(*Dispensation: The method in which God carried out His plan, especially as it related to how He interacted with man, during a specific period of time.)
(Consider reading the last post of this blog (Revelation 19-22) in order to see the connection between how the Bible ends and how the Bible begins.)
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(The phrase "In the beginning" did not mean "the first moment of time." It actually meant "shaking" as in the moment that something happened. The heavens was where God lives. In this verse earth meant "all the physical matter that would ever exist." Basically, this first verse of the Bible could be read as: "When the First Cause made something happen, He created the intangible place where He lived and all the physical matter that would ever exist.")
(After an in-depth study of both the definitions and etymology of the words used in the first two chapters of Genesis, a much deeper meaning behind these verses is revealed. This first verse of the Bible actually alluded to God's eternal plan in the etymology. Here was this first verse according to etymology: "At the time of the First Cause, the intangible place where God places his banner and the marriage bed were created by consent and the agreement of the Trinity on an original thought." Creation only occurs with agreement...by two or more people exchanging value. The devil cannot create because he cannot come into agreement with anyone, he only destroys. If it was only God the Father, none of this would have been created. The Trinity's purpose was to create a Bride for Jesus. This would allow each of the Trinity to interact with each other through the Bride in a manner that would be profitable for eternity.)
2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
(Here is the translation of this verse according to the definitions and etymology of the words that were used:
-The phrase "And the earth was waste and void" meant "All the physical matter that would make up all of life was from its beginning without purpose and without anything good or bad in it."
-The phrase "...and darkness was upon the face of the deep" meant "a complete lack of understanding covered the shell of this chaotic egg that consisted of water."
-The phrase "...and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" meant "the breath of the most powerful Right and Just sat brooded like a bird upon the inside of this egg."
Basically, God created a mass of water that resembled an egg, while the Holy Spirit brooded like a bird over this egg. The physical matter was not good or bad, it was just physical matter. The Holy Spirit was the seed that "fertilized this egg." Notice, the New Testament began with the Holy Spirit fertilizing the egg inside Mary. Her egg was not good or bad, it was just physical matter. People who think the egg was good end up worshipping the earth...and worshipping Mary.)
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
(God spoke things into existence. God is intangible, otherwise, a person could ask, "Where did the matter that made up God first come from?" God also created the tangible through the intangible: words. Words are vibrations, which themselves are not tangible. Every other "creation story" began with tangible matter, which was not possible. "Light" came from Hebrew word or which meant "energy." Everywhere the word "light" was used in the Bible, you can substitute the word "energy." Recently, science has determined that all the elements can be created with water, high energy, and heat. So far, we've seen the earth was all water. The Holy Spirit's brooding supplied heat. God creating light/energy allowed elements and physical uniqueness to be possible.)
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
("Good" was right and just and resulted in something that "creates." Everywhere the word "good" was used in the Bible, you can substitute the word "creates." Notice, it takes energy (light) to create.)
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
(At this point, the energy that was prevalent everywhere was consolidated away from areas that did not have this energy. The word "day" in Hebrew was a 24-hour period. The fifth verse in the last chapter of the Bible (Revelation 22:5) brings an end to day and night. Notice, there was evening first, then morning which was where the Jews got their belief that a day began at sunset. The formula for Day One was God created by stating "Let...", saw it was good, and called the created thing by name.)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 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.
(This is known as "The Canopy Theory." The earth was surrounded by a layer of water (like a canopy) that could block out damaging ultraviolet radiation as well as serve as the source of water for the Flood. Whether this canopy completely covered the earth or was a "ring" (like Saturn possesses) is up for debate. Some people believe the earth being completely surrounded by water would be the same as an oven and lead to ultra-high temperatures. Blocking out damaging radiation would mean that people and animals would be able to live hundreds of years, as long as this canopy of water was in place. Also, the days of creation mirrored the creation of individuals. The first day the egg was fertilized. The next phase is cell division. The fertilized egg divides while it travels down the fallopian tube.)
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
(In this verse, "Heaven" is the atmosphere of the earth, also known as the first heavens. Notice, God did not call the results of the second day "good." Dividing the waters, in and of itself, did not result in creating. If anything, the canopy will eventually be used to destroy the earth. Notice, God created something (firmament) with "Let...", did not call it good, and called the created thing by name. Although dividing the waters did not create something new, God called the firmament (the created thing) that was separated from the waters "Heaven.")
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called the Seas: and God saw that it was good.
