Elohim Who Is the True Family
Elohim Who Is the True Family
By: Irnawan Silitonga
Today we will discuss ‘Elohim who is the True Family’, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who have always existed and dwell within the dimension of Eternity. However, we will not discuss the concept of the Triune God (Trinity) that has been debated for centuries in Christianity, because we will examine this ‘Triune nature’ of Elohim from a different perspective. We will look into the plan of Elohim as the True Family, and how it relates to our daily life experiences.
Let us first look at the ‘Triune nature’ of Elohim as the True Family. First, we must firmly declare that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are Persons who have always existed within the eternal dimension. Indeed, the term ‘persons’ may cause someone to think that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are separate individuals, just as a human family (father, son, mother) exists on earth. However, the Greek term ‘hypostasis’, meaning ‘something that has a concrete existence’, which has been translated as ‘person’ in reference to the Triune nature of Elohim, does not yet have a better equivalent to explain that there is ‘distinction’ within Elohim, who is the True Family.
Second, ‘Elohim, who is the True Family, is one’—that is, ONE FAMILY. The Greek term ‘ousia’, which means ‘being’ or ‘essence’, therefore signifies that Elohim, who is the True Family, has only ONE OUSIA.
Third, there is no subordinationism (the teaching that the Son and the Holy Spirit possess a lesser being or status than the Father) within Elohim, who is the True Family. When Jesus said, “The Father is greater than I”. the meaning is not that of subordinationism, but rather similar to the structure within a family—where the father, as the head of the family, naturally holds a higher position in family order than the son.
There are several reasons why we prefer to use the expression ‘Elohim is Family’ rather than ‘Elohim is Trinity’. First, the term ‘Trinity’ is not found in the Bible, whereas the term ‘family’ appears frequently throughout Scripture. Yet, if someone prefers to use the term ‘Trinity’, that is perfectly acceptable, because the ‘concept’ of the Trinity does exist in the Bible.
Second, when Elohim created living beings on earth—humans, animals, and plants—the concept of family is clearly evident. Plants have their own families or species. Animals also have a sense of ‘family’, though not as clearly defined as father, mother, and offspring among humans. Humanity, even after the fall into sin, was created in the image and likeness of Elohim; therefore, humanity also lives in families.
Third, there is a ‘feminine (maternal) aspect’ within Elohim. Genesis 1:2 emphasizes that “…the Spirit of Elohim was hovering over the face of the waters” (ILT). The word ‘hovering’ is translated from the Hebrew ‘rachaph’, which carries a feminine nuance—like a mother bird brooding over her eggs. Moreover, one of the names of Elohim is El-Shaddai, where ‘shad’ means a woman’s breast. In the New Testament, believers are said to be ‘born of the Spirit’, which also reveals the feminine side of Elohim. This is why we prefer to say Elohim is Family rather than Elohim is Trinity.
Let us now continue to discuss Elohim who is the True Family and see how Elohim created all things. Generally, within Christianity, the commonly accepted concept is that Elohim created things from ‘nothing’ into ‘something’. Augustine was the strongest advocate of this doctrine, known in Latin as ‘creatio ex nihilo’, though he distinguished between two moments of creation: first, the creation of spirits and matter from “nothing” into “something,” and then the organization of the material universe (Systematic Theology, Berkhof, 127).
Let us examine two verses commonly cited concerning creation (aside from Genesis 1): Romans 4:17—“…who calls into being things that do not exist.” Hebrews 11:3—“By faith we understand that the universe was formed by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from what is not visible.” The term ‘kaleo’ translated as ‘calls into being’ in Romans 4 actually means ‘to call’, as in Elohim calling a mountain that did not exist in a certain place to appear there. Therefore, Romans 4:17 does not refer to the act of creation.
However, in Hebrews 11:3, the Greek term ‘katartizo’, translated as ‘formed’ or ‘made’, carries a closer sense of creation. It means that the visible universe came into being from what cannot be seen physically—namely, Elohim Himself. Therefore, Elohim becomes the ‘substance’ or ‘source’ from which creation is made. Romans 11:36 confirms this: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”
All creation, therefore, did not come from nothing into being, but from Him. Elohim did not create humanity from nothing into being. Acts 17:28 says, “…for we are also His offspring.” Similarly, Hebrews 12:9 calls Him “…the Father of spirits.”
This understanding of creation does not mean that there is no distinction between the Creator and the created, as in pantheism, which claims that everything is God. Rather, we affirm that creation exists within Him. Elohim does not dwell within creation; instead, creation dwells within Him.
