While Jenny’s
was suffering, her father did do something about the situation.
One of her fiends told him what had happened, so he went to Mr
Saddum and bought the house from him and transferred it back into
his daughters’ name. He had to pay a big price, because Mr
Saddum drove a hard bargain. Jenny’s father was happy to pay any
price, because he loved his daughter, even though it made a hole
in his son’s inheritance.
Jenny’s father sent numerous letters to
her saying that his solicitor now held the title to the house on
his daughters’ behalf and that the solicitor also held a cheque
to pay for the cost of restoring the house. Jenny never received
the letters because the tenant’s destroyed them or she refused
to open them. The tenants did not move out, because Mr Saddum
never told them that he had sold the house, and they had never
paid any rent anyway. Poor Jenny continued to suffer alone.
After many years, her sister, Julie,
arrived back from overseas. She had called on their father on the
way home and had another letter for her sister from him. Imagine
Jenny’s amazement, when she discovered that she and her sister
still owned the house and could afford to restore it.
The two sisters gave the tenants immediate
notice. They had to get the police to evict them, but they soon
had the house to themselves. The house was soon restored back to
the place of beauty it had been, when their father first gave it
to them. They lived there together for many happy years, which was
just what their Father wanted.
-------------------------
Further Interpretation
The fall created a dilemma on earth. God
had the power to put things right, but he had given ownership of
the earth to man, so he could not intervene. Man had stuffed
things up by giving ownership to the earth to the devil, so a man
had to put things right. But no man was strong enough or good
enough to defeat the devil.
Jesus was the solution. He was God, so he
had the goodness and the power to defeat the devil. He had to
become a man, so he would also have legal authority to act on
earth. Jesus destroyed the power of the devil by his death on the
cross.
Since the children have flesh and blood,
he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might
destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil
(Heb 2:14)
For he has rescued us from the dominion
of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of light (Col 1:13).
Jesus came as a man and destroyed the
power of the devil (Col 2:14,15). This is why he said to his
disciples, before he ascended,
All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me (Matt 28:18).
This is the effect of the cross. Jesus
became the legal owner of the earth. However, he did not retain
that ownership, but gave it back to his disciples, the true heirs
of the original owners.
I have given you authority to overcome
all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you (Luke 10:19).
The problem we now have is that Satan does
willingly not give up his place here on earth. He is like the
tenants in Jenny’s house, and will not move out until he is
evicted. And only the lawful owners have the authority to for him
to leave. That is why,
The creation waits in eager expectation
for the sons of God to be revealed (Rom 8:19).
Creation is waiting for God’s people to
evict the devil, so that it can be restored back to the way it was
when God created it.
On the other church, the church continues
living in a world with a bad tenant assuming that he still owns
it. Christians expect the world to get worse and worse, because
the devil is in control. We just assume that he is still the legal
owner of the earth and can work out his purpose. Like Jenny, we
have not woken up to the fact that Jesus has paid the price and
restored ownership of the earth back to us. We are living like
trespassers in a house that we own. We are living in the broom
cupboard, when our Father has made us into landlords of the entire
house.
---------------------------------
Notes
God is so wise that he can accomplish his
purposes on earth, despite making himself subject to the
authority of humans. 1 Samuel 1 is a good example. Hannah prayed
for a baby, but God wanted to send a prophet to Israel. God had
to wait until Hannah changed her prayer. As soon as she asked
for a child dedicated to God, Hannah got her son and God got his
prophet.
Understanding the ownership of the earth
changes the nature of prayer. Prayer is not pleading with God to
change his mind and give us what we want/need. Prayer is a joint
owner of this earth, finding out what God wants to do and giving
him permission to it.
Whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven (Matt 18:18).
Prayer is also a joint owner of the earth,
forcing the devil to leave places or lives where he is now a
trespasser.
Whatever you bind on earth will bebound
in the spiritual world (Matt 18:18)
Earthquakes are not a sign of the second
coming (see False
Signs).
The daughters are called Julie and Jenny,
but their father shortened their names even futher. For more on
why they have these names see Calling
of the Jews.