(The third stage in the creation of a person is internal cell division. The cell divides five times until there are 32 cells and is called a morula (latin for mulberry). The cells on the inside compact and secrete a viscous layer, which was verse 9. Then a central cavity is formed where there is a hollow ball of cells, which was verse 10.)
11 And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
(On the third day, God created trees bearing fruit, which can be seen as an allusion to Christ's crucifixion...the ultimate tree (cross) bearing fruit. Notice, three days from this reference was when humans were created.)
13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
(God called the dry land and seas "good." God called the vegetation "good." All of this creates. In fact, in one day, the trees produced their fruit. This third day had two creations...two "Let..." God stated they were both good. However, God called the first created thing by name and did not call the second created thing by name.)
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
(In this verse, "heaven" referred to what we call "outer space" which was also known as the "second heaven." This made "heaven" where God lives the "third heaven." Notice, it took three days to get the earth (as we know it) finished, so this day placed the earth in a specific spot in a greater space. Each day resulted in a more complicated creation. The next stage of the creation of a human is the implanting of the fertilized egg in the uterus. The egg (earth) is fixed in its place relative to its surroundings.)
16 And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
(The energy was now divided even further. Some was put into the sun and stars. Notice, the sun was created after the plants. If there was thousands of years between these "days," how would the plants survive?)
17 And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
(God called the greater and lesser lights "good." God created with "Let...", stated the creations were good, but did not call the created things by name. So far, each day has been different relative to these three measures.)
20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
(The next stage in the creation of a human is the fertilized egg eats its way into the uterus. This is an invasion into the mother's blood cells and diverts blood to the fertilized egg. These cells are the first differentiated cells from the fertilized egg and they are on the outer layer.)
23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
(God created with "Let...", stated the creatures were good. However, if He called them by name this day would have followed the same process as Day One. If He did not call it by name it would have followed the same process as Day Four. Instead, of calling or not calling, God blessed them. He told them to be "fruitful" which meant profitable and required the ability to create.)
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
(God used the words "Us" and "Our," which referred to the Trinity. The Trinity stated that humans should have dominion, they should be a first cause. The final stage before the birth of the human is the continued differentiation and specialization of cells. Notice, each day resulted in a more complicated creation. James 3:9 referenced the previous verse.)
(1st Dispensation – Eden)
27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
(Notice, the word "man" was not a male only reference. The English word "man" came from the Sanskrit word manu meaning "to think." This applied to males and females. God and humans have the ability to consciously think as well as unconsciously think. Animals only have the ability to unconsciously think. Humans have a Mind/Soul which is separate from the conscious brain and unconscious brain. This Mind/Soul is who the human IS and is a first cause.)
28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
(God blessed them. God's first command to Adam was to be profitable, to create. God told humans to have dominion, to be the first cause.)
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food:
30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for food: and it was so.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
(When God looked at everything as a whole that He had made, He declared it "very good." The root meaning was "good to the highest degree." Even though the only day that was not declared "good" was the second day, it still filled a role in the whole of creation that caused the whole of creation to be able create to the highest degree. God could not have made a better creation than He did. Notice, there were two creations on this sixth day with both being created by "Let...". God stated both creations were good. The first creation of this day God did not call by name which made it similar to Day Four. The second creation of this day God blessed which made it similar to Day Five. However, Day Six was a combination of the process used on Day Four and Day Five.
God used a different process each day of creation.)
Genesis 2
1 And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
(Notice, to this point, God initiated His Will. All of His actions were without precedence. God acted as a First Cause. However, the word rest meant "to cease from the occupation of being a first cause." God resolved the contradiction between man being a first cause and God being a first cause, by God choosing to cease from His position as a first cause.
Work is defined as force times distance, basically strength and progress: creation. Power is defined as work divided by time. Power increases with more creation or with a shorter time period for the same creation. God created everything (ultimate work) in six 24-hour days (short time). This was the ultimate demonstration of power. People who lengthen the time of God's creating are denying God's power. However, God was done initiating His Will on beings that have a will. God will still initiate His Will on animals, inanimate objects, and the weather. However, when it comes to people, from this point through the remainder of the Bible, God would only respond through Justice. When it looked like God was initiating His Will in relation to people, we will see He was actually responding because of Justice. This resolves the major contradictions that arise from: "If God is able to do anything then why does evil exist?" Man initiates his will. God initiates His Will on everything that does not have a will. God only responds to humans through Justice.)
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made.
(All seven days of creation were unique in their process. Notice, this day was different from the other six in that it did not end. There was no "evening, and morning."
