Luke 2: 1.

that all the world should be taxed.

4: 5.

all the kingdoms of the world.

21: 26.

which are coming on the earth.

Acts 11: 28.

dearth throughout all the world.

17: 6.

turned the world upside down.

17: 31.

in the which He will judge the world.

19: 27.

all Asia and the world worshippeth.

24: 5.

among all the Jews throughout the world.

Rom. 10: 18.

their words unto the ends of the world.

Heb. 1: 6.

the first begotten into the world

2: 5.

not put in subjection the world to come.

Rev. 3: 10.

which shall come upon all the world.

12: 9.

which deceiveth the whole world.

16: 14.

kings of the earth and of the whole world.

"The world to come" (Heb. 2: 5) is the oikoumene, and there are indications in this

chapter of Hebrews that the sphere of this dominion is purposely limited. For example,

this world to come is contrasted with some earlier rule exercised by "angels" (Heb. 2: 5),

and Adam is spoken of as being made a little lower than the angels (Heb. 2: 7), and when

the Apostle returns to the comparison in verse 16, he does not say, as we might have

expected, "for verily He took not on Him the nature of angels, but He took on Him the

(nature of) the seed of ADAM", it says "the seed of ABRAHAM", thereby suggesting a

less extensive dominion "under His feet" (Heb. 2: 8) than is revealed in Eph. 1: 21, 22

where the word oikoumene could not have been used.

Before we shall be in a position to come to a Scriptural conclusion, we shall have to

consider the teaching of the Old Testament, and the connecting link will be the use of

oikoumene in the Greek O.T., the Septuagint version, and the Hebrew words that are so

translated. At the moment everything w have seen points to the conclusion that the

Prophetic Earth is limited to the lands ruled over by Nebuchadnezar and his successors

until the rupture which occurred at the rejection of Christ and the subsequent rejection of