Lesson 2: The Kingdom Blueprint: Before the Beginning!

 

Ephesians 1:4-15
Welcome back here for our second online Bible lesson at Scope Bible School. In our first lesson, we dived into Bible chronology, and I hope you’ve been using that guide for your Bible studies. Remember, we’re progressing through the Salvation History Timeline, studying each book deeply.
Now, let’s move on to our second lesson: “The Kingdom Blueprint: Before the Beginning.” Our scripture reference for this lesson is Ephesians 1:4–15. Definitions of some complex words used, which are underlined, are provided at the bottom.
Before we start, let’s define the term “blueprint.” A blueprint, as for builders, is a detailed plan or design outlining how something is intended to be constructed, ensuring clarity and precision in the building process.

Likewise, the Kingdom Blueprint is God’s meticulously detailed plan for establishing His divine kingdom. He devised this plan even before the creation of the world, and every event in the Bible aligns with this predetermined design. It outlines how God intended to set up a kingdom and rule within it. Central to this plan is man as heir to the kingdom, destined to reign alongside God.
Throughout the Bible, every twist and turn, every story and event, represents an episode of the Kingdom Blueprint unfolding before our eyes. Although these events seem to occur in real time, they are part of God’s preconceived design. This blueprint not only shapes the course of history but also profoundly impacts our lives today. The choices we make in this earthly existence determine our final destinies within the framework of God’s Kingdom blueprint, influencing our ultimate purpose and eternal outcomes.

Ephesians 1:4-15
“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself,
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Although the statement in the scripture above may appear simple, as Bible scholars, we can uncover profound or interesting revelations that enhance our understanding of our faith as followers and believers of Christ.
We achieve this by deeply examining the scripture, dissecting it line by line, and breaking down each statement and word. At times, we go to the extent of deconstructing even the punctuation marks, such as commas, exclamation marks, and full stops, and then reconstructing them. This method proves incredibly valuable to us. Basically, this lesson revolves around precisely this process.
We’re scrutinizing the scripture, justifying it, supporting our understanding with related scriptures, and forming intriguing/interesting assumptions. Finding answers to these assumptions effectively can enhance our understanding of the scripture and highlight its significance/importance in the broader narrative. It deepens our knowledge of the scriptures, strengthens our ability to defend our faith, and equips us to rise to the occasion when challenged. We will explore the importance of analyzing scripture in this manner further in this lesson.
As we explore and journey through the Bible using the Salvation History Timeline, we learn that even before creating the world described in Genesis 1 and 2, God had a detailed plan. We shall in our lesson consistently call it the Kingdom Blueprint and we have defined it. He designed a kingdom where He would rule alongside Man. He is a God of a perfect plan, isn’t He?
Even before this statement …in the beginning, God created…, long before He called out the Light to come forth on Day 1, a long time even before counting time ever existed, God seems to have had the Kingdom Blueprint in mind. He envisioned creating a kingdom and reigning with Man. In His plan, Man would be holy, righteous, blameless, and even above angels. A man was to reflect reflect God’s own image, likeness, and character. God’s reason for creating humans in this way is because He is holy and cannot be around or operate around anyone or anything unholy. So, anyone in His presence should be holy and blameless. This was His grand plan all along!
This becomes evident when you read the Bible along the Salvation History timeline, carefully noting details of twists and turns in the plot of the Bible story. Remember we said the Bible is one Big Story!
It’s crucial to recognize that events in the Bible are not random; each one is interconnected, serving the larger purpose of the upcoming kingdom. While some events are more obvious, and clear, do stand out, and are central to the main plot than others, all are significant. The challenge arises because the Bible isn’t written in chronological order, making it difficult to connect these events and grasp the bigger picture. This lack of connection can lead to confusion, and sometimes we try so hard to defend what we see as mistakes in the Bible (which makes us get lost even more) and even brings doubts in our faith. It’s important to understand these complexities to avoid falling into confusion or being influenced by misleading teachings that dismiss the Bible’s significance.
Every day, we grapple with the challenge of finding interest in seemingly incomprehensible and boring parts of the Bible, such as genealogies, BCE years (which are in descending order, by the way), and AD years that we often dislike, complex calendars, intricate storylines, numbers, measurements, and small details that can overwhelm us. Often we ask ourselves, am I supposed to know all this stuff? I thought Christianity was about going to Heaven, that’s all! Well, choosing what to read and what to ignore, like eating fish and spitting out bones (being too picky while eating scripture!), is detrimental for a Bible scholar; it’s like nurturing a cancer that grows daily. The Chronological Bible Study Plan plays a very important role here, as in many other instances, to save us from this. It encourages us to dedicate our time and effort to meticulously exploring and excavating every little grain of Scripture, like FBI detectives on a mission. This approach allows us to unravel/solve the puzzle of what God did before creation and understand His hidden workings and what He was doing behind the scenes during the events recorded in the Bible.
Just like detectives trying to figure out modern-day historical mysteries like Jack The Ripper (get some time and read about that guy!), we analyze scriptural phrases and prophecies, employing techniques such as back-dating and forward-dating, and like archeologists or laboratory scientists carbon-date them and run them through different tests until we see meaning out of them that relates to the kingdom. We shall be taking note of such details as we progress through the story. Welcome to the club!
Similar to how scientists rely on assumptions subjected to rigorous and repeated lab tests, we also employ similar assumptions, testing them with scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit prompts us to ask some questions, and when the Bible provides answers, it’s like receiving the Golden Buzzer!

