GOD
… Reconciling the world unto God …
The Scripture used throughout this study is quoted from the King James Version. Any explanatory insertions by the author within a Scripture verse are enclosed in brackets [ ]. |
© 1996 by Vincent C. Finnegan
P.O. Box 3098, Latham NY 12110, USA
| Introduction |
| God the Creator |
| The Fall of Lucifer |
| After Its Kind — Genetics |
| Body, Soul, and Spirit |
| Man, God’s Purpose |
| The Fall of Man |
| Consequences of Man’s Fall |
| The Plan of Redemption |
Introduction
Genesis is the name commonly used for the first book in the Bible; however, Genesis was not the book’s original name. The books of the Old Testament were often identified by the first words of the text. The initial words in Genesis are “Bereshith bara ´Elohim.” Therefore, it was referred to as Bereshith which is translated “in the beginning.” Bara ´Elohim is “God created.” Originally no name was given, and the book was referred to as “In the Beginning.”
Before Christ, the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew and Aramaic into the Greek language. This transla tion is called the Septuagint. Ptolemy II of Egypt is said to have brought to Alexandria seventy scholars who completed the translation supposedly in seventy days time. “Septuagint” means seventy translators or seventy interpreters. Each book in the Old Testament is now called by the Greek name first given in the Septuagint. “Genesis” is Greek and means creation, generation, or literally, the oigin of all things.
Whichever name is used, this God-inspired writing tells us everything we need to know regarding the beginning. This is the foundation of all understanding pertaining to God, man, life, and everything in existence.
Genesis was written by Moses, as were the next four books of the Old Testament: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These five books are referred to as the “Pentateuch” or the Books of Moses. Moses was the writer, but, more significantly, God Almighty was the Author. God told Moses what He wanted written.
Some critics scoff at Genesis as being fables, and instead embrace the explanation propounded by the intellectual reasoning of some worldly educated men. If man’s wisdom had contrived Genesis, there would be reason to scoff, for such “wisdom” was responsible for the legends commonly called “mythology.” The myths vary from culture to culture, but many spring from man’s attempt to explain the origins of life and the universe.
The intellectual slant today is “evolution” or “the big bang theory.” This reasoning will probably also be considered mythology by a future generation of intellectuals. The wisdom of man is foolishness in comparison with the wisdom of God, for even the “foolishness of God is wiser than men” (I Corinthians 1:25). Given the ultimate boundaries of human knowledge, the brightest mind cannot even begin to grasp the dimensions of the creation, let alone explain its origin.
The vast galaxy in which we live, the Milky Way, has stars innumerable and is spinning at the incredible speed of 490,000 miles per hour. Even at this immense speed, our galaxy still needs 200 million years to make one rotation. Scientists believe that for every star in our galaxy, there is another entire galaxy in the expanse. They project more than one billion other galaxies are just like ours. The average mind cannot begin to comprehend something that big and that vast.
Some scientists guess (guessing is the best man can do) that the number of stars in the universe is equal to all the sands on all the beaches of the world. Yet, this complex sea of spinning stars functions with remarkable order and effi ciency. To say that the universe just happened, or evolved, or to attribute its greatness to the big bang theory, requires far more faith than to believe that God is behind its amazing realities. Man’s reasoning can be absurd. When we think rationally, we see that man’s explanations are as weak and silly as the reasoning of the immature child who thinks that the moon is made of cheese; or, as men of “intelligence” once believed, that the earth was flat.
These matters are clearly communicated with sublime simplicity in Genesis because God is the Creator and the Author of His Word. No man could have originated a record as simple and yet supreme. When we consider how magnificent the universe is and how little we know about it, we see that man truly is without excuse for not believing in God.
Romans 1:20 and 21:
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was dark ened.
God’s wonderful, matchless Word has the same harmon- ious perfection as the universe. God’s Word can stand the test of intellectual scrutiny by any man who will honestly study it without preconceived ideas. Just as with the uni verse, the more you study God’s Word, the more perfection you will see, the more you will marvel, and the more convinced you will become that only God Almighty could have imagined, designed, and authored it all.
