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

[farouk]

1 minute ago, AdHoc said:

 The literal meaning of "kosmos" is "the adornment", or, "the orderly arrangement of things".

 

@AdHoc Interesting definition..........

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

YUP--I have seen this manifested in different ways over the years. Jesus made an interesting comment to Pilate, if memory serves. He said, my Kingdom is not of this world, if it were, my servants would fight....

This places the battle in a different realm and quite contrary to the battle cry of folks I once fellowshipped with; "Bring it on". The idea was that they were to bring on the Kingdom by taking dominion and living in such a way.

This notion has some appeal, but I found misguided.

And what I see in scripture is that the process is much more "organic" rather than something overtly done by man.  That is, the proper dominion will happen as we let Him be Lord in our own lives first, and let His life grow in us.  This is the life that overcomes and has proper and effective dominion . . . not some movement sourced in man's efforts.

[Mr. M]

On 6/15/2023 at 3:49 PM, Vine Abider said:

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:

Here is a theme I have noted running through the scriptures, I will leave it to you as to how it fits into your topic.

Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness [tsedakah H6666] and judgment [mishpat H4942]; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Deuteronomy 33:21 He provided the first part for himself,
Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.
He came with the heads of the people;
He administered the righteousness of the Lord,
And His judgments with Israel.

2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and righteousness to all his people. 

Psalm 103:6 The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

Psalm 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that does righteousness at all times.

Of course both words appear throughout the scriptures, but the way they were often paired had caught my eye.

The Lord makes an interesting statement that combines the two and adds what the Law demanded of Israel's judges, that being impartiality.

John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

The Holy Spirit brings these into our lives, and the Church. And the Lord also delights in mercy.

John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

Paul makes an interesting statement before Felix.

Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Temperance is essential for righteous judgment, or justice, for if we rush to judgment, we neglect mercy.

[Vine Abider]

17 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Here is a theme I have noted running through the scriptures, I will leave it to you as to how it fits into your topic.

Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness [tsedakah H6666] and judgment [mishpat H4942]; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Deuteronomy 33:21 He provided the first part for himself,
Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.
He came with the heads of the people;
He administered the righteousness of the Lord,
And His judgments with Israel.

2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and righteousness to all his people. 

Psalm 103:6 The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

Psalm 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that does righteousness at all times.

Of course both words appear throughout the scriptures, but the way they were often paired had caught my eye.

The Lord makes an interesting statement that combines the two and adds what the Law demanded of Israel's judges, that being impartiality.

John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

The Holy Spirit brings these into our lives, and the Church. And the Lord also delights in mercy.

John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

Paul makes an interesting statement before Felix.

Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Temperance is essential for righteous judgment, or justice, for if we rush to judgment, we neglect mercy.

Thanks!  To me, righteousness is about His character, and that is reflected in His image.  To have someone's image and likeness is you reflect who they are to others.  We are being transformed into Christ's image, who is the image of the invisible God. (Col 1:15) We therefore reflect His character, which includes His love, light and righteousness.

[Mr. M]

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

His character,

His character, or attributes, are in His Name.

Exodus 34:

5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 

6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 

7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.

Man was created in the image and likeness of God.  Without the Son, man could never reflect His attributes.

Hebrews 1:

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

This is a theme throughout also...

"For My/His Name Sake".

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=name's+sake&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1

[AdHoc]

4 hours ago, farouk said:

@AdHoc Interesting definition..........

Yes. It surprises many. Here is Vine on the word:

kosmos (κόσμος, 2889), “a harmonious arrangement or order,” then, “adornment, decoration,” came to denote “the world, or the universe, as that which is divinely arranged.” The meaning “adorning” is found in 1 Pet. 3:3. Elsewhere it signifies “the world.” Cf. kosmios, decent, modest, 1 Tim. 2:9; 3:2. See WORLD.

Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 14). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.

[AdHoc]

2 hours ago, Mr. M said:

2 Samuel 8:15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and righteousness to all his people. 

Yes. This is the sense of dominion by a servant of the Lord. See also

16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Ro 14:16–17)

2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Pr 29:2)

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mt 13:43)

etc., etc.

[Mr. M]

On 6/15/2023 at 3:49 PM, Vine Abider said:

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

All three flow into One...L, I, D

1 Corinthians 15:

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Colossians 1:

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom (D) of the Son(I) of His love (L), 

14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (D). 

16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

Revelation 4:11 You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.

John 17: (the perfect summation) highlights

:6 I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 

:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name...

:14 I have given them Your word...

20 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those

who will believe in Me through their word; 

21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me,

and I in You; that they also may be one in Us...

22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, 

that they may be one just as We are one: 

23 I in them, and You in Me; 

that they may be made perfect in one...

Psalm 138:

1 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

Magooed.

[Mr. M]

10 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

Yes. This is the sense of dominion by a servant of the Lord. See also

16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Ro 14:16–17)

2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Pr 29:2)

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear (Mt 13:43)

etc., etc.

Amen.

In a kingdom and dominion of which

we can be but servants, in humility. 

2 Co 1:24 Not that we have dominion over your faith,

but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.

[Marilyn C]

7 hours ago, AdHoc said:

In it God outlines the gentile dominion until, in one single event, God's people crush gentile rule and institute a Kingdom led and energized by God.

 

The Bible teaches that Israel, at first chosen for the implementation of this Kingdom, rejected their King and the Kingdom. God then turns to the Nations and takes a New People out of then to rule. But Christianity will apostatize itself and that a Remnant, who remain true, will join Christ in a one-off battle which will destroy the military might of the Gentiles, and thereafter institute a Kingdom in which God's rules will abide

 

`they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power & great glory. And He will send His angels..`      (Matt.24: 30 & 31)

`When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him...` (Matt. 25: 31)

`The Son of Man comes in His glory, & in the glory of the holy angels.`  (Luke 9: 26)

`when Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God,..` (2 Thess. 1: 7)

 

These Holy angels are the army who come with Jesus when he brings vengeance upon the ungodly.

 

6 hours ago, AdHoc said:

When His Church have overcome this area of conflict, He will then name His army to battle "flesh and blood" (Rev.19).

 

And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets...` (Zech. 14: 12)