Romans – God's Timeline II: The Disruption of the World

 

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The Disruption of the World

If we are going to begin distinguishing the phrases in the text with reverence, let us go all in, and verify for ourselves where, if at all, the text mentions such a monumental catastrophe which separates the first heavens and earth and the second heavens and earth.

Thankfully, the Concordant folk have helped us greatly in this regard, highlighting another mistranslation in the text:

Foundation.

There are two separate words in Greek which are translated as “foundation” in the KJV: themlios, “PLACE-CARE,” and katabolê, “DOWN-CASTing.”

One of these, believe it or not, is an error. Can you guess which one it is?

Right, the one denoting a casting down isn’t really a way to build up, or found. The term “PLACE-CARE” appears in regards to laying a foundation for a house (Luke 6:48-49,) and a tower (Luke 14:29,) prison (Acts 16:26,) laying a foundation (Rom. 15:20, 1 Cor. 3:9,) of a city (Heb. 11:10,) and of the wall on New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14, 19^2.)

But down cast? This is supposed to mean founding something…? Right, and pigs fly. The term most often appears in conjunction with the genitive, “of the world” (Matt. 25:34, Luke 11:50, John 17:24, Eph. 1:4, Heb. 4:3, 9:26, 1 Pet. 1:20, Rev. 13:8, 17:8.) The word “world,” which, as we will study later, signifies a cosmic order, cannot have a literal foundation, nor should we strictly use the figurative use of a word in order to apprehend its literal definition. The final nail in the coffin becomes apparent with the verb form, “DOWN-CAST,” appearing in 2 Cor. 4:9, where Paul writes that he is “cast down, but not perishing.” How, pray tell, would Paul make any sense by saying he is “founded, but not perishing”??

We must understand that God’s use of any words here are perfect. He does not misspeak, and, as we’ve covered throughout the Romans series, His verbiage is precise (Ps. 12:6.) Unlike our use of words, His do not change, or become altered by man’s cultural shifts over the centuries. If man is translating two completely separate words as “foundation,” and only one of these makes any sort of sense, we should be re-evaluating the other, and consider it in light of the information that we have considered thus far.

And what have we considered? A deluge, a destructive affair which impacts not only the earth, but the entirety of the heavens surrounding it. Peter, in 2 Pet. 3:5, says that the earth “perished.” This is the oft-debated term apollumi, the elements being “FROM-LOOSE.” This term is fully expounded upon in Gen. 1:2 when God calls the first earth a “chaos and vacant.” This indicates to us a necessary divine judgment, similar to the second flood in Genesis 7. Though this event was, in a sense, “foundational” to the creation of this earth, we cannot say that this was the literal founding of the earth. As we’ve studied on a much smaller scope in Romans – that is, within ourselves – we have found that sin can only provoke God’s indignation, beget judgment, and thus bring death.

This is the effect of the sin which demanded God’s divine judgment of the first heaven and earth. But let us not stop here! We will soon consider how God uses this event to relate the ultimate purpose of the eons to us. This can only be realized in light of the “aion” discussion, and, in truth, only contributes to the purpose of the eons (less a practical explanation of their individual parts, though it plays a role,) so this will play out into the end of this mini-series. In the meantime, let us briefly consider some of these relational events.

Before the Disruption of the World

The disruption of the world, as intense as the term is, has already been explained quite bluntly in 2 Pet. 3:5, and its effects demonstrated in Gen. 1:2. However, God notably does not expand upon the scientific design or nature of the event. Of course, man would desire this explanation as “evidence” to the claim, but the Bible is a narrative book, not a scientific text. If God were to expound further upon the event beyond Peter and Moses’ exposition, we would not need much in the “faith” department (though, to be fair, it would not be much “easier” if “foundation” were the term used.) We cannot fully apprehend the event by considering it directly, but, in applying the proper translation, we may consider the revealed relational events surrounding it.

God speaks on three separate occasions in the NT concerning the time “before the disruption of the world.” The first appearance is found in Jesus’ prayer, in John 17:24–

Father, those whom You have given Me, I will that, where I am, they also may be with Me, that they may be beholding My glory which You have given Me, for You love Me before the disruption of the world.

So, before this divine judgment and condemnation of sin, before sin itself had even provoked a response from its Maker, God loved His Son.

This is important, for it reveals to us directly that God loves before the disruption. This shows us that Christ’s descent is not made “in order to win God’s love,” but in response to God’s love. He did not merely learn love, having emptied Himself of every characteristic (Phil. 2:7,) but displayed it by showing that it is not solely for Him, but for others who are allocated to be with Him during the millennial kingdom.

