3 Main Themes I see in the Bible: Love - Image - Dominion

[Vine Abider]

As a big picture guy, I like to summarize, simplify and condense things down so I can get my head around them. I think there is simplicity in Christ, and thinking about things in these simple terms is helpful to me. What I'm seeing these days in the bible are three main themes which run throughout: 1) God's love; 2) His Image; and 3) Dominion over the earth and the enemy. 

(BTW: This is just what I'm seeing and I don't mean for this to be something dogmatic - just sharing what I'm seeing and contemplating . . .)

Love is such a big key to everything and understanding God and the bible. God's primary motivation toward us is love. He created us in love.  He created us according to His image and likeness - He is the very highest in the universe and so He created man in His own image!  WOW! (the enemy must tremble a bit when he looks at man and sees the image of God!) And by giving us His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), inherent with this comes dominion.  Man was made to look like the Creator, so he could effectively rule over all the earth and a mutual enemy.  But of course, in Genesis chapter three a "little" problem comes along and this seemingly thwarts God's plan for man to bear His image and have dominion -->  Sin and death comes in with all its woes, but our Savior comes to rescue us and restore man to God's original purpose and fellowship!  

Therefore I see love, image and dominion as running themes from Genesis to Revelation . . .

In my musing on this, I thought to take each of these themes and list some things that flow from them:

Love: Grace - Mercy - Redemption -Fellowship - Family - Relationship - Hope - Building up - Long suffering - Kindness - Joy - Gentleness (see 1 Cor 13 for more)

Image: Glory! - Light - His Face - Righteousness - Transformation - Truth/Reality - Testimony - Creativeness - Life - Law (His standards) - Spirit (comes to guide us and change us into His image)

Dominion: Kingdom - Ruling - Reigning - Authority - Power - Crushing (Satan's head) - Ability - Peace

 

"What is man that Thou art mindful of him?"  Psalm 8:4

 

Thanks for reading and may this be edifying to the glorious body of Christ!

Edited July 12, 2023 by Vine Abider
Added glory (under image)! Then added redemption (under love)

[Vine Abider]

Just a note - woke up this morning realizing I had left out the word "GLORY!" from the image list . . . so it is now added in the OP.

[Vine Abider]

Bump

[Vine Abider]

With this thread not being responded to, I can't tell what anyone thinks about it . . . maybe nobody strongly agreed or disagreed, or perhaps it's just boring. 

[Neighbor]

Well I'll attempt a response; whoopie eh? What I see in the Bible is the reveal of Jesus.

It is so well articulated by Rev. W. A. Criswell in his penned piece titled The Scarlet Thread Of Redemption that I find it best to simply refer to that article which is in the Criswell Study Bible forward. The text can be found in a few locations online as well including at the Criswell website, which can be found by looking for W.A. Criswell 1995 The Scarlet Thread Through The Bible. The text is accompanied by a video  of his sermon as well. I'd include the link, but it does contain the video as well, so I am simply  indicating how one may find it rather than linking to it.

[Neighbor]

On 6/15/2023 at 6:49 PM, Vine Abider said:

As a big picture guy,

Ha struck me funny upon seeing a big  picture of a head on a very small icon beside a statement of being a big picture guy. But then silly things tickle my funny bone.

Seriously,  for a moment anyway, if one wants the big picture boiled down to one word it is redemption.

The Bible is a book of redemption. Just one thing, all one has to do is figure out how they fit in, to that one thing. It is simple enough, heed the call by the Holy Spirit, turn to Jesus recognizing His Lordship.

[AdHoc]

On 6/16/2023 at 12:49 AM, Vine Abider said:

As a big picture guy, I like to summarize, simplify and condense things down so I can get my head around them. I think there is simplicity in Christ, and thinking about things in these simple terms is helpful to me. What I'm seeing these days in the bible are three main themes which run throughout: 1) God's love; 2) His Image; and 3) Dominion over the earth and the enemy. 