Assumptions:
Prior to God’s creation of the Earth, we speculate about components in His Kingdom Blueprint—ideas that may have been conceived in His thoughts and then meticulously documented.
Assumption 1: The Theory Based on God’s Purpose
We theorize that God formulated something akin to a Project Concept Note, or possibly even more comprehensive. This document might have included a Problem Statement, Mission, Vision, Objectives, Activities, Methodology, inputs, Expected Outcomes, and a Monitoring and Evaluation System. When all these elements are seamlessly integrated, they reveal God’s ultimate purpose. We discuss some of them below.

Methodology and Inputs:
We assume that the Kingdom Blueprint must have consisted of various elements that formulated/shaped the Methodology. These components can be categorized into 4 main steps:
Step 1. Preparation and Assembling/Gathering of Inputs:
This process encompassed listing and describing everything and everyone God would require, such as individuals like Lucifer, Bible Writers (people that would put into writing what God would be doing), Patriarchs, Prophets, angels and other heavenly beings, Political and spiritual leaders (Judges, Kings, priests, etc), Jesus Christ, Apostles, etc. Each of their roles and identities was clearly defined.
Additionally, it included the delineation of specific places, ideas/Concepts (Law, Gospel, Religion & beliefs, Salvation, Faith, Grace, Church, Wisdom, etc), political systems (nations, kingdoms, Empires, etc), and significant events.
The creation of the heavens and the earth, along with their defined roles, was also part of this phase, although it occurred later, somewhere between Steps 2 and 3.
2. Triggering the Exposure of the Character and Purpose/role of Lucifer:
God concealed the Kingdom Blueprint from all angels, as stated in scripture (1 Peter 1: 12 “..ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”).
However, it appears that Lucifer might have somehow learned about it. God possibly allowed Lucifer a glimpse of the plan intentionally, although Lucifer, in his arrogance, believed he was being clever and smart! We shall discuss in detail later. In doing this God must have been creating what we shall call a Useful Enemy. This enemy was to trigger Step 4.
3. Creation of Man:
This is a major step and would be a great milestone because man was a major input in the Kingdom Blueprint.
4. Salvation Plan:
This is depicted through the Salvation History Timeline, which we learned about in Lesson 1. It offsets after Step 3 above.

Explaining the Methodology
a. Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is depicted as a significant element in the Methodology, serving as a major input. His role, although it comes at the end, is the most crucial in the Kingdom Blueprint. He planned to introduce the concept of Salvation as an exit plan for Man during the process when God would be destroying Lucifer (the Devil) and his followers. Salvation was enveloped in the Gospel by Jesus but itself consists of Faith and Grace.
The process of Salvation– Justification, Sanctification, Glorification–shall be tackled exhaustively in the future.
The 4 verses below extracted from our main scriptural Reference prove that Jesus’ role was defined at the penning of the Kingdom Blueprint.

