the earth this way in the beginning. Earth was beautiful; it contained the garden of God – Eden – made in the image of heaven. When Satan fell, that of which he had oversight also fell. Now God was about to restore the earth in preparation for an invitation such as Lucifer received to be given to another.

Genesis 1:3 – “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Light was not created here: God commanded the light He had already created to be released back into the earth to drive out the darkness brought upon it by Satan’s rebellion. Then God commanded all that He had created to bring forth life – to drive out the refuse – the fruit of Satan’s disobedience. He commanded the waters He created to bring forth life in the seas (Genesis 1:20) and the ground to bring forth all manner of plants and trees, every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air. (Genesis 2:9&19). Also out of the ground God formed man. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). God created man male and female; “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, 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 eery living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

God gave a second command to man saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Look at what Genesis 2:9 reveals: “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” God said that man could eat freely of every tree; except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Man was given permission by God to eat of the tree of life. Adam could have inherited eternal life right there. He could have had his mind opened to understand the ways of God and His thoughts. He could have become the image of God. He had a choice. For whatever reason, Adam did not take advantage of that which God had offered.

Meanwhile, Satan is helplessly observing all that is happening. He sees what God is about to do: God is about to give man that which he foolishly rejected. He could not let this happen. Somehow, he had to devise a plan to get man to fall the same way he did. He had to find a way to thwart God’s plan. In Genesis chapter 3, Satan (inhabiting a serpent) appears to the woman and questions her regarding this commandment to not eat of the tree in the midst of the garden. The woman answers, explaining that “God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die” (verse 3). Satan had full understanding of what he was doing when he replied saying “you shall not surely die: for God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (verses 4-5). He had already experienced the effect of knowing good and evil, and was sure that man would rebel the same way he did – and join him in his kingdom of darkness. He knew that if he could get man to obey him and rebel against God, then he could regain his authority in the earth that he lost in his rebellion against God. His plan succeeded and both the woman and the man ate of the tree and their eyes were opened, committing the first sin and bringing evil into the earth. Satan was now the 'god of this world'.

Little did Satan know that this was all part of God’s plan. God reveals His strategy in verse 15: “and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel”. God mentioned the 'woman’s seed'. A woman does not have seed, only man does, so God was prophesying the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ who would come into this earth as a man, live a sinless life, offer himself willingly on the cross as a one-time propitiation for our sins, be raised from the dead, and snatch back the keys of death and hell from Satan – removing him from the place of authority he had stolen from man in the garden. God was also prophesying the formation of His church (the woman of Revelation 12) who would bring forth a man-child (the manifested sons of God who would usher in the formation of the Bride); who would ultimately destroy the works of the devil, resulting in a new heaven and a new earth.

Once Jesus gained the victory over Satan, He then gave this command to his disciples: “All power and authority is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20). Notice how this command echoes the first command given to Adam in the garden.

Notice also that when God gave the command to man in Genesis 1:28 to subdue the earth and have dominion in it, He said to have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. It is easy to see the natural application to this command since in the natural realm, man does indeed have dominion over these creatures. But we need to understand the spiritual meaning of what God is saying. In Matthew 4, Jesus tells Simon and Andrew to “follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. The spiritual connotation of the word 'sea' is 'humanity'. So when God was saying to have dominion over the fish of the sea in Genesis, He was spiritually speaking the same thing Jesus said in Matthew 28; to rule and reign in this earth and to establish the kingdom of God throughout. The 'fowl of the air' refers to the demonic realm. In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, Jesus says in verse 4 that when seed is sown by the wayside, the fowls come and devour the seed. Ephesians 2:2 calls Satan the “prince of the power of the air”. God was saying from the beginning that we are called to have dominion over the demonic realm that we may rule and reign in this earth, by submitting to His sovereignty and being obedient to His commandments. It is interesting that God said this prior to the fall of man. The third part, “over every living thing that moves upon the earth” is an all-inclusive statement, emphasizing that the people of God are called to worship Him in spirit and in truth, lead multitudes of others to do the same, and establish His kingdom and His righteousness in earth (in the soul of man; man was created from the dust of the earth) as it is in heaven.

We, as believers, have been given the commandment to subdue the world through the power of the Holy Spirit, and have dominion in it for the glory of God. We are to teach the nations to worship the one true God, in the person of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Righteousness should be the standard of living throughout the world. We should be known among all people for our love of one another. We should be seeing the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”.

