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Fred R. Coulter—November 17, 2007
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This sermon was inspired because a favorite portion of the book of Revelation by my wife Delores as we were finishing the last eight pages of the Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version. What we're going to do is go to the first to the beginning and we're going to see
- what God has said
- what happened
- what occurred
Then we will go to the ending and see how it turned out!
Rev. 1—here we find that Christ gives us an understanding of how we need to understand the book of Revelation. It's just not something that you pick up and read and you all of a sudden begin to understand it. If you do that's a fatal mistake because you won't understand it. It has to be built on all the rest of the Bible and you have to know what really happened in the beginning. Then a lot of what happened in between before you come to the end to see how God completed His plan.
Revelation 1:8: "I am the Alpha and the Omega…"—the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, which for all of you Hebraists, listen up:
It's not restricted to just the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet! It's also including the 24, or if you add on the second version of the Sigma, 25 letters of the Greek alphabet. So that we won't forget the Old Testament, Jesus says:
"'…the Beginning and the Ending,' says the Lord, 'Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come—the Almighty'" (v 8).
Go back and read about all the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Who did they pray to? The Almighty God! So, this gives us a clue as to Who the Almighty God is. It also tells us that He is currently living, that He was—in the flesh and was resurrected from the dead—and Who is to come. So, Jesus is coming again (v 7). This also tells us that we can't understand the ending unless we understand the beginning.
Verse 7: "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him…" So much for a secret rapture!
Verse 11: "Saying, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last…'" The definite article there adds a lot more emphasis to it!
"…and what you see, write in a book…" (v 11). What you have here in the Bible are the words of Jesus Christ recorded, and John wrote them. He wrote what the visions were that he saw.
Verse 17: "And when I [John] saw Him… [in His glorified form] …I fell at His feet as if dead; but He laid His right hand upon me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, even the One Who is living; for I was dead, and behold, I am alive into the ages of eternity. Amen. And I have the keys of the grave and of death" (vs 17-18)—which means that no one is going to receive eternal life except through Jesus Christ!
That's why Jesus said to His disciples, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, I am the way and the resurrection.'
Whenever we read some of these verses, let's understand that there's a whole lot more to these verses than just a cursory reading of it, because if carries the full weight of the Spirit of God and the full weight of the whole Bible.
Literally what we are dealing with in the book of Revelation is that every verse that is here is saturated with other things that have gone on before. Because of that, a lot of the things are in wording that is simple to understand, but very complex from the point of view of the reflective meaning going back even to the beginning and coming clear to the end.
Let's stop midway through the Bible in the Old Testament, then we will go to the first part of the book of John and we will see something else, too.
Isa. 41 is going to tell us about God Who is the Creator, the First and the Last, which then identifies Jesus as the God of the Old Testament, the One Who was; not only came in the flesh.
Isaiah 41:4: "Who has planned and done it… [concerning the prophecies that He prophesied about] …calling forth the generations from the beginning? 'I, THE LORD, AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST; I AM HE.'"
Read the chapters before and it talks about the He is Creator and Redeemer!
God challenges everyone, and here's a challenge to every atheist, agnostic and evolutionists; v 21: "'Draw near with your cause,' says the LORD…."
Joke: the evolutionist professor stood up in class and said, 'I don't believe in God. I've never seen Him, I've never touched Him, and never heard Him.' So, one of the students got up and said, 'I have never seen the professor's brain. I have never touched the professor's brain. I have never heard the professor's brain. Therefore, by the same logic that God doesn't exist, our professor has no brain!'
So, God says to all the atheists and non-believers in God, and just like the challenge that Elijah gave the prophets of Baal, 'Come on, let's see Who is God.'
Verse 21: "'Draw near with your cause,' says the LORD 'Bring out your strong reasons,' says the King of Jacob. 'Let them bring them out, and declare to us the things that shall happen; let them reveal the former things…'" (vs 21-22).
- Is there evolution?
- Have you seen it? No!
- Have you felt it? No!
- Have you heard it? No!
Evolution doesn't exist! They have no missing links! No one has ever seen it happen!
"…what they are, that we may consider them and know the final end of them; or declare to us things to come. Reveal the things that are to come after this, so that we may know that you are gods…." (vs 22-23).
That's what they set themselves up as. If you arrogantly say that God doesn't exist, you're saying that you are greater than He, because He gives you life, breath and everything that you have!
"…Yea, do good, or do evil, so that we may be dismayed and see together…. [God knows they can't do that] …Behold, you are of nothing, and your work is of nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination" (vs 23-24).
Then He says that He's going to raise up Cyrus and bring forth the children of Israel out of captivity.