Ephesians 1:9-12.-NKJV
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

From the above verses Jesus Christ, as an input:
-was to be manifested later on, not earlier.
1 Peter 1:20
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.-NKJV

b. Eternal Life for Man in Heaven
God wanted man to have eternal life, in order to reign with Him. (Titus 1:2)
“In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”-NKJV
God’s plan included the destination of heaven for those who receive eternal life (Mathew 25:34)
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”- NKJV

c. Gospel
The Gospel as an input was intended to be the concluding concept that would guide Man into the Kingdom, fulfilling God’s ultimate purpose. Jesus Christ who would bear the responsibility of carrying this significant idea was, in collaboration with the Holy Spirit, to ensure that it fulfills its purpose as intended.
Acts 4:12
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone that believes from the Jew first, also to the Greek-NJKV”

d. Grace
Grace, manifested through faith, and forming the foundation of the gospel, is a divine concept that was devised by God. It was planned as the exclusive means by which God would empower Man to achieve ultimate salvation. God intended to bestow grace upon Man, serving as the driving force enabling him to attain salvation, adhere to the principles of salvation, obey His will, and establish a connection with Him (identify with Him).
Grace is also the unmerited favor and love of God, freely given to Man despite our unworthiness. It is through God’s grace that individuals receive forgiveness, redemption, and the opportunity for eternal life.
Without this grace, Man would remain vulnerable to the influence of Lucifer, unable to attain salvation. This grace is only valid and potent if an individual has faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:9
“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”- NKJV
“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”-NLT

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV):
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
This verse emphasizes that salvation is a result of God’s grace and is received through faith. It clarifies that salvation is not earned through human efforts but is a gift from God.

Titus 2:11 (NIV):
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.”
This verse highlights that God’s grace brings salvation and is available to everyone, regardless of their background or past actions.

Romans 3:24 (NIV):
“and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
This verse underscores that justification, or being declared righteous before God, is a result of God’s grace and is made possible through the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:8 (NIV):
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
This verse illustrates the depth of God’s grace by emphasizing that Christ’s sacrifice occurred even when humanity was in a sinful state, underscoring the unmerited nature of God’s love and salvation.

e. Faith
Faith is a concept of Salvation that was designed to be a fundamental element through which Man would receive God’s grace and attain salvation. It was designed to be Man’s response to God’s grace, enabling individuals to receive the gift of salvation and establish a personal relationship with God. It involves trusting in God’s promises, including the redemption provided through Jesus Christ, and accepting Him as Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV):
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
This verse highlights that salvation is a result of God’s grace and is received through faith, not through human efforts.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV):
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
This verse defines faith and underscores the importance of confidence and assurance in the unseen, which includes the promises of God, leading to salvation.

John 3:16 (NIV):
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This verse emphasizes that belief in Jesus Christ is the key to eternal life, illustrating the essential role of faith in the salvation process.

Romans 10:9 (NIV): ” If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
This verse highlights the confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and belief in His resurrection as the means to salvation.

f. Wisdom
God planned to demonstrate His wisdom through His Kingdom, revealing its superiority over the wisdom of the devil. Throughout history, He showcased His wisdom in various ways, as we will outline using 2 case studies selected from a myriad of them.
But His ultimate goal was to use the church to reveal this wisdom to the devil. This was intended to be a demonstration of God’s supremacy over the devil, showcasing His superior power and wisdom.
Ephesians 3:10 (NIV):
“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”

How God showed his wisdom in history

Case 1: Babylon
God’s wisdom is evident in His dealings with Babylon/Babel. In ancient times, this region was a hub/epicenter of evil, characterized by idol worship, the construction of the Tower of Babel, and various forms of witchcraft. While Babylon was a center of darkness and all the works of the devil, God chose Abraham, a man from this very place, and created a nation that He called His holy people, Israel. This strategic move demonstrated God’s ability to bring forth holiness from the epicenter of the devil’s influence.