When Elohim, who dwells in the Eternal Dimension, created three other dimensions—the heavenly dimension (where His throne is established), the earthly dimension (space and time), and the “under-earth” dimension—it does not mean that Elohim resides in heaven as a confined being. That is why Solomon exclaimed in 1 Kings 8:27, “…Behold, heaven, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this house that I have built!”
The Bible’s expressions affirming the distinction between Creator and creation can be seen in phrases such as ‘Elohim dwells in unapproachable light’ and ‘no one has ever seen Him’. Thus, there remains a clear distinction between Creator and creation. Even when a person is born again by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus and becomes a child of Elohim, Jesus still maintained this distinction when He said, “My Father and your Father” (John 20:17). Thus, this is the concept of creation from Elohim who is the True Family.
We have seen that Elohim becomes the ‘substance’ from which all things are created, as Romans 11:36 also affirms: “For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things.” This brief discussion will now explore the plan of Elohim as the True Family and how it relates to our daily experiences. To understand this, we must examine the origin of Satan and the evil spirits, for this matter is closely tied to Elohim’s plan and our daily life experiences.
The popular view regarding Satan is that he was once a high-ranking angel (Lucifer) created by Elohim, who then fell into rebellion and became the evil being known as the Devil. Many also believe that when he fell, he drew a third of the angels into rebellion against Elohim (based on Revelation 12:4). But is that truly so?
This issue is extremely serious. If Elohim created a good angel (Lucifer) who could suddenly rebel and even lead a third of other good angels to oppose God’s plan, it raises a troubling question—can we be sure that Elohim’s plan will certainly succeed? What if, “along the way,” another angel decides to rebel again? To what extent, then, is God’s sovereignty truly absolute over all things?
Do good angels have absolute free will so that, whenever they choose to rebel against Elohim, He can do nothing about it because He has already granted them total freedom? What about humans? Do humans also possess absolute free will—so that if a person chooses to reject the redemptive work of Christ on the cross offered by Elohim, then Elohim can do nothing further because of that free will?
Questions like these can continue endlessly, for they determine the extent of Elohim’s sovereignty. Is Elohim truly sovereign over all things—in the sense that He determines everything according to His own purpose? Indeed, if Elohim cannot determine all things, then He is not the Almighty God, but a limited deity—restricted by the so-called “absolute free will” of His creations.
How terrifying it would be if we had such a limited Elohim! We could never be certain that His will and His plan would surely come to pass in our lives. What if the devil—since he having absolute free will, suddenly attacks us, and Elohim can no longer do anything about it, because He has already given him absolute free will?
Before we discuss where the Devil and evil spirits came from, we must also look at the event of Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Did Adam and Eve fall into sin because they had absolute free will? Or was the fall of Adam and Eve part of His sovereign will and plan? If a person cannot answer all of these questions with certainty based on the Bible, then he will still not understand the plan of Elohim, who is the True Family.
Let us continue our discussion about where the Devil and evil spirits originated. We have seen that the common view within Christianity is that the Devil originated from a good angel, namely Lucifer, who rebelled against God. The verses usually used to support this idea are Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6. However, if we examine these verses carefully, it is clear that none of them speak of a good angel who rebelled against God and became an evil one.
Isaiah 14 speaks of a taunt against the king of Babylon, but suddenly, starting from verse 12 onward, it is interpreted as the fall of a good angel (Lucifer) becoming the evil Devil. Such interpretation departs from the context of chapter 14. This is what is called “cherry-picking” verses to justify and strengthen an already preconceived idea. The same goes for Ezekiel 28, which speaks of the king of Tyre. The verses in this chapter are “picked out” and applied to the fall of an angel who was once good and then became the evil Devil. Yet, verse 2 clearly says, “You are a man.” Verse 13 also says, “You were in Eden, the garden of God.” If one insists on cherry-picking verses, then verses 2 and 13 are more appropriately applied to the fall of Adam, because Adam was a man, and he was in the Garden of Eden. However, we must not interpret Scripture out of its context.
II Peter 2:4 does mention angels who sinned, but it never says they were once good angels. In this passage, Peter is warning false teachers about the coming judgment. He gives examples that Elohim did not spare the angels who sinned, nor the ancient world in Noah’s time, and therefore the wicked (false teachers) will surely face Elohim’s righteous judgment. Thus, Peter is not speaking about a fall from goodness to evil. Likewise, Jude 6 speaks of judgment upon angels who did not keep within their proper domain, but it does not state that they were once good and then became evil.
