"...an administration of the fullness of the times, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth."
Ephesians 1:10
"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order:
Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority and power.
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet...
And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all."
1 Corinthians 15:22-25, 28
Again:
"And when all things are subjected to Him... For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet."
At this moment in time, the summer of 2012, nearly 2000 years since Jesus took His seat at the right hand of God, all things are not yet "subjected" to Him. No generation in all these centuries has completed the "greater works" to God's satisfaction.
And although:
"The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
1 John 3:8
And Jesus declared just before His crucifixion:
"Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out."
John 12:31
"...the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."
1 John 5:19
Satan is alive and well and very successful, he still rules!
And although the kingdom "is" at hand, is hovering near, it has not come...
"After John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand...'"
Mark 1:15
Nor can it -- "it" is not finished!
The "Order of the Feet"
"For behold, the Lord is coming forth from His place, He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth."
Micah 1:3
"For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind...
He who makes dawn into darkness
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The Lord of hosts is His name."
Amos 4:13
"He having offered one sacrifice for sins for all times, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet."
Hebrews 10:12, 13
"The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.'
The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying,
'Rule in the midst of Thine enemies.'
Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power."
Psalm 110:1-3
"What is man that Thou dost remember him?
And the son of man that Thou dost care for him...
And dost crown him with glory and majesty!
Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet..."
Psalm 8:3-8
"...For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Therefore... make straight paths for your feet..."
Hebrews 2:8, 9
"In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:6
But we do see Jesus.
"...He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a work behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or the left.'"
Isaiah 30:20, 21
How It Works
"...the Lord appointed seventy... and sent them two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Go your ways, behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves... The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.' And the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.'
And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.'"
Luke 10:1, 3, 16-18
"...everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all I command you, you shall speak... Behold, I have put My words in your mouth, See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant."
Jeremiah 1:7, 9, 10
A Scripture to Remember
"You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surround him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet."
2 Chronicles 2:4
A Caution for the Workman
"I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me..."
John 14:39
(Handbook 1, Article 36)