And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The
last Adam became a life-giving spirit... The first man was of the
earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 1
Corinthians 15:45, 47
The first man was of the earth, and could only bring about what was
earthy and temporal, because what is born of the flesh is flesh. The
second man is from heaven and so is able to bring about a life that is
heavenly, and one that can last forever. Being from heaven, He was not
contaminated with the corruption of the fall, so He is able to give uncontaminated life to all who come to Him by faith.
The first Adam was a representative man, placed on the earth, with a
pure human nature, given dominion to rule over the earth in the stead of
God. He lost his dominion to sin, and therefore could not represent God
on the earth in the capacity for which he was created. The last Adam,
Jesus, is the last representative man, like the first Adam, He was
without sin, but unlike him, He was untarnished by sin. He is the last
Adam because there will be no perfect (sinless) representative man on
the earth after Him. Both the first and last Adams had no earthly
fathers. As the last Adam, Jesus was the last man on earth without a
human father. So you see, there are only two men in the history of
humanity that didn't have human fathers: the first Adam and the last
Adam, Jesus Christ.
The program of God which the first Adam failed to accomplish, the
last Adam fulfilled. This program is to rule the earth in obedience to
the will of God. The last Adam accomplished this by obeying the Father
and dying on the cross. "And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the
death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given
Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those
under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phi. 2:8-11. The first Adam
was the most exalted being on the earth until sin robbed him of his
eminence through disobedience. The last Adam, because of his obedience,
gained preeminence over all things, not only on the earth, but in heaven
and under the earth.
Adam's disobedience resulted in death for all of mankind; the last
Adam, through death on the cross brought life everlasting to all who
will believe.
Origins of the two Adams: the first Adam is of the earth, from dust,
therefore he gives natural life; the last Adam is from heaven and gives
spiritual life to all who believe in Him. Christ came as a man, yet His
origin is not dust like the first Adam. Prophet Micah revealed the
origin of the last Adam in his prophecy. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall
come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are
from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2
We all were in the loins of the first Adam when he sinned, so too did
God place us in the last Adam when He was crucified on the cross. Rom.
6:6
The second man: Christ's career as the second man stems from the
resurrection. As the last Adam, He died on the cross to pay the penalty
of sin incurred by the first Adam, but in rising from the dead, He
became the progenitor of a new race of people who share His endless life
that is heavenly. The first man Adam is the progenitor of an earthly
race whose life end in death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures
us that all who believe in Him will be given new bodies that suit the
heavenly life which He gives to those who believe in Him.
Toni