The reason theologians cherry-pick such verses is that they think, ‘How could Elohim, who is Love, create such an evil being as the Devil?’ These theologians attempt to “defend” Elohim by claiming that the entrance or appearance of evil in creation did not come from Elohim. Instead, they say a good being created by Elohim, by its own will, made itself very evil and rebelled against God. When we reflect on this, such reasoning is rather absurd and illogical—that a creature created good could somehow turn itself into something utterly evil and rebellious toward God.
Let us now see what the Bible actually says about this matter. The Bible clearly states that Elohim Himself created the Devil and evil spirits for His own purposes. Genesis 3:1 declares, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made…” (NIV). The serpent in the Garden of Eden was not a literal, physical snake, because it could speak and tempt Eve. This serpent was cursed by God so that its food would be dust. A physical snake does not eat dust—it eats frogs or other small animals. So, who then is this serpent?
The Book of Revelation, which uses symbolic language, explains who this serpent is. Revelation 12:9 declares, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan…” The expression “ancient serpent” does not refer to its age but to the Greek word ‘archaios’, which literally means ‘original’ or ‘the first one’—referring to the serpent that was in the Garden of Eden. And the serpent in Eden was the Devil or Satan. Therefore, since the serpent was created by Elohim (Genesis 3:1), the serpent—who is the Devil—was created by Elohim.
Notice John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8, which affirm that the Devil was a murderer and did evil ‘from the beginning’. Thus, the Devil was not once good and then became evil; rather, he was created evil from the beginning.
If that is so, how could Elohim, who is Love, create such an evil being? We have affirmed that in creation, Elohim Himself is the “substance” or “source material.” To explain this, we can use a natural law or Newton’s experiment called the spectrum. Essentially, when white light passes through a prism, it is dispersed into the colors of the rainbow. In the same way, Elohim, who is Love (the “white light”), can be refracted into goodness, forgiveness, mercy, but also chastisement, discipline, and breaking. And the instrument used by Elohim to discipline, chastise, and break His people is the Devil. This is clearly seen in the life of Job.
After we understand that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him, we are ready to comprehend the plan of Elohim, who is the True Family. Ephesians 1:5 declares, “In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.” There are several truths we must affirm from this verse: First, the purpose of Elohim, who is the True Family, is clear—to make humans His children. The meaning of ‘children’ here has two aspects: first, to have the same kind of LIFE as Elohim; second, to become HEIRS of the True Family. The same is true in human families: a child receives the life-kind of his parents, and in time, becomes an heir of the family. We must emphasize the phrase ‘in due time’, because if the child is still a baby or immature, he cannot yet inherit anything from his parents, even though by status he is an heir. The term Paul uses in Galatians is ‘not yet of age’, meaning his status is considered the same as a servant who has no inheritance rights.
Second, the phrase ‘He predestined us’ in the verse above means that becoming children of the True Family is solely because it has been determined beforehand. And from that phrase, it is also seen that there are humans who were not predetermined to become children in the True Family. But we must not quickly jump to the common conclusion in Christianity—that some are predestined to enter heaven far away up there, and others are not and will go to eternal hell, understood as eternal torment. Such an understanding is far from the truth of Scripture.
Third, the predestination of certain humans to become His children is based on His Love and the good pleasure of His will. It is not because those people were worthy, nor because Elohim ‘knew beforehand’ that they would one day accept Jesus Christ. The predestination of Elohim was not based on His foreknowledge as the Omniscient One, but purely on His Love and Will.
Fourth, ‘through Jesus’ or more precisely ‘by means of Jesus’. Thus, those who were predestined are ‘through Jesus’, meaning through the Redeemer, the only-begotten Son of Elohim. After Jesus’ resurrection, which became the foundation of our new birth (receiving Elohim’s life—zoe) — 1 Peter 1:3 — Jesus called His disciples ‘My brothers’, and He became the Firstborn among many brothers.
Therefore, the plan of Elohim, who is the True Family, is ‘sonship’—that is, this True Family ‘adds’ children into itself. The next thing we must understand in order to grasp the plan of this True Family is the matter of ‘heirship’. Why is this important? Because within Christianity it is commonly understood that the inheritance of the chosen ones is heaven—a faraway beautiful place often called the Father’s House.
