Many bodies of the sleeping saints arose because of the overflow of power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. When the Lord released Paul and Silas He released the other prisoners along with them: "immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed" (Acts 16:26). In like manner, when the Life that Christ will place in His saints is brought to the full the glory will flow to the entire creation. Then will the creation be released from its chains and once again sing and dance for joy.

Whoever will choose to come is invited to the marriage of the Lamb, to drink of the water of life without charge. It is a time of the greatest rejoicing.

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. (Ezekiel 47:9)

The Son of God and His brothers will inherit the material creation. They will inherit all things—all that God created in the beginning and has made new in Christ.

As we have stated, Jesus has inherited all things and has all authority to execute judgment, not because He is the Son of God (which indeed He is) but because He is the Son of Man. The physical creation has by the unchanging Scriptures been assigned to man.

Speaking of man:

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, . . . . (Hebrews 2:8,9)

Christ and His coheirs will govern the material creation. Being man, God has given it to them as their inheritance.

Christ, the Lord, has overcome every temptation placed in His path. Now the coheirs through the enabling virtue of His Presence also must overcome the love of the world, the lusts of Satan, and self-willed rebellion against God's will.

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:7)

Through Christ the saints are the owners of the creation of God.

Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. (I Corinthians 3:22,23)

The glorified, Spirit-filled saints will bring eternal life into the creation of God. This is the coming of the Kingdom of God, the rule of God, into the earth.

The Kingdom of God is the "new creation" brought into being when the Life of Christ is introduced into the things that had been dead.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (II Corinthians 5:17,18)

To be continued.