While Jenny was suffering, her father did do something about the situation. One of her friends 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.
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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 humans, so he could not intervene. Humans had stuffed things up by giving ownership to the earth to the devil, so a human had to put things right. But no human 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 not willingly 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.
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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 be bound 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 further. For more on why they have these names see Calling of the Jews.
Return to God and Disasters.