We read, on an even deeper level, Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:4–

[God] chooses us in [Christ] before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight…

We are chosen by God – highlighting the depth of God’s foreknowledge – before the first judgment against sin came about. This should highlight for us that there is no sin which we have committed during our journey which somehow erases God’s steadfast placement of the believer, for even our missteps are perfectly coordinated by Him to ensure that we become holy and flawless in His sight.

We see, finally, in 1 Pet. 1:19-20, that

[Twelve tribes are ransomed] with the precious blood of Christ, as of a flawless and unspotted lamb, foreknown indeed before the disruption of the world…

From the very beginning, the sacrifice that Christ would become greatly recontextualizes the cross. It is not God’s “hail mary,” not a reaction to sin. God had the cure for the disease before the disease was conceived. He’s not “out-maneuvering” sin, but guiding it for a set amount of time before discarding it. Now that sin has been dethroned, the way is paved for the rest of the plan, which will be shown throughout this series.

From the Disruption of the World

There are, in contrast, a few references to events which occur from the disruption of the world. These events will briefly be considered here, and complemented upon realizing the purpose of the eons. The first appearance of the phrase “from the disruption of the world” occurs in Matt. 25:34. In the passage, Jesus is speaking concerning nations (25:1, 32, cf Ps. 45:14,) judging them according to their dealings with Israel–

Then shall the King be declaring to those at His right, ‘Hither, blessed of My Father! Enjoy the allotment of the kingdom made ready for you from the disruption of the world.

There is a popular notion, of course, that this entire passage, from verses 31-46, indicate a future judgment for us. This is, per the first five chapters of Romans, a load of gobbledygook. We, per the literal prior verses just considered in Ephesians 1:4, receive a much higher allotment than these “sheep” nations receive. This will be apart from any consideration of our works, or our attitude or conduct toward Israel. For those nations, this tenancy here referred to was made known from the disruption of the world, whereas we were chosen before there was even need for such a choice to be made.

The kingdom in view will be unfolded upon the earth (Matt. 6:10.) On the first earth, prior to the disruption, there was no apparent need for a kingdom to be prepared. It is only upon the disruption of the world that subjection became of necessity.

The allotment which the nations will shortly receive, then, had to have been made ready from the disruption of the world, when the national perspective was immediately and necessarily prepared. By reminding us that this allotment for the nations was prepared from the disruption of the world, we are indeed thrown back to the second verse of the Bible. The following verses, which demonstrate God’s restoration, making the second earth, in itself sets the scene for this matter of rule to be conveyed. This, too, will be a prevalent theme throughout this series, particularly in the “eon/administration” portion of the study.

Arguably the most notable verses concerning the disruption is Revelation 13:8, where we read from John that–

All who are dwelling on the earth will be worshipping [the wild beast], everyone whose name is not written in the scroll of life in the Lambkin slain from the disruption of the world.

Obviously, we cannot claim that Christ was literally slain from the disruption of the world, for this did not occur until Golgotha. We are dealing with a figure to highlight how God reckoned with Christ throughout the story, until the time came for this reckoning to become reality. God prepared Isreal for this through the sacrificial types presented in Leviticus, and through their failure as rulers, setting up their need for a Savior.

But why is this from the disruption? Well, once the disruption actually occurred, it became apparent that something would be necessary to set things right. No one, at the time, but God and His Christ, could have foreseen the crucifixion that was in view at the time. This moment is crucial, then, for it demonstrates the beginning of His journey of faith (for, He is the Inaugurator of faith, before any like Abel or Abraham came along – Heb. 12:2.) This, too, will find its complement when we conduct a word study on the word aion.

Short Story Long…

Sin makes its first appearance in scripture in Genesis 1:2 – it is darkness, light’s opposite. This is seen long before Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden. This indicates, for us, that sin did not originate on earth, as we have already considered per Rom. 5:12. Adam is the channel by which sin enters into the world – not the source.

As such, the heavens as we knew them in the past must have been overwhelmed by the destructive, wicked celestial forces (Eph. 6:12,) ruled by Satan, who was a sinner from the beginning (1 John 3:8.) It is likely that the earth itself was the only thing flooded, being the only object with “water” in view in the scriptures. We read of an inherent darkness The waters themselves flood the earth cohering out of and through water – figuratively, a chaotic, unstructured world collapsed in on itself, destroying all life.

Such is the rule of chaos.

- GerudoKing