Only a very small section of Genesis is dedicated to actually explaining the universe. Genesis explains so much more than just the universe; it communicates many other matters of utmost importance for understanding God and life.
The Bible is a book with a beginning and an end. It has a progressive story line with a central theme and climaxes in a dynamic conclusion. If we start in the middle and ignore the beginning, understanding the Bible (or any book) would be difficult, if not impossible. Although the seven Church Epistles give the doctrine for the Christian Church, they contain numerous references to the Old Testament. To understand the Church Epistles comprehensively, the Old Testament must also be understood.
Genesis lays the foundational understanding upon which the rest of the Bible builds. Without understanding Genesis, we are vulnerable to misunderstanding and wrongly dividing the rest of the Bible. This writing is offered as a meager introduction to the beginning chapters of this very important book. The reader is encouraged to continue studying the entire book. The all-truth of God’s Word begins with, and rests upon, the book of Genesis.
God the Creator
God is the beginning of all creation.
Genesis 1:1:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
God is the Creator. He is the Almighty. He made heaven and earth and all therein. When we consider His creation, from the luminous band of countless stars that stretch across the sky to the vast and still sustaining food supply in the seas and on the earth, we are overwhelmed with awe and astonish ment. If the creation is so spectacular and infinitely diversi fied that man with all his accumulated intellect has still only glimpsed a small part of it, let alone comprehended all of it, how big is the Creator?
The Hebrew word for “God” is ´Elohim. The Hebrew accent Athnach places the emphasis and gives pause on “God.” When we read “God” we should pause and consider how truly wonderful and powerful He is. The reason for everything that exists in heaven and on earth is God. Without Him would be nothing.
Colossians 1:16 and 17:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
The first verse in the Bible can have profound impact on us if we take heed to the exhortation given in II Timothy 2:7: “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” Many “unanswerable” questions about life which rattle around in man’s mind can be answered simply in acknowledging “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
The Psalmist gave further perspective: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him...?” Man should be inspired to humility when he considers the whole of God’s creation, of which he is but a part. No mind can comprehend, no mouth can utter, but a tiny portion of the greatness of our God. Yet man can get so lifted up with pride he begins to think of himself as God. The pride of man is the distinguishing characteristic which has separated him from God and ruined his life. Genesis 1:1 should extinguish the sparks of pride and inspire continual humility. God is so big, and man so minuscule in compari son! He is the Creator; we are the creation. He alone should receive glory, honor, and praise from every man continually.
Revelation 4:11:
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
The word “create” has become synonymous with originate, produce, or invent. We speak of a composer as “creating” a song, or an artist as “creating” a painting. When the word “create” is associated with God, the Biblical definition is: to bring something into existence that did not previously exist in any form. The songwriter starts with words which already exist. Likewise, the artist starts with paint and a canvas. Only God can really create. Man can reorganize, revamp, or rearrange; he may produce or invent, but he always starts with something. God is the One Who brought all into existence first.
Surprisingly, the word “create” is used regarding only three things in Genesis. We have already read the first in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
The second use is regarding soul life which was created first in animals.
Genesis 1:21:
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
The third and last time God created in Genesis was when He created man in His image. John 4:24 tells us the image of God is spirit. God created spirit in man, setting him apart from all other life forms.
Genesis 1:27:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:3-20 relates that which God arranged and ordered using the elements He had originally created in 1:1. When God brought light into existence, He could simply speak it into being — “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Everything needed for light had already been created in verse one.
After verse 21, when God created soul life in great whales, He did not need to re-create soul in all the other animals, He just spoke it into existence in verses 22-25. Once something is created, it need not be created again.
The Fall of Lucifer
God is perfect, and therefore the work of God is perfect. Yet verse two seems to imply God created the earth in imperfection.
Genesis 1:1 and 2:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Why would God create something without form and void? A verse in Isaiah addresses the same subject.
Isaiah 45:18:
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
God created it not in vain, but rather to be inhabited. The Hebrew word for “vain” tohuw is translated in Genesis 1:2 “without form.” God did not create the earth without form or in vain. Yet, Genesis 1:2 says the earth was without form and void. The reason for the seeming contradiction is an error in translation. The first word “was” in Genesis 1:2 should have been translated “became.” The earth became without form and void.
