"So the LAST shall be FIRST, and the FIRST LAST"
(Matthew 20:16)
Cain, "who was of that WICKED One" (I John 3:12),
CHRONOLOGICALLY PRECEDED "RIGHTEOUS Abel" (Matthew 23:35)
"Japheth the ELDER" (Genesis 10:21)
CHRONOLOGICALLY PRECEDED he who had the Lord's BLESSING - "BLESSED is the Lord God of Shem" (Genesis 9:26)
Terah begat three sons beginning at age 70 - Abraham,
Nahor, Haran (Genesis 11:26) - the OLDEST being HARAN who fathered Lot (Genesis 11:27)
and the YOUNGEST being ABRAHAM who was 75 years old when he TRUSTED GOD to leave his father's house (Genesis 12:1,4)
AFTER HIS FATHER DIED at age 205 (Genesis 11:31-32)
Esau, the FORNICATOR and PROFANE person (Hebrews 12:16),
CHRONOLOGICALLY PRECEDED Jacob, the one who Isaac BLESSED (Genesis 28:6) - the ELDER son was HATED by God and the YOUNGER son was LOVED by
God (Romans 9:10-13 cf. Malachi 1:2-3)
David, Jesse's YOUNGEST son was a SHEPHERD and not a WARRIOR
like Jesse's OLDEST sons (I Samuel 17:12-15) - it is of him that God said, "I took thee from the sheepcote
(sheepfold), FROM FOLLOWING the sheep, TO BE RULER OVER My people, over Israel" (II Samuel 7:8)
The FIRST MAN (ADAM) was "of the EARTH" (I Corinthians 15:47)
for "the Lord God formed MAN out of the DUST of the GROUND" (Genesis 2:7)
Due to his TRANSGRESSION - his life is one of SORROW (Genesis 3:17),
which ends in his being returned to the DUST from whence he came (Genesis 3:19)
The SECOND MAN (CHRIST) is "the Lord from HEAVEN"
(I Corinthians 15:47) for "He CAME DOWN from HEAVEN" (John 3:13)
After being "OBEDIENT unto DEATH, even the DEATH
of the CROSS" (Philippians 2:8) - He "ASCENDED UP to HEAVEN" (John 3:13)
- "having PURGED (SHED) our SINS ... SAT DOWN on the RIGHT HAND of the MAJESTY ON HIGH" (Hebrews 1:3)
We are BEGOTTEN in ADAM'S "OWN LIKENESS, after HIS
IMAGE" (Genesis 5:3)
due to the FALL (Genesis 3:6)
We are NOT NOW AS ADAM was "IN THE DAY that GOD CREATED
MAN" (Genesis 5:1
cf.Genesis 1:27) when GOD said, "Let US MAKE MAN in OUR IMAGE, after OUR LIKENESS"
(Genesis 1:26)
God declares that "to them that are the CALLED ...
He also did PREDESTINATE (PREDETERMINE) to be CONFORMED to the IMAGE of HIS SON" (Romans 8:28-29)
It is CHRIST "Who is the IMAGE of the INVISIBLE GOD
... the FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE ... the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD" (Colossians 1:15,18)
"Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have PEACE
WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ ... and REJOICE in the HOPE of the GLORY OF GOD" (Romans 5:1-2)
"For our CONVERSATION (CITIZENSHIP) is in HEAVEN;
from whence also we LOOK for the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST: Who shall CHANGE OUR VILE (LOWLY) BODY, that it
may be FASIONED LIKE unto HIS GLORIOUS BODY ..." (Philippians 3:20-21)