Mystery of the Ages.PDF - Blow the Trumpet

But what do we mean by righteous character?Perfect, holy and righteous character is the ability in such separate entity to cometo discern the true and right way from the false, to make voluntarily a full andunconditional surrender to God and his perfect way--to yield to be conquered by God--todetermine even against temptation or self-desire, to live and to do the right. And eventhen such holy character is the gift of God. It comes by yielding to God to instill HISLAW (God's right way of life) within the entity who so decides and wills.Actually, this perfect character comes only from God, as instilled within the entityof his creation, upon voluntary acquiescence, even after severe trial and test.I have devoted a few paragraphs to this point because it is the supreme pinnaclemeans in God's overall PURPOSE!Now as to the prehistoric angels: God 1)created them with minds capable ofthinking, reasoning, making choices and decisions with self-will; and 2) revealed plainlyto them HIS TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS WAY. But God of necessity allowed them freemoral agency in accepting God's right way, or turning to contrary ways of their owndevising.What was God's ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE for the angels? Beyond question it isthat which, now, because of angelic rebellion, has become the transcendent potential ofhumans!As the testing ground, and opportunity for positive and active creativeaccomplishment, God created--brought into existence--the entire vast material universe.First of all, God had created angels. After that, and for angels and for humans whowere to be created later, God formed and brought into existence the earth and the entireuniverse.God now created not only matter, but with and in it energy and such laws as manhas discovered in the fields of physics and chemistry. God formed matter to be present inboth the organic and the inorganic states.And so we come now to that which is revealed in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning[of the physical universe] God created the heavens and the earth." These are material andphysical.As previously stated, in the Authorized Version will be found the word heaven inthe singular. But this originally was written by Moses in Hebrew. And in the Hebrew theword is in the plural--heavens--thus including not only our earth, but the entire materialUNIVERSE.It is therefore indicated that at that time--after the creation of angels--the entireuniverse was brought into existence at the same time as the creation of our earth. I findstrong indication of this in other biblical internal evidence, and also it is definitely statedin Genesis 2:4.The Perfect CreationThe original Hebrew words (the words written by Moses) imply a perfect creation. Godreveals himself as Creator of perfection, light and beauty. Every reference in the Bibledescribes the condition of any completed phase of God's creation as "very good"--perfect.