But this is not the world we live in. We are not the mighty, glorious church that we are called to be. We are naked, wretched, and poor for the most part. Though Satan was defeated at the cross, he is still alive and well and wreaking havoc among us. We have allowed him to deceive us into using our authority to curse one another and speak evil of our brethren because we disagree doctrinally. We have winked at sin because we have lacked the boldness to call sin – sin, lest we offend someone. We have allowed a 'watered down' gospel to be presented that has allowed most of the church to continue in a life of sin and rebellion. We have allowed man to bring about a ‘religious system’ that feeds Satan in its carnality, rather than overcome him through the crucifying of the flesh. “Upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14). This was part of the curse pronounced upon Satan. 'Earth' spiritually means 'carnality'. God was saying that from now on, Satan would be fed by the carnal nature in man. It is the purpose of God to bring man to overcome carnality by dying to that which is our nature, thereby allowing God to impart His nature in us. The more we die to self, the less entrance and influence Satan has. Yet most of the church does not understand this, thinking it is the wisdom of God to make allowance for sin thinking that confession takes care of sin, when in fact God's forgiveness of our sins does not deal with the root of the sin. We are called to overcome sin through death to self.

I have just presented two opposing scenarios: one optimistic and the other pessimistic. Which is truth? Actually, they both are. The pessimistic scenario presents the church as it is right now, but it does not present the church in light of what God is doing in the church right now and the plans He has for the church. God has declared His plans and purposes from the beginning and has revealed them to those who “have ears to hear what the spirit says”. And God’s word which He has uttered will accomplish its purpose; “So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

If we understand what God has declared will happen, then we can be assured that it will come to pass. Look at Genesis 1:27. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Now look at I Corinthians 15:45-49: “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy, and as the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” Therefore, since the first man created was earthy and God is heavenly, then God was speaking of a future time of man being created in his own image. That image being made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, “who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature“ (Colossians 1:15). And being made manifest in those who would become like Jesus by crucifying the old man or the carnal nature by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit and then being raised up in the power of His resurrection. “Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:3-7).

Man was initially created in God’s image, but then disobeyed God and was given over to a carnal mind. God did not leave us helpless in this state, but declared His way of overcoming this as He pronounced the curses in the garden. He gave man the opportunity to become like Him by overcoming sin and becoming a son of God in the image of the Son of God. This is not accomplished by a mere confession of faith – which so many have been errantly taught. This is accomplished only by dying to self, being crucified with Christ, and overcoming sin. This is an extremely important concept that needs attention in the body of Christ – we are called to overcome sin. Thank God for His grace, but His grace is there to help us mature – not stay in immaturity of spirit. Paul says in Hebrews 6:1: “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works”. In other words, we are not called to continue in an endless cycle of confession and repentance where so much of the body remains, but to mature and allow the Lord to bring us into a place of overcoming sin. Did not the Lord say in Matthew 5:48: “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” ?

We, the church, are called to be the image of God; His representatives, His ambassadors, His very likeness. We are called to walk as Jesus walked on this earth. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). Jesus was saying that greater works would be done because there would be many just like Him in the earth doing His works. He was describing the “manifestation of the sons of God” of which the earth is waiting (Romans 8:19). We are seeing glimpses of this happening right now, but please understand it is your purpose and destiny to become a son of God, not just because you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but because you have grown up into Him, laid down your life for Him, and now follow him wherever He leads. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” (Luke 9:24-25) The life Jesus talks about here is not the physical life, but the self life.

The definition of image includes “reflecting as a mirror does”, meaning that an image looks exactly like that person or thing it is reflecting. Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus as being the image of God the Father – “who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”. Jesus said in John 14:9 “he that has seen me has seen the Father”. In John 5:19, Jesus said “The son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things soever he does, these also do the Son likewise”. Being the image of God means to look like Him, act like Him, and talk like Him, because in Him “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). This is only possible when that which is carnal in us is subdued, we are emptied of ourselves, and become so transparent that what remains of us is a vessel fit for His use – a vessel worthy of His calling. As John the Baptist said in John 3:30 “ He must increase, but I must decrease”. Jesus cannot increase in our lives unless we first decrease in our carnality.

