Mike,

I have a question about how the sons of God will be manifested to creation. When you have a moment, which I know is rare, do you think you could give some thought to this question and write me back?

Best,
J____

Hi J____,

Thank you for your question.

You ask:

How the sons of God will be manifested to creation?

… which “manifestation” is promised in this verse:

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

I think you already know that Christ wants us all to first experience that manifestation within, in the spirit, before we will be counted able to be manifested as such to an outward unconverted world.

In these days of worldwide crisis, it is few indeed who are even concerned with the things that are within, where the real manifestation must first take place. If Christ is not first manifested to us, then we will not be the ones being made manifest to this world as “the sons of God”. That is Paul’s point here where these verses concerning “the manifestation of the sons of God” appears.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We who “have the firstfruits of the spirit groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption”.

So it is only within us that judgment is now taking place.

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Jesus, in these verses is responding to a demand by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God would appear on this earth. Christ is not denying that the kingdoms of this world would one day be governed by His overcomer elect. What Christ is doing is taking this question by His detractors to tell us that our emphasis at this time is to keep our eyes on what is taking place within, and not on what is taking place in the affairs and calamities of the world without. The affairs of this world are being worked by God to bring the kingdoms of this world into the dominion of Christ and His Christ.

Luk 13:1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luk 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
Luk 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Do you think the world is somehow worse than you and me? ‘I tell you nay but except we repent you and I will likewise perish’. We are “the world” which must repent.

Do not let anyone tell you that the terrible things taking place in our country and in the world are proof that God is judging this world. He is not. He is judging only “the world” within his elect at this time. No one else.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

That is what is taking place at this time, and the answer to Peter’s question, “What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”, is that the world will be judged at its own appointed time in the “great white throne judgment… the lake of fire”.

Having said all of that I will now address your question as I understood you to ask it. What you want to know is “how the sons of God will be manifested to [the carnal world] creation?”

I think you know that there are no scriptures which use the names of modern nations or current world wide alliances or groups of nations detailing exactly how power is to be transferred from the “kingdoms of this world [to] our Lord and His Christ”. But rest assured, that is exactly what will be done in due time:

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

I cannot “think above that which is written” (1Co 4:6), so all I can do is show you the Old Testament types of how God has, in the past, turned the governments of this world over to the rulership of those in the Old Testament who typify His elect.

In all three cases, the case of Joseph, Daniel and his three friends, and Mordecai and Esther, the very lives of His elect hang in the balance just before they are placed in the position of ruling this world. That is as specific as the scriptures get. All three examples demonstrate that Christ will position His Christ to be the solution to the crisis He is bringing on this world. The events which will bring this about will be just as miraculous as the events that brought Joseph, Daniel and his three friends, and Mordecai and Esther, to rulership and power. God will somehow “trouble the spirit” of the leaders of this world and will somehow lead those who will be in power at that time to show favor towards, and acknowledge that God’s elect are the only way to cope with the impending crisis facing this world at that time.

Gen 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Gen 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
Gen 41:39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Gen 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

This whole scenario is thrice repeated with Daniel and his three friends, and with Mordecai and Esther.

That is as much as the scriptures reveal so far as the details are concerned, and that is as far as I am permitted to go because of this verse of God’s Word:

1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think [of men] above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

The words “of men” are not in the Greek and serve only to cause us to miss the complete message of this verse. It is this verse which condemns all the so-called modern day “prophecies” which are constantly “thinking above that which is written”. God has made me to “tremble at His words”, and I dare not “think above what is written”.

I hope this has helped to give you a Biblical understanding of how God will, in His time, and in His way, “manifest the sons of God” to the unconverted “kingdoms of this world”.

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The words “for ever and ever” are really “for the eons of the eons” and certainly include the eons of the millennium and the white throne judgment.

Your brother in the Christ of our Lord,
Mike