Verse 26: "Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?…. [God has] …And beforetime, that we may say, "He is right"?…. [only God] …Yea, no one declares; yea, no one proclaims… [no one could answer] …yea, no one hears your words"—because you don't have any!
The evolutionists say, 'Life began when lightning struck a mud puddle.'
- Where did lightning come from?
- How does it form?
- Where did the mud puddle come from?
You have to start with absolutely nothing!
Verse 27: "I first said to Zion, "Behold! Behold them!" And I gave to Jerusalem one who bears good news… [a prophecy of Jesus] …For I looked, and there was no man; and there was no counselor among them, that I might ask and be given an answer. Behold, they are all false; their works are nothing; their images are wind and vanity" (vs 27-29).
That's pretty strong! What do we have in the world today because of evolution? Confusion!
Isa. 40—He also gives another comparison; so, we need to think about this. The One Who says that He is the First and the Last. Look at how He looks at the world.'
Do you think you know everything, all the scientists? Isn't it interesting that when someone wants to make something sound very important they say, 'The scientists say that they are 95% in consensus that it true.' No proof! Nothing! There are more and more coming out about 'global warming' that it is a great hoax.
But God says this: 'You think you're important? You think you're all wise? You think you can do everything? Since you don't want to take 'the belly-button' test and you don't want to take the 'hold your breath' test,' or the 'walk through the wall' test, try this:
Isaiah 40:12: "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span?…. [that you say just came into being with a big bang] …And who has comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure…"
Let's take that further: atoms make up the dust of the earth, and what the atoms behind that really is. This is what He's talking about.
"…and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD…" (vs 12-13)—tell God what to do, because that's man's major sin against God; they always tell Him what to do!
"…and who was His counselor that he might instruct Him?" (v 13). What did you tell God? Every evolutionist come up here and teach God how He made things by your false theory of evolution! They have their conventions and their councils and everything, and God says:
Verse 14: "With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and made known the way of understanding to Him?"
Then God says, 'We're going to shorten down your britches considerably!'
Verse 15: "Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket…" For everyone who gets lifted up in vanity, they ought to take 'the bucket' test!
Go get a five gallon bucket and take an eyedropper and drop one drop in the bottom of it and see if you can see it. That's how God views all the nations of the world and all their power and everything. Who really brags that he owns it and controls it? Satan the devil!
"…and are counted as the small dust of the scales; behold, He takes up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts of it sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing…" (vs 15-17).
When you understand it, when the seven last plagues are poured out and Christ returns, He is still merciful, kind and just, because He doesn't absolutely obliterate every one of them.
"…and they are counted by Him as less than nothing, and vanity" (v 17).
Jesus said, 'I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last.' No one can go against that! So, this challenge right here fits right in there.
Verse 18: "To whom then will you compare God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains. He who is too poor for that offering chooses a tree that will not rot… [of course, you have to have one that doesn't rot] …he seeks for a skillful workman for himself to prepare a graven image that will not totter. Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?" (vs 18-21).
In other words, if you want to understand about God, you've got to go back to the beginning! If you want to know what His plan is going to be, you have to go to the ending! That's all contained in the Bible.
Verse 22: "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth…" All 'flat-earth believers, pay attention! The earth is round!
"…and its people are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in" (v 22).
In our house, and probably in your house, you have drapes with a pull-string and you can pull the drapes across the window. I think this is the way that God did the heavens. That's very humbling to think about how great God is, that He did that.
Verse 23: "Who brings the rulers to nothing… [He sure is; just read Rev. 16-19] …He makes the judges of the earth as vanity." Oh, yes, we are important! We judge that we must get rid of God!
In the final analysis, God says, v 24: "No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, then He shall blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away like stubble. 'To whom then will you compare Me, or who is My equal?' says the Holy One" (vs 24-25). That's a challenge!
This is what needs to be thrown up in the face of every atheist. The closet atheists are coming out, and we need to have the answer. Here it is:
Verse 26: "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, Who has created these things…"
In a special documentary on the universe, put out by the Moody Institute, one of the astronomers there makes a very interesting statement that he does not know one astronomer who does not believe that there is no Creator. Every one believes that there is a Creator and not just 'master intelligence.' What is that? Some brain quivering out there some place? NO! It's God!
People can't stand it. They've got to get rid of the name of God everywhere. Take them out on a little trip, somewhere where you can get away from the smog and fog, where you can look up into the heavens. Go out there are night and tell them that they're going to do a little star-gazing, and 'While we're gazing at it, why don't you tell me how these things came into being? That's what God says!