There are four parts to the commandment given in Genesis 1:28. There is both a natural and a spiritual interpretation to each of these parts as is the case throughout the word of God. For example: the word 'earth' is used both literally (natural) and figuratively (spiritual) throughout the word of God. The earth is obviously this planet where we reside and all things that pertain to it. But the word earth also is used to speak of carnality, since God formed man (flesh) from the dust of the ground (earth) (Genesis 2:7) and the flesh is carnal. That which the enemy feeds upon is what is carnal in us (self) since God told Satan “dust shall you eat all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14). We are called to be like Jesus who said in John 14:30 “for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me”. Satan had no place in Jesus because He was without sin. Jesus desires to bring each of us to that place of overcoming sin so that the enemy likewise has no place in us. This gives greater revelation of what the word is speaking about in Genesis 1:28. We are to subdue 'carnality', or rather, have it subdued in us by allowing the Lord to conquer our flesh – first in each of us, then in the church, and then finally in an unbelieving world. As we read the word of God, we need to seek the Holy Spirit to give revelation so we may discern whether that which is being discussed has a literal or figurative meaning – otherwise we will be confused. Most of the word cannot be understood with the carnal mind – it can only be understood as the Holy Spirit gives revelation – which is the purpose of God. They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth – which cannot be accomplished with carnal reasoning. I interject this to further emphasize the need for dying to self and to encourage you to open yourself to the instruction of the Holy Spirit that the understanding of the word of God might take on new meaning and impact your life in such a way that you are “not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may be able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

1) Be fruitful. John 12:24 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit”. In this scripture, Jesus is using the example of how a seed brings forth fruit to show us how we bring forth fruit. A seed has a hard outer shell, and unless acted upon by outside forces, i.e., the pressure, acidity, and moisture of the soil to weaken and split the outer shell open, the life that is within the shell cannot come forth. But if the seed is dropped in the ground and the outer shell broken, then the plant grows and produces fruit after its kind. So it is with us. When we are born again, our spirit becomes host to the fullness of the Godhead, but our outer man is not changed. The Holy Spirit then begins the process to break us and humble us so that the life within may come forth. He uses suffering as a tool to shape us and conform us to the image of Christ. We decide whether to submit to this process or not. If we submit, then we are transformed over time and learn to be led of the spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). And, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). God’s plan for us is to become His image, the image of Christ, and walk as He walked on this earth. If we do not submit to His process, we will not produce fruit and will become hardened of heart.

John 15:1-8 gives a clear picture of how we become either fruitful or unfruitful. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now are you clean through the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, so shall you be my disciples.” Jesus is stating that there are two types of believers: fruitful and unfruitful. He is also saying that there is a reason for being fruitful: abiding in Him, continually fellowshipping with Him, getting to know Him, and becoming intimate in relationship with Him. And there is a reason for being unfruitful: not abiding in Him, not continually fellowshipping with Him, not getting to know Him, and therefore not becoming intimate in relationship with Him. Notice that He says that if you abide in Him and His words abide in you, you can ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. This promise is given because if you truly abide in Jesus and you are fruitful in your relationship with Him, then the desire of your heart will be to please Him and you will be so sensitive to the Spirit that you will not ask anything that is not according to His will. You will be like Him and be used of Him to destroy the works of darkness; a key to fulfilling this commandment.

2) Multiply and replenish the earth. Previously I mentioned Matthew 28:18-20 as a parallel commandment to the Edenic commandment. In these verses Jesus says that all power and authority is given to Him. That means that we have access to all power and authority and the ability in the name of Jesus to fulfill His command to teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All nations - none excepted. God desires that none should perish but all should inherit eternal life. However, only the knowledge of truth can set man free – and it is up to us to be vessels that carry that truth into all the world as the Lord has commanded.

The second part to this command of Jesus is to teach them to observe all things that He has commanded. This means that once a new believer comes into the church, that believer needs someone who will guide him/her and help him/her to mature in Christ. Once you have a baby, you do not leave the baby to fend for itself. So it is in the kingdom of God. When a new believer comes in, they need to be nourished and raised up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We, the church have done a poor job at best of discipling new converts and providing the godly leadership they so desperately need. No wonder so many are soon turned aside and look elsewhere for answers.

I believe that the root of the problem lies in what we have previously discussed: self. We are largely a selfish church comprised of many churches, ministries, and individuals all working to build their own kingdom instead of the kingdom of God. We have been too busy taking care of our own lives to be concerned about the needs of others. We have assumed that someone else is handling the problems instead of submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ and allowing Him to lead us in the building of His kingdom.