God created the earth perfectly to be inhabited, but perfection gave way to imperfection. What happened that the perfect earth became without form and void? The angel Lucifer, then second in command, led a rebellion in heaven which had cataclysmic results. He was lifted up with pride and convinced one third of the angels to join him in an attempt to overthrow God.
Isaiah 14:12-15:
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
The Scriptures do not elaborate much on this war, but they do indicate the effects of the war were devastating. In the end God prevailed, but the effects were so profound that to this day all of creation still suffers (Romans 8:22).
Lucifer and the angels rebelling with him were cast out of heaven.
Revelation 12:7-9:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Lucifer became the Devil, and his angels became devil spirits. They are the ones responsible for all the evil that is in the world. John 10:10 refers to the Devil as the thief: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to de stroy....”
This war in heaven, during which time the earth became without form and void, occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 2. The rebellion was unsuccessful, but God’s original creation fell into ruin. The earth was completely covered with water, and the expanse also was filled with water. Thus, the original heaven and earth perished.
II Peter 3:5 and 6:
… by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
The record in Genesis one, beginning in verse three, tells us how God formed the second heaven and earth. We now live in the second heaven and earth.
II Peter 3:7:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The heavens and earth that are now will be completely destroyed, at which time God will, once again, create a new heaven and earth — the third and final one.
II Peter 3:12 and 13:
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
There is a total of three heaven and earths. The first, recorded in Genesis 1:1, became without form and void; the second, stated in Genesis 1:3, still exists; and the third, recorded in II Peter 3:13, will be created in the end times.
The chronological information given in the Bible indicates that man has existed for approximately 6,000 years. Geolo gists claim the world has been in existence for 4.6 billion years. The Word of God does not tell us when the beginning was, so no one really knows. Millions or billions of years could have passed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2; but man, as the Bible describes, started with Adam about 6,000 years ago.
Scientific evidence (such as fossils) suggests that there was life of some kind before Genesis 1:2. When we understand about the earth’s becoming without form and void, no longer do Biblical knowledge and true scientific knowledge conflict.
One of the creatures of this time has mistakenly been called the first man or “cave man.” This cannot be true because God’s Word says Adam was the first man. God created soul life in Genesis 1:21; therefore, whatever life existed before did not have the same soul life as all animals and humans do today. The creature had no spirit life either because that was created in Genesis 1:27. (Remember “create” means to bring something into existence that did not exist before; once something is created, it need not be created again.) Surely, scientists know the “manlike crea tures” were completely different from Homo sapiens and could not have been the forerunner of man.
Prehistoric animals could have existed between Genesis 1:1 and 2. However, whatever life was there ended because Genesis 1:2 tells us the earth was void or empty and without form. The earth was completely covered and the expanse filled with water. Therefore, God had mighty works to accomplish in order to form the second heaven and earth.
Genesis 1:2-10:
… and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
After Its Kind — Genetics
Once the earth was prepared, God could bring forth plant life. The magnanimous wisdom of God is again evident in the laws of genetics. Scientists would do well to study the Bible before spending countless hours in experimentation. The Creator knows how His creation works!
Genesis 1:11 and 12:
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his [its] kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his [its] kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his [its] kind: and God saw that it was good.
These verses state two unalterable principles of truth which lay the groundwork for understanding genetics in the plant kingdom: everything is after its kind, and the seed for reproduction is in itself. The word “kind” is from the Greek word genos translated into English “genus.” In the science of biology, genus is a classification of common distinguishing characteristics. Within the genus may be one or more subdivisions called species. Each subdivision, or species, is a distinct class; but each has the same common characteristics of the genus. In the tomato genus are many varieties or species: for instance cherry, beef steak, plum, yellow, salad, and sunray. The small cherry tomato is different from the huge beef steak tomato, but both have common characteris tics.
Cross-germination can occur between species, but never outside of the genus. Scientists have discovered that cross- germination within the genus can produce certain desired qualities in plants. (The results of such cross-germination are called hybrids.) However, even the biological studies and research consistently demonstrate that a crossover of genuses (genera) such as a cross between a tomato and a cauliflower which would produce a tomato-cauliflower or a cauliflower- tomato does not happen. This has always proven to be impossible because God said that everything is after its kind.
