God’s Design for a Better World

GOLDEN TEXT: “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” —Revelation 21:3

ISAIAH 42:5-9; MARK 1:14,15; JOHN 3:16,17; REVELATION 21:1-5

GOD does have a “design,” a plan, for a better world. What the vast majority of those who read the Bible fail to understand is that the divine plan is sure to be carried out, that the better world the Creator has designed will, in his due time, become a glorious reality. The idea generally held by professed Christians is that while God has a design for a better world, because man continues to reject that design the better world never materializes.

The prophecy of Isaiah 42:5-9 pertains to the Messiah, that great “Servant” whom Jehovah promised to send to accomplish his design for a better world. Verse 4 of the chapter, which also refers to Christ, declares that “he shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

The Creator addresses his Servant and promises to uphold him and to keep him and to give him for a covenant of the people, and “for a light of the Gentiles.” God’s design through him is stated to be “to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”

This is a marvelous design. First, it calls for the enlightenment of the people. Since sin entered into the world, and death by sin, the people have been under the rulership of the prince of darkness. Darkness has covered the earth, and gross darkness the people.—Isa. 60:2

But the design of God is that Jesus shall yet enlighten every man that cometh into the world. Thus far, because the “due time” has not arrived for this general enlightenment, only a few have been given eyes to see and ears to hear the glorious Gospel of the divine plan of salvation. These have been invited to lay down their lives with Jesus and thus prove worthy to participate with him later in accomplishing God’s design for the enlightenment and blessing of all mankind.

God has also designed that the “prisoners” shall be brought out of the prison house of death. In order to accomplish this, God sent his Son into the world to be the Redeemer of the human race. This was an expression of God’s love in providing an opportunity for “whosoever believeth” in Jesus to receive everlasting life. Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but that the world through him might have life.

The receiving of life through Jesus is dependent upon believing in him. But, where many fail to realize the wideness of God’s mercy is in their erroneous conclusion that the opportunity to “believe in him” is limited to the present short span of life, when most human hearts are darkened by sin, and unresponsive through failure to recognize the light. It is in order that every man might be enlightened that God’s design calls for the release of all the prisoners of death.

Jesus referred to the plan of God for a better world as the “Gospel of the kingdom of God,” that is, the good news pertaining to God’s plan to establish a righteous government over men under the administration of which they would be enlightened and blessed. Jesus is the great King in that government. (Isa. 9:6; Rev. 19:16) But there will be associate kings who will rule with him.

The work of calling these from among the world of mankind began at the first advent of Jesus. That’s why Jesus spoke of the kingdom being “at hand” in his day, and explained that from then on, the Gospel was to be preached. But it was not God’s design that all the world should accept the Gospel during this age. He visited the Gentiles merely “to take out of them a people for his name.” It is after this that “all the Gentiles” will be enlightened and given an opportunity to receive the blessing of life.—Acts 15:13-17

It will be through Christ, and those associated with him in that glorious kingdom, that God shall “wipe away all tears from their eyes.” And “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Truly, this will be a wonderful, new world, and it is sure to become a reality for “He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

QUESTIONS

Does the accomplishment of God’s design depend upon human efforts?

To whom does the prophecy of Isaiah 42:5-9 relate?

How and when will all men be enlightened by the Gospel?

Who are the prisoners who are to be released in God’s design?

In what sense was the kingdom of God “at hand” in Jesus day?

What is the present purpose of preaching the Gospel?

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