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Age of Decision


   Man was made in the image of his Creator, and Adam was first given to live within a righteous setting. Man was given the privilege and ability to reason, remember and imagine, for the purpose of making decisions, unlike any of God's other earthy creations. Adam possessed these God given abilities, but he personally knew only righteousness and had not yet tasted sin. Man was also given a mate, which he named Eve and they were both presented with only one rule to test their loyalty to their Creator. Jehovah God designated one tree in the midst of their environment that Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat of its fruit, "but the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you may not eat of it, you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:17), but all the other trees they could freely eat. The first couple had that one simple but solemn decision before them daily, and Adam's purity would remain until he would choose to eat from this particular tree. Adam and Eve had no personal understanding of sin or its consequences, only of God's instruction and His warning. Adam's world and his character was perfect and flawless but man was not yet complete, nor were they ready to share eternity with their Father. In God's perfect wisdom, He knew man needed to understand the love he had already received from his Creator, by God bringing them into existence and giving them a pristine environment to experience, but Adam needed to step beyond obedience, and to decide to love his God Jehovah, from his own understanding and reasoning. Love needs to be a free will decision, just as Jehovah decided to create mankind in order to share His love with them and to receive man's love in return. The "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" was put in the Garden to present him with a choice, to obey God's command or to disobey, to trust his Creator or to doubt His word and His intensions. The Bible doesn't indicate how long he did not eat and continued to make the decision to obey God's one command, but at some point he did fall from obedience and he did eat from that one forbidden tree.

   We all know the story, even though many believe it to be just a story, but according to God's word, Adam, the very first man was not born but was created, "And Jehovah God formed the man out of the dust from the ground, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7) and by his own free will, decided to eat of the fruit from the forbidden tree. The Bible also doesn't explain Adam's reasoning, whether he ate from curiosity, or that he couldn't bare the thought of being without his wife, since she ate first from the forbidden tree, and did not die. Adam knew this was wrong, but sin still wasn't part of man's understanding, having only lived in this perfect sinless garden environment. Jehovah knew man needed to first, experience sin, for the purpose of fully understanding both good and evil, in order to make his decision to love His Creator, this could only be made by his own wisdom and desire. Eve, having been tricked by the serpent (Satan) ate first, then Adam ate, both tasting the forbidden fruit against their Creator's instruction, but Adam's decision was the first sin for mankind because he made the decision to disobeyed God's instruction; the results of Adam's fall remains with us today, just as Adam, every one who decides to disregard one of God's commandments has sinned and the result is the same. Adam and his wife soon experienced a consequence of their sin, God projected mankind into a different setting and an altered nature; entering man into an age of decision, lasting until the courts in Heaven have finished its work of judgment.

   The question that presents itself from this is: did Jehovah expect or depend on Adam to make that fatal leap to sin? If you read further, you'll understand why I believe He did know and that Adam's fall was part of God's plan. When Adam made that decision, the human status changed from a righteous nature, not knowing sin, to a sinful nature of knowing right and wrong, and accompanying this new nature was, and is still is, an internal battle, because of Satan's constant influence to turn us away from our God and Father. Satan (Lucifer) introduced sin into existence while in the presence of God and His holy angels, hence, Satan was cast out of Heaven to earth, and there remains a constant negative force directed toward man. Shortly after Adam's fall, the couple was exiled from the Garden of Eden and was denied access to the most important tree in the garden, the Tree of Life, "And He drove the man out. And He caused to dwell the cherubs at the east of the Garden of Eden, and the flaming sword whirling around to guard the way of the tree of life." (Genesis 3:24). This presented Adam and Eve with many daily challenges, having a new and expanded agenda, because the world around them also changed, the animals and the plants, plus the decaying nature of all things, including themselves, this was now part of Adam's world. Mankind, and the world itself was given a death sentence. Their exile from the garden in itself, indicates to me that God anticipated and planned that Adam would disobey His command, because the Garden of Eden was a separate and special place from the rest of earth and the first couple was cast out of this Garden to labor for their daily necessities.

    Satan and the angels that followed him were cast out of Heaven, "And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent being called Devil and Satan, he deceiving the whole world, was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9) and he was given charge over the earth and he continues to tempt man at every opportunity. I say, "at every opportunity" because God Jehovah is in complete control over all things, including Satan, allowing him only some freedom to temp man and act against us, but only within Jehovah's plans and His will, by means of preventing, allowing or causing things to happen, to achieve His eternal purposes.