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV):
“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country (Ur in Babylon), your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'”
In this passage, God promises to make Abraham into a great nation, foreshadowing the creation of Israel.

Deuteronomy 7:6 (NIV):
“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.”
This verse emphasizes God’s selection of Israel as His holy people (ancestors of Abraham), a physical nation.
God’s wisdom continued to be demonstrated as the devil attempted to thwart God’s plans by attacking Israel through various kingdoms (Moab, Ammon, Edom, Egypt, Philistia, Aram, Assyria, Babylon). Yet, in the midst of these physical battles, God was quietly forming a spiritual nation, the Church, using the distraction of the physical nation of Israel to accomplish His greater purpose. The devil, realizing too late, could not prevent the establishment of this spiritual entity.
God allowed Israel to face the consequences of their sins, as He had warned them in Deuteronomy and other law books. However, instead of simply punishing Israel, He used these situations strategically. By permitting the devil to attack Israel and stir up conflict, God was, in essence, redirecting the devil’s attention. While the devil was preoccupied with opposing Israel, God was quietly and purposefully working behind the scenes.
During this time of turmoil and conflict, God was laying the foundation for a new spiritual kingdom—the Church. By allowing the devil to focus on Israel, God created a distraction that enabled the spiritual growth and formation of His new kingdom. The attacks and challenges faced by Israel served a dual purpose: they were both a consequence of their actions and a means through which God subtly worked to establish His Church.
In this perspective, God’s wisdom and divine plan were at play. He utilized the devil’s actions and Israel’s challenges as a strategic opportunity to create something new—the Church—setting the stage for a spiritual kingdom that transcended the physical and paved the way for a deeper relationship between humanity and God.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV):
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Though this verse is about Christians, it aligns with the concept of God creating a spiritual nation, the Church, out of darkness.

Case 2: The Law
God utilized the Law to reveal His wisdom. He gave Israel the Law as a standard to follow, understanding that people, in their weakness, would be unable to fulfill it. God even stated that failure to keep the Law would result in some bad stuff: destruction! The devil, perceiving an opportunity, believed he could prove to Man as he did in the Garden of Eden that God intended to destroy Man under the pretext of the Law, knowing that Man could not adhere to its demands. The Law’s requirements pertained to the flesh, not the spirit, and the devil had corrupted the flesh by implanting his sinful nature.
However, God had a plan to ensnare the devil. Through Jesus, God took on human form, absorbed sin into His own body, and overcame it. He defeated Satan’s nature through His own body, enabling humanity to fulfill the spiritual essence of the Law. This strategic move outwitted Satan, who fell into the trap due to his cunning, haste, and short-sightedness. Talk of the hunter becoming the hunted!

How God Shows His Wisdom through the Church
God displays His wisdom over the devil through the church through spiritual warfare, redemption, and the fulfillment of God’s purposes.

Colossians 2:15 (NIV):
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

This verse speaks of Christ’s victory over spiritual powers through His crucifixion, demonstrating God’s wisdom and triumph over the devil.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NIV):
“No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

These verses reveal that God’s wisdom, hidden from the rulers of the world, was manifested in the crucifixion of Jesus, leading to the defeat of the devil’s plans which the world (controlled by the devil) did not perceive but the Church perceives and celebrates.

James 4:7 (NIV):
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

This verse emphasizes the authority of believers over the devil through submission to God and resisting the devil’s temptations.

2. The Theory based on Lucifer’s Behaviour
This second but significant assumption, as you’ll find out soon, leads to profound and very deep revelations. It’s like peering into an invisible kingdom. To put it more clearly, in order to understand the Kingdom Blueprint more, which isn’t quite showcased for us clearly, we try to study the behavior of Lucifer the ex-Archangel. Here we go.
Certainly, it’s undeniable that Lucifer, once a prominent archangel in heaven and possibly even a favorite Worship Leader before God, peeped at the aforementioned Kingdom Blueprint tucked safely somewhere in the safest of cabins of Heaven. The beauty of the plan was truly remarkable and so beautifully striking that it must have melted his heart.
In his admiration for the plan, he likely developed an uncontrollable degree of selfish envy. Suddenly, he desired it all for himself, aspiring to establish a throne above God’s own throne.