God "hallowed" this day, meaning He "sanctified, consecrated, made holy" the seventh day. This day still exists today. God is still resting. It is still a Sabbath for God.)
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and heaven.
5 And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth: and there was not a man to till the ground;
6 but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
(It had not rained at this point in history. Notice, it said "God had not caused it to rain" once again showing God had control over the weather, something without a will. There would have been no need for rain yet due to the canopy above the earth and mist coming up from the ground.)
7 And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(Man was formed out of dust. Man was the most complicated creation to date. Paul referenced this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:45.)
8 And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
(Of all the trees, two of them are given specific names:
1) Tree of Life
2) Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.)
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pishon: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12 and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush.
14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth in front of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
(The garden was a specific hedged location protected from the rest of the earth. In verse 15 there were four important words:
-Took meant "placed within Adam all of the mental instruction and process ability to fulfill his abilities."
-Put meant "placed in assigned dominion."
-Dress meant "till, worship and serve."
-Keep meant "watch, guard, shepherd."
So, took and put was the stage when God matured Adam's thinking ability to fulfill his purpose and officially gave him the right to be a first cause. Adam's first job was to dress and keep the garden. This meant to serve/worship and shepherd/guard. Notice, dress was like doing the First Command: Love God while keep was like the Second Command: Love others. From the beginning of Adam's creation, God specifically gave man abilities and dominion in order to do the First and Second Commands.)
(Another term used to describe Adam's occupation was "husbandman." The word "husband" means "worker of the ground." So far, Adam's job is to dress and keep everything that comes from the "ground." This would include anything that was made from the tangible materials God used during creation: plants, trees, mammals, birds, etc. Remember also, Adam himself was made from the dust of the ground.)
16 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 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.
(Notice, God spoke this command to Adam alone. Eve had not been created yet. According to the etymological study, the word die in verse 17 meant "stop your course or purpose, separate from...to become untilled land without seed." Basically, the day Adam would eat of this tree, he would be separated from God's purpose for him and he would feel this. However, Adam had never felt this. So to be told this only without feeling it, was to have to believe this only by understanding and not experience.)
18 And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.
(Help (in this case) meant "from a superior." Meet meant "perfect."
Psalm 60:11 stated: "Give us help against the adversary; For vain is the help of man." The first "help" was ezrah which was "help from a superior." The second "help" was tesuwquh which was "help from an inferior." Genesis 2:18 (above) used the same word as "help from a superior." This meant that God created women to be a perfect, superior help to males.)
(Do you believe "It is not good that the man should be alone" applies to more than Adam? Why do so many people give excuses as to why it is good to be alone? Will you be alone spending eternity with Jesus?)
19 And out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them: and whatsoever the man called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was not found a help meet for him.
(Adam's second occupation: naming the animals. Notice, the sea creatures were not mentioned. Did Adam name the sea creatures? If so, did God bring them to Adam in the Garden or did Adam leave the Garden to go name the sea creatures?)
21 And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof:
22 and the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
(Woman was made from rib, not dust. A rib is a better raw material. Again, God created Eve second. God had a better raw material to work with (than he did when making Adam) and God's ability does not get worse over time. God's ability with a less limiting raw material ought to result in a more excellent creation. Eve is the most complicated creation to date. There were no more creations in the Bible until the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem...which will occur in the future.)
23 And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
(Cleave in this verse was the same cleave as used in Deuteronomy 10:20: "Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; him shalt thou serve; and to him shalt thou cleave, and by his name shalt thou swear." God is superior to us and we cleave to Him. Likewise, women are a superior help to males; women are perfect for males, unless you believe we are equal or greater than God. Paul referenced this verse in Ephesians 5:31.)
(Man is meant to serve woman. The ultimate way to do this would be through husbanding. Adam's first job as husbandman would apply to Eve as well. Adam's job as her husband would be to help her be fruitful and multiply, to facilitate her purpose and progress.)
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
(Paradise: a man, his wife, a garden, a tree, a river, and direct connection with God. The Bible ends the same way.)
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?
(An important aspect of Adam's job was to guard the garden. Did Adam let the serpent into the Garden or was the serpent already in the Garden prior to these interactions? The serpent was more subtle (crafty) than any beast of the field. If God can create everything, then giving the animals the ability to speak is easier.
The serpent said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said,..." The serpent's first recorded words were questioning Eve's understanding of God's Word. Eve's understanding of God's Word came from Adam. Paul made it clear the serpent was not the devil. It would be unjust for the devil to deal directly with a human in paradise. Eve was influenced by Adam who was influenced by God. Some sources stated the serpent was influenced by a fallen angel...who was influenced by the devil. That would be Just.)
