Rev. Dr. Michael T. Welhous

In the beginning God created the heaven [Hebrew: shamayim meaning, “sky”] and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) He planted a garden -- the garden of “Eden,” which is to say, the garden of “pleasure.” (Genesis 2:8, 15) There was no sin; therefore, there was no death. It was paradise! The tree of life AND the tree of the knowledge of good and evil BOTH were in the middle of the garden. However, God did not forbid Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life, but rather he commanded them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9) Perhaps the tree of life did not look as appealing as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because while they obviously had opportunity to eat from it, they never did. (Genesis 3:22-24)

One thing is very clear. Jehovah God exhorted the man and woman to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28) This garden of pleasure – this paradise, was just the start of what the entire earth was to become. Scripture reveals that not only were they to be fruitful, increase in number, and fill the earth, but they were put in the garden of Eden “to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15)

Now that the stage has been set, let’s examine how God has chosen to fulfill his purpose in creating a “pleasurable” earth and save mankind. God spoke to Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and made mention of the “seed” of the woman. So, even at that very early time God gave a hint as to how Satan would be defeated in his rebellion, and how the earth will be restored. (Genesis 3:15)

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1-8)

Notice that this promise was to Abraham and his “seed.” The promise to Abraham and his seed, among other things, included the fact that Jehovah was to be his [i.e., Abraham’s] God, and his seed’s God. (Genesis 17:7) It also included the acquisition of land as an everlasting possession. (Genesis 17:8) At this particular time God mentions specifically, the land of Canaan, but we will look closer at this later in this study.

faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.” (Galatians 3:6-9)

Notice that those who believe God’s testimony – that Jesus is Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36), that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9), and that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:11) – are children of Abraham.

Also, notice that Paul clearly states that the “gospel” [the “good news”] was announced to Abraham in advance! And look at what the gospel included: “All nations will be blessed through you.” (Galatians 3:8, NIV cf. Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18) This certainly is “good news!” All the peoples on earth will be blessed through Abraham – that is, those with faith! Sure, God chose the Israelites, but it was not only the Israelites who would be blessed. God’s original purpose included blessing the entire earth. They were suppose to show the world, as Christians now are supposed to reveal to the world, who the only true God is, and how is ways and laws are perfect. They were supposed to be a reflection of the only true God. Thus even foreigners (unbelievers) who were not Israelites would come to fear Jehovah, and become believers.

Paul goes on to write, “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16) There are many members in the body of Christ, but there is only one body, the Head of which is Christ himself. Thus, we have the one “seed” of Abraham, and salvation brought to many through that one seed! “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise. ” (Galatians 3:29)

Now, we mentioned earlier that God spoke specifically about the land of Canaan, but given all the information presented thus far, it is clear that the promise is not only in reference to the land of Canaan, but “land” meaning the whole earth. For example, Paul wrote at Romans 4:13, “It was not through law that Abraham and his seed received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.”

“After his suffering, he showed himself to these men {referring to the apostles} and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’’ So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time {referring to the time when they would be baptized with the Spirit} going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ “ (Acts 1:3-6)

There are many prophecies which describe both a restored Israel and a restored earth, but one in particular is very interesting to read given what Jesus says at Acts 1:3-6 about the kingdom of God, as he made specific reference to staying in Jerusalem, and spirit being poured out. It sheds some light on why the apostles were thinking the way they were. They were correct in what to expect, but Jesus said that it was not for them to know the time. Take a look at Ezekiel 39:25-29:

Through Isaiah, God says, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)

Elsewhere we read, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Jehovah, so shall your seed and your name remain.” (Isaiah 66:22)

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? BUT, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first earth had passed away {cf. 2 Peter 3:10-13}, and there was no longer any sea {cf. Revelations 20:8, 13}. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelations 21:1-4)

[1] Messiah was to be the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) -- He LITERALLY is.

(Galatians 4:4)

In reference to the new Jerusalem, Jesus clearly states, “He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.” (Revelations 3:12) Notice how this new Jerusalem is not abiding in heaven forever, but is described as “coming down from heaven.”

Joel 3:14-21 “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. And Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but Jehovah will be a refuge unto his people, and a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills

Zechariah 14:9-11 “And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one {referring to his authority being the only authority}. All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel unto the king's wine-presses. And men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.”

For example, consider this powerful statement: “Then Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.” (1 Chronicles 29:23, American Standard Version)

From this one statement, we see that both David and Solomon LITERALLY sat on the throne of Jehovah! Many falsely teach that since God is spoken of as King, and Jesus is spoken of as King, Jesus must then be God. This simply is not the case as revealed in the biblical record. One certainly would not attempt to argue that both David and Solomon are God, or that they were pre-manifestations of Jesus because they were both kings and both sat on Jehovah’s throne. Also, when so-called scholars state that Jesus is described as the King of Kings, therefore that proves that he is God, they neglect however, to point out that Artaxerxes, king of Persia (Ezra 7:12) and Nebuchadrezzar (also called Nebuchadnezzar), king of Babylon (Ezekiel 26:7; Daniel 2:26-37) are also both described as “king of kings!”