Indeed, if heaven is understood as a beautiful place somewhere out there, then even “spiritual babies” could be placed there—and supposedly their only activity is to sing praises forever. Even those who are truly born again, but whose lives on earth are no different from worldly people who are not born again, are still believed to enter that beautiful heaven. That is why in Christianity the saying “believe in Jesus and you will surely go to heaven” is common. They do not realize that there is not a single verse stating “believe in Jesus and you will go to heaven,” but what the Bible says is ‘believe in Jesus and receive eternal life’ (the seed of ‘zoe’) which must grow.
After we understand that the plan of Elohim, who is the True Family, is ‘sonship’—adding children into the Family—the next thing we must grasp is the matter of ‘heirship’ of a child. To understand ‘heirship’, we must read the entire chapter of Romans 8, whose context is ‘glorification by faith’. For now, we shall pay attention only to verse 17, which says, “And if children, then heirs also—truly heirs of Elohim and joint heirs with Christ—if we suffer together, then we may also be glorified together” (LITV).
There are several things we need to affirm in the verse above. First, as children of Elohim in the sense that we have received the divine kind of life (zoe), we are indeed heirs of Elohim. Second, being heirs means we will be glorified together with Christ. The meaning of being ‘glorified’ refers to experiencing ‘adoption as sons’, that is, the redemption of our bodies (v. 23). The term ‘adoption’ here should not be understood as in human families adopting children. What Paul means by adoption is that, at the coming of Christ (commonly called the Second Coming), we will receive a glorious body like that of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the adoption as sons (the redemption of our bodies) takes place when Christ comes, and we will be glorified together with Him.
Third, Paul clearly states that we will be glorified with Christ if we suffer together (with Christ). It seems that Paul is teaching a condition to receive the inheritance—namely, that we must suffer with Christ. However, if we read the first eight chapters of Romans, we find that Paul never teaches any condition for being justified, sanctified, or glorified (justification by faith, sanctification by faith, glorification by faith). All these are by faith. But we must understand what Paul means by faith.
Consider Romans 1:17, which says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written: ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (LAI). The phrase ‘from faith to faith’ comes from the Greek EK PISTEOS EIS PISTIN. This Greek expression cannot be translated merely as ‘by faith’, because there is an important meaning in it that we must notice. Let us quote Marvin Vincent’s comment in his Word Studies: ‘The idea is that of progress in faith itself… faith is a progressive principle’ (vol. 3, p. 14).
Thus, the key understanding in the Greek phrase above is the idea of progression. Faith is something that grows. Faith is not static—it keeps moving toward its perfection. Faith that does not grow or advance is dead faith, and this is not the saving faith that Paul means.
If that is so, what makes faith progressive? What makes faith grow? James emphasizes, “…faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect” (James 2:22). It is emphasized here that faith is perfected by works. These works are the works that come from faith, because James says, “…I will show you my faith by my works” (v. 18). So, not works outside of faith, but the works that are born out of faith will perfect faith so that it grows toward its completion. Thus, the teachings of Paul and James about faith complement each other.
Therefore, a born-again Christian must act according to his faith in daily life. This is what Jesus means by ‘worship in spirit and in truth’. This is also what is meant by ‘following the Lamb wherever He goes’ (Revelation 14:4). This is what it means to follow Jesus, as Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). And if someone worships in this way, he will surely experience suffering (persecution), as Paul affirms in 2 Timothy 3:12: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Whatever form that persecution takes, anyone who lives by faith daily will suffer together with Christ. This is what Paul means in Romans 8:17 above. Thus, it is not a condition but something that naturally happens when a person lives by faith day by day.
However, we see in today’s Christian world that congregations have been dominated by religious regulations made by church leaders—must attend on Sunday, must go to a certain denominational building, must give certain offerings, must participate in certain rituals, and many other “musts.” Such things are not following Jesus wherever He goes, but rather following leaders they admire. This kind of worship is not what is meant as explained above. This kind of worship makes believers ‘disqualified’ to receive the inheritance together with Christ at His coming.
Let us continue our discussion about the inheritance of a child of Elohim. Consider Ephesians 1:14: “The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…”. The phrase ‘guarantee of our inheritance’ is translated from the Greek expression ‘arrabon’, which means ‘down payment (deposit, pledge, guarantee) of a certain inheritance’. What is this certain inheritance? Perfect redemption—or full redemption—meaning the redemption of spirit, soul, and body. We have discussed that the redemption of the body, which is receiving a glorified body, will occur at Christ’s coming, when we are adopted as mature sons.