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat:
3 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.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
(This was a lie: This was a wrong what. They would be separated from God's purpose for their lives...and they would feel it. Notice, it was not recorded in Genesis 1 that God stated not to touch the fruit. Whether Adam added this part or Eve added this herself, it was an example of how humans add to God's Word which dilutes the how/why and leads to deception. This was the first example of "man-made" religion.)
5 for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
(This was a fact: a right what stated without a how or a why. A right what with a wrong (or no) how and why is deception. The woman was left to supply her own how and why.)
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
(Eve came up with three comparative reasons why to eat the fruit. She ignored the one contrastive reason why not: loss of paradise. These three reasons will be referenced as warnings in the New Testament. In fact, Jesus' temptation by the devil in the desert (Matthew 4) covered these same three reasons. Also, 1 John 2:17 covered these same three reasons as proof a person loved the world instead of God.)
(Eve ate of the fruit first. It appeared Adam may have been with Eve during the exchange with the serpent because the phrase "with her" implied physically present.)
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.
(The serpent's comment from verse 5 was factually correct! The day they ate of the fruit: their eyes would be opened and they were like God in that they knew good and evil. However, they immediately "died"...they were separated from God's purpose for their lives and they felt it. The knowledge of good and evil was the ability to look long term...to see effects. When Adam and Eve saw the effects of being naked, they responded. Notice the first half of this verse was a factual presentation of the events. The second half of this verse documented Adam and Eve's response. Previous to this moment, Adam and Eve took direction from God and lived in the moment. They did not make long term plans. The second half of this verse showed that Adam and Eve made a decision to operate in their own strength: to be a first cause apart from God. This is the verse where Adam and Eve decided to commit idolatry. In this verse, "fig-leaves" meant "large leaves." Adam and Eve felt God's covering before they ate of the tree. After they ate of the tree, they decided to continue to feel this covering in their own strength. Obviously, they weren't thinking clearly because it would be immediately obvious to God they had done something in their own strength.)
8 And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden.
(Man was in God's presence during this dispensation. The etymology of this verse alluded to God singing a song to Adam and Eve that involved a chorus in response from Adam and Eve. Here was another verse where Adam and Eve committed idolatry: rather than respond to God, Adam and Eve decided to hide themselves.)
9 And Jehovah God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
(God asked a question. Did God not know the answer?)
11 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?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
(God asked two more questions. Did He not know the answer? Adam answered. However, Adam's response was to blame Eve instead of confess and repent. God did know the answers, however, God did not know Adam's response. Adam's response was to justify himself which was pride. Adam's response blamed God. Paul said the sin that caused us to lose Salvation came through Adam, not Eve (Romans 5:12). If this sin was the act of eating the fruit, then Paul was wrong. If the sin was justifying ourselves and blaming God and others, then it came through Adam. Genesis 3:12 was the original sin, all sin originates from pride: justifying ourselves and blaming others.)
13 And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
(God asked Eve a question. She had an opportunity to confess and repent. She did the same sin as Adam. She justified herself and blamed the serpent.)
14 And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou 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:
(God did not ask the serpent a question. God did not give the serpent an opportunity to confess and repent. The serpent was given legal right to eat the dust in our lives. Dust represented "sin" and "flesh.")
15 and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
(Genesis 3:15 was the first Messianic prophecy:
Jesus will "bruise" the serpent's head. The serpent was a follower of Satan.
The serpent (followers of Satan) will "bruise" Jesus' heel. Jesus is a follower of God the Father, born of a woman ("her seed"). It will not be a fatal wound as Jesus is VICTORIOUS even in death.
This is all connected to Christ's death (bruised heel) for the sin of man and in Christ's defeat (bruised head) of the Antichrist.)
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
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.
(Adam sinned against Eve. Eve sinned against Adam. The serpent sinned against Eve. The previous verses represented God's judgment of sin between beings. This was a Reward judgment. The judgments pronounced were in direct response to the sins committed against each other.)
(Notice, Adam was still dressing and tending to vegetation, however it was now by physical effort. Was it possible Adam's two occupations during the 1st Dispensation (dressing the garden and naming the animals) were both done by speaking?)
20 And the man called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 And Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them.
(The first animal sacrifice was done by God in order to clothe Adam and Eve.)
