God, the Commander in Chief, Supreme Admiral, and Jesus second in command

“The head of the woman is the man” (1Cor. 11:3), “the head of every man is Christ; …and the head of Christ is God.” (1Cor. 11:3).

  

“And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” (1Cor. 12:5,6).

 

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.” (Gen. 18:19).

 

Commanding, in one instance, is something that Adam failed to do. He had been a good leader. But, at the big test, he gave loose rein to his wife. He became a respecter of persons. Adam was made in God’s image, and was a miniature of God. His work was to represent God in a way not done on any other world. Adam was to command his world after him.

 

All the animals were under his rod of iron. Gallantly, princely, Adam ruled over his domain. His manliness did not destroy the Law of love, because he demanded more of himself than of any other creature. He was accountable to Michael the Lord God of the government of heaven, therefore his methods of governing never overstepped the line of abuse. He never gave needless pain to a sensitive soul of the animal kingdom. He never censured the intellectual weakness of any beast of the field or cattle. Adam was sealed in perfection. He thought exactly like his Master.

 

“Should not I spare…much cattle?” (Jon. 4:11).

 

As a type of Michael, Adam taught the animal kingdom to communicate with him, although he didn’t have the ability like his Creator could give them communication skills.

 

“And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.” (Num. 22:28-30).

 

Yet, the animals understood Adam, and he them. Adam kept a taught leash, but the leash was made of invisible cords of love. With great tenderness he fulfilled the work of his Creator in every respect.

 

“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.” (Hos. 11:4).

“Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.” (Deut. 25:4).

“The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou…nor thy cattle.” (Ex. 20:10).

 

But, Eve was a step above the animals, a big step, a leap. Like Adam, she was made a little lower than the angels in every respect, except for love. In love she far exceeded the society that Adam enjoyed with the angels. In Adam’s image her gentle warmth exceeded his. He loved her as himself. But, his big challenge was to not love her more than his Father in heaven. He must love the Lord his God with all his heart, mind, strength, and soul, and his wife as himself.

 

Adam’s command over his planet must be firm and perpetually consistent. Everyone was governed such that they had perfect freedom to order their life, because love and respect was commanded and earned. The animal kingdom bowed with supreme reverence to Adam, as if he were the Lord God Himself. Adam was their father, as fathers are to children. Fathers are God and mothers are Christ to their little ones until the children can develop in faith and conscience enough to hear the voice of the Spirit.

 

Adam was not the ultimate sovereign of Earth. He was subordinate to the Lord God. Being under Lord Michael, Adam’s administration was subject to his Lord. He must faithfully discharge his duty as Commander of his station, but he was also obligated to fulfill the orders of his commander, the Lord God Son of God. Adam must do as the Son, who was also subject to the Supreme Admiral, Him who was “all in all” (1Cor. 15:28), Him who was Ancient of days, “Him that liveth for ever and ever” (Rev. 4:10).

 

But, Adam made a choice to go lenient on Eve’s insubordination to God’s Law. Now the kingdom was at risk of eternal security. Vigilance against all enemies, foreign and domestic, was compromised. So Adam was court marshaled and he lost his place in the divine chain of command. Now, as a means of discipline, he must remain at his post, but directly under the micro-management and training of his Commander, the Prince.

 

It would mean much shame and humiliation, if he desired to keep his existence. He could rebel and accept the fate that he had been spared—eternal death. But, if he accepted the new form of glorifying his Supreme Admiral, he could live. The decision would always be his, and he must reconcile himself to it. Or die. There could be no other option. His disobedience and insubordination in the high privilege and great responsibility of leadership demanded such harsh measures. Perfection of beauty in the whole kingdom must demand strong leadership, strong warnings and constant training. And it demanded constant readiness to unsheathe the weapons of war, if necessary. Peace by deterrence must hold the worlds together, to the most distant outpost world in the kingdom. And Adam knew this.

 

Because Adam failed in his leadership to keep a tight command he lost his command. Now he became just another member of the ship’s chain of command and had a taught leash put around his neck. Life in his part of the kingdom would immediately cease to be as easy as it had been prior to his failure. He must learn that the responsibility originally devolved upon him from the Son was a not a temporary job, but eternal. Into perpetuity was his highly honored assignment of maintaining lawful order under justice and mercy. Mercy without justice would utterly destroy the order that must forever be. But, having chosen mercy without justice, now he would be placed hardly higher than the animal kingdom. He would even eat grass like all the animals did (see Genesis 1:30). “Thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” (Gen. 3:18).

 

“Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.” (Ps. 49:20).

 

Yet, this divine measure from above that may look overly punishing is exactly what Adam needed. His mind and body were very strong. Now his will contaminated with unbridled pride, would be very rebellious. Like a wild mustang, the entrance of rebellion into Adam’s soul especially as it was now so easily influenced by the powerful enemy of the state, would require the indomitable will of his Commander, the Son. Only the Son had the Supreme Admiral’s Spirit without measure. The will of Prince Michael was stone, period. A beautiful stone, but infinitely unmovable. An anchor that would never shift away from the will of the Supreme Admiral, the Chief of Operations. Adam would not be able to withstand the power of Prince Michael, but must submit to his retraining. His gigantic pride must be held down under his love for the Prince. Before his family he must walk as a defrocked failure, a servant of all, a living example of what never to do. Even against their complaints and accusations that he was the cause of their misery, greatly agonizing in the plight he caused them, Adam must warn them all away from repeating his offense. He was a walking lesson from Prince Michael that further insubordination by any of Adam’s family would receive like punishment. That made Adam an apostle, and a walking criminal record for all to take notice and conviction. But, his acceptance by faith of the sacrificial animal redemption made all the shame doable. He knew his Commander’s future was revealed in it.

 

“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” (2Cor. 3:2,3).

 

As patriarch, Adam would continue to lead, but in a much more limited way and with a very diminished status. His glory was faded. All glory would now go to Prince Michael, who must bear the shame of His underling, knowing every pain in His object of restoration to leadership; and His underling would get no glory of his own self. All of Adam’s glory and any success stories of his progeny would only be a reflection of his Senior’s in command. And all the glory and successes of the Lord God Michael would be seen mostly in His difficult, constant, but unyielding work as disciplinarian. “Because of their unfaithfulness, God’s purpose could be wrought out only through continued adversity and humiliation.” Desire of Ages, p. 28. Satan now claimed Earth as his jurisdiction, and he would continually work to break down good order and discipline. Succeeding to remove self-discipline, he would work quickly to establish his own regime over all the earth. Unlike life in Eden, outside the Garden few victories would decorate the Prince’s heart during the next 6,000 years and great grief must darken His office, until He would be crowned with thorns, enthroned on a cross, and bear the scepter of self-sacrificing death for Adam and his whole family. Everything that He demanded of Adam He Himself would suffer, as well for the whole Adamic race. Like Adam before his fall, the Lord God Prince of the host would require more of Himself than He ever required from any one individual under His command.

 

“Above the firmament that was over their [the cherubim] heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” (Eze. 1:26). For 4,000 years while sitting silently, solemnly upon His heavenly throne, vigilant upon the matters of Earth and keeping an extra taught leash, “Michael the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people” (Dan. 12:1), “the Prince of the host” (Dan. 8:11), “the Prince of princes” (Dan. 8:25), “the Prince of the covenant” (Dan. 11:22), “Messiah the Prince” (Dan. 9:25), was a “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8).