Verse 26: "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, Who has created these things…"—a constant witness. And remember, this becomes important: Jesus said, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away!'
"…Who brings out their host by number? He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for He is strong in power; not one fails" (v 26). That's really a challenge!
Now let's see what this One Who proclaimed all of these things and challenges all men to this day to prove Him.
Note sermon: A False Prophet to Deceive the Elect about Ron Weinland who says that in 2008 there aren't going to be any Feasts because the Tribulation is here, so send him all your second tithes so he can preach this message. He doesn't believe that Jesus was God before He became flesh.
Let's look at some very simple Scriptures. How many times have we gone over this? It runs in a cycle. It's almost like 'milking time' and you separate the cream from the milk.
John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
How many Gods are there? Two! If you can kindergarten math, you can understand this verse. One and one equals two! Not three and not one! Even a kindergarten teacher, if you put one and one equals three, or one and one equals one, she's going to say that's not correct.
But if she's a 'new-ager' she's going to say, 'Well, that's a good try, you're within the realm.
Verse 2: "He was in the beginning with God." If you're at home with your wife, are you with your wife and your wife with you? Yes! How many are there? Two were there at the beginning, and notice another thing that's important:
Verse 3: "All things came into being through Him… [and it doesn't say that He is the big bang] …and not even one thing that was created came into being without Him." That's why He says that He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! And He lives forevermore.
If you don't believe in Jesus Christ you're stuck with a profound fact; v 4: "In Him was life, and the Life was the Light of men." You get life from Jesus Christ Who is the Creator of everything that you see! God the Father was revealed later when Christ came. We will see this reflected in the very first chapter of Genesis!
Verse 9: "The True Light was that which enlightens everyone who comes into the world." What does that mean? That every human being—and we all have intelligence to one degree or another—has intelligence and comprehension and life because of Jesus Christ! Every single one!
Verse 10: "He was in the world… [all those who deny Him better pay attention] …and the world came into being through Him…"
He is the One Who said, 'Let there be light' and divided the light from the darkness and 'let the dry land appear. He created all the animals, all the birds and set the stars and heavenly bodies into motion.
Notice how wonderfully the world received Him. But in spite of all of this, "…but the world did not know Him" (v 10).
Isn't that something? All of this around you and you look at it and you ask, 'How did it happen?' I don't know, but it's here. That's why the Bible is here, so you will know who did it!
Verse 11: "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." They didn't want Him because He did not agree with their ways!
Verse 12: "But as many as received Him… [according to the way that we're told in the rest of the Bible] …to them He gave authority to become the children of God… [we'll see the finality of that in Rev. 21 & 22] …even to those who believe in His name." Not only His name, but:
- His person
- Who He is
- what He says
- obey what He says
All of that is there!
Verse 13: "Who were not begotten… [there is a begettal from God the Father] …by bloodlines, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by the will of God."
- no one has an 'inside track' to God because of who their genealogy goes back to
- no one has an 'inside track' to God because they have great brains and intelligence
- no one has an 'inside track' to God because you have a special favor from God above everybody else
What are you going to with v 14: "And the Word… [Who was God] …became flesh…" Phil. 2 says He 'divested Himself.' He was born of the virgin Mary. Paul says, 'God manifested in the flesh.' See how all the other Scriptures fit together.
"…and tabernacled among us… [temporarily lived among the apostles] …(and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth" (v 14.
With this background, let's understand Who was the One Who did this. Almost every translation sounds the same because God intended it to, so that we understand what God has done.
Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Everything that there is! Everything on the earth.
Verse 26 is the important creation of God. Everything else is on the earth to support this. Everything else that was done was for the sake of human beings living on this earth.
Verse 26: "And God…"—'Elohim'—plural. How many are there? Two! Jesus came to reveal the Father Whom we call Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus was the One Who created everything we read.
"…said…[this is Jesus doing the speaking and God the Father is there with Him while He is creating]: 'Let Us…'" (v 26).
All of those who believe in the one God only, how do you explain Us?
In The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version there are two appendices that explain this very carefully:
- Appendix V—Jesus Christ was the Lord God of the Old Testament
- Appendix W—The Two Jehovahs of the Old Testament
It cannot mean angels, because the angels were created. Then the foundation of the earth was laid (book of Job) and we don't find that they had any part in creating it. Where, pray tell, does it say that any of the angels were there with God and the angel brought forth the water, land, fish, fowl, animals or man? He's not talking to an angelic host in the majestic plural. This mean literally what is:
Verse 26: "Let Us… Jesus did the creating and God the Father was there with Him] …make man in Our image… [that's hard to get rid of] …after Our likeness…"
This tells us the beginning of the plan of God. We are going to see that the fulfillment of this statement is found in Rev. 21 & 22.