Genesis also sets forth the same principle of genetics in the animal kingdom — everything after its kind.
Genesis 1:20-25:
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creep eth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
The animal kingdom was started in the waters, then the air, and finally on the earth. Again, God’s diverse wisdom is seen in the immense variety of animals. Often large numbers of species exist within just one genus. Consider the dog genus. The American Kennel Club currently recognizes 131 breeds of purebred dogs, and an unlimited variety of randomly bred dogs seems to exist. There is an enormous difference among the many species, but all are clearly distinguishable as being in the same genus — dog. The variety in size alone is astounding. Tiny dogs such as Chihuahuas are about five inches in height and weigh from two to six pounds, while a Great Dane may be 30 inches in height with a weight varying from 120 to 150 pounds. Yet, each is clearly identifiable as a dog.
Dogs can crossbreed within the genus (which is obvious considering all the mixed breed dogs we see), but dogs never crossover and breed with another genus, for example, with the cat. We see no puppy-kittens or kitten-puppies, and never will, because everything is after its kind. True scientists know that the theory of evolution is nonsense because it hypothesizes a crossover in genus. Evolution may occur within a genus, but never from one genus to another. Again, the theory of evolution is complete nonsense; for not only does it suggest a crossover of genus, but it dares to imply a crossover of kingdoms. It proposes that from the plant kingdom evolved the animal kingdom, and from the animal kingdom evolved man. This theory of evolution is simply godless men, full of intellectual egotism, trying to explain creation without God, which is absolutely impossible. Godless men, attempting to eliminate the truth of God’s Word, still propound the theory today. Darwin, the “father” of the theory, at the end of his life denounced evolution and embraced God as being the Creator.
The same laws of genetics apply to man. Adam is the father of the human race, and everyone born is after his kind.
Acts 17:26:
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth …
The genus of mankind is called Homo sapiens. God’s wisdom again allowed for wide variety within the genus of man. The smallest pygmy in deep Africa as well as the seven- foot man seen in professional basketball are both easily identifiable as human beings (Homo sapiens). People have many differences, but all have common characteristics since everything is “after its kind.” A crossover in reproduction never happens. There are no puppy-men or men-puppies. Again, the theory of evolution proves to be absurd, just as the theory that the moon is made of cheese or the earth is flat. As with plants and animals, with people the seeds for repro duction must stay within the boundaries of the genus — everything after its kind and the seed is in itself.
The genus of man is made up of three major groups — Black, Asian, and Caucasian, plus an unlimited random mixture of all. The major groups are called races. Since Adam is the father of all, the question arises as to why mankind has different races. Races do not indicate a differ ence in origin, but simply subdivisions of people with common physical traits, such as pigmentation, hair, facial characteristics, body proportions, etc. In spite of the differ ing classifications, every person is clearly distinguishable as being the same genus — Homo sapiens.
There are two logical and scientifically sound reasons for the difference in races: heredity and adaptation. Gregor Mendel, an Austrian botanist, first discovered God’s princi ples of genetic heredity in the late 1800's. These principles explain the many differences within all the genuses (genera) of plants, animals, and man. Since Mendel’s day entire sophisticated disciplines have developed which are dedicated to the field of genetics. Mendel laid the groundwork for isolating “genes” which contain the genetic blueprints for offspring. Consider one major difference in Homo sapiens — skin color. Various combinations of dominant and recessive genes cause some offspring to be born lighter and some to be born darker.
Often people with like characteristics gravitate towards each other. Over a long period of time, those with similar traits have reproduced, and mankind has developed different races.
Adaptation is the body’s natural ability to adjust to its habitat, or the environment in which it lives. People living in Great Britain where it is cloudy tend to be light-skinned; while people living in Africa where it is sunny tend to be dark-skinned.
The absurd theories for racial differences propounded by some produce only confusion and discrimination. The reason for prejudice and hatred between races is not because we have different origins. All men are of the same kind and started with Adam.