(BTW: This is just what I'm seeing and I don't mean for this to be something dogmatic - just sharing what I'm seeing and contemplating . . .)

Love is such a big key to everything and understanding God and the bible. God's primary motivation toward us is love. He created us in love.  He created us according to His image and likeness - He is the very highest in the universe and so He created man in His own image!  WOW! (the enemy must tremble a bit when he looks at man and sees the image of God!) And by giving us His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), inherent with this comes dominion.  Man was made to look like the Creator, so he could effectively rule over all the earth and a mutual enemy.  But of course, in Genesis chapter three a "little" problem comes along and this seemingly thwarts God's plan for man to bear His image and have dominion -->  Sin and death comes in with all its woes, but our Savior comes to rescue us and restore man to God's original purpose and fellowship!  

Therefore I see love, image and dominion as running themes from Genesis to Revelation . . .

In my musing on this, I thought to take each of these themes and list some things that flow from them:

Love: Grace - Mercy - Fellowship - Family - Relationship - Hope - Building up - Long suffering - Kindness - Joy - Gentleness (see 1 Cor 13 for more)

Image: Glory! - Light - His Face - Righteousness - Transformation - Truth/Reality - Testimony - Creativeness - Life - Law (His standards) - Spirit (comes to guide us and change us into His image)

Dominion: Kingdom - Ruling - Reigning - Authority - Power - Crushing (Satan's head) - Ability - Peace

 

                                              "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?"  Psalm 8:4

 

Thanks for reading and may this be edifying!

 

9 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Well I'll attempt a response; whoopie eh? What I see in the Bible is the reveal of Jesus.

It is so well articulated by Rev. W. A. Criswell in his penned piece titled The Scarlet Thread Of Redemption that I find it best to simply refer to that article which is in the Criswell Study Bible forward. The text can be found in a few locations online as well including at the Criswell website, which can be found by looking for W.A. Criswell 1995 The Scarlet Thread Through The Bible. The text is accompanied by a video  of his sermon as well. I'd include the link, but it does contain the video as well, so I am simply  indicating how one may find it rather than linking to it.

 

9 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Ha struck me funny upon seeing a big  picture of a head on a very small icon beside a statement of being a big picture guy. But then silly things tickle my funny bone.

Seriously,  for a moment anyway, if one wants the big picture boiled down to one word it is redemption.

The Bible is a book of redemption. Just one thing, all one has to do is figure out how they fit in, to that one thing. It is simple enough, heed the call by the Holy Spirit, turn to Jesus recognizing His Lordship.

I agree with both sentiments, but that's not logical. In our puny intellects it is EITHER / OR. Let me try and make sense of this.

Strictly speaking Image and Dominion where the stated goals with mankind (Genesis 1:26-28). Then man fell and needed to be redeemed. This God did, and we should be able to return to IMAGE and DOMINION. But it is plain that the redemption of man by Jesus Christ is, as one above reported, a thread throughout the Bible. Why?

What did Jesus of Bethlehem do? The answer is:- The Unthinkable! Which king in the history of this universe would allow His ONLY BELOVED SON, who was INNOCENT of any crime, go to His death as a SUBSTITUTE for a bunch of DESERVING CRIMINALS? In my experience the sons of kings receive PRIVILEGED treatment. Now we know why 1st Corinthians 1 says that our Lord Jesus is a stumbling block for the Jews and foolishness for the Gentiles.

The fact is, the incarnation, human life, human death and human resurrection of the Son of the Eternal God, is so mind-blowing, that it, by default, becomes the focal point of the Bible. God's prime attribute is RIGHTEOUSNESS. Before He moves, righteousness must be satisfied. He might want to forgive, extend mercy and even bless His enemies - BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST BE SATISFIED.