"…and let them have dominion… [they are to rule] …over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that crawls upon the earth" (v 26).
What has man been unable to subdue? Himself! The reason being is that God intended that man needs God and God's Spirit. Even though we are perfect in being created, we are not created in the final creation of God. We need God! That's why every human being is 'religious,' whether they believe it or not, they are! Solomon said that God has put 'eternity in the heart of man' (book of Ecclesiastes), which means regardless of whether they know the true God or not, they have some scheme in their mind that they have thought of that they're going to live forever.
God wants man to have that hungering and thirsting in hopes that they would come to Him! Then God gave them dominion over all of this.
Verse 27: "And God… ['Elohim'; Us—Jesus doing all the work] …created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female. And God blessed them…." (vs 27-28).
It's a blessing to be human beings! Today it's more of a curse because they have kicked God out, and they don't know why. That's the reason!
"…And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it….'" (v 28).
Man has to have goals, challenges, things to work on, produce and take care of. God made us intelligent after His kind. We have:
- emotions
- feelings
- desire for love
- desire to reproduce
- desire to build, desire for power
All of those things are there, but the only way to use them properly is through God's instructions! So, we have that. Every time I read this "…have dominion over the fish of the sea.." I don't know why they do it, but on the Discovery Channel they've had the Most Dangerous Fishing in the World, which is catching these crabs up in the Gulf of Alaska in storms and bad weather, snow, sleet and sliding all over the deck; yet, they are there. Do they have dominion over it? Yes, except when a storm is too big for them! Then they have the Coast Guard rescue them.
"…and over the fowl of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth" (v 28). Then God gave us the food and everything.
Verse 31: "And God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was exceedingly good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
All of this is important for us to understand. We're going to learn some things here, even though we already know this.
Genesis 2:1: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And by the beginning of the seventh day…" (vs 1-2).
Days begin at sunset; God didn't work on the seventh day. Some people not instructed in the Bible, and because the translations do not fully convey what we have here, say, 'God worked on the seventh day; it says on the seventh day God finished His work, so He had to be working on the seventh day to finish it.' Not so!
Verse 2: "And by the beginning of 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."
Rest means to cease or Sabbathize! God kept the Sabbath with Adam and Eve!
I wonder what that Sabbath was like? Everything is perfect, everything is there, and God appeared to them as a human being and instructed them. They were created with a fully functioning mind and fully working language. They could think from the instant of the first breath. They could communicate with God and God could communicate with them.
You wouldn't want to have such a great creation and then just turn them to their own devices and run off some place. You have to tell them why they're here and what they need to do.
Verse 7 is a summary of how God created man: "Then 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 being."
The King James says 'soul' and that come from the Hebrew 'nephesh' that means physical living being.
Verse 8: "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The Tree of Life also was in the middle of the garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" (vs 8-9).
When we get to Rev. 22 we're going to see the Tree of Life again. But we're going to see some missing elements that we find in the beginning.
(go to the next track)
Verse 15: "And the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it."
It also means to guard it! It shows responsibility to work and to protect! This conveys everything concerning God's way:
- we are to keep it
- we are to protect it
- we are to guard it
God was very generous, v 16: "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but you shall not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day that you eat of it in dying you shall surely die.'"
Didn't say that he would die instantly in that day, because that didn't happen. But that death would pass into mankind, and we know that's what happened.
Verse 18: "And the LORD God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make a helper compatible for him'"—which means a counterpart, a sustainer beside him! This shows the true role of women, a great and tremendous responsibility!
Verse 19: "And out of the ground the LORD God had formed every animal of the field and every fowl of the air—and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature that became its name."
This shows that Adam could think, talk, describe. If you see a blackbird with a red wing, what do you call it? A redwing blackbird!
Verse 20: "And Adam gave names to all the livestock… [the King James says 'cattle,' but there's more than cattle] …and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field, but there was not found a helper compatible for Adam. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall over Adam, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs, and afterward closed up the flesh underneath. Then the LORD God made the rib (which He had taken out of the man) into a woman, and He brought her to the man" (vs 20-22).
The final creation of God was woman. That also shows her importance. Not to usurp a man, nor for a man to put her down, but that they were to work together side-by-side.
Verse 23: "And Adam said…"—he understood the whole process. God probably told him, 'Adam, you're going to go to sleep. I'm going to take one of your ribs and do something special with this rib. Since there's nothing compatible here for you, I'm going to make you something special, beautiful and compatible for you that you're going to love.'
Verse 23: "And Adam 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.' For this reason shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife—and they shall become one flesh" (vs 23-24).