Ephesians 1:14 clearly states that this down payment (deposit, guarantee) is the Holy Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit received by the Church on the Day of Pentecost was only a ‘deposit/down payment/guarantee’. The Church has not yet received the FULL OUTPOURING of the Holy Spirit. At His coming, the Church will receive the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus did when He was baptized by John the Baptist—when He received the Spirit ‘without measure’ (completely, perfectly, fully) (John 3:34).
Therefore, the inheritance of the children of Elohim is the ‘complete outpouring of the Holy Spirit’ (not merely a deposit), which will be received at His coming. But this inheritance will only be received by the children of Elohim who are ready, or mature (Galatians 4:1). This means that the
inheritance of the ‘complete outpouring of the Holy Spirit’ will only be received by the mature, grown, and ready sons of Elohim.
James 1:18 says, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits (‘aparche’) of all He created” (LITV). Therefore, those whom Elohim has determined to become mature first—to become ‘firstfruits’—are the ones who will receive the inheritance, namely, the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit at His coming.
Now, let us discuss the purpose of Elohim giving this inheritance to His children. We have mentioned that this inheritance will be given at Christ’s coming (commonly called the Second Coming), which is the redemption of the body when we receive a glorified body and are glorified with Christ. This is, in fact, the ‘perfect salvation’ in which we are fully restored in spirit, soul, and body. This perfect salvation is received when we receive our inheritance at Christ’s coming. Before receiving our inheritance, we are not yet completely saved, as Paul affirms in Romans 8:24: “For in this hope we were saved…”.
Let us recall the three aspects of salvation that Paul outlines in the first eight chapters of Romans—justification by faith, sanctification by faith, and glorification by faith. We need to emphasize glorification by faith, because this topic is rarely discussed in the Christian world. We will understand the purpose of receiving our inheritance if we properly understand glorification by faith.
Romans 8:19–21 explains: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of Elohim. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of Elohim” (LITV). When and where does ‘glorification by faith’ occur? Certainly when the Kingdom of Heaven—of which we are already citizens—is fully manifested on earth at His coming.
How will this glorification by faith happen? When our physical bodies are transformed into glorified bodies like that of Jesus. For God’s elect who have died before the coming of Jesus, they will wait for the resurrection of the saints at His coming. What is the purpose of being glorified together with the Lord Jesus on earth? It is to set all creation free from the bondage of decay so that it may enter into the glorious freedom of the children of Elohim.
Through the ministry of the glorified sons of Elohim, this old earth (the First Earth) will move toward becoming the New Earth, along with a New Heaven. When Elohim creates the New Heaven and the New Earth, it does not mean that the first heaven and earth are destroyed completely and replaced with new ones. The theological term for this is not ‘creatio ex nihilo’ (creation out of nothing) but ‘creatio ex vetere’ (creation out of the old). This means the New Heaven and New Earth are the first heaven and earth that have undergone a ‘radical transformation’ through the ministry of the glorified sons of Elohim.
This is the purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth. This is the perfect salvation that Jesus accomplished on the cross. This is also the purpose for which we receive our inheritance. We will not be evacuated to some faraway “heaven” just to sing forever. Such a notion of heaven is merely a fable… It is never found anywhere in the books of the New Testament, even though it has been believed by the majority of people in the Christian world. Yet we long for our inheritance, which is the perfect salvation accomplished by Jesus. Therefore, the purpose of Elohim giving us, His children, an inheritance is to liberate creation from the bondage of corruption — in other words, for the restoration of all things.
Let us continue our discussion concerning the purpose of Elohim, who is the True Family, in granting an inheritance to His children. Previously, we have discussed glorification by faith, which is the moment we receive our inheritance with the purpose of setting creation free from the bondage of corruption. The important question for us now is: in what capacity can we free creation? Is it as spiritual infants who suddenly experience “glorification by faith” and are then given the task of liberating creation?
This matter is important because within Christianity, many have embraced misleading phrases such as “once saved, always saved.” What does “saved” actually mean? Being taken to heaven far away somewhere? When it comes to salvation, ALL HUMANITY WILL BE SAVED IN THEIR ORDER. Every person will be resurrected — meaning they will receive a glorified body (glorification by faith) — but in due order (1 Corinthians 15). At the coming of Christ, only a portion of born-again Christians will be glorified together with Christ. Only those appointed to reach maturity first (as firstfruits) will be ready to be glorified with Christ and receive the task of setting creation free. James 1:18 (ILT) clearly states that those who become the firstfruits of His creatures are those who have been predestined. That is why, in the Christian world, many are called (born again), but among those who are born again, only a few are chosen. Note Revelation 17:14 — the overcomers are those who are called, chosen, and faithful.
