KINGDOM RESTORATION PROCESS

God’s redemption plans for man can be viewed from the following angles:

1. God’s Conceived Plan

God had a conceived plan for man’s redemption right from the time that he fell in the Garden of Eden judging from God’s pronouncement on the serpent (the Devil) in Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This was played out in Colossians 2:13-15 “13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it“

John the Baptist referred to Jesus in John 1:29 as the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The Book of Revelation chapter 5 talked about the lamb of God that was slain. This is a similitude of what happens in Exodus chapter 12, when the blood of a one-year-old lamb was used for the redemption of the children of Israel from the slavery that they were subjected to. This is what happened Jesus presented himself as a sacrificial lamb for the redemption of mankind.

The infinite love that God has for man made him have a redemption plan for him after his fall in the Garden of Eden. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

God’s redemption plan started with Noah. Genesis chapters 6 – 9 showed us how horrible the people of the world were, and only Noah was found just and perfect in that generation. This led to his salvation and that of his family members when the world was destroyed. Unfortunately, Noah was found wanting due to his attitudinal behavior. The generation after him was disobedient to God’s instructions, as recorded in Genesis chapter 11.

However, God, in his love and grace, chose Abraham from Noah’s lineage and made covenant with him in Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Through Abraham’s descendants, God formed the nation of Israel, which serves as a vehicle for salvation. Jesus affirmed in John 4:22 that salvation is of the Jews. God intended that they would be a nation of priests. But, unfortunately, the Devil hijacked them, put them under his control, and made them worship idols like other nations. God raised prophets for them to put them in check, but to no avail. Despite all this God still had preference for them. This made Him to come in human form, in person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth according to John 1:11-12 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

The mystery of atonement for sin made God come in human form, pass through all stages of human experience, to be a perfect and sinless man who is worthy of being a perfect sacrifice for sin. He was not conceived as a result of man-woman sexual relations unlike every other man. He was conceived by a virgin, thereby making Him a distinct personality. Unfortunately, the fact that animal blood was used for sacrifice as atonement could not meet the demand of the Devil (Satan) for atonement because man is incapable of sinning owing to the altar of sin that has been erected for him and his Adamic nature. Each time man sins, he will have to kill animals for atonement. Nevertheless, the sacrifice of a sinless, perfect man will automatically put an end to the endless animal sacrifice and the yearly sacrifice by priests for the atonement of sin. The book of Hebrews, chapter 10, explains this. Some excerpts from the chapter are put forward as follows: “¹ For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:”¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;” “¹⁴ For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” “¹⁶ This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; ¹⁷ And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. ¹⁸ Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

The love that God has for man made Him have the notion that he should offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sin of man.