A lot of the world doesn't like that, because they can't fulfill their lust! 'After all, anyone who would say that marriage is restricted to a man and wife is got to be narrow-minded!' NO! God made it that way, that's the way that it is!
Verse 25: "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed."
That shows that they had proper instruction concerning sex. They did not have the guilt hang-ups and everything that we have today. The world today is one giant sex problem! The whole world! All civilizations! All religions, including atheism, because atheism is a religion. Homosexuality is a religion as a well as a way of life, and it's against God!
Genesis 3:1: "Now, the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field, which the LORD God had made…."
- If Adam was to guard the garden, why did he let the serpent in?
- Could Adam have avoided a lot of this?
{Note sermon: What Would Have Been Like if Adam and Eve Had not Sinned?}
- Could he have at least delayed it if he wouldn't have allowed the serpent in?
- Who knows?
The King James say the serpent is 'subtle,' but it is cunning because that is subtle to commit a crime, scheming!
"…And he said to the woman, 'Is it true… [he always starts out that way] …that God has said, "You shall not eat of any tree of the garden"?'" (v 1).
So, Satan comes in with a complete contradiction against God, knowing full well that this is a trap, cunning, to get Eve to answer. What is one of the schemes that is always used to bring in sin? Engage them in dialog!
- sin by incrementalism
- acceptance by creating doubt
- stating something outrageous so you get the person to answer
It's outrageous to say of any tree. What happens? Oh no!
Verse 2: "And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may freely eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has indeed said, "You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die"'" (vs 2-3). She understood!
We don't know if "…neither shall you touch it…" is a subsequent instruction that is recorded here that God gave. Some people say that she added to it. We don't know!
Verse 4: "And the serpent said to the woman, 'In dying, you shall not surely die!…. [in other words, if you do die, you're really not dead] …For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, deciding good and evil'" (vs 4-5).
It's not just knowing good and evil, it's deciding what is good and evil. In other words, you now, if you eat this, will not need God to decide what is good and evil, you can determine for yourself! God gave them a choice and the serpent is doing the same thing:
- You can decide what is good and evil
- Why should you have to listen to God
- Aren't you an adult?
- Can't you talk?
- Can't you think?
- Can't you decide?
Of course, deciding means to know to ascertain by observing and experimenting! Go ahead and try it, you'll like it!
Isn't this a subtle same thing on how a lot of people get hooked on drugs? Exactly the same thing! 'It will make you better.' Isn't everything that man tries to do is to make himself:
- better
- more intelligent
- stronger
- more beautiful
God put it within mankind to desire to be better than what he is, so that man would want God's way, if he chose it.
What do we see today? Everything to try and make men better and stronger! 'Take this steroid and you will be a super homerun hitter! You'll even break the record and be famous forever!' That is if you don't get arrested!
- put this chip in your brain and let it interface with your computer
- just think about how much smarter you're going to be than anybody else
- take this drug and you will have super-strength
- you will be able to stay up for three days in a row and not even be tired
Won't that be something? J
- just think of what you can accomplish
That's the story of meth! If you want to know how bad that is, watch the National Geographic or the History Channel for the special Dying for Meth and what it does. Some of these drugs, one time and you're hooked for life: cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, all straight from the cauldron of Satan the devil!
This is not taking drugs here in Genesis, but this is opening the door to go against God, and to place yourself into a position that you are God to decide what is good and evil, what is right and wrong.
That's exactly what human beings do. They look at the Ten Commandments and say, 'I don't agree with the first one, second one, third one or the fourth one, because I want to have my own god, make my own images, and I want to swear and curse or use the name of other gods and I don't want to keep the Sabbath. The fifth one here, honor your father and mother; as adults we need that from our children, but as adults we don't need that toward our mother and father.'
What about murder? What was the first great sin? Murder! You shall not commit adultery. That's not fair in the modern age today. That's an antiquated commandment! They are deciding what is wrong, deciding what is good and evil.
That's the way that man has gone all the way. Alan Dershowitz, the famous liberal lawyer, was talking about the Ten Commandments and he said, concerning business, 'Obviously, the tenth commandment, you shall not covet, cannot be enforced today, or even be thought of as something you need to live by.' He said that's the whole basis of capitalism! That tells you the philosophy behind rejecting it.
Get as much as you can, take whatever you can and it doesn't matter how much they lose or where they go, or what happens to them. 'I have the money!' I thought that was interesting. You can do the same thing: deciding good and evil!
Obviously, Adam and Eve didn't think through all the ramifications of this. We don't know if Adam really wanted to eat the fruit himself, but he really didn't want to do it, so he let his wife front it for him. When she picked it and ate it and then gave to him, he ate of it 'with her.'
