That Vision Of Prophet Habakkuk On The Plan Of God (Part 2)

In this segment, we will meet with Noah and his family AFTER the flood and study how the second world began and how and through whom came the races of the human family today. Remember, this is the 2nd Dispensation or world, 'your present evil world'!
The letter 'B' in the chart shows the period of the 2nd world. This world began the very day that flood began (Genesis 7:11), so that on that day one world ended (the first) and another (the second) began.
Noah and his family were within the Ark for a period of one year and ten days or (375 days) Genesis 7:11; 8:14. The flood itself was caused by the rain for 40 days and 40 nights, but for the land to become dry it took on a year and ten days in all.
As observed in the chart, the 2nd world has three sub-divisions of time called “AGES”. The first period was called The Patriarchal Age, when God's dealings were with single individuals or patriarchs. The second period was called The Jewish Age, when God's dealings were with the families of the 12 sons of Jacob, who came to be called the nation of ISRAEL. The third period is called The Gospel Age, when God's dealings are with the believers and followers of Jesus.
Now, after the end of the flood and the ground had dried up Noah and 7 people (2 Peter 2:5) were saved from the first world. Thus it was from these eight people that began the second world (Genesis 9:18-19). Therefore, all of today's human races are traced from them.
Let us look at the three subdivision “ages” of this 2nd world.
THE PATRIARCHAL AGE: This was the period from after the flood till Jacob's death, when God dealt with individuals and made covenants with them. These were great individuals called The Patriarchs or the Fathers. The first of these 'patriarchs' was NOAH and then came ABRAHAM and then ISAAC and finally JACOB.
God made a covenant first with Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:9-11). Then many years later God dealt with ABRAM, whose name was later changed to ABRAHAM. He became the “Father of Faith” for his great faith in being willing to sacrifice his only dearly beloved son, Isaac in obedience to God's command (Genesis 22:1-3). He was the tenth generation from Noah and the twentieth from Adam.
But what was Abraham's background when God called him? Was he a worshipper of the True God? As in Joshua 24:2 “Your father dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham,…and they served other gods”. Yes! Abraham came from a background of idol worshippers. But God asked him to leave his country and his people and go forth to a land that God was going to show him. God in saying so made a great PROMISE with him, and that if he obeyed he would be greatly blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).
After Abraham, God dealt with his son, Isaac and later with Isaac's son, Jacob, who later went on to become the Father of the 12 tribe-nation of Israel. These are the four patriarchs and great details of them are recorded in the first book of the Bible, GENESIS.

THE JEWISH AGE: This was the period from after the death of Jacob, the last patriarch. This was when God , after dealing with only individuals began to deal with the children of the 12 sons of Jacob a nation that came to be called “ISRAEL”. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth…” (Amos 3:2). Scripturally, God had recognized and adopted the nation of Israel as “my people” (Exodus 3:10).
This Age or period of time covers God's dealings with this nation and their many experiences spanning more than 1800 years. During this period Israel became 'slaves' in Egypt and then God delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh mightily and this deliverance was through the hands of Moses as in the book of EXODUS. This was a TYPE, illustrating the captivity of God's children by Satan until the great redeemer Jesus shall set them free the ANTITYPE.
Then after God brought the Israelites into the “Promised land” of Canaan, He continued to guide and instructs the people by raising up many prophets who spoke and wrote God's words as in the Books of the Prophets beginning with ISAIAH and going on till the last book of the Old Testament MALACHI.
It was in this Age that God through Moses gave to Israel His DIVINE LAW (Exodus 24:12). These laws consisted of the Ten Commandments and nearly 3600 laws covering all matters of daily life including even “bathroom or toilet” laws (Deuteronomy 23:12-13). In Israel and “under the law” was born God's son Jesus (Gal. 4:4). This was a great and immeasurable blessing to the Jews. But unfortunately, the Jews did not recognize him as the “Son of God” and generally rejected him. And thus it was that with these words of Jesus, the Jewish Age ended “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matthew 23:38). This now led to the last age of the 2nd world.