Nonetheless, we see in this reference from Zechariah that there will be one authority, no more curse, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. Again, this is certainly not the case even now. When the Israelites entered into covenant with God, they agreed to receive certain blessings for their obedience and certain curses if they were disobedient. (Deuteronomy 27 and 28) Because of their disobedience, they remain to this day under the curse of the Law. It is only those who have exercised faith in Jesus the Messiah that are no longer under the curse of the Law. For as Paul writes:

“Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them. Christ redeemed us {referring to those Jews who were under the Law} from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:11-14)

I will tell of the decree: Jehovah said unto me {speaking to his messiah}, Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be

instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.” (Psalms 2 cf. Acts 4:23-31)

“Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth; He will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne {referring of course, in actuality to the throne of Jehovah cf. 1 Chronicles 29:23}. If thy children will keep my covenant And my testimony that I shall teach them, Their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore. For Jehovah hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for his habitation. This is my resting-place for ever: Here will I dwell; For I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests also will I clothe with salvation; And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine messiah. His enemies will I clothe with shame; But upon himself shall his crown flourish.” (Psalms 132:11-18)

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 2:1-5)

“But in the latter days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow unto it. And many nations shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem; and he will judge between many peoples, and will decide concerning strong nations afar off: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it. For all the peoples walk every one in the name of his god; and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God for ever and ever. In that day, saith Jehovah, will I assemble that which is lame, and I will gather that which is driven away, and that which I have afflicted; and I will make that which was lame a remnant, and that which was cast far off a strong nation: and Jehovah will reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth even for ever.” (Micah 4:1-7)

It is imperative that all who are genuinely concerned about truth, and who are earnestly working out their salvation with fear and with trembling (Philippians 2:12), study their Bibles regularly.

(1 John 5:19) Today mainstream “Christianity” is far off the true course of salvation, just like the nation of Israel (i.e., Israel according to the flesh) had fallen away from the truth. The “biblical” gospel has been replaced with false “gospels” that are announced today by the so-called religious scholars and leaders; and because of whom announces them, they are believed and accepted by the majority.

Just as it is written, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Paul instructed Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)

For as Paul warned the Galatian congregations, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel {i.e. good news} at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we {referring to the apostles} or an angel from heaven should preach {i.e. announce publicly} a gospel other than the one we {again referring to the apostles} preached {i.e. announced publicly} to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching {i.e. announcing publicly} to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned.” (Galatians 1:1:6-9)

wholeheartedly. (Numbers 14) The people were not allowed to “inherit,” i.e. “occupy” the promised land, except for Joshua and Caleb.

“Who, then, is the man that fears Jehovah? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit {occupy} the earth.”

(Psalms 25:12-13)

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in Jehovah will inherit {occupy} the earth. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit {occupy} the earth and enjoy great peace.” (Psalms 37:8-11 cf. Matthew 5:5)

“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; those Jehovah blesses will inherit {occupy} the earth, but those he curses will be cut off.” (Psalms 37:21-22)

“Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For Jehovah loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit {occupy} the earth and dwell in it forever.” (Psalms 37:27-29)

“Wait for Jehovah and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit {occupy} the earth; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.” (Psalms 37:34)

Kleronomeo can be understood as the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word yaresh. Matthew uses kleronomeo when he records Jesus quoting from Psalms 37:11, when he said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Thus, we see that “being heir to” the earth and “occupying” the earth are synonymous.

When John described the new earth in Revelations 21, he wrote at verse 2, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

This is completely in line with what Jesus himself stated about the new Jerusalem: “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is

coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.” (Revelations 3:12)

(Daniel 7:13-14)

Daniel goes on to describe the fourth beast, i.e. the fourth kingdom. He specifically writes, “The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear ON earth.” (Daniel 7:23) After describing events concerning this fourth earthly kingdom, he describes a period of time when the saints will be handed over to a king that come from this kingdom. “He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and laws.” (Daniel 7:25) Then we read:

“But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms UNDER the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” (Daniel 7:26-27)

(1 Thessalonians 4”16-17)

We also know that we will not be floating around in the air forever. As we have seen, the new Jerusalem will eventually be coming down from heaven. Revelations 21:3 states, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

And we know that the dwelling of God is going to be with men, and he himself will live with them. As the Psalmist wrote, “For Jehovah has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.” (Psalms 132:13-14)

An interesting point must be made to drive home the truth of this whole discourse. When we look at the Greek words used in the statement, “Now the dwelling of God is with men” (Revelations 21:3), we find that the word here translated “dwelling” is the Greek word skene, which means “a tent or cloth hut (lit. or fig.):-- habitation, tabernacle.” (The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words, p.698) In the King James Version of the Bible, it is translated “habitation.” So it is clear that the new Jerusalem will be on earth, because it is coming down from heaven, and Jehovah God’s habitation will be with men – just as it is stated at Psalms 132:11-18, Joel 3:14-21, and Revelations 21:1-4. This is a great deal of evidence that must not be disregarded. Do not accept any teaching that contradicts the clear teaching of the Bible on this or any subject. Do not allow anyone to convince you that anything in the Bible is not important. It’s all important.

God’s original purpose of an earth in which righteousness and perpetual life is to exist will be fulfilled. The Devil cannot, and will not thwart God’s purposes. Jesus is God’s Messiah, raised from the dead by God. Believe it. Read the Bible daily. Pray daily. And whatever you learn, no matter how trivial you may think it is, be obedient to it. “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)

Just as Jesus was obedient to God, died, was raised, ascended into heaven, and will return to take possession of the kingdom, so too will all other faithful and obedient servants of God. At Jesus’ presence, the dead will rise, and those alive at the time will all ascend into heaven, and at some point, return to take possession of the kingdom! Do not ignore so great a salvation! (Hebrews 2:3)

“For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:18, American Standard Version)