Mirror Image

I love to study duality in the bible. I guess it's because my mind has been trained to see it everywhere. I rarely read a passage without being reminded of other scriptures that relate to the same subject. Each verse complements another, each is incomplete without the other.

An example is the story of man's very creation. Genesis 1:26-31 reveals that, on the sixth day of creation week, God created man in his own image. The Hebrew word for image is tselem, meaning resemblance. Mankind was made to resemble God, our Creator, although in earthen vessels. Why would He choose mankind, out of all His creation, to resemble Him? David, King of Israel, no doubt pondered these things. In Psa 8:4-6 he asks, "What is man, that thou are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet." Let's go back to Gen 1:26-28 where we learn that it was God's intention and purpose, not only to create man in his own image, but give man dominion over the earth. However, we don't see man yet crowned with the life and glory that David spoke of. Can we glean more information from other scriptures? Look at Hebrews 2:6-18, where the writer quotes the very scripture that we read in Psa 8:4-6. After quoting David's words, he continues in verse 8 with the same comment I made; that we do not yet see all things put under man's feet. Continuing in verse 9, he goes on to say that we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour following his death on the cross.

The remainder of this passage goes on to answer our original question. Why have we been made in the image of God? We learn more in the following verses, which are quite astounding! We are told that Jesus intends to share his very glory with us. We were created in the image of God because we were created to be the children of God. The apostle Paul, in Romans 8:16-17,tells us, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ...". He goes on to explain that our destiny is to be glorified with Christ. Yet, at the present time we are subject to the bondage of the flesh. Our glory is for a future day when we shall be set free from these fleshly, decaying bodies.

I began by saying how much I love the duality of the bible. I Cor 15, often called the resurrection chapter in the bible, is a perfect example. Paul makes the comparison here betweeen being born of the flesh and being born of the Spirit.

Adam was the figure of him that was to come. As Adam was born of the flesh, so Christ was born of the Spirit. Adam’s sin brought death to many, but Christ’s death following many sins, brought life. The writer uses numerous comparisons to bring the message home to us. The offence of Adam brought condemnation whereas Christ, following many offences, offers justification. Death reigned the world through Adam's sin, but life reigns through Christ. As through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, by the obedience of one man many shall be made righteous.

This chapter in the bible really highlights what I term the mirror image of God’s plan of salvation. The entire chapter is concerning the resurrection of the dead, beginning with the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Beginning with verse 22 we read that, as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. Verse 35 addresses the obvious question, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” Notice the imagery in the following verses. Paul's audience lived in an agrarian society, so he used an example they would be familiar with. He used the analogy of a seed. When the bare seed is sown, it's body is not the same as that which breaks forth from the ground. God gives each seed the body that he has prepared for it. So will it be as pertaining to the resurrection. The body is sown in corruption and raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor and raised in glory. It is sown in weakness and raised in power. It is sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body. The first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening spirit. The natural comes first, but afterwards that which is spiritual. The first man is earthly. The second man is the Lord from heaven. As we have borne the image of the earthly, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly. Corruption shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality.

In the beginning, God created Adam in his image, after his likeness. God breathed into his nostrils and he became a living soul, a mortal being. So is man’s lot in these physical bodies, these earthen vessels. We are mortal creatures subject to death and decay. In order to receive life, eternal life, we must be changed. Christ paved the way for our transformation. He was the first to be resurrected from the dead. I Cor 15:22-23, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” I close with I Cor. 15:50-52, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

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