Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth in the Kingdom

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The original earth was damaged and made unclean by the lawless rebellion of its angelic creatures. Therefore, evidenced by waste, ruin, emptiness, it became chaotic. Relative to divine judgment, the original earth was also subjected to darkness (Genesis 1:2).

According to His eternal plan to vindicate His nature and repopulate His kingdom, God renovated the chaotic, original earth in a spatiotemporal form that was suitable to exist in His kingdom. He populated it with humanity (Genesis 1:3-31).

The first man, Adam, was created in a state of shared life with God. Holy by nature, he was provided with the freedom to choose whether or not to remain in submission to divine authority.

Legally representative of his progeny, his legal status, righteous or unrighteous, would directly apply to the entire human race. If he willingly chose to remain in a state of holiness, however, it would contribute to the vindication of the divine nature.

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Edenic Age

During the time immediately following the renovation of the earth God lovingly accommodated mankind in the renovated, paradisiacal Garden of Eden. Consequently, the period is often referred to as the “Edenic Age.” It was initiated at the creation of mankind and endured until the fall of mankind.

The purpose of the renovated Garden of Eden was to facilitate intimate, joyful fellowship between God and humanity. It constituted a holy environment in which God manifested the attributes of His nature for the primary benefit of the first human citizens of His kingdom, Adam and Eve. Within the safety of its boundaries, they enjoyed intimate fellowship with God and experienced progressive growth in their appreciation of His incredible nature.

The first man, Adam, was appointed by God as the high priest of the renovated earth. His priestly function was expressed in the renovated Garden of Eden through his enjoyment of God and faithful representation of His authority on earth.

The angelic host was not ignorant of the events that occurred in the renovated Garden of Eden. While the holy angels rejoiced, the fallen were aware that God had replaced them with humanity. As a consequence, they were both saddened and angered that He had awarded lesser spatiotemporal beings, Adam and Eve, with heavenly blessing and privilege that had once belonged to them.

Unable to endure the public humiliation, Satan, the first high priest of the original earth, concocted a scheme to deceive Adam, the newly appointed high priest of the renovated earth and the representative head of the human race. By the success of his devilish scheme, it wasn’t long until Adam also rebelled against the authority of God. Sadly, divine judgment ensued.

Marking the end of the Edenic Age, the spatiotemporal, renovated earth and its human citizens experienced separation from King and kingdom. Therefore, the renovated earth was no longer in the kingdom of God (realm of divine authority).

The kingdom of God manifested on the renovated earth can be briefly summarized as follows:

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Category	Description
Primary Purpose:	The revelation of the authority of God for the benefit of created beings. The vindication of divine authority.
Plan:	The renovation of the earth as a suitable habitat for human beings. Kingdom repopulation by human beings. The enjoyment and representation of divine authority on the renovated earth by human beings.
Citizenship:	Spatiotemporal human beings (Adam and Eve).
Realm:	The Garden of Eden on the renovated earth in the kingdom (realm of divine authority).
Character for Citizenship:	Glorious, holy, powerful, and eternal (concordant with the nature of the divine king).
Presentation:	Visible.
Era:	From the creation of mankind to the fall of mankind.
Qualification for Citizenship:	Divine holiness, spirituality, and immortality inherent to human beings at their creation. Human cooperation by willing submission to the beneficent revelation of divine authority.
Governance:	Theocratic. In cooperation with human mediation. Through the future fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant. Through union of life between God and Adam and Eve in the renovated Garden of Eden.
Outcome:	The kingdom of God (realm of divine authority) and therefore, the nature of God challenged by human rebellion. Judgment; separation; degeneration of rebellious mankind and his earthly habitat, the renovated earth. The renovated earth characterized by the darkness of divine judgment. The kingdom of God not fully repopulated. The nature of God not completely vindicated.

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