The Sixth Day: Genesis 1:24-25

Genesis 1:24‑25  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
Listen from:
On this day God called into being the beast of the earth, cattle and every creeping thing. What is this typical of?
We have just seen how the peopling of the seas is typical of the blessings of the Gospel of God reaching out to the Gentiles, which is characteristic of the present Church period. That period may come to an end at any moment, even by the coming of our Lord to catch up His Church to be with Himself in the Father's house.
When that moment comes we know from Scripture that God will then call the Jew back to the land of Israel in view of the time when our Lord shall return to this earth as King of Israel and Son of Man with universal dominion. The Jew was set aside governmentally when Judah was deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, and with that monarch " the times of the Gentiles " began. The Jew was set aside religiously when they rejected Christ, and refused the last testimony at the stoning of Stephen. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in" (Rom. 2:2525For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. (Romans 2:25)). "The fullness of the Gentiles" means that through the Church period Gospel blessings are flowing forth to all nations. But when the right time comes we read, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Rom. 2:2626Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? (Romans 2:26)). Even to-day we see the beginning of this wide-spread movement for blessing among the Jews. The time for spiritual enlightenment will come as the consequence of deep soul-repentance brought about by the sorrows of "the great tribulation." That is beautifully prophesied in Zech. 12:10-1410And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14). Already tens of thousands of Jews have returned to the land of Israel. Cities, harbors, agricultural colonies, industries, have sprung up, all telling the tale of an awakening national life in the land of their fathers. The terrible wave of anti-Semitism that has spread over Europe is helping to drive the Jews to the only country on earth for which they hold the title deeds. Nothing can withstand God's purposes for his ancient people. His promise to Abraham will be fulfilled to the very letter, that in His seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.
This is the typical meaning of the earth being populated with the beasts of the earth, cattle and creeping things. This falls into beautiful position between the Gentiles being blessed, and the moment that is coming when Christ shall reign over His ancient people as their Messiah, and over the whole earth as Son of Man, the Church as the Bride, the Lamb's wife associated with Him in His triumph.