Body, Soul, and Spirit
Adam was originally a three-part being of body, soul, and spirit. Often the words “soul” and “spirit” are used interchangeably. However Scripture indicates a clear distinction — soul and spirit can be divided.
Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit …
Elsewhere, God again makes a distinction between soul and spirit and adds a third aspect, body.
1 Thessalonians 5:23:
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The body of man was formed of the dust of the ground.
Genesis 2:7:
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground …
Man’s body is composed of the same elements as the dust of the earth. The word “man” is from the Hebrew adam meaning red earth. All of the elements needed to form man’s body were created in Genesis 1:1; thus God did not say He “created” man’s body of the dust of the ground. From the elements already in existence, God formed the body of man.
Genesis 3:19:
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
God formed man’s body out of the dust of the ground. Ultimately, as the Lord tarries in his coming back, each man dies and returns to his original state, the dust of the ground. Ecclesiastes 3:20 says, “...all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”
Psalms 146:4:
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
The body is the entire physical part of a human being, also called corpus or carcass. A living corpus or carcass is one that has soul life.
Genesis 2:7:
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The soul in man is that which gives the body life, its vitality. “Breathed into his nostrils” is the figure of speech condescensio.1 God put life into Adam, and He made man a living soul. Every person has a soul. Whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian has nothing to do with having a soul. The soul is simply that which gives life to a person’s body. As long as a person breathes, he has a soul.
The confusion between the soul and the spirit has caused no end of difficulty for people. People talk of the soul as being “immortal” or of the “transmigration” of the soul. This is all erroneous thinking caused by the misunderstanding of the words God used to explain man. Words that God used with exactness and precision, man uses carelessly and wrongly.
In the Bible, “soul” refers to the life within the physical body of man and has nothing to do with spirit.
During the great flood, Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives were saved. These eight people are called “souls.” They were called souls because they were living beings.
I Peter 3:20:
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
When Paul and Luke sailed to Rome, they were the only two on the ship who were born-again and had spirit. The other 274 men did not have spirit, but had soul. Yet, all were called souls in Acts 27:37, “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.” 276 alive people were in the ship. “Soul” is that which gives life to the body.
Because the Christian Church has confused these two realities, people have major inconsistencies in their logic. For example, some talk about the immortality of the soul of man, but deny the immortality of the soul of animals. If soul were immortal and animals had soul, then there would be a dog heaven, a cat heaven, etc. Soul has nothing to do with eternal life. When animals die, the soul ceases to exist. The soul has no immortality. Some Eastern religions are more consistent in logic, but also err in understanding. They teach that there is a heaven for animals. All this confusion con- tinues because we have not read that which is written in the Bible. Soul means soul, and spirit means spirit.
The word “soul” in Genesis 2:7 (...and man became a living soul) is the Hebrew word nephesh. This word, nephesh, is also translated as “life” and “creature.” God created soul life in animals.
Genesis 1:20 and 21:
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature [nephesh, soul] that hath life [nephesh, soul] and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature [nephesh, soul] that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Once God created soul life, He never needed to create it again. When the time came for land animals, God simply spoke the soul into existence.
Genesis 1:24:
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature [nephesh, soul] after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Because soul life had already been created, God simply breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life, and man became a living soul (nephesh). The soul is that which gives the body life.
A person dies when he takes his last breath. Scientists speak of chemical death, biological death, and cellular death of man. Biblically and accurately, man dies when he takes his last breath. Perhaps you have heard people talk about having died on the operating table, then seeing a “great white light,” and spiritual phenomena with angels, etc. Then they speak of coming back to life. The truth is that they never died because they did not take their last breath. They might have stopped breathing, and their hearts may have stopped beating, but they did not come back from the dead because they never truly died. That which they claim to have seen was in their minds. Often, when the brain lacks oxygen, the victim hallucinates. When aviation was in its infancy, pilots experienced similar hallucinations when they climbed in altitude. The higher they went, the less oxygen was available to their brains. Perhaps the reason some people on the operating table hallucinate about God or spiritual phenomenon is because their last conscious thought was prayer to God for help.