Another aspect of self which has caused our ineffectiveness is self-reliance. We have “leaned to our own understanding” instead of being led of the Spirit. We have depended upon 'good ideas' instead of seeking only 'God ideas'. We have tried to 'do witnessing' instead of being witnesses. Everything produces after its own kind. Carnal efforts will only produce carnal results. These are works of wood, hay, and stubble; of no value to the kingdom of God and which cannot withstand the fire of His purification. Only works done by, through, and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit will produce effective and lasting results. It is time for the church to stop being a group of individuals and become the body we are called to be. The Lord is calling us to unity. Only He can build the house – so far we have labored in vain in trying to build it ourselves. He is calling us to lay down our efforts to help Him and seek to enter into His rest, ceasing from our own works and allowing Him to work in and through us to bring us into the promised land of the abundant life.

3) Subdue the earth. Subdue: 1. conquer and bring into subjection. 2. overpower by a superior force; overcome. 3. overcome by persuasion or kindness, or by inspiring awe or fear. This definition of the word subdue gives us a clearer understanding of the task set before us by mandate of the Lord. The first two meanings apply to the kingdom of darkness. All power and authority belongs to Jesus so the church, therefore, is a superior force to the demonic realm. We are called to conquer them and bring them into subjection by overpowering and overcoming them. We are to be like David when the champion of the Philistine army (a type and shadow of demonic forces) defied Israel. David didn’t rely on his own strength or ability to defeat the giant, but rested solely on his faith and trust in the Lord his God. David had just been anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, and since he believed the word of the prophet he knew that he would not be killed in this battle. The church, likewise, should believe the word of the Lord that we are to be victorious over the enemy in every encounter and run to the battle as David did.

“And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.” The enemy will always try your faith by trying to convince you that he is stronger. Remember, he is a liar, and if he had the power to defeat you he would just do it – not talk about it. The only way you can be defeated is to agree with him and bow the knee to him in fear. But be like David, who answered, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day will the Lord deliver you into my hand; and I will smite you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands” (I Samuel 17:45-47). Notice that David spoke with authority and prophesied not only the defeat of the giant, but the whole Philistine army. He said, in essence, you think you are fighting me – but you are fighting the Lord – and there is only one outcome to that battle. Oh, that the church would rise up together in the power and the glory of the Lord to put down and subdue the kingdom of darkness.

The third part of the definition of subdue relates to the people of the earth. We are to overcome them with the power of love. We are to be the image of Christ; a demonstration of His character, His goodness, and His glory. When Jesus walked this earth, multitudes thronged Him because they were witness to the miracles that He did. Most followed for the wrong reasons and were offended when He spoke of the eating of His flesh and the drinking of His blood because they did not understand. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Will you also go away?’ Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:66-68). It is no accident that the verse regarding the disciples that turned away is verse 6:66. It is important to understand numbers in scripture as well. 6 is the number of man (carnality) (man was created on the sixth day and Revelation 13:18 says that 666 is the number of man and also of the beast – who also represents carnality) and 3 (three sixes) is the number of completion, so the word is declaring here that those disciples who turned away and walked no more with Jesus were now completely carnal. There is no hope if we turn away from Him or are offended. But if we continue to walk with Him we must lay down our understanding, fully receive Him, and embrace the cross in our lives. If we walk as ambassadors of Christ, being led of the Holy Spirit and His presence being manifest with signs, wonders, and miracles following then we too will experience multitudes following. They will not all follow for the right reason, but we will see multitudes come to know the Lord. And corporately, as one unified body, we will see the world changed. But only as we truly follow our Lord.

4) Have dominion over every living thing on the earth. Dominion: 1. supreme authority; rule; control. 2. territory under the control of one ruler or government. I find the second definition quite interesting. It correlates quite well with Psalms 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein”. Just as the Lord gave commandment to Adam to oversee His creation, so should the church be in the position of oversight instead of being subject to this world system. In order to get to this place of oversight, however, we will have to go through the sequence of becoming fruitful as a body, multiplying and growing as a body, and overcoming the enemies of the Lord as a body. And in this place of oversight, our success will depend upon our continued submission to the Lord. Only He can bring about these things. We as a body need to position ourselves to receive the directions to accomplish His plan and purpose by laying down our own plans and purposes and following Him.