Why can’t the spiritual infants within Christianity be glorified together with Christ at His coming? Because our task is to become kings and priests according to the order of Melchizedek, to set creation free. Notice Revelation 5:10: “And You have made us kings and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign on the earth” (ILT). Revelation 20:4 further confirms, “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them… They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Therefore, only those who are called, chosen, and faithful will be glorified with Christ at His coming.
There is a serious corruption within Christianity that has rendered the priesthood of believers nonfunctional. Through the teaching of Nicolas, this corruption of priesthood has been justified. If we observe the priesthood within Christianity, it is clear that it is neither the priesthood after the order of Aaron — for the Law of Moses does not govern Christianity — nor the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, for the Law of Life (‘zoe’) does not govern it either. Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, where the governing law is the Law of the Spirit of life (‘zoe’) (Hebrews 7). Every Christian who is chosen and trained to become a priest after the order of Melchizedek must wholly follow the leading of the Spirit of life (‘zoe’) in their daily living.
However, within Christianity, the priesthood has been corrupted, and the law that governs it is a mixture of the Law of Moses (tithes, firstfruits, “faith pledges,” and all things money-related), denominational rules, and religious regulations made by senior leaders. Such a corrupted state of Christianity cannot be a place where the children of Elohim are processed and formed into priests according to the order of Melchizedek. Therefore, the Christian world, symbolized by the harlot woman in Revelation 17–18, cannot give birth to mature sons of Elohim who are ready to sit on the throne like the overcoming church, symbolized by the woman in Revelation 12. Thus, the inheritance to be given at His coming can only be received by those Christians who are called, chosen, and faithful.
We will now conclude this brief writing about the plan of Elohim, who is the True Family, and how it relates to our daily lives. Let us look at Genesis 1:26–28, which explains the plan of Elohim, the True Family: “Then Elohim said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion… over all the earth… So Elohim created man in His own image; in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them… Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” (ILT).
Of course, we will not discuss all these verses, but what we need to emphasize is that Genesis 1:26–28 still represents the PLAN of Elohim, the True Family. Adam and Eve were not yet in the image and likeness of Elohim, the True Family. They needed to go through a process to become a family that is in the image and likeness of Elohim. Adam and Eve did not yet know good and evil. They were still in a ‘pure’ state — not yet sinful, but also not yet holy — because they had not eaten from the Tree of Life, which symbolizes the Life (‘zoe’) of Elohim. They also had not yet been fruitful, multiplied, filled the earth, or subdued it. Therefore, Genesis 1:26–28 is still the plan of Elohim for all the descendants of Adam and Eve.
Generally, within Christianity, Genesis 1:26–28 is believed to describe a “perfect” (completed) creation, but then suddenly Adam and Eve fell into sin, and therefore Elohim had to “quickly” make a plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, choosing only a portion of humanity to be saved and taken to “heaven,” while the rest are cast into hell forever. Such teaching, which is held by the majority of the Christian world, proves that they do not understand the PLAN of Elohim, the True Family.
Romans 8:19–21, which we have discussed earlier, clearly shows that the fall of Adam and Eve was part of the Father’s design — a process by which Adam, Eve, and their descendants would eventually become His children who could rule over all the earth. Verse 20 affirms that, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of HIM who subjected it.” Therefore, the event in the Garden of Eden was part of Elohim’s plan to increase His children.
The plan of Elohim cannot fail, for He is sovereign over all things. He determines everything, for all things are from Him, THROUGH Him, and TO Him (Romans 11:36). THROUGH Him means that
all things move because of Him — He is the one who causes everything to move. That is why Paul said, “in Him we live and move” (Acts 17:28). TO Him means that all things move toward His predetermined plan and will.
When we understand the plan of Elohim — a plan that cannot fail in all things — then in our daily lives we will experience calmness, peace, and certainty, because everything DEPENDS ON HIM. It does not depend on human response, as is often taught in the Christian world, as if humans determine their own lives and future. Therefore, the plan of Elohim, who is the True Family, to multiply His children — that is, all the descendants of Adam and Eve — will surely be fulfilled in His time. Amen.