THE GOSPEL AGE: This is the third and last “AGE” or period of time in the second world as in the chart. This is otherwise known as the “Christian Age” (Romans 16:25-26). Here in this Age, the “preaching of Jesus Christ” is done and thus a mystery is revealed “which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men,…That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body…” (Eph. 3:5-6). The “mystery” is the selection of the one body of Christ (4:4) from both Jews and Gentiles The Church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18). With the end of this Gospel Age, the 2nd world too comes to an end (2 Peter 3:7 & 10). Here, the Apostle Peter speaks of the destruction of this present 2nd world “by fire”. What does this mean? A lot of controversies surround this. Many are saying that FIRE here must be literal as was the flood of water in the first world. Notice the scriptural language used in 2 Peter 3:10 “…the earth also and the works that are therein shall be buried up”. The works are the evil works of this 'earth' lies, corruption, theft, deceit, selfishness etc. Now, how can these “works” be burned by a literal fire as they are not inflammable? Thus, this fire is something symbolic, meaning or representing God's righteous ANGER and Judgments against the evil systems which constitute “the earth” (Zeph. 3:8), which is to be completely destroyed (Isaiah 24:3), while the people of the earth learn great lessons in evil (Isaiah 26:9). Here in 2 Peter 3:10, the “elements” refer to the parts of the “earth” or visible human rulership political, economical, religious, social etc. All will disintegrate (“melt”) and become no more, like when a candle melts and disappears. This “Fire” is referred to by Jesus as “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21-22). The great Judgments upon the evil systems and their destruction is symbolized by 'Fire' and many people we see, survive this destructive end of the 2nd world (Zech. 14:16).
The end of the 2nd world only leads to the glorious 3rd world new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). Extremely few people know about this righteous world to come on this earth.

THE THIRD WORLD
The capital letter “C” shows the period of this world (2 Peter 3:13), a coming world (new heavens & a new earth) wherein will dwell righteousness.
New heavens meaning a new invisible spiritual rulership or control of the earth's affairs. New Earth a new visible human (fleshly in nature) rulership or control of the earth's affairs to be “righteous” unlike as were in the 1st and 2nd worlds. Who then shall control of this 3rd world? See Revelations 20:4 & 6. Our Lord Jesus Christ with his 'Body' the Church will rule this earth for a period of 1000 years. This will be the fulfillment of that Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:10. and also the fulfillment of the 'Promise' now given to all who faithfully suffer in following Jesus' footsteps (2 Timothy 2:12).
Thus, the “fire” that “burns up” and consumes the 2nd world is also the beginning of the 3rd world. As seen, it is not a literal fire but used here to symbolize a complete/ utter destruction of the evil order and systems (1 Corinthians 7:31). Apostle James also prophesied (James 5:1-4) of that “fire” that will come upon the rich in the coming great conflict between the two classes of capital and labour. This is referred to as “Armageddon” in the Bible (Revelation 26:16) and in Joel 3:14 and will be worldwide. (There is tract on Armageddon, you may request for it free).
Ezekiel and Jesus spoke on this in Ezekiel 7:19 and Matthew 24:21. It is to be called a time of 'great tribulation'. But thankfully, ALL flesh, we are informed, WILL not be destroyed (Matthew 24:22). Yes! The terrible 'conflict' will be divinely stopped when all systems will be destroyed and mankind humbled, but many will still be alive (Zech. 14:16).
A small MODEL or PROTOTYPE of this worldwide revolution to come was seen in the French Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century (i.e. about 1790). Then soon after the end of this revolution which in later years could come to be called The World Revolution and upon the ruins of the second world will be established God's kingdom visibly in the nation of Israel and then all nations shall gradually seek to be a part of it as in Zech. 8:22 “Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord”. This may be something very surprising to most Christians to read of, a future “earthly kingdom” centred in Jerusalem and all the nations of the world seeking to be a part of it, even though the scriptures speak of it again and again. For example in Matthew 8:11 it shows the resurrected faithful men of God to be the teachers and rulers then, in fulfillment of Psalm 45:16 “Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou may make princes, in all the earth.” 'Thy fathers' here refer to the ancient worthies like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and were faithful ones before Jesus, but never had the chance to be of the Church class. But to receive their reward from Jesus who becomes their “father” (Isaiah 9:6) and they his “children”, and are to be made the human rulers or “princes” in all the earth. Some readers of this may be surprise because of their believes that Abraham, David, Moses, Isaac, Jacob etc. are all in heaven, forgetting the information from the one who came from heaven as in John 3:13 that “no man ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from Heaven”. They will be resurrected in God's kingdom to be “princes in all the earth”. More of this in consequent studies. These “princes” begin from ABEL to John the Baptist, the last of this class who died before Pentecost. Among them are Moses, Daniel, Joseph, Samson, David, Noah and all the prophets etc.

Conclusively, the promised Paradise will come, thus the 3rd world will have completed its first age of a thousand years and will then enter into the “Ages to come” (Ephesians 2:7) and unlike the 1st and 2nd worlds, the 3rd world has no end! BE BLESSED!