Maybe he thought in his own mind: if she does it and I eat of it, then I really can't be responsible because she did it. Isn't that the way people think? You go to any court today, how do they defend some people? By saying, 'He did it or 'she did it. I had no intention of it.' You can't escape God with that excuse.
We don't know and we can't answer that question. But there is room for that in this narration. That's the way that human beings do. They never want to except responsibility for their actions. But nevertheless, God holds us responsible.
Verse 6: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise…" What do we have here? The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and pride of life!
"…she took of its fruit… [she stole from God] …and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate" (v 6).
It says in the Scriptures that 'Eve was deceived, but Adam sinned.' For sin entered into the world by one man! So, God holds a man more responsible than a woman. It may very well be that Adam was really for it, but he didn't want to commit himself openly.
Verse 7: "And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked…"—opened to see and understand evil! In opening their eyes to see that, it closed their eyes to God's way! Notice that there was no repentance!
"…and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves" (v 7). What is one of the first things that Satan always does? He perverts sex!
What happened there, we don't know! It doesn't tell us, but the very fact that they were ashamed at being naked tells us that something more went on that is not said here. All we have to do is just look at the history of human beings, and we can pretty well deduce some of the things that went on.
Verse 8: "And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Then Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."
An atheist said, 'If God is all powerful, and if God knows everything, didn't He know that Adam and Eve were hiding in the garden. Why did he have to ask where they were? So, this couldn't be any more than just a fable.' NO!
God knew they were, but He wanted to hear from them; v 9: "And the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?'" They weren't in their usual place at the usual time!
Verse 10: "And he [Adam] said, 'I heard You walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, and so I hid myself.'" Now we have:
- fear because of sin
- guilt because of sin
But no repentance! No remorse!
Verse 11: "And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat?' And the man said, 'The woman…'" (vs 11-12). God, it's Your fault! You took one of my ribs and You made this woman and look what she did to me!
"…'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.' And the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' And the woman said… [ain't my fault, Lord] …'The serpent deceived me, and I ate'" (vs 12-13). It just looked so good! I couldn't resist this commercial! Just had to have it!
Verse 14: "And the LORD God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. You shall go upon your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.'"
Then verse 15 is the first prophecy of the redemption from sin at the beginning, which we will see is fulfilled in redemption at the end.
Verse 15: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed… [all the children of the devil and demons] …and her Seed [Christ]…"
Note Rev. 13:8, that Christ was slain before the foundation of the world! God made provision before the beginning to redeem mankind, because He knew that IF—and the chances were very high that they would—they chose to go Satan's way, that there had to be way to redeem them. If there was not a way to redeem them—and the wages of sin is death—if you have Adam and Even, because of their sin, executed you would have no plan for human beings.
So, instead of executing them, God put death within their members, and it's called the law of sin and death (book of Romans). {Note sermon series on the book of Romans}
"…He will bruise your head… [get rid of Satan and his power] …and you shall bruise His heel" (v 15)—at the crucifixion of Jesus!
When this was uttered, no one knew the plan of God—going down through time—exactly what it should be. So, today we can look back at this, and we can see with 6,000 years plus of hindsight the reality of it. But the first understanding of the reality of this could not have happened until the apostles were teaching the death and resurrection of Christ.
Verse 16: "To the woman He said, 'I will greatly increase your sorrow and your conception—in sorrow shall you bring forth children….'"
That's more than childbirth, it means sorrow and demotion because of what your children are going to do. Not only the pain in delivery, but what they are going to do after they are born and grown up.
"…Your desire shall be toward your husband, and he shall rule over you" (v 16). That is not in a harsh way that some men do, and some women have experienced.
I feel sorry for all of the women who are in the Islamic countries. I think it is true that the way to get rid of extremists is to liberate the women in those countries. I said years ago when this whole thing came up concerning radical Islam and the Taliban, 'What a horrible injustice and absolute degradation to women—God's finest creation—to put them in burqas. But once out of the burqa, they're not going back in. That's how they can solve the terrorist problem.
The second way that they can solve the terrorist problem is to let every man have his own wife, and their own family. Not four wives! If you've read about the Islamists sex problems, you'll understand what I'm saying. If you haven't, you won't.
Adam's not off the hook, v 17: "And to Adam He said, 'Because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife…'"—to sin! Never listen to anyone who says anything against God or His way. The only person who was there to do it was his wife!
So, when other people came into the world, never listen to anyone else who goes against God, be it man or woman! But because Adam didn't listen to the voice of God… What is the whole lesson throughout the whole Bible? Obey My voice!
