And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:26-27 KJV
God’s intention for creating man in the beginning was to make a man in His image, after His own likeness. However, there was a detour with the fall of man. God who cannot lie made a promise to man from the beginning, giving him a hope of eternal life, Titus 1:1-3. For this reason God is the one who starts a work of recovery and it is to recover man to the vision, to Christ and God’s program in raising up Divine persons who bear the image of God and His likeness. He laid the foundation, which is Christ and all that is built must be according to the pattern which is Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. This house is a many membered body. When Jesus came upon the earth, He said in Hebrews 10:5, “A body thou hast prepared for me”. This body is the collective building of Christ to which He commits the whole of His wisdom, knowledge and power that they may express the fullness of His image and likeness in a body of people. No matter how much God works with a man, His purpose is beyond this man to a body of people. Man in all his capacity, is limited in his ability to receive the fulness of the revelation of God. This revelation of God can only be received in a body.
What is God’s reaction to the detour from His plan? Why is it called a divine reaction? Something is Divine when it sourced from God and when it expresses the will of God. God will always initiate the recovery of His plan from derailment but it will involve man; that is, giving instruction to a man who has ears to hear and understand Him. In Matthew 24:14-15, when there was a detour in His temple, with an abomination found in it, He gave a Word. to all who would listen. This word word contained clear instructions on what they would see and what they should do. Usually when there is a detour, there is a great deviation from the knowledge of God and from the knowledge of His will. Therefore, this work of recovery which is gradual is in a new environment, not in the environment where there is a rebellion or a detour from God’s way. Revelations 18:1-4 re-echos a similar call as in Matthew 24:14-15, for His people to come out from an institution which has turned away.
We see this pattern of recovery in Revelations 2 and 3. Here Jesus was moving through His church to judge all detours from His path. There was a call to repentance for all who hear and a promise to all who overcome. While His goal is a body of people who will walk in His image and after His likeness, He works with each man individually. If a church has strayed away from the true path, the individuals there cannot overcome in that environment. For this reason He gave Word and also judges these institutions. He also provides an environment where those who have an ear will grow spiritually and be nourished. Finally, He pours out His spirit to empower these ones who have heeded the call to repentance. The challenges of the present times, show that the enemy is putting forth a terrible fight on the earth. Satan has never been this destructive and mad as He is because He knows His time is short, Revelation 12:12. In such an environment where the pure Word of God is heard and adhered to, the church will experience God’s release of His divine power and grace. We are also in the season of the greatest outpouring of God’s glory and grace, because it is the hour of the harvest of all of God’s labour over the 6000 years of human history. It is the hour of the collapse of the Kingdoms of this world. It is also the hour of the speedy growth of the faithful.
We have a destination in the Spirit, that God is leading us unto. It is the fulfilment of the vision of what God has spoken to us in Genesis 1:26-28. In the midst of the confusion of the times, our eyes should not be taken away from the fact that there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to complete our transformation and our resemblance to Christ in His image. In Genesis 1:28, man was to have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle and everything that lives on the earth. All these beasts are grouped into two categories in revelations 13: the beast of the sea, which are the fishes of the sea and the beast of the earth, the other three categories. These four things are also symbolized in the song of the overcomers in Revelations 15, who had victory over the beast of the sea, his image, his mark and the number of his name. Isaiah 57:20 calls the sea the wicked of unregenerate humanity and the earth are those who were to be redeemed from the sea, but refused to follow the Spirit and remained earthy or carnally minded. However, in Revelations 15, the messengers, coming out of the sanctuary of the tabernacle of his testimony are clothed in linen, pure and shining, and girded round the breasts with golden girdles. This is an honour given to no spirit angel, these messengers are men. Christ in Revelation 1:11-17 is clothed in the same apparel and reserves this honour to His saints who overcome, Revelations 19:8. This is the finished picture before us. Beloved, have this vision ever before you. God who has promised to create you in His image and after His likeness is able and faithful.
Prayer for today: Lord, How precious are Your thoughts unto me. How great is the sum of them, such glorious things that have not entered into the minds of men. I know Your plan and Your promise for me and I know that You are able to give me an expected end. Great and Marvellous are Your works, Lord God almighty, Just and true are Your ways King of saints. I have heard Your Word and I rejoice today, because You are willing and more than able to make me in Your image and after Your likeness.
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