22 And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever-
23 therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
(In the last chapter of the Bible (Revelation 22:2) it stated that in eternity the ability to repair (live) forever is in eating the fruit of the tree of life which produces a different fruit each month, twelve in all. If Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of life, they would have been able to remain in their fallen state for as long as they were able to eat of the tree of life. God removed them from paradise and they lost the ability to live on earth forever. This was a Salvation judgment. This was in response to sinning against God. The 1st Dispensation ended with a Reward judgment and a Salvation judgment. In the next chapter, we will see the conditions of the 2nd Dispensation.)
Day 2
I have a few questions:
ReplyDelete1.)" Words are vibrations, which themselves are not tangible. Every other "creation story" begins with tangible matter...which is not possible.)"
Do you mean that the definition of WORDS is "vibrations", or do you mean that spoken word is really vibrations?
2.) God tells Adam that the day he would eat of the tree, he would "surely die". What death was He referencing if adam is still physically alive and lives on earth afterward?
3.) If the serpent only had a conscious brain, how was it able to form thoughts/speak to Eve?
4.) Did God not originally intend for child bearing to not be painful before Original Sin, or was it just LESS painful than what it has become? Any ideas on how this process could have been less painful?
5.) If the definition for Sin is "that which is done apart from faith" and the definition of faith is "the belief in something that hasn't happened yet" and is based upon Experience and a persons understanding, then wouldn't Adam and Eve eating of the tree be the original sin because they had the understanding from God to not Eat of the tree?
Thank you so much for doing this blog! I can see how this is going to be a huge benefit to me.
~simon peter
Hi Simon,
Delete1. The spoken words themselves are vibrations.
2. Adam could have lived forever in paradise if he had obeyed God. He did eventually die.
3. I don't know for sure. The animals may have been created with a conscious brain in order to be a suitable companion to Adam. Perhaps, the serpent being the subtlest creature means he was the only creature created with a conscious brain. Or, the serpent was just repeating what a fallen angel had trained him to say...like a parrot. If the animals had this ability in the garden, they lost it after this dispensation.
4. It appeared God intended childbirth not to be painful. It would be speculation to say how but perhaps there was something either in or about the garden that would allow for the woman to feel no pain.
5. Eating of the tree was a sin done between Adam, Eve, and the serpent. Eve was the first to do this sin. Justifying one's self to God was the sin done to God. Paul stated this second sin was done by Adam and was the one that caused us to need Jesus' death in order to receive Salvation.
do you have a definition for 'rest?'
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Rest is "to cease from the occupation of being a first cause."
Deletethree questions.
ReplyDelete1) in the first three verses, it is stated that the earth was created before energy. how is this possible?
2) The comment you make directly after reading Gen 3:14, you say 'Dust represents "sin"'. would this be to say that Adam was created from sin?
3) in Gen 3:19 it says "...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." if this means that we were created from sin and will return to sin....that would make these first couple chapters kinda strange. so is this whole dust buisness to be taken in context? if so....when is dust 'sin' and when is dust just 'dust'.
thanks
-ezra.
Ezra,
ReplyDeleteIt looks as if there are two creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2. The "first" creation account is spiritual. The "second" creation account is physical.
Everything is created first spiritually. Then it is created physically. God saying let there be light was when it was physically created.
Dust REPRESENTS sin. Dust itself is not sinful. We are spiritual beings that inhabit sinful bodies created from dust. The sinful bodies return back to dust. We, hopefully, continue to a better spiritual place.
Dear Joel,
ReplyDeleteThese comments are late as I needed time to compile them. I confess upfront I have a passion for women to see their worth and value in God's eyes and want to take this opportunity to give some input. Here are some thoughts which I hope are helpful, challenge me if you think otherwise:
In the garden there is perfect relationship between man and woman and perfect fellowship with God. There was no hierarchy between man and woman - they were equals, both reflect His image and both were given the mandate to rule (Gen 1:26-28).
The result of sin was curses on the serpent and the ground and judgments on Adam and Eve. Instead of God being their master they were subject to the secondary sources in their lives. Adam became subject to the soil from which he was taken and Eve became subject to Adam from whom she was taken. Both were judged, as both were responsible for their personal choices. God addressed both separately.
One of the age long discussions in church history is whether God's pronouncement on Eve is descriptive or predictive? If you believe that the results of the fall are descriptive of life, that the male is to rule over the female, you will limit a woman's participation in life and ministry. If you believe that the consequences of the fall are predictive of how life would be in a sinful world rather than a commandment of how God desired life to be, you will give women more opportunities.
The redemptive promise of the woman's seed crushing Satan's head immediately precedes the descriptions of the results of sin. And Jesus came to reclaim us as He took the curse on Himself Gal 3:13.
