The Earth Was to Be Peopled—Final Triumph of the Plan in Christ—God Must Manifest His Love
By GEORGE W. REASER
The scope of this present article will not permit the development of the several interesting topics—all vital to the plan of salvation—comprehended in the expression, "the dispensation of the fullness of times." Eph. 1: 10. Suffice it to say that the injection of sin into the world with the express design of defeating Jehovah's eternal purpose, demanded the launching of the plan of salvation, with sufficient time to carry it to completion, in order to make the eternal purpose effectual.
NATURE OF SIN MUST BE DEMONSTRATED
A dispensation of time must be given to demonstrate the nature and the results of sin and rebellion, and to make manifest the character of their author. The utter helplessness of humanity to attain character development to fit into God's eternal purpose, without the coming of the Son of God, Immanuel, to dwell with us, was demonstrated by four millenniums of human history; and "when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Gal. 4: 4, 5.
A dispensation of time must also be devoted to the work of deciding who, among the sons and daughters of Adam's race, will, by character development, finally fit into the completed purpose (Rev. 3: 5), as well as to decide the destiny of those whose character development will not justify their being beneficiaries of the priceless blessings included in the eternal purpose (Rev. 20: 4).
MUST MAKE KNOWN THAT GOD IS LOVE
But above all other things comprehended in the expression "the dispensation of the fullness of times" for the gathering "together in one all things in Christ," time and events must make manifest the great truth essential to the eternal happiness of every creature in the universe; namely, that "God is love." This fundamental truth being questioned, as it has been all down the stream of time, a "dispensation of the fullness of times" must be given for the manifestation of the character of God.
Awful calamity that sin was, it nevertheless offered the opportunity for the revelation of the character of God in the attributes of long-suffering, mercy, justice, love. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16. Thus when the great drama of sin is past, the opportunity that it afforded for the manifestation of the character of God, will result in the universal chorus, "Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints." Rev. 15: 3.
The dispensations briefly outlined, largely overlap one another in point of time, and are all embraced in the expression, "the dispensation of the fullness of times."
THE ETERNAL PURPOSE IN THE FIRST COMMISSION
If Jehovah had a definite purpose for our world, to be accomplished through the co-operation of the highest order of created beings placed on this planet, would it not be both logical and natural that He should state this purpose to such beings as soon as they were brought into existence, and, having stated His design for the world, place His divine blessing upon them, thus empowering them to fulfill their part in the accomplishment of His will?
The Steamer Eastland
This is precisely the thing that Jehovah did. Man was the masterpiece, the crowning act, of God's creative work pertaining to our world. Immediately the first human pair had been created in His own image, God blessed them, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion." Gen. 1: 28.
COMMANDED TO PEOPLE THE EARTH
We thus learn that the very first recorded commission given to the parents of our race in Eden comprehended the proper peopling of the earth with their own family and descendants. This commission, if it had been carried to completion without the injection of sin and the consequent fall, would have constituted the accomplishment of Jehovah's eternal purpose as related to our world. As the commission was given before sin entered, it did not contemplate replenishing the earth with sinful beings.
Other portions of Holy Writ make it perfectly clear that the replenishing of the earth with the offspring and descendants of Adam and Eve contemplated the filling of the earth with sinless and deathless beings.
Let us consider the wisdom displayed in designing the eternal purpose, and the desirability of its being carried to completion.
PERFECTION OF DESIGN IS SEEN
With the mental conception of a Being who is able to create and uphold a universe, there must be associated the idea of definite design in all His works. The organism of everything in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, as well as the perfection of the organized universe, proves absolute perfection of design in all of Jehovah's works.
A perfect design for the peopling of a planet could not be accomplished by filling such planet with unaffiliated individual units, but instead, by having all correlated, sympathetic members of a common family.
Furthermore, in a perfect plan, there must be certain limitations to the number included. To have the human family multiplied to such extent as to permit of simply standing room for all upon the surface of the earth, would be a condition not to be contemplated. To have the earth finally peopled so sparsely as to provide but a single individual for each ten thousand square mile area, would seem too lonely for happiness. Therefore the replenishing of the earth with the human family must have contemplated a definite number in the mind of the Creator. With the completion of this number, the divine plan must have been that the multiplication of the human family should cease. A divine record must be kept of the increase of the human family until the completion of the plan,—the replenishing of the earth. Such a family record was started, and faithfully kept at least from the launching of the plan of salvation. It is called "the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Rev. 13: 8.520
HIS PLAN CANNOT BE OVERTHROWN
Again, if God is all-wise, He knew the end from the beginning. If His very nature is love, in whatever plan He conceived, He had as His objective, in its ultimate completion, the highest happiness, the best interests, of all intelligent creatures in any wise related to the plan. This being true, then the plan devised ought to be carried to completion, regardless of all opposing agencies.
If He is all-powerful, His purpose for our world will be carried to completion, no matter what forces may oppose. If sin opposes, it must be nullified. If Satan, "the adversary," undertakes to block the completion of the plan, he must be circumscribed in power. If, as the ages follow in succession, any influence arises that threatens defeat to the plan, Jehovah, pledged by His own word to carry it to completion, must with His omnipotent hand brush aside such opposing agency.
If the first human agents commissioned of Heaven to accomplish His eternal purpose, shall perchance default, and become helpless to carry that all-wise purpose to completion,—if they and their offspring shall, because of yielding to sin, return to non-sentient dust,—then the only way for the accomplishment of the purpose must be to introduce into the human family a member of the Godhead, who, supplanting Adam, to whom the first commission was given, becomes "the everlasting Father" of the redeemed human family; and thus, help being laid upon One who is mighty to save, the eternal purpose of God for our world, comprehended in the first commission given to Adam and Eve in Eden, will be accomplished.
The facts and eternal principles thus outlined, logically explain the dealings of Jehovah with the righteous and the wicked. Some charge God with tyranny, injustice, and favoritism, in His dealings with the race. Even His own professed people have said that He is "unequal" in His ways with the human family. Careful study of God's eternal purpose should fully satisfy every mind that Jehovah is just and true in all His ways.