A person literally dies when he takes his last breath. Logically then, a person is alive when he takes his first breath. When a baby is in the womb it does not breathe, being surrounded by fluid. Not until the child is born and takes his first breath, is he alive.
The soul (breath) life is in the blood.
Leviticus 17:11:
For the life [nephesh, soul] of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
The seed of the male carries the soul life which is passed on to progeny when the sperm impregnates the egg at the time of fertilization. The soul life God started in Adam is the same soul life in every man today.
When someone dies, the soul goes into the air and ceases to exist. The soul has no immortality.
The body of man was formed from the elements of the ground which God created in Genesis 1:1. The soul of man was placed in the body of man, having first been created for animals in Genesis 1:21. God created the third and final time when He created spirit.
Genesis 1:27:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
God’s crowning and final accomplishment of the original creation was creating man in His own image. The image of God is spirit, according to John 4:24. The spirit separated man as being superior to all else, and placed him in a rela tionship with his Creator, God. Spirit placed man in God’s realm of the spiritual. Man was a complete being of body, soul, and spirit.
Man, God’s Purpose
On the first day, light was separated from darkness resulting in day and night. On the second day, the firmament divided the waters from the waters. The firmament was called heaven. On the third day, God spoke the earth and the plant kingdom into existence. On the fourth day, He placed lights in the heaven: the sun, moon, and stars. On the fifth day, God created soul for the animals. After everything else was set, the purpose for all could be accomplished. On the sixth day, God created man in His image — spirit.
Man’s spirit gave him a direct connection with God so that a loving relationship and communication could ensue.
The purpose for man was loving fellowship. God’s ultimate purpose for all He did in creation was to have a personal, intimate, spiritual relationship of love with man, and for man to have the same love relationship with Him. God wanted to have a oneness with man.
We have read in Isaiah 45:18 that God’s original intent for the first heaven and earth was for it to be inhabited. This plan was destroyed because of the Devil’s evil attempt to overthrow God in heaven. Once the Devil was dealt with and the second heaven and earth formed, God went back to His plan of having the earth inhabited. His instruction to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.
Genesis 1:28:
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth …
God not only wanted a love fellowship with Adam and Eve, He wanted the earth to be filled with people whom He could love and who would love Him. All that God put together on earth was under the dominion of man. God did all for His man, and it was good to God.
Genesis 1:28-31:
… and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yield ing seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Man was alive in paradise. Everything he needed was provided by his loving Creator. Man had a love relationship with God without any shame, fear, negatives, or sin. Man had an ideal setting and the joy and privilege to dress and keep the garden.
Genesis 2:15:
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Adam’s spirit gave him a direct connection to God; he could communicate freely and effectively. This made Adam a very intelligent being. He named all the genus and species of animals.
Genesis 2:19-20:
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field …
Adam and his wife, Eve, lived in love with God and each other. They were naked before each other and God without shame.
Genesis 2:25:
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Adam’s dominion included everything in Eden with the exception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He knew no evil, and God wanted him to stay that way for his own benefit.
Genesis 2:16 and 17:
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
God’s commandment was clear, specific, and absolute. If they disobeyed, “in the day,” they would “surely die.”
The Fall of Man
The first time that the Devil is mentioned in the Bible gives a fundamental description of his behavior and method- ology for deceiving people. That which is seen here is characteristic of the evil one to this day. He is referred to as the serpent, not to describe his appearance, but his subtlety.
Genesis 3:1:
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Satan is the fallen angel of light, and as such, he is able to disguise himself to be beautifully appealing to the senses of man. Serpents are the most subtle of all animals and are deadly. A serpent may be next to you in the field without giving any indication of his presence or intent. If the Devil exposed himself in true form, no one would be taken in because he is so evil and ugly.
The very first thing he did was present an evil thought for Eve to consider. This was the first step on the road to man’s fall. All the actions of life are the results of the thoughts of our minds. So the beginning of his attack was to tempt Eve to think wrongly about God and that which He had spoken. His statement was very pointed endeavoring to make God seem bad. He misquoted God’s Words and baited Eve to doubt God’s motives towards her.