    Since Adam's fatal decision, the human race, the descendents of the first couple, have continued in this age of decision, at different levels and intensities and this age will continue until every saint has been sealed, "Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we seal the slaves of our God on their foreheads." (Revelation 7:3), and then the judgment courts in Heaven will be closed, for all those who fear and love Jehovah, and for those who chose differently or didn't consider choosing, "Then those fearing Jehovah spoke together, each one to his neighbor. And Jehovah gave attention and heard. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Jehovah and those who esteemed His name." (Malachi 3:16), those chosen, their names will be entered into the Book of Life, "saying in a great voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him, because the hour of His judgment has come; also, worship Him who has made the Heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." (Revelation 14:7), and, "And if anyone was not found having been written in the Scroll of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire." (Revelation 20:15). This will take place a thousand years after Christ returns and collects His chosen saints, "The one acting unjustly, let him still act unjustly; and the filthy; let him still be filthy; and the righteous, let him still do righteousness; and the holy, let him still be Holy. And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to give to each as his work is." (Revelation 22:11,12). God's judgment day will be completed before Christ returns for His saints at the first resurrection, "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were ended. This was the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death has no authority over these, but they will be priest of God and of Christ, and will rein with Him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:5,6). Then the count of time will end shortly after the second resurrection, for those that will be lost in the lake of fire by death, and for those chosen to enter into Jehovah's kingdom by the commencement of eternity. Unlike Adam, who stood on righteous ground and had just one command to consider, Adam's challenge was to avoid forfeiting his righteous state, in contrast, our challenge and objective, since Adam's fall is to cleanse ourselves from the sins we have already committed, by confession and repentance and to exercise righteousness, only. It is our daily and continual decision to do what is right, according to the commands of God and by our commitment to following His Son's lead until the end of this age of decision. Christ's first advent challenge was to lead a righteous life for the purpose of qualifying Himself as the perfect sacrifice, "On the morrow, John sees Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29), enabling Him to pay the price for man's repented sins in the eyes of Jehovah, our Judge. We are called to follow Christ's lead in righteousness and to die of ourselves as He died for us at Calvary. This walk through the age of decision doesn't take us back to Adam's position before his fall, but to prepare us to the next age in everlasting righteousness. Adam knew not sin and needed to learn and understand good and evil for the purpose of making wise decisions and the same for us, toward the next age. Again, our purpose in this age is to move from our unrighteous state to a cleansed and pure position, knowing and understanding good and evil and to deciding either by our personal choices, hopefully using the education available to us, available in purity, only in God's word and wisely choosing life. This is based on our daily decisions in this age, to the next age of permanent righteousness where we will experience all the blessings Jehovah has planned for an eternity with Him and the Heavenly hosts, because we have proved our hearts desire for righteousness, by consuming all of Jehovah's words and performing God's commands, just as Christ did during His first advent. Pursuing Jehovah's character and understanding the reasons for His commands, that they are all perfect and pure, "The law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of Jehovah is pure, making the simple wise." (Psalm 19:7), "So indeed the law is holy, and the commandments holy and just and good." (Romans 7:10); moving His divine law, first to our head, then to our heart, for each law to be our desire and our personal commitment, transforming our character to the character of God, which is also the character of the Son of God, our Shepherd, Jesus, the Messiah of Jehovah.

    Jesus was sent to us to reveal His Father, the God of all existence, and our Father to us and to transfer His character to us, through the one Book Christ gave us, by Christ's inspiration to all the writers of the Old and the New Testaments. Christ gave us examples this Book of right and wrong, plus explanations, warnings and prophecies, to enlighten us to choose salvation. Since Adam's sin, we were denied direct communication with our God and Father, but Jesus, having come in a human state, "but we do see Jesus crowned with glory and honor, who on account of suffering of death, was made a little less then the angels, so that by the grace of God He might taste of death for every son." (Hebrews 2:9), and shared with us the knowledge and character of His Father. Christ is now our only Advocate and Mediator, bridging the gap between God and His people, "For God is one, also there is one Mediator of God and of man, the Man Christ Jesus." (I Timothy 2:5). If we choose God Jehovah as our destination and Christ as our Way to the Father, He will lead us along this spiritual journey, represented to us in the journeys of the Israelites, and then we can enter the next age, to an existence that God had planned for us, even before Adam's first breath. Our arrival depends on our daily decisions and our success depends on if we take advantage of Christ's offer, to lead us home and to supply the strength all of us need, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and we may find grace for help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16). All steps and directions are within the pages of God's word and it must be read often for continual spiritual nourishment, needed for this life's journey to the next with Jehovah in His kingdom.