"…'Because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree—of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it!'—the ground is cursed for your sake….'" (vs 17). I want you to remember some of these key things:
- cursed
- sin
- Satan
When we get to the ending, we're going to see that God has solved the problems!
"…In sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life. It shall also bring forth thorns and thistles to you, and thus you shall eat the herbs of the field; in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (vs 17-19). Every human being has fulfilled that!
Then God exiled them out of the Garden of Eden. We've talked about the way of Cain. It says in Josephus that he 'forced the land.' If you force the land, what does it tell us? What rules did God have for Israel concerning the land? Rest it every seven years! If you force the land, you're not resting it every seven years. So, if you bring an offering out of the ground, out of something that you planted and grew in the seventh year—which you shouldn't have planted and grown and harvested—and you bring this as an offering for God, it is not acceptable! God said, 'Do not harvest!' Maybe that's a little bit more in depth explanation, but it could very well be.
Then Cain killed his brother Abel, murdered him! Let's see the punishment that was given to Cain.
Genesis 4:11: "And now you are cursed…" Here's a double curse; he bears the curse of Adam and now here's the double curse:
"…from the earth, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you…" (vs 11-12).
After Adams sin they had to get rid of thorns and thistles, but still had good crops. Now wherever Cain was going to be, it's not even going to yield that.
"'…and you shall be a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth.' And Cain said to the LORD, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me out from the face of the earth today, and I shall be hidden from Your face. And I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth, and it shall be that anyone who finds me shall kill me''" (vs 12-14)—then God set a mark upon Cain!
What that mark was, it doesn't tell us. We can speculate on what it is, but all the speculation in the world will not prove that that was necessarily so.
THE ENDING:
Here we see that God has solved every one of these problems. This has to go through:
- all the history of man
- all the redemption
- all the calling
- all the plan of God
- all the things that we know of
We've seen the beginning, now let's look at the ending and see what the difference is. We begin first with the devil. The only way you bring in everlasting righteousness is to get rid of him, exile him forever into the blackness of darkness, starting first in the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:10: "And the Devil, who deceived them, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet had been cast; and they…" It is plural in the Greek, and since the beast and false prophet were burned up they couldn't be tormented. So, the only ones who are tormented are:
"…Satan and the demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity" (v 10). Then we find something very important.
What was pronounced against Adam and Eve because they sinned? Death!
- get rid of Satan
- get rid of death
Verse 14: "And death and the grave were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire" (vs 14-15)—back to ashes, and that's it!
Now what does God do? As we know from the plan of God, all those who survive are spirit beings, no longer fleshly human beings because the new heaven and new earth is a re-creation of the earth after everything that is on the earth is burned and consumed (2-Peter 3).
Revelation 21:1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea."
This tells us it's an entirely new earth and there are no more fleshly human beings or animals, because you need the modulating of the temperature for physical beings.
Verse 2: "And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven…"
Instead of living on the earth in the Garden of Eden, here comes God sending the New Jerusalem, the place to live with God. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden and they couldn't live with God any longer. Here's the completion of God's plan, finishing it.
"…prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (v 2). Isn't that interesting? What was Adam presented? A woman! His wife! Here New Jerusalem is likened to a bride in all of her glory.
Verse 3: "And I heard a great voice from heaven say, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men; and He shall dwell with them…'"—going right back where they started physically and were dwelling with God! Now He's going to dwell with them as spirit beings.
"…and they shall be His people… [perfected spirit beings] …and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be anymore death, or sorrow… " (vs 3-4).
What did God say to Eve? In sorrow you shall bear children!
"'…or crying; neither shall there be any more pain… [no murder, torture, body aches and pains] …because the former things have passed away.' And He Who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done….'" (vs 4-6). We read the beginning, when it started!
"…I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountain of the water of life" (v 6).
So, we have the water of life, which is a type of God's Spirit. We will have God's Spirit forever and ever!
Verse 7: "The one who overcomes shall inherit all things… [which includes the vastness of the universe] …and I will be his God, and he shall be My son." Fantastic! Completed!
Verse 8: "But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers…" What was the first great sin? Unbelieving, getting into abominable practices—they were naked—and murder—Cain murdered his brother Abel!
"…and fornicators, and sorcerers… [[Satan-worship] …and idolaters, and all liars… [no more people going around lying; this generation has a lot to learn] …shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death" (v 8).
The whole lesson is that the only way you're going to receive eternal life and live forever and be with God is God's way! Some people say, when they don't agree with God, It's either my way or the highway!' The highway leads to the Lake of Fire!
