Post Two:
From the First to the Last — The Image of the Heavenly
In our previous study, we returned to Genesis and examined the distinction between the image of God and the image in which Adam fathered Seth. We then followed Paul's words concerning the earthly and heavenly images.
But Paul's comparison doesn't end with the image. He introduces someone who changes the direction of the entire account: the Last Adam.
If the first Adam became a living soul and the Last Adam became a life-giving Spirit, what is Paul revealing about the difference between receiving life and giving life?
And why does Scripture call Christ the firstborn when it also describes him as the Last Adam?
The First Adam and the Last Adam
Paul writes that the first Adam became a living soul, while the Last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. He continues by distinguishing what is natural from what is spiritual, and what is earthly from what is heavenly. Read 1 Corinthians 15:42–49.
Notice that Paul does not begin by saying the spiritual comes first. He says the natural comes first, afterward the spiritual.
There is an order here.
The first man is of the earth. The second man is of heaven. And those who have borne the earthly image shall also bear the heavenly.
If the spiritual follows the natural, what does this reveal about the transformation Scripture describes? Are we looking merely at a return to what was lost, or does the Last Adam bring something that the first Adam could never provide?
The Firstborn from the Dead
Colossians identifies Christ as the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation. It then describes him as the head of the body and the firstborn from the dead, so that he might have first place in everything. Read Colossians 1:15–20.
Notice the connection between head, firstborn, and first place.
Christ is not merely described as one among many. He is presented as the beginning, the head, and the one through whom reconciliation is accomplished.
But the word firstborn also directs our attention toward what follows.
Romans 8:29 speaks of Christ as the firstborn among many brethren. Read Romans 8:28–30.
Why would Scripture identify him as the firstborn among many if we were meant to examine only his place and not the relationship of those who follow?
The firstborn introduces the many, but the many do not erase the distinction of the first.
This is a relationship we will continue to encounter as we examine the bride, the elect, and the developing household.
Put to Death in Flesh — Made Alive in Spirit
Peter gives us another important distinction.
He describes Christ as suffering for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, and being put to death in flesh but made alive in spirit. Peter then speaks of his proclamation to the spirits in prison and brings Noah's days into the account. Read 1 Peter 3:18–22.
Why does Peter preserve the distinction between flesh and spirit?
And why does he immediately connect Christ's experience with a proclamation to those who had been disobedient in the days of Noah?
We previously compared the ark, the waters, preservation, and the appointed time for Noah to emerge. The destructive rain ceased long before Noah was instructed to leave the ark. Preservation continued while the earth was being prepared.
Could this offer another way to examine the difference between an event beginning and its full completion?
Peter's words also bring us back to the life-giving Spirit of the Last Adam. We should pay attention to what is made alive, what is proclaimed, and what follows.
The Head and the Feet — Beginning and Completion
Hebrews begins by describing God speaking through His Son, through whom He also made the worlds. After making purification of sins, the Son sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Read Hebrews 1:1–4.
Later, Hebrews describes him seated and waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. Read Hebrews 10:12–13.
Consider the relationship between the head, the feet, and the completion of what is being accomplished.
Scripture presents Christ as enthroned. Yet it also speaks of waiting, subjection, and a kingdom that will be delivered to God the Father after opposing rule and authority are abolished. Read 1 Corinthians 15:23–28.
Being seated does not mean that everything associated with his reign has already reached its completion.
This distinction becomes important when comparing the First and the Last, the joining of the two, and the gathering that follows.
If Christ is the head, what is being completed before the wider household is built?
That question will lead us into Ephesians 2.
The Two Become One — Then the Household Grows
Ephesians describes Christ as our peace, making the two one and creating one new man. It then speaks of reconciliation, access in one Spirit, and the household being built together as a dwelling for God. Read Ephesians 2:14–22.
Notice how the passage develops.
The joining of the two is described before the growing household and dwelling.
In our study, we are examining the completed union of Christ the head with the final joined one, followed by the children and the wider household.
This returns us to Genesis, where the male and female are presented before the blessing to multiply.
It also leads us toward Ezekiel 37, where two sticks become one, followed by one shepherd, a covenant of peace, multiplication, and God's dwelling among His people.
Read Ezekiel 37:15–28.
Are these accounts presenting unrelated ideas, or might they be showing the same restoration through different images?
The Image of the Heavenly — Transformation by the Spirit
Paul speaks of believers being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, through the Lord who is the Spirit. Read 2 Corinthians 3:17–18.
Romans describes the Spirit giving life and identifies those led by God's Spirit as His sons. Read Romans 8:9–17.
This brings us back to an important question from Post 1.
What does it mean to bear the heavenly image?
If transformation takes place through the Spirit, can that transformation be measured merely by outward appearance, religious credentials, or human approval?
Jesus warned against judging by outward appearance. Paul distinguishes the natural from the spiritual. And John writes that the anointing received from God teaches those in whom it abides. Read 1 John 2:20–27.
No human institution can manufacture God's Spirit or confer the heavenly image through its own approval.
We may teach, encourage, correct, and examine Scripture together. But the life-giving Spirit belongs to God, not to those who claim authority over another person's faith.
The First and the Last — What Is Being Restored?
We began with the Last Adam, the life-giving Spirit, and the firstborn from the dead. We then followed Christ's enthronement, the distinction between beginning and completion, and the household that is built in one Spirit.
These passages invite us to examine restoration as something greater than simply returning to the condition of the first Adam.
The Last Adam gives life.
The heavenly image is borne.
The Firstborn is followed by many.
And the household grows as God's dwelling is established.
But there is another distinction we must not lose.
The many who follow are not automatically the same as the one joined to Christ.
Psalm 45 distinguishes the royal woman from the virgins who follow her. Song of Songs 6:9 describes one who is unique. Revelation speaks of the bride, the prepared ones, the sealed servants, and the great crowd through different images and actions.
If Scripture preserves these distinctions, why should we erase them?
Where the Word Leads
The first Adam became a living soul. The Last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.
One is associated with the earthly image; the other with the heavenly.
Christ is the firstborn, the head, and the one seated at God's right hand. Yet Scripture also speaks of what remains to be completed, those who follow, and the household that grows.
We should not rush ahead and combine every person into one identity simply because they share in the same promised restoration.
The next study will examine the relationship between the bridegroom and the singular bride, and why the woman must be distinguished from the multitude that follows her.
For now, consider this:
If Christ is the firstborn among many, who is the Last—and what must be completed before the many are gathered?
The answer deserves careful examination, beginning with the relationships Scripture itself preserves.
Threads to Follow
- The Last Adam and the heavenly image: 1 Corinthians 15:20–49; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18.
- The firstborn and the head: Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:1–4; Hebrews 10:12–13.
- Death, Spirit, and life: 1 Peter 3:18–22; John 5:24–29; Hosea 6:2.
- The two and the household: Genesis 1:26–28; Ezekiel 37:15–28; Ephesians 2:14–22.
- The bride and those who follow: Psalm 45; Song of Songs 6:9; Revelation 19–22.
The books were opened…
🌿 Studies by Maria Emilia ~ 🗺️ Continue exploring: Visit Bible Books to find studies organized by book of the Bible, along with related studies and links.
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