In the beginning, the physical realm and the spiritual realm overlapped. Our Heavenly Father created humans, both male and female, and like every caring father, he spent time with his children. In the opening chapters of the book of Genesis, he is shown walking with them and talking with them in the breezy part of the day (Genesis 3:8). How this was accomplished, we do not know. No specifics are given to us. But what we do know is that there was open and unbroken communication between our Father in the heavens and the first humans.
Try to feel the weight of that. To speak with God, to hear him respond, not as something distant or formal, but as a Father who is present and attentive. This is what was lost. And this is what everything turns toward, the restoring of what was lost.
Paul points to this restoration when he writes to the Corinthians, who were wrestling with their own uncertainties. He explains that Christ, as king of God’s kingdom, brings all things into alignment under God, even overcoming death itself. And when this work is complete, all who are willing are brought back into God’s family. Then the Son, having fulfilled what was entrusted to him, returns all authority to our Heavenly Father, so that God may be all in all.
“But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.” (1 Corinthians 15:28)
God will be all things, all things, to everyone. Each of us will again have what Adam and Eve foolishly threw away, a one-on-one, Father-to-child relationship with God. To talk with him and have him guide us and instruct us, my oh my, what a joy!
But why isn’t that happening now? Why hasn’t it already happened? Well, there’s this little thing called free will. You see, when Adam and Eve sinned, they chose a course of action away from God. Essentially, they were broken. They couldn’t pass on to their children that which they no longer possessed, a sinless nature.
They were orphaned from the family of God, and so were all their children. If a child is an orphan, he can be adopted, but both the father, the adopter, and the child, the adoptee, have to consent to the adoption. It’s a legal process, and Yehovah is a God of law. Just look at the physical universe. It is possible only because everything is controlled by a precise set of physical laws.
Adam and Eve were told that if they sinned, they would eventually die, which they did. We’ve all sinned, and so we’ve all inherited death from our original parents, Adam and Eve. Yehovah doesn’t play fast and loose with his laws.
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” (Romans 5:12 NLT)
All humans have inherited sin from our forefather, Adam. To receive a different inheritance, we need a different forefather. We need to be adopted into a different family line.
How is that possible? This is where another Son of God comes into the picture. Adam is called God’s son, and so he was until he rejected his Father. Now another Son of God, the foremost Son of God, enters the picture. At John 1:12 we read:
“But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.” (John 1:12, 13 BSB)
We can become children of God by putting faith in the name of his Son, Jesus. How does that work?
Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians:
“So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living person.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:45)
If you or I are no longer descended from Adam, if we have been transferred from the dying family of the first Adam into the living family of the last Adam, Jesus, then we have truly passed from death to life. Instead of inheriting death from that first human, we inherit life from his replacement.
Peter describes this beautifully.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.” (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT)
We inherit life from the life-giving spirit, which is the resurrected and glorified Lord, Jesus Christ. Through him, we cease being called human children of Adam, but become human children of Jesus, the last Adam. This is why at Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called the Everlasting Father.
But wait a minute, the Bible doesn’t refer to anointed disciples of Jesus as his children. In fact, we are called his brothers because, alongside him, we are children of God.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:14-17 NIV)
But think of it this way. If Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would have produced a sinless human family. Do you think that only Adam and Eve would be able to talk with God, while all their human children would have to ask them to relay messages back and forth between God and them?
Let’s read our first scripture again, but this time in full context:
““But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death. For since death came through a man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive. But each one in his own proper order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence. Next, the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has brought to nothing all government and all authority and power. For he must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing. For God “subjected all things under his feet.” But when he says that ‘all things have been subjected,’ it is evident that this does not include the One who subjected all things to him. But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
All are dying in Adam, but all will be made alive in Christ. But there is an order to things. First, Christ had to die and be raised. Why? To provide the means for all others to have the chance to be saved.
l“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:8–10 ESV)
You’ll notice that salvation is not an automatic process. It comes to “all who obey him.”
This brings us to the second phase. After Christ, the Firstfruits is raised, we have all who belong to Christ during his presence. These ones are the children of God who are now, the ones Jesus calls his brothers, who inherit the kingdom alongside their King, Jesus Christ.
Again, after Jesus comes “all who belong to Christ during his presence.”
Who belongs to Christ?
Paul tells us clearly while rebuking the Corinthians for following men:
So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 NASB)
He is speaking to the holy ones—the chosen of God, the children of God. He says that all things belong to you. The world belongs to the children of God. Life and death, things present and things to come—all things belong to the children of God. And they, we, belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Hold that thought, because it is crucial to understanding what comes next and to exposing the false teachings of many churches today.
Those who belong to Christ, to whom all other things belong, are raised to life during his presence. The term “presence” here comes from a Greek word that, in the context of rulership, refers to the time when a king exercises his authority over the territory where he is present. When Christ returns, he will be present on earth, and during that time he will raise his brothers and sisters to rule with him. This is the first resurrection.
“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection.” (Revelation 20:4, 5 NLT)
Who are they judging? Remember—all things, yes, all things, belong to them. But what things?
Jesus spoke of two resurrections. If these judges make up the first resurrection, then who comprises the second? One thing we can say with certainty is that all who are raised in the second resurrection belong to those who make up the first. Remember, Paul tells us that all things belong to you—even life and death, things present and things to come.
With that in mind, let us listen to the words of Jesus:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:25-29 ESV)
Many Bibles, reflecting the bias of their religious leaders, are translated to read “the resurrection of condemnation.”
But judgment and condemnation are not synonymous. Yes, an adverse judgment can lead to condemnation, but it can also lead to acquittal. This judgment is not predetermined. Or are we to believe that the children of God will destroy all the things that belong to them, so that in the end they have nothing at all?
Remember what happens when the work of the Kingdom is finished. Paul tells us that Christ Jesus will subject himself to God so that God may be all things to everyone. But if all things have been destroyed—if everyone is brought back to life only to be condemned—then how can God be all things to everyone, if everyone is gone?
There are many things not clearly or concisely explained in Scripture. This is where faith comes into play—not merely believing in God, but trusting in His character: His goodness, His fairness, His justice…His love.
We partake of the bread and the wine because we recognize that we have been saved by the sacrifice of flesh and blood, made by God through His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. But what about the rest—those who have not heard, who were never given the opportunity to hear?
Paul reasons on this:
““Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”” (Romans 10:13-15 NLT)
Well, consider this: billions of our fellow human beings have never heard. So who will tell them? Or is God partial? Does He play favorites?
“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34, ESV).
“For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11, NIV).
Bear in mind that those who make up the first resurrection are not only judges—they are also a kingdom of priests:
“And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10, NLT).
Many believe this present life is the only opportunity for salvation—that if you do not respond now, you will be resurrected only to hear, “Too bad. You had your chance.” From there, they say, comes eternal torment.
But such a belief portrays Yehovah as cruel and vindictive. Who wants us to see our heavenly Father that way—unjust, unfair, and harsh? That distortion reflects the voice of the Adversary, not the character of God. Do not give weight to it, nor to those who echo it.
We have a far more glorious hope before us, as Paul did. We look forward to ruling with Jesus for the reconciliation of all humanity—bringing people out of the dying family of Adam into the living family of God.
Our hope is not only for ourselves, but for others as well, just as Paul said:
“I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous” (Acts 24:15, NLT).
Whether you are gathered with others or listening alone, remember to declare the death of our Lord until he returns. Do this by regularly partaking of the bread, representing his human body given for us, and the wine, representing his blood poured out for our salvation.