Ezekiel 28:12-19- NLT
“*Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord:
‘You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
You were in Eden,
the garden of God.
Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone—
red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone,
blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper,
blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—
all beautifully crafted for you
and set in the finest gold.
They were given to you
on the day you were created.
I ordained and anointed you
as the mighty angelic guardian.
You had access to the holy mountain of God
and walked among the stones of fire.

‘You were blameless in all you did
from the day you were created
until the day evil was found in you.
Your rich commerce led you to violence,
and you sinned.
So I banished you in disgrace
from the mountain of God.
I expelled you, O mighty guardian,
from your place among the stones of fire.
Your heart was filled with pride
because of all your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted
by your love of splendor.
So I threw you to the ground
and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.
You defiled your sanctuaries
with your many sins and your dishonest trade.
So I brought fire out from within you,
and it consumed you.
I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
All who knew you are appalled at your fate.
You have come to a terrible end,
and you will exist no more.'”*
In this passage, God is addressing the king of Tyre, but in reality, He is rebuking the spirit behind the kingdom of Tyre. It becomes evident that Lucifer is behind various gentile kingdoms like Tyre, spreading his influence and forming the foundation of earthly kingdoms, especially during their formation in Genesis 10 and 11 and beyond. We will delve into this topic further when we discuss Gentile kingdoms in our upcoming lessons. It’s possible that Lucifer, before becoming the devil, had plans to usurp God’s kingdom and rule alongside Man as God originally intended for Himself or over him (for Lucifer is not a fair devil, if there is anything like that!)
So as already pointed out in the passage Lucifer rallied a third of celestial/heavenly beings and plotted a heavenly rebellion.
Note: Though the Bible does not specify the exact number of angels that Lucifer led in his rebellion against God, the concept of one-third of the angels rebelling with Lucifer comes from Revelation 12:4, which states, “His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.” The term “stars” here is often interpreted symbolically, referring to angels.
With each passing day, Lucifer’s plan appeared increasingly appealing and realistic to him. As he grew more prideful, God might have observed changes in his worship leadership, wing movements, or even his absence from worship sessions. You know the feeling when you have something up your sleeve!
Lucifer found himself ousted from heaven when God, in His all-knowing wisdom (as if God wouldn’t catch on!), got wind of his scheme. The expulsion was undoubtedly thunderous, violent, and likely quite painful (we can only imagine!) as Jesus depicts ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’ (Luke 10:18); yet he clung tenaciously to his plan. Losing both his heavenly citizenship and his grip on his counter-plan wasn’t an option. As he plummeted and hit the ground hard, his mind was already racing, contemplating how to establish his own kingdom together with the angels banished alongside him. He aimed to steal God’s plan, turn it against Him, and attempt at God’s throne again, this time basing from below the heavens. This ambition ultimately transformed him into the notorious devil. However, God’s grand plan kept him tossing and turning, plagued by sleepless nights with each passing day.
Upon witnessing God initiate the creation process, the devil likely trembled with dreadful fear. He recognized that this marked a significant stride toward the establishment of God’s preconceived kingdom (of which he might have caught a glimpse). His anxieties intensified with the creation of man! Prompted by his fears, he swiftly began his own preparations, determined to outpace God and stay one step ahead of Him. What a sad miscalculation!
When Man was created (Genesis 1 and 2), his destiny was undeniably extraordinary, aligning with God’s grand plan. He was not only created in the image and likeness of God but also endowed with Blessing, Dominion, Authority, and the promise of everlasting life. Man was meant not just to worship God forever but also to participate in the rulership of His Kingdom. The specifics, such as whether man would reign above even the 24 elders or share a similar position in the hierarchy, remain uncertain. Nevertheless, what we can firmly assert is that man was destined to reign alongside God. This prospect left a bitter taste in the Devil’s mouth and plagued him with unsettling dreams!