Hi Joanne,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your perspective. For years, I have struggled with the current day applications of the curses pronounced by God in Eden.
I have learend from the Bible that because of uniqueness, one person can be "greater" than another...AND the "lesser" can be greater than the "greater" in a different area of uniqueness. I have learned from the Bible God sees us as spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. The world lumps these unique aspects.
I have learned from the Bible God actually sees the mental, emotional, and spiritual as causes and the physical as an effect. The Bible also stated the world sees the physical as a cause.
Today, science is finding women's brains and bodies are wired in a significantly more complex and excellent fashion (mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) than males' brains and bodies. The differences aren't insignificant. However, if we as a culture chose to value the physical, we will see these differences as a weakness instead of a strength...which would lead us to a fallen world that would progressively get worse and result in sin abounding to the point...well, I think you've probably read how the Bible ends.
I think as we read through the Bible and take into account the differences in the sexes, the four parts of the individual, and the difference between God's perspective and the world's perspective, we will better understand God's intentions in the Garden. We will see God had a consistent pattern when He concluded dispensations. We will see Paul had some specific conclusions when he examined the events in the Garden.
I hope you will continue on this journey with us and continue to share your unique and valuable perspective!
Hello Joanne, thank you SOO much for sharing your point of view. I also have a strong urge to repair the beliefs that our culture (and church) has placed on women. I believe that by nature, women are MORE excellent than men (women were created with better raw material and women can create). Women OUGHT to be served by man!! This is something we will see more of as we continue to read the Bible.
ReplyDeleteI hope you continue to add comments. Thank you!
Joel
Joel,
ReplyDeleteCould you explain what you mean when you say that women by nature are more excellent than men because they can create?
Thanks,
JoAnne
Great question. I should have been more specific. What I meant is that women have the ability to create, even in the physical realm. Simply put, women have the ability to give birth. This is one example of how woman was created by God in a more excellent manner than man.
DeleteThis does NOT mean that every woman is more excellent than every man. This means that women, in their nature/raw material, are more excellent than men in their nature/raw material.
Throughout the Bible, whenever males are gathered together, the result is ultimately destructive. Nothing of lasting mental, emotional, and spiritual value was created. However, whenever something of lasting mental, emotional, and spiritual value was created in the Bible, a woman was involved.
Hello Joanne,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 11 and struggles with how men appear to be more important in our culture today. She is currently reading the bible and points out that Adam was made first and that men are the kings and how God always seems to pick men and refer to men. I continue to search and look for truth in the bible to show her that women are truly more excellent. -The female was created second and God is always about more. I discuss many other things with her already explained by others in the comments and from information on JGLs blog.
I can still see it bothers my daughter even with this proof, and that is why i always continue to look for more. Even i see how it can look and feel like that even with the right information. I just thought it was cool to see this come up since this has been something my daughter and i has been discussing the past couple weeks.
Thank for sharing! You sharing your thoughts helps me to understand better, and gets others talking.
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteGod did not want Kings, man did. We will see in I Samuel, God wanted to lead people directly. People wanted a man to do it.
Males are physically superior to females. When a person states males are superior, they are saying they value the physical.
Females are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually superior to males. The Bible shows God values these three measures and that females are superior in these three measures.
Whoa! Taking it up more than a notch...i was not expecting that. Great NOTES!
ReplyDeletep.s. Even told the serpent
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat:
3 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.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
but God said
6 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 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.
He never said don't touch it did He?
Did Eve (or Adam relaying this to Eve) add/twist what God had instructed them? How often do we do this?
Also I learned in Bible College (CBC Phoenix) that it was a huge benefit God didn't let them eat of the Tree of Life because they could have stayed physically living forever in a fallen state. What do you think/feel about this?
nathan wayne
p.s. the definition of Rest is much better now then what you had in the comments last year. Great Work!
Hi nathan,
ReplyDeleteNice Catch!!!
I never saw the "don't touch" comment. Yes...Eve supplied more to God's Word. Whether this came from Adam or just from Eve, you make the important point: we do this too and it is destructive.
In the last post of the blog (Revelation 19-22), the tree of life is the reason we will be able to repair in eternity, so it could make sense that eating of the tree of life in a fallen state would have allowed a person to live forever...but it may have only given the person the POSSIBILITY of living forever if they were able to continue to eat of it every month.
nathan, THANK YOU for making both of these points. I will add them to the commentary.
We owe you!
In 2:17, surely and die are the same word. The literal translation is 'dying thou dost die.'
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of this?
