In the series titled God’s Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe I presented Scriptural evidence that mortal man will one day judge angels, judge the world, rule the earth, then have the entire universe as his habitat.  The question is, why?  Why would Jesus allow mere human beings to help Him establish the Kingdom of God on earth following His return?  Why would He use them to teach those in the second resurrection for 1000 years?  Read The Three Resurrections.  Key Word–Resurrections.  Why would He allow men to rule the New Earth and New Heaven for eternity?  Why would He allow them to live with Him and the Father in Their universe headquarters in New Jerusalem which the Father will bring with Him when He comes to earth to live?

The “why?” question has an interesting answer.  Another question: What happens to God’s saints upon Christ’s arrival, their resurrection, their rebirth which will cause them to be “as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2)?  Revelation 1 describes Him and His born again saints physically.  But that is not the only way in which saints will be like Him.  This Truth came to me some time ago when I read, a passage of Scripture that I had read many times but failed to see a particular word which changed my entire concept of the place man will occupy in the hereafter.  The passage is found in 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the MAN Jesus Christ.”  I knew the Almighty was speaking to me when that word seemed to fly off the page.  This is a common occurrence.  He allows me to ponder something for some time, then He hits me with a answer to my question or with confirmation of a belief.

There are times when I believe something but do not have Scriptural proof of it.  At the proper time The Lord provides the Scriptural proof.  My belief that Jesus was 100% man while on earth was confirmed when He told me that JESUS OF NAZARETH IS STILL A MAN and that He will remain a man throughout eternity, albeit in His born again (spirit) body.  Those who obey Him in this life will be like Him following rebirth and the receiving of eternal life.  Note that He referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” (Mat. 8:20).  Like Him, the sons of men who obey Him in this life will enter the Kingdom of God in their born again bodies.  In the previous posting I noted that Christ’s spiritual brethren are “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.”  Like Him, His saints will continue to be the same people they were in their previous lives.  Like Him they will be born again from physical to spiritual, and like Him they will receive the same inheritance–the universe.

I am making two points in this posting.  I want to to prove that Jesus was a human during His earthly walk and remains a human to this day.  I also want to prove that those who are like Him in this life will continue to be like Him in the future–glorified (born again) human beings.

Another passage that grabbed my attention relative to this subject is found in Acts 22:8 where Jesus is confronting Saul of Tarsus as he lays in the dust of the Damascus road.  When Saul asked who He was, He answered: “I AM JESUS OF NAZARETH ….”  Note it: a generation after He had ascended into heaven He was still identifying Himself by His human name.  He was (and is) the same man He was while on earth, only made immortal by being born again–changed from physical to spirit–glorified.  Like Him, the saints’ only change will involve their bodily composition.  They will be the same people they were in this life, just as Jesus is the same as He was in His earthly life.  The only changes are those mentioned in Revelation 1 relative to hair color and fiery eyes.  Recall that John recognized Him because he had spent 3 1/2 years with Him and knew what Jesus looked like.  The Being speaking to him looked the same as He had some 70 years earlier, His hair and eyes notwithstanding.

Why does the Lord want us to know these Truths?  The answer is rejected by the Institutional Church.  JESUS DIVESTED HIMSELF OF ALL OF HIS GODNESS WHEN HE CAME TO EARTH AS A MAN.  HE WAS TEMPTED AS ARE ALL MEN.  HE FACED  PERSECUTION ON EVERY HAND AS DO HIS SAINTS.  HE DID NOT FAIL.  THEREFORE HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT (COMMAND) EVERY PERSON WHO WANTS TO JOIN HIM TO “WALK (CONDUCT HIS/HER LIFE) AS HE WALKED” AND TO “OVERCOME (SATAN) AS I OVERCAME (HIM).”  Jesus came to earth as a human, lived as a human, overcame as a human and will receive His inheritance as a human, WHO IS ALSO A GOD.  He set the example–the TOTAL EXAMPLE–for humans to follow.  Those who are victorious over Satan will receive the exact same inheritance as He will receive–THEY WILL BECOME GODS AS HE IS GOD.  That was the purpose of His coming to earth.

In John 10:24-35 Jesus speaks to the man-becoming-god issue.  The counterfeit church rejects this Biblical Truth outright.  This is one “headline” that is summarily rejected, along with God’s “fine print” relative to the subject.  Keep in mind that saints are JOINT-HEIRS with Christ.  Whatever He has inherited (godship) and will inherit (the universe) they will also.  Whatever He is, they will be.  He is both man and God.  His saints will be both men and gods.  This is chill-down-spine level information.

In John 10 Jesus is confronted by some Jews who are questioning Him because He claimed to be the Son of God–the Christ (anointed One).  Understand that in the Middle Eastern culture of that day a son had the same power as his father.  Therefore, to those people, when Jesus called God His Father, He, a man, was calling Himself a god.  They took up stones to kill Him because “… You, a man, make Yourself God” (vs 33).  Notice what Jesus said to them about that issue: “Is it not written in your Law, “I (JESUS) SAID, YOU ARE GODS?” (vs 34).  If He (Jesus as the Word–the God of the Old Testament) called them (Israelites) gods, to whom came the Word of God, and the Scripture cannot be broken, why do you accuse Me of blasphemy because I said that I am the Son of God?”  Jesus was repeating what He had said to the Israelites through King David as recorded in Psalm 82:6 where He had called them “gods,” meaning that they would become gods if they obeyed Him.  In John 10 Jesus is speaking to their descendants, telling them the same thing–that they were potential gods.  God wants to reproduce Himself in mortal humans so that they can become immortal gods.

Jesus is telling us the same thing.  He said, “I am the Lord; I change not.”  “He is the same yesterday, today and forever.”  One day He will be joined by men who, like Him, have become universe-ruling, angel-judging gods by living their earthly lives as He lived (“walked”) His.

For those to whom the preceding sentence is blasphemous, consider the following: Jesus called human beings “gods”; only gods can judge angels; only gods can judge the world; saints will judge angels and the world (1 Cor. 6:2,3).  L.J.