When Lucifer finally sensed the arrival of man on earth, he recognized that the key to sabotaging and failing God’s kingdom plan was to corrupt a crucial stakeholder in the kingdom. You guessed right: man! His goal was to turn man not only into an enemy of God but also a formidable adversary against His plan—a plan ironically designed for man himself! Lucifer considered this task easier than persuading one-third of heavenly beings to join his side.
The undeniable truth is that Lucifer aimed to manipulate man into opposing God’s imminent Kingdom, intending to ultimately use man to seize God’s throne. This sinister plan was devised to inflict pain upon God, as He held deep affection for man. Man, being the Apple of God’s Eye, became God’s vulnerability—a profoundly sensitive target (or so Lucifer thought). Talk of someone touching the very cornea of your eye!
The devil’s sole way to achieve his sinister plan was to make man disobey God, turning him into God’s enemy. If man and God became separated, the devil could manipulate man, riding on his back to seize God’s kingdom.
This he partially succeeded at doing, in his scheme recorded in Genesis 3. It’s likely the devil had meticulously planned this mission, with a strategic blueprint (similar to, or in reference to Gods), numerous steps, and backup alternatives. Think of him with a huge book full of plans and sub-plans and other huge books all scattered all over the room, with a council of advisors cheering him and each making himself useful to him with his opinion on how God should be defeated, just like a council scene from a movie! We’ll dig deeper into that when we dive into Genesis 3 and explore the story of man’s fall.
When God realized that Lucifer had corrupted His plan, He devised a solution to set everything back on track as He originally intended. He never wavered from His plan, demonstrating His steadfastness and consistency in the face of opposition.
In Revelation 21:1-27, God’s original plan was revealed—the new heaven, new earth, and the new Jerusalem, a breathtaking setup we were supposed to inhabit had the devil not intervened. Let’s call the earth part of it the “Original Earth.”
However, due to the devil’s corruption of God’s plan, God devised a temporary, less magnificent earth, what we now live in—let us call that the “Pseudo-Earth” which looks exactly like the Original Earth. God reserved the “Original Earth” for later. This earth is what was shown to John in Revelation.
God knew the devil’s weaknesses: his greed, pride, selfishness, and impulsive nature. He set a trap by creating the pseudo-earth, knowing well that the devil would seize it, corrupt man, and gather a massive host of followers (such as officials, elders, mankind, worshipers and “…the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”- Ephesians 6:12 and “…prince of the Persian kingdom…” Daniel 10:13, human ) to try overthrow God’s kingdom. However, this was a cunning ruse. God placed man as bait, confident that the devil would fall into the trap, aiming to harm man while God planned to rescue him.
Think of action movies where the villain takes a hostage to harm him, then the hero sets out to rescue the victim, defeat the villain, and kill him without harming the victim. That’s precisely what God did! His ultimate plan is to annihilate the devil in the burning flames along with the “pseudo-earth” and rescue man, ushering him into the “Original Earth” destined to last forever and ever. Amen

 

Dictionary: Get proper definitions of new words in the Lesson
1. Delineation: the action of describing, depicting, or representing something precisely and in detail. It can be used in various contexts to indicate the clear and accurate portrayal or definition of an object, idea, concept, or boundary. For example, in art, delineation refers to the precise outlining or defining of shapes and forms. In geography, it can mean the demarcation or accurate marking of boundaries or borders on a map. In discussions or debates, delineation can refer to the clear presentation and explanation of points of view or arguments. Essentially, it implies a careful and accurate description or depiction of something.
2. Akin: similar
3. Methodology: the systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied within a particular field. It encompasses the structured approach, principles, processes, and techniques used to plan, execute, control, and complete a project successfully.
4. Input: any resource that is provided to a system or process. The quality and relevance of inputs can significantly impact the outcomes and efficiency of a process.
5. Myriad: an adjective that means countless, many, or extremely large in number. It can also be used as a noun to refer to a countless or indefinitely great number of people or things. For example, you might say, “She has a myriad of talents,” indicating that she has numerous talents or skills. Similarly, “A myriad of stars filled the night sky,” suggests an immense number of stars. In both cases, “myriad” emphasizes the vastness or multitude of something.