Also, all of the Strong's references that I can find do not reference the separation talked about here. Where does the separation idea come from?
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteWe got that interpretation from the etymology of the words as Wayne Swokowski explained it in his podcast. I will make a note of this above.
Thanks!
15 and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand how this is the first "Messianic Prophecy", Could you explain that to me?
Specifically, where does it connect to Jesus in the NT?
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteJesus will "bruise" the serpent's head. The serpent was a follower of Satan.
The serpent (followers of Satan) will "bruise" Jesus' heel. Jesus is a follower of God the Father, born of a woman ("her seed"). It will not be a fatal wound as Jesus is VICTORIOUS even in death.
This is all connected to Christ's death (bruised heel) for the sin of man and in Christ's defeat (bruised head) of the Antichrist.
I'm unsure of where to put this question /Statement so the first page seemed fitting.
ReplyDeleteThe word supernatural does not appear in the bible, natural and spiritual do, therefore should we call things such as miricales, healings and the work of the holy spirit, even Jesus to the "supernatural".
I'm reminded that Paul said It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
He didn't say there is a supernatural body...he spoke of two things in one creation, existing at the same time and in the same place.
I personally think that we have bought into a traditional way of explaining things (a man made way) so to speak.
This has seperated the natural world from the spiritual world, but again the way I read it they are part of the same creation and can not be seperated.
I think Believers should stop using the term "supernatural" to explain God given phenomenon, and get back to the way the bible talks about it...What do you think?
Anonymous, Thank you for your comment!
ReplyDeleteIf people had the proper definition, understanding, and usage of the term "spiritual", then I would agree with you.
However, I'm more concerned with the tradition that I believe is much more destructive: when people use the word "spiritual" and they DON'T use it the same way as God does...they don't use it to indicate something beyond the natural in EVERY beneficial characteristic.
For example, "natural wisdom" is logical...AND "spiritual wisdom" is MORE logical, not less.
It seems the only way to help people realize THAT is to call the spiritual "supernatural".
Using the term "supernatural" shouldn't replace "spiritual", even though the term "supernatural" IS a proper definition, understanding, and usage.
EVERY time a person uses the word "spiritual" with an improper definition and without understanding, while thinking that it is God's usage because it is the same word as in the Bible, the person is DECEIVED. They think they are doing the right thing, but actually they are contradicting God's Word...and feeling empowered to lead others towards this tradition that contradicts God's Word.
Do you ONLY use the terms in the Bible when YOU speak to others about God?
Jg thanks for your response.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question,"Do you ONLY use the terms in the Bible when YOU speak to others about God?"
I try to as much as possible.
I try now MORE than ever after coming to this site.
I guess my frustrations were coming from the word "supernatural" being used to seperate the spiritual world from the physical world. And it's connections to things like [vampires, werewolves, monsters and ghosts] to me it links real things to things that are clearly not real. And opens the door for people to say well if you bleive in the spiritual then you must believe in these other things.
See to me the spiritual world and the physical world are part of one creation and shouldn't be seperated. I says this because the spiritual clearly effects (is the cause) to some things in the physical world...
Well I'll await your respone...thanks again
Hi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteExactly! We were thinking of the same issue!
I like to use those topics that you mentioned as an opportunity to teach others...through questions.
Vampires, werewolves, monsters, and ghosts are NOT "super natural"...they don't exceed the natural in the characteristics that are beneficial. If anything, I would call these things "unnatural" or "non-natural" because they are contradictory when viewed from the perspective of the natural.
When I talk to people who are interested in these areas (witches are another area), I ask the person to resolve a contradiction. (EVERY worldview, other than the non-contradcitory interpretation of the Bible, is contradictory.) When they say it can't be explained or they state these areas contradict natural laws, I ask them what their definition is for "super natural".
It is at that point that I can explain "super natural" would exceed the natural: it is explainable and lacks contradictions...then I ask them if they are interested in learning about the REAL super natural or if they want to continue being a pretender when it comes to the super natural: acting like they would be like the character they look up to, yet in actuality they are afraid to exceed the character.
Funny, but I can see "Christians" who don't believe in the gifts of the Spirit as the same as those who want to discuss vampires, witches, etc.
Again, thank you Anonymous for bringing up this topic. I do believe it is one that is critical for our generation to handle and one that we've failed to handle well.
I was wondering your thoughts on the fact that curses come from the east and the fact that the first curse came about by a garden in the east of eden...
ReplyDeleteIn the Bible, God tends to come from the east. The east wind is a wind of judgment from God that brings a curse.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell if the garden was in the east part of Eden or if Eden was in the east part of the world...and the garden was in Eden.
