Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas

NT Framework - Every Tongue

• Jeremy Thomas • Season 6 • Episode 175

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The day is coming, it is certain and sure, that every tongue will confess and worship Christ. Although that future is guaranteed, we don't yet get to experience it.

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01:

The second big point is the resurrected Christ or the heir apparent is now raised. In other words, the one who's the heir of all creation. Let's turn to Colossians 1.15. To whom does this current cosmos belong? Who is the heir of it all? Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, a lot. It's a way to remember the order that those look. Colossians 1 15, which sounds a lot like Hebrews 1 in certain respects. Colossians 1 15. He, speaking of his beloved son, from verse 13. He in verse 15 is the image of the invisible God. He's the icon. Okay, that's where the word we get icon from. The image, the icon of the invisible God. In other words, if the invisible God could make himself visible, what would he look like? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. And he is the firstborn of all creation. Now, this is the phrase, one of the phrases that the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons like to use to say that Jesus was a creation. Well, see, it's firstborn. So he's the first thing that God created, and then Jesus created everything else. It's like, well, what about the next verse? Does that have any bearing on whether he was created or not? It says, for by him all things were created. Well, did he create himself then? Is that what you're saying? You can't create yourself out of nothing if you don't exist. So it's very obvious that firstborn of all creation doesn't mean that he was the first thing created. This word, who was the firstborn in the Old Testament? If you were the firstborn in a family in the Old Testament, a Jewish family, what does that mean? You're the heir. And that's what this phrase means. Firstborn means the one who's the heir, the heir of what? The heir of all creation. And then it did, it describes the reason why. The reason why he's the heir of all creation is because he created it. It's his. It belongs to him. He says, uh, things on earth, visible and invisible, things in the heavens, whether thrones or dominions, rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. He's before all things. So he's before everything. And in him all things consist or hold together, are maintained, sustained, right? He is also the head of the body, the church. He's the beginning. He's the and there it is, the firstborn from the dead. There it is again. Indication of the first fruit concept. He's the first individual who is ever raised from the dead. There have been people before him who had been resuscitated, like Lazarus. But as far as Lazarus had to die again because he came back in a mortal body. But the Lord Jesus Christ, when he was raised, he put on his mortality, put on immortality. The perishable put on imperishability. So he's the firstborn from the dead. And so that we are told here in verse 18, he will himself will come to have first rank, first place or rank in everything. Who is the one who has the first rank in the new creation to come? The new heavens and new earth? Well, it's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the heir of all things. So this is a repercussion of the resurrection. Okay? Let's also look over at Ephesians 1 because we're so close. Just turn back. Remember, God, he's popcorn a couple books back. Ephesians 1, 20 to 21. See, when he rose, then there was 40 days of appearances and so forth. And then we have the ascension, right? And his exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Well, when he ascended, and you see the picture in Acts 1, right? He's there with his disciples. He's teaching them. They're saying, Is it this time you're going to restore the kingdom? And he says, No, it's not for you to know the times and the epoch that the Father has set by his own authority, but you wait in Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit will come and baptize you and so forth, and you shall be my witnesses, right? Then he just begins to lift up off the earth. Right? And they're watching, so it's evidently not super fast. They're able to watch him ascend, and then he disappears into a cloud. Right? That's the ascension. Now you say, well, where did he go after that? There are a few passages, Hebrews 4, which tell us where he was, even though he was out of sight at that point, that he passed through the heavens. And a lot of people just pass, yeah, yeah, he went through the he went through space and all this, and he went. That's not really what it's talking about. Um yes, yes, but not really. There's more to the picture. Um there's a specific abode or dwelling for spirit beings, right? And that abode is what we call the second heaven. The third heaven is where the father is, the first heaven is the atmosphere around the earth, where the birds and stuff like. But in that second heaven, that's the dwelling place or abode of angelic beings. And it's saying that he passed through their dwelling place. And now where was he going? Where was he going? Well, he was going to the third heaven to sit down at the right hand of the Father, right? Well, if he passed through the second heaven where the angelic beings dwell, now he's seated where? Far above them. Far above them. This is part of his heirship of all creation. He's taking that position. And you see it here in chapter 1 of Ephesians, verse 20. Uh, well, let's look at he's in the middle of a prayer here. We'll come back to this in a minute, but verse 20, which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead. So here's the resurrection and seated him at his right hand in the heavenlies. Far now here it is, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. Now, those four power words there, the rule, authority, power, and dominion, all four words are power words. Okay, authority word, strength word. Now he's been seated far above all of them. And those four terms are specifically classifying various angels of various ranks. And it's saying that he's far above all of them. I think Hebrews makes the same argument, right? I mean, in a sense, he's better than the angels. Why? Well, he's above all of them. He passed through the heavenly chapter 4. So he's seated far above all of them. And then he says, and every name that is named, that's down here on earth, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. In other words, he's always and forever over everything, from the moment of his ascension, when he passed through these heavens, the heavenly. And of course, Philippians chapter 2, so we'll turn over to the next book, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians 2. Philippians chapter 2, in the great Kenosis passage, where he deprecated himself, he humbled himself even to the point of death on a cross, right? And verse 9 says, For this reason also, God highly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name which is above what name? Every name in the universe, so that at the name of Jesus, that's the name, every knee will bow. Of those who are in heaven, angelic beings, those on earth, and those under the earth fallen. And that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every one in the entire cosmos who's ever been and ever will be, angelic human, right, will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So the heir apparent, now that he's raised, is apparent. He is the one to whom the universe belongs. He's the heir of it all, and he holds first rank in everything.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.