God, in His righteousness, could not command Jesus to go to His death for sinners. He could ASK him, but it had to be VOLUNTARY. Gethsemane was the "hour of darkness". Satan had attempted to get Jesus to receive at His own hand in the wilderness. Jesus had countered with God's Word. But in Gethsemane the full horror of Golgotha was displayed in detail before His eyes, and for the first time Jesus admits that He would rather not drink that cup. This is decisive! If our Lord Jesus had gone according to righteousness, mankind would have been lost. There was no other Savior. But our Lord Jesus went according to LOVE. John 14:31 gives explicitly the motivation that drove Jesus to say yes: 

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. (Jn.14:30–31)

And so the King's Son going to His death and resurrection becomes the focal point of a Great Book that is actually about the Kingdom. As God ushers in the New Heavens and the New Earth, He assures us that "ALL things are NEW"..... But the designation "LAMB", a part of the Old, stays forever.

[Walter and Deborah]

On 6/28/2023 at 3:02 PM, Vine Abider said:

With this thread not being responded to, I can't tell what anyone thinks about it . . . maybe nobody strongly agreed or disagreed, or perhaps it's just boring. 

Well Hello Vine Abider, Agree

Love, Walter

Edited July 10, 2023 by Walter and Deborah
More info.

[Vine Abider]

20 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

Strictly speaking Image and Dominion where the stated goals with mankind (Genesis 1:26-28). Then man fell and needed to be redeemed. This God did, and we should be able to return to IMAGE and DOMINION. But it is plain that the redemption of man by Jesus Christ is, as one above reported, a thread throughout the Bible. Why?

Firstly, if you had not commented on this thread, I wouldn't have seen the response by @Neighbor at all. (so thanks) Must have been other things going on . . . 

Secondly I think you are spot on here!  There was original purpose as God stated in Genesis 1:26 - image and dominion.  But man fell.  So then the focus of the rest of it is redemption - bringing man back to God's original intention.

[Marilyn C]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:49 AM, Vine Abider said:

As a big picture guy, I like to summarize, simplify and condense things down so I can get my head around them. I think there is simplicity in Christ, and thinking about things in these simple terms is helpful to me. What I'm seeing these days in the bible are three main themes which run throughout: 1) God's love; 2) His Image; and 3) Dominion over the earth and the enemy. 

(BTW: This is just what I'm seeing and I don't mean for this to be something dogmatic - just sharing what I'm seeing and contemplating . . .)

Love is such a big key to everything and understanding God and the bible. God's primary motivation toward us is love. He created us in love.  He created us according to His image and likeness - He is the very highest in the universe and so He created man in His own image!  WOW! (the enemy must tremble a bit when he looks at man and sees the image of God!) And by giving us His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), inherent with this comes dominion.  Man was made to look like the Creator, so he could effectively rule over all the earth and a mutual enemy.  But of course, in Genesis chapter three a "little" problem comes along and this seemingly thwarts God's plan for man to bear His image and have dominion -->  Sin and death comes in with all its woes, but our Savior comes to rescue us and restore man to God's original purpose and fellowship!  

Therefore I see love, image and dominion as running themes from Genesis to Revelation . . .

In my musing on this, I thought to take each of these themes and list some things that flow from them:

Love: Grace - Mercy - Fellowship - Family - Relationship - Hope - Building up - Long suffering - Kindness - Joy - Gentleness (see 1 Cor 13 for more)

Image: Glory! - Light - His Face - Righteousness - Transformation - Truth/Reality - Testimony - Creativeness - Life - Law (His standards) - Spirit (comes to guide us and change us into His image)

Dominion: Kingdom - Ruling - Reigning - Authority - Power - Crushing (Satan's head) - Ability - Peace

 

                                              "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?"  Psalm 8:4

 

Thanks for reading and may this be edifying!

Wonderful themes. And the amazing revelation is that Christ, who is `the very highest in the universe,` (as you said) should make some of the human race, sons that He will have reign with Him in glory over all. (Rev. 3: 21)