The second step down happened when she responded without God’s help. She had spirit and thus a direct con- nection with God. God’s Word often teaches we must ask God for help when dealing with temptation and evil. Eve certainly was not ignorant of God’s willingness and desire to help her. Once the evil thought was introduced, Eve had to respond, but she did not choose to respond in the right way.
Genesis 3:2 and 3:
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
The third step down was when she did not speak God’s Word accurately. She omitted the word “freely.” She added the words “neither shall ye touch it,” and changed “ye shall surely die” to “lest ye die.” That which God said in Genesis 2:16 and 17 is exactly that which He meant. She should have spoken the accuracy of God’s Word, and the attack would have been overcome. When Jesus Christ was attacked in the beginning of his ministry, he responded with “it is written;” then spoke the accurate Word of God to resist the temptations with which he was presented.
The fourth step down was Eve’s doubting God’s integrity. God said “thou shalt surely die.” The woman said “lest ye die.” She took God’s absolute and changed it into a “maybe.” The fall of man happened because Adam and Eve did not believe God really meant that which He said. God always means that which He says and says that which He means.
Genesis 3:4 and 5:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
The fifth step was the serpent’s completely contradicting God and offered something seemingly better. The Devil deceived Eve into thinking he had something better to offer. God offers the best, and nothing is better than that which He offers. All that satisfies in life comes from God.
The Devil completely contradicted the Word of God, but because the lie appealed to the woman’s senses, she took and ate, as did her husband.
The sixth and final step down was when the woman responded to the desires of her senses rather than God’s Word.
Genesis 3:6:
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
The Fall of Man
The serpent:
Introduced an evil thoughtThe woman:
Responded without God’s help
Did not speak God’s Word accurately
Doubted God’s integrityThe serpent:
Contradicted God, offering something “better”The woman:
Responded to her senses rather than God’s Word
The Devil lied saying, “ye shall not surely die.” God said, “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” That which died “the” day was the image of God, their spirit. When they sinned, spirit left them. The absence of spirit in the Scriptures is referred to as death, spiritual death. Adam and Eve continued to live physically for many years after their disobedient action (which God calls “sin”). But because sin entered their bloodstream, it eventually caused physical death also.
The Devil’s other lie was, “ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” The irony of this false promise was that since they already knew good, a knowledge of evil would be the only thing “gained.”
Their temptation was to “be as gods.” Man is still tempted to be his own god. With the spirit gone, man lost his relationship with God. The sin nature was now present.
Their behavior immediately changed for the worse. Before the fall, they were naked and not ashamed. After the fall, they were ashamed.
Genesis 3:7:
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Before the fall, they enjoyed a personal, intimate, love relationship with God. Afterwards, they became afraid of God and tried to hide from Him.
Genesis 3:8-10:
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
When confronted by God, Adam shifted the blame to the woman.
Genesis 3:11 and 12:
And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
As we continue to read, we see the true ugliness of the sin nature. Man now of only body and soul is sinful and lost without God in the world. The sinful nature causes man to live in trespasses and sins, without God, in an evil world, greatly influenced by the Devil.
God had to send Adam and Eve out of Eden before they took of the tree of life and remained forever doomed in their fallen state.
Genesis 3:23-24:
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Consequences of Man’s Fall
The fall of Lucifer had devastating impact on the purposes of God. In like manner, the fall of man ruined God’s purposes. The reason for all of creation was to have a love relationship with man. With the spirit gone, the relationship was shattered. Rather then being God’s loving companion, man became His enemy. The love that man was to have towards God was replaced with a lustful love of self. Man worshiped the creation more than the Creator.
Romans 1:25:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and wor shiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Without the spirit and with the sin nature, everything about man corrupted. He became vile in the sight of God.
Romans 3:10-18:
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
All mankind are descendants of Adam “after his kind.” Just as we all inherit his soul life via the genetic bloodline, so we all inherit his sin nature and are born spiritually dead.
Romans 5:12:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Lust and the desires of the flesh replaced loving God. Man was completely and utterly lost, without God and without hope in the world.
Ephesians 2:12:
… having no hope, and without God in the world:
Adam had a direct connection and effective communica tion with the Creator, which made him very smart. Without spirit, body and soul man was left to his own limited reason ing. Experience became his teacher rather than God. Man had become foolish in his own reasoning.