    When we see Christ at His second advent and we are filled with joy and not shame, we enter the next age, an age that now can only be dreamed, because this has never been realized by any man, with three exceptions, Adam didn't experience this future state, although he was given a glimpse. Adam know righteousness before he then sinned but afterwards, he had the same daily decisions to make as we have been confronted with, during this age of decision. Enoch, Elijah and Moses, are the only men we know of who have already been translated into Heaven, who are in the presence of Jehovah, God. Why were these men translated before the first resurrection? Could it be because they walked correctly in the light of Jehovah? This is our task during this age of decision, every other human decision pales in comparison. Now is the time to seek cleanliness, in preparation for Jehovah's kingdom, and we are not on our own, we have all the help we need and request, from our Shepherd, Jesus, but it is our decisions and our personal efforts to seek the righteousness available through the guidance, power and strength of God's only-begotten So, Christ Jesus.

    When the courts in Heaven are closed, the saints will have been sealed, permanently, according to Jehovah's just judgment, each will either be set for eternal life or eternal death. Translation doesn't transform anyone from unrighteousness to righteousness, read Revelation 22:11 (given earlier), it secures the character we have selected; to those who have worked out righteous in this life, "So then my beloved, even as you always obeys, not as in my presence only, but now much rather in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) and we will continue and remain that way, according the choices we have make during this cleansing age of decision, "And now what do you intend? Rising up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16), "I will sacrifice to You the sacrifice of thanks, and will call on the name of Jehovah." (Psalm 116:17) and, "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined. And I will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, It is My people, and they will say, Jehovah is my God" (Zechariah 13:9). There is no second chance; the time is right now for our preparation for God's eternal kingdom.

     Jehovah stated, "forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil - I Jehovah do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7), and this indicates that He had fore knowledge of man's fall and that the age of decision is a necessary step to assure God that those who will enter His kingdom will wholeheartedly want to enter, because they made it their effort to purify themselves during this current age, only because they came to understand the beauty and perfection of Jehovah's character and His government, which is represented in His laws and Commandments. Righteousness is a decision to make and to strive toward by our repentance and by our hope in Christ, the strength that He desires to share; help that is available to all who make the commitment in cleansing themselves of their impurities, just as the priest of the temple did before they entered in the presence of Jehovah to perform their duties, and to seek Jehovah's forgiveness, " ...For Jehovah searches out all hearts, and He understands every imagination of thought. If you shall seek Him, He shall be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." (I Chronicles 28:9). This is our responsibility.

   Another important point that supports God's design for us to go through this age of decision is that the forbidden tree in the garden was given a special name, " the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." (Genesis 2:9). Jehovah could have selected any tree to test Adam and Eve for their obedience, but this name shows us Jehovah's intention toward an age of learning of good and evil for the decisions in front of everyone, from the "fall" on. We need to know evil by personal experience and in viewing others in order to fully understand good, we need to choose righteousness for the correct and pure reason, because righteousness is best for all involved. If we come to understand that this is the only system that can sustain co-existence with others of the human race, we need to know this now, without question so our decisions are pure with no reservations. We will be made permanent in the state we choose now, for an eternity, either righteousness or otherwise, again, read Revelations 22:11,12. Evil is all around us and with us, it is our choice to avoid and discard evil and seek personal purity.

   Where does the Flood fit into this equation? From my understanding, God does not see the future, however He does have complete control of the future, consequently, He does know how things will proceed forward and He is sure of the ending. He can and will allow, plus cause things to happen, according to His perfect plan, as He did with Pharaoh and with king Nebuchadnezzar, which are only two of the many examples. He also prevents things from happening, having control of Satan and of us, if He desires to change the course of the way things are going. He does not take away the privilege that He gave us, to make our own decisions, but if we choose something contrary to God's eternal plan for us, He simply gives the opportunity to one of the many others to perform His will. The Flood may have been God's reaction to man's consistent disregard in making correct choices. The other possibility is that God needed to show the human race that He is consistent with His concern for us to do righteousness and He allowed men to go in their own sinful path so He could, by example of His worldwide flood, show us the result of sinful paths. The fire He warns us about will not be another example but the end of evil, "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and those having become foul, and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the lying ones, their part will be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8). We need to take the entire Book of God's instructions to heart; it is the only way to know the truth. All the words of man, needs to be confirmed with God's word, and if any part is contrary to Jehovah's perfect way, it is to be discarded or ignored. This age of decision has its finally, and the next age is the life Jehovah and His Son has wanted and planned for humanity, from Adam's first breath on, but God leaves it up to us to decide where we are to spend eternity, with Jehovah and Jesus or in the lake of Fire.