We won't talk about the dimensions of the city, but it is absolutely fantastic, beautiful, gargantuan and amazing!
Verse 22: "And I saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it."
- How many? Two!
- How many in the beginning? Two!
- How many in John 1? Two!
If the Holy Spirit were a person, and if the Holy Spirit were part of a triune God, then the Scripture left it out!
Verse 23: "And the city has no need of the sun, or of the moon… [doesn't say that they're not there, but it just isn't needed for New Jerusalem] …that they should shine in it; because the glory of God enlightens it, and the Light of it is the Lamb." Who was the Light of all men? Jesus Christ!
Verse 25: "And its gates shall never be shut by day; for there shall be no night there." It doesn't say that there is not any night on the rest of the earth! But where New Jerusalem is there's no night.
Verse 26: "And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it." These are spirit nations! They're busy and productive, working and doing things, bringing glory and honor.
Verse 27: "And nothing that defiles shall ever enter into it…"—vs what happened in the Garden of Eden. Who entered into it and it was not protected? Satan the devil!
"…nor shall anyone who practices an abomination or devises a lie…" (v 27). Satan entered into the garden, and he said, 'Did God say that you shouldn't eat of any of the trees of the garden? Is that true?'
"…but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (v 27).
Revelation 22:1: "Then he showed me a pure river of the water of life…" Remember that the Garden of Eden had the rivers flowing out! Now we have at the throne of God and in New Jerusalem we have the River of Life:
"…clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (v 1). Again, how many? Two!
Verse 2: "And in the middle of the street, and on this side and that side of the river, was the Tree of Life… [no Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—gone] …producing twelve manner of fruits, each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."
How that's going to work? Let's make a point of being there so we will see!
Verse 3: "And there shall be no more curse…" What do we find in Gen. 3? Cursed is Adam and double-cursed is Cain!
"…and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His face…" (vs 3-4).
What did Cain complain about? I'll be driven away from the face of God; I won't see Him!
"…and His name is in their foreheads" (v 4)—showing that they have fully accepted God's way and converted and raised from death to eternal life!
Verse 5: "And there shall be no night there; for they have no need of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God enlightens them…"
This probably can refer to old sun-worship—they don't worship the sun—but that God is there to enlighten them.
"…and they shall reign into the ages of eternity" (v 5)—rather than 'in the day that you eat thereof, in dying you shall surely die.'
Verse 6: "And he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the Holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly come to pass.'"
Now all the promises of God are fulfilled! Then He gives a promise; and the promise of eternal life given by God—
- starting in the beginning
- revealed down through time
- fully revealed through Christ and the apostles
—now come to fruition. It's finished right here in v 6, and then Christ says:
Verse 7: "Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." You can't keep those words unless you keep all the words of God!
Verse 8: "Now I, John, was the one who saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who was showing me these things. But he said to me, 'See that you do not do this! For I am a fellow servant of yours, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.' And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book because the time is near.' Let the one who is unrighteous be unrighteous still; and let the one who is filthy be filthy still; and let the one who is righteous be righteous still; and let the one who is Holy be Holy still" (vs 8-11).
Christ says, v 12: 'And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to eat of the Tree of Life… [which Adam and Eve were deprived of] …and may enter by the gates into the city" (vs 12-14). They—Adam and Eve—were expelled out of the Garden of Eden. Then He says who are excluded.
There's the beginning and the ending. What was started in Genesis, Christ is telling us that through the rest of the Bible and God's plan, He is going to finish it. Revelation tells us the ending.
That's how the beginning and the ending show that God's promises of eternal life will be fulfilled!
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version
Scriptural References:
- Revelation 1:8, 7, 11, 17-18
- Isaiah 41:4, 21-24, 26-29
- Isaiah 40:12-26
- John 1:1-3, 9-14
- Genesis 1:26-27, 31
- Genesis 2:1-2, 7-9, 15-25
- Genesis 3:1-19
- Genesis 4:11-14
- Revelation 20:10, 14-15
- Revelation 21: 1-8, 22-23, 25-27
- Revelation 22:1-14
Scriptures quoted, not referenced:
- Revelation 16-19
- Philippians 2
- Revelation 13:8
- 2 Peter 3
Also referenced:
Sermon:
- A False Prophet to Deceive the Elect
- What Would Have Been Like if Adam and Eve Had not Sinned?
The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version:
- Appendix V—Jesus Christ was the Lord God of the Old Testament
- Appendix W—The Two Jehovahs of the Old Testament
Sermon Series and Transcript Book: Epistle to the Romans
Book: Josephus
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 10/7/18