In paradise, God had sovereignty over man. Once Adam sinned, God’s dominion over man was lost to Satan who became the god of this world.
II Corinthians 4:4:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glori ous gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Man went from paradise on earth to being blind and lost because Satan became the god of this world. Because of Adam’s disobedience, Satan gained legal authority over man and over all the kingdoms of the world. While tempting Jesus Christ, the Devil made declaration of his authority and offered it to Christ if he would worship him.
Luke 4:5 and 6:
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
The authority was delivered to him with the fall of man. Every person since Adam, with the exception of Jesus Christ, is born under the authority of the Devil as children of wrath. The Devil is the prince of the power of the air. Those who are dead in trespasses and sins walk according to the course he sets.
Ephesians 2:1-3:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres passes and sins:
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Rather than having the peaceful haven in paradise, man is born lustful, without hope, dead in trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world. He is under the authority of the god of this world, being continually persuaded by the thief whose aim is to steal, kill, and destroy. In such a state man has no way to communicate with God. The sin nature in the blood causes sickness, disease, and eventually death. Man is pursued by the Devil who as a roaring lion walks about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8).
The consequences of the fall are indeed devastating, but God set a plan in Genesis for man’s redemption.
The Plan of Redemption
After the original sin, God confronted the serpent and set His plan for man’s redemption.
Genesis 3:14-15:
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The seed of the woman is the seed of Christ, which ultimately would bruise the head of the serpent eternally. This seed became the purpose of the ages and the theme of the rest of God’s Word. From this point on, both mankind and the Devil watched for a man to be born who would redeem mankind. Eve thought her first child was this man.
Genesis 4:1:
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
She was wrong because her first child was Cain, and he ended up being the first murderer.
From Eve to Mary, everyone, including the Devil, was looking for a savior to be born through the normal process of reproduction; but God had said “the seed of the woman.” Women have the egg, not the seed. God’s plan was to create seed in a woman, so the child born would be His son and qualified to redeem man. The plan was kept veiled until Mary.
From Genesis to the Gospels there is no indication of God’s using His creative power again, not until God created seed in the woman. The seed He created in the woman was after His kind, making Jesus Christ God’s only begotten son. Remember, everything after “its kind?” Jesus Christ was just like his Father, God.
The redemption of mankind required a man just like Adam, but without sin, to give his life in payment to buy mankind back. Jesus Christ was born with sinless blood and lived a sinless life always obeying his Father’s words, always doing his Father’s will.
I Corinthians 15:21 and 22:
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Jesus Christ had body and soul as every other man born; however, his soul life came from God. The soul life is in the blood and is contributed by the male’s seed in reproduction. God contributed the seed by creating it in Mary. Therefore, Jesus Christ was not after Adam’s kind with the sin nature, but after God’s kind without sin.
Beginning with Adam after the fall, God instructed man to give blood sacrifices as an offering for sin. These sacri fices temporarily covered man’s sin and were a prototype of that which Christ would accomplish.
Leviticus 17:11:
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
The sacrifice of Christ’s perfect blood eternally redeemed mankind.
Hebrews 9:12-14:
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Through the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ, including his death, resurrection, and ascension, man is able once again to enter into the loving relationship with God that He has always wanted. Unlike Adam, the Christian can be born again of incorruptible seed and become a child of God by birth. This incorruptible seed is holy spirit. It cannot be passed on in the genetic bloodline of man. Every time someone accepts Christ, God again creates, putting His spirit inside them. This spirit places man back into God’s realm of the spiritual. This spirit gives man free access to God, the ability to fellowship with Him. It gives him dominion and authority over the god of this world. It gives him comfort, counsel, help, and hope.
When Christ comes back and the events in the Book of Revelation are complete, we will enjoy a perfect relationship with God similar to the one Adam and Eve had in paradise. For at that time we will be given new bodies without sin in them which will correspond with the holy spirit we now have; and we will live in the new heaven and earth that God will have created. What a joyous time!
Footnotes:
1 Condescensio is a figure of speech ascribing human passion, actions, or attributes to God..
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