Either way, I think east isn't always bad. It is where things begin (Magi) and sometimes they turn out good and sometimes they turn out bad because of the choices made...not because of where they originated.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
ReplyDeleteHere in the commentary you wrote "Notice, God did not call the results of the second day "good".Dividing the waters did not result in creating."
But in your model for day two you said "God created something with "Let...", did not call it good, and called the created thing by name.)
If dividing the waters did not result in creating then why do you say God created something with "let" and called the "created" thing by name?
Just wondering. I think that might confuse some people.
For each day of creation, a “Formula” was presented within the comments of this blog. The “Formula” was 1) God using the word “Let…”; 2) whether or not God called the created thing “good”; and 3) whether or not God called the created thing by its name.
DeleteIn the day you referenced, you are right, God did not “create” something. However, for the sake of the “Formula”, this commentary has remained consistent.
Thanks for your comment.
Wouldn't there have been animals in "eternity" along with God and man had Adam and Eve not sinned?
ReplyDeleteI believe there will be animals in "eternity"...at least used for eating.
DeleteUnless the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is a vegetarian feast?
Do you have any support from the Bible that shows there will not be animals in "eternity"?
Im suppose that because animals lack souls would be my first support. That Jesus didn't die for them would be my second, that all of creation will be destroyed ie the animals. That heaven and earth are said to be recreated but not animals.
ReplyDeleteThe list goes on.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
ReplyDeleteMy question is did God do this portion by words or other means? Am I missing something?
Thanks
When you continue to read, you will see that the first sentence in the comments after Gen. 1:3 is - "God spoke things into existence."
DeleteGod used WORDS!!
I guess I should have got more specific.
ReplyDeleteDid God create the heaven and the earth via words?
I see he created everything else this way, however it doesn't say he created the heaven [space] or the earth [water] by words. It just says he created them. Are we implying this is the way he did it or again did I miss something?
If we implying then are we adding to the word of God something maybe it doesn't say?
The word "created" or "bara" doesn't imply the use of words at this point does it?
Thanks by the way for you work and insight.
You wrote "He created the intangible place where He lived and all the physical matter that would ever exist."
Anonymous,
DeleteGod used words to create EVERYTHING He created. When God speaks, it is TRUTH, and truth CREATES.
From 2 Samuel 7:28 - "28 And now, O Lord Jehovah, thou art God, and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this good thing unto thy servant:"
(God’s Words are truth…a right what with a right how/why. The word “words” in this verse meant God’s spoken words. When God speaks, it is TRUTH.)
If God did not use words when He created the Heavens and the Earth, what did He use?
"Some sources stated the serpent was influenced by a fallen angel...who was influenced by the devil. That would be Just."
ReplyDeleteHow is it any more just to allow a demon to have influence in paradise as opposed to the devil having direct influence.
Hi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI think it is Just for Adam and Eve to hear the other side so they can make up their own Minds.
Remember, it was the serpent dealing with Eve.
Eve got her information from ADAM who got his information from God.
Eve was TWO steps away from the source.
The serpent would have gotten his information from a fallen angel who would have gotten his information from Satan.
The serpent would have been TWO steps away from the source.
Just implies quantitative measures.
Consequently, it is Just for Eve and the serpent to both be two steps away from their sources.
Thanks. I wasn't expecting such a logical answer.
DeleteBut doesn't that imply that it was a part of God's doing/plan to have the serpent inform Eve; ultimately having her inform Adam.
DeleteAnd if God wanted Adam and Eve to know the other side couldn't he have easily communicated the information himself. And what need was there to hear "the other side" if God's truth is Absolute. I hope I'm not coming off as combative. I have just, always, had problems understanding/accepting this particular part of our history.
DeleteHi Anonymous,
DeleteYou are correct that it wasn't God's plan for the serpent to misinform Eve.
God is not only Right and Just in WHAT He does. God is also Right and Just in HOW and WHY He does things. It is Right and Just that God allows us the free will to hear the other side even though His truth is Absolute. What is up for discussion here is NOT whether God's truth is Absolute (it is!), but what do humans WANT to do. If we are prevented from doing anything other than God's truth, then there is no objective way to know what we actually WANT to do...and humans CHOOSING to follow God because they WANT to is something that gives God tremendous pleasure!
3:15
ReplyDeleteWhen God said that Christ shall bruise the serpents head, do you think this is a reference to the mortally wounded head of the beast?
Thanks!
It's possible.
Delete