The Bible distinguishes the earthy man of dust, connected to Adam, from the heavenly man, the Lord from heaven, and applies heavenly promises and citizenship to those in Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says the first man Adam is earthy and the second man Christ is the Lord from heaven. Les Feldick applies this same division to Israel as God's earthly people and the Church as God's heavenly people, with earthly promises for Israel and heavenly promises for the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49 — Paul explicitly contrasts the earthy first man Adam with the heavenly second man, Christ, and says believers will bear the heavenly image.
Genesis 13:16; Genesis 15:5 — These promises to Abraham use the dust of the earth for earthly people and the stars of heaven for the heavenly seed.
In 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Paul explains that the first man Adam was made a living soul, while the last Adam, Christ, is a quickening Spirit. He then says: "Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual." Verse 47 declares, "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven." The result is that "as is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly" (verse 48). Verse 49 gives the believer's hope: "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Scripture also describes two realms from the beginning: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God's promises to Abraham compare his seed to the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16) and to the stars of heaven (Genesis 15:5). These passages show that the Bible consistently sets apart the earthly sphere from the heavenly sphere.
Les Feldick teaches that all of Scripture is divided between heaven and earth. He repeatedly states, "Israel is God's earthly people. The church is God's heavenly people." He finds this division in Genesis 1:1 and in God's promises to Abraham: the dust of the earth points to the earthly people of Israel, and the stars of heaven point to the heavenly people, the Church. Les applies 1 Corinthians 15 to this same framework. The earthy man is Adam, and everyone born into the human race is earthy in physical makeup. The heavenly man is the Lord from heaven, and believers are heavenly in standing and citizenship. He emphasizes that believers are still living and working on the earth, but their citizenship is already in heaven and all their promises are heavenly. Les also stresses that the nation of Israel has earthly promises and the Church has heavenly promises. These two peoples and their promises are "totally different." Israel is earthy; the Church is heavenly; and believers will one day "bear the image of the heavenly" rather than remain bound as earth beings.
Feldick points back to Genesis 1:1 — "In the beginning God created heaven and earth" — and says everything in Scripture connects to one of those two entities. He then ties this to God's promises to Abraham: when God tells Abraham his seed will be as the dust of the earth, that refers to the earthly people, Israel; when God says his seed will be as the stars of heaven, that refers to the heavenly people, the Church.
Les Feldick teaches that the nation of Israel is God's earthly people with earthly promises, while the Church, the Body of Christ, is God's heavenly people with heavenly promises. He says that "everything concerning the nation of Israel is earthly, everything concerning the Body of Christ, or you and I as Grace Age believers, is heavenly." Believers in this age are citizens of heaven, even though they still function as physical earthly beings.
Les Feldick does not teach that believers stop being earthy physically. He says, "We are earthy in our makeup, although once we become a believer we become heavenly connected and our citizenship is in heaven, but we're still functioning, and living, and producing, and reproducing as physical earthly beings." The change is in identity and citizenship, not in physical nature. The future hope is that "we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:49.
Spiritual Follows Natural
Les explains that the natural came first and the spiritual follows, with Adam as the first federal head of the human race and Christ as the culmination of God's spiritual dealings.
Heavenly vs. Earthly Peoples
Les explicitly states that Israel is God's earthly people and the Church is God's heavenly people, and he connects the dust of the earth and stars of heaven to these two groups.
Earthly and Heavenly Images
Les teaches that as we have borne the image of the earthy Adam, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly, and that believers are not going to be bound as earth beings for eternity.
Earthly vs. Heavenly Promises
Les contrasts the nation of Israel, which has earthly promises, with the Body of Christ, which has only heavenly promises.
Genesis 1:1 Sets the Framework
Les shows that from Genesis 1:1 onward, Scripture is divided between earthy things and heavenly things, with Israel as earthy and the Church as heavenly.
Earthy Makeup, Heavenly Citizenship
Les clarifies that believers are still physical, earthy beings in this life, but their citizenship is in heaven and they will bear the heavenly image.
Israel's Earthly Promises and Our Heavenly Promises
Les uses the Abrahamic promises of dust and stars to show that Israel is earthly and the Grace Age Church is heavenly, with heaven as our citizenship.
Two Entities Throughout Scripture
Les reminds his listeners that from Genesis 1:1 God has divided Scripture into two entities: the nation of Israel as the earthly people of God and the Church as the heavenly people of God.
Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Les uses this verse to establish the two spheres—heaven and earth—that run through all of Scripture.
Genesis 13:16: And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
God's promise to Abraham compares his seed to the dust of the earth, which Les connects to Israel as God's earthly people.
Genesis 15:5: And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
God also compares Abraham's seed to the stars of heaven, which Les connects to the heavenly people, the Church.
1 Corinthians 15:46: Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
This verse establishes the biblical order: the natural and earthy comes before the spiritual and heavenly.
1 Corinthians 15:47: The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
Paul directly contrasts Adam, the earthy man, with Christ, the heavenly Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:48: As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
This verse shows that people are defined by whether they belong to the earthy line of Adam or the heavenly line of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:49: And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
This gives the believer's future hope: we will not remain bound to the earthy image, but will bear the heavenly image.
Yes, but Les Feldick teaches they are two different peoples with two different callings. Israel is God's earthly people with earthly promises, while the Church is God's heavenly people with heavenly promises. He says these two concepts must be kept totally separate.
No. According to Les Feldick, everything concerning the Body of Christ is heavenly. Believers are citizens of heaven, and all of their promises are heavenly promises, not earthly ones.
Les explains that although we have borne the image of the earthy Adam through our physical birth, our prospect is to bear the image of the heavenly. This is a future transformation, and it is where faith comes in.
Watch the Teaching: Why Adam's Sin Condemned You — Romans 5 Explained