Adam was created and initially had fellowship with God; “they (Adam and Eve) heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” (Gen. 3:8a) But, after Adam’s sin in rebellion against God’s words, he was driven from the garden in order to be kept from “The Tree of Life” (Gen. 3:22), which is a metaphor for Christ’s eternal life, ‘lest man life forever in the corrupt state of Sin.’

With Adam’s fall… the ‘whole creation’ was then cursed… man, woman, beast, and the fruit of the earth (read Gen. 3:16-19). Thus, as Paul wrote that the ‘whole creation’ earnestly aches for the blessedness of being delivered and wholly “reconciled to God.”

Romans 8:18-22 … the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (in ‘the body of Christ’). ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation of ‘the sons of God.’ ²⁰ For the creature (man) was made subject to vanity (frailty), not willingly, but by reason of him (God) who hath subjected the same (yet) in hope,

 ²¹ Because the creature itself (man) also Shall Be Delivered From The Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Children Of God. ²² For we know that ‘the whole creation’ groaneth (under the present calamity) and travaileth in pain together until now.

‘Reconciliation’ means “a change that restores.”

In Isaiah 65:17-25, we see that during the Millennial reign of Christ, many of these curses will be reversed, when “weeping shall no more be heard,” physical human life will be extended, the earth will produce its bounty, and the wolf and lamb shall eat together.

God has implemented one great “reconciliation” by the one offering of Jesus at the Cross. This reconciliation is implemented in 4 stages, in accord with His eternal plan. Thus, the “whole world (Gk. cosmos, creation)” was “reconciled” to God all at once... by the Cross. This one great reconciliation today gives each individual human the opportunity… to believe and personally receive God’s “reconciliation” for themselves... by faith. This one great all-inclusive “reconciliation” is as though…  the money is in man’s bank… needing only to be drawn upon by those who will… believe.

Paul’s epistles reveal the four degrees of God’s “reconciliation,” as seen in the following installments, leading to the actualization of God’s full reconciliation of … “the whole family in heaven and on earth” (Eph. 3:15). God’s whole family consist of the believers of Israel reigning on earth and the members of “the body of Christ” who will dwell and reign in heaven, eternally (1Cor. 5:1b).

Thus, there is coming the “reconciling” of the entire creation; that is both “on earth,” and also, first, in the currently corrupted “heavenly places” of ‘rank and authority’ located in the ‘lower heavens.’ Currently, Satan and his corrupted angelic host reign over the culture and the governmental affairs among the nations of men… on earth… reigning from above from the 2^nd heaven.

The full “reconciliation” that will come “on earth,” as seen in Bible prophecy, will occur with Christ’s Millennial Kingdom (e.g., Isa. 65:17-25), however, the corrupted “heavenly places” and their restoration requires a greater explanation, as may be seen later in Parts 3, 4, and 5.