RE–CREATION AND MAN  

“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure….” [Isaiah 46:10] 

To find the end of the matter, we go to the beginning. The Book of Genesis (Beginnings) reveals as much, if not more, of the prophetical as it does of the historical.  

These first chapters give us a glimpse into the Mindset of God. They go far beyond just the plain text Re-Creation narrative of how things got here. That is to say, that hidden within, awaiting discovery, are the multiple future critical purposes of God to be realized over His set time line, which clearly has a predestined beginning and an ending. It should be understood that God had in full view from the beginning of Re-Creation, its end; that of its final purifying destruction. [Isaiah 66 & Revelation 21:1] 

The Written Word is God revealing what was/is in His Heart and Mind from before the “beginning” of this World. And from the past beginning and the future ending, it is possible, nay it is required, to discover His present vital purposes, and many helpful hidden truths layered within, that are increasingly discernible from His designed TYPES AND SHADOWS. For example, see 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: (‘types’ in the Greek) and they are written for our admonition (warning, instruction), upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 

The use of Types and Shadows is similar to the use of parables/parallels, and is a frequent method of using dramatic symbols to help reveal great truths of Scripture. They are often seen in prophecy, usually taking many years to fully develop or to be completely filled with their full meaning. These, laid beside other Scriptures harmoniously show the fuller or more complete purposes of God in a mode or method only Almighty God could have envisioned or accomplish. Many illustrations shall accompany this work.  

1. “So God created man in his own image…And God blessed them.…” Being created in God’s image, highly intelligent, and his body being most erect as  compared to all other re-creation creatures, therefore man in the Re-Creation is superior to all other earthly beings. Man and all re-creation was then declared by God to be in a “…very good…” state.  [Genesis 1:27,28,31] 

Genesis 2:7 “…and man became a living soul.” Man is being described or defined here as being a unique creation, something other, having some things in common but distinctly different than the previously created “spirit” beings. “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits…” [Hebrews 1:7] Man then, being created in the image of the Triune God, is himself a triad being; composed of spirit, soul, and body. [1Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12] We will come back to this all important subject later. 

But the fullest purpose and meaning typed and shadowed in Man/Adam being made in the image of God must have been with one great hidden truth in view. This being that Adam, the first “man”, was to be the form in which the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ, was to Come! And from that humble sacrificial Coming, by the Resurrection of God, that is to say, raised up out from among the dead, He became the first eternal Glorified “Man.” As it is written in 1 Corinthians 15:44-49, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”  

In Whose designed eternally glorious heavenly Image those judged worthy at the end-time will be also resurrected unto. Fulfilling that great original purpose of God from before the foundation of the world, which is to have many glory–filled royal sons! The reality and the method in which this is realized is written in Hebrews 2:5-18: “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him (man/Adam) a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him (man/Adam). But we (do) see Jesus (2nd Adam), who was made (being the Seed of woman) a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, (but now as that resurrected Man) crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, (God Almighty) for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” 

Thus it is then Christ Jesus who is typed and shadowed in Genesis 3:15 where God is speaking to fallen Lucifer who had just conspired with the serpent in man’s fall, wherein they specifically targeted the woman.  “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” As to that manifest Seed of woman, we may take the incarnation as the fulfillment of that part of the prophecy described after the fact. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:5-11] 

Thus this first vague and vital prophecy recorded in Genesis 3:15 points both to His First Coming, then moves immediately to His Second Coming, and then immediately moves on to the New Heavens and New Earth. It is rightfully applied to His First Coming, but will be finally completely filled up in meaning at the completion of God’s purposes tied to His Time-line of which we will speak of later. As to this completing fullness in specific time, it will be seen more and more clearly as we compare and lay over all the appointed prophets’ prophesying in their appointed times, until finally all that God purposed to reveal was Written by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.    

2. God’s stated purpose in the creation of “Man” was to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…..over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Again, what is in final view in Genesis 3:15 is Jesus Christ’s victory as the Son of Man and Second Coming Millennial Kingdom, and then afterwards in completeness; in the New Heavens and Earth as seen in the prophetic picture of Revelation 5:11-13. “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”

3. Genesis 2:15-17: “And the Lord God took — the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

PRE–FALL SPIRIT SOUL AND BODY UNDERSTANDING 

(Add multiple drawings here) 

The Fall of Man from his “very good state” into a state of death is a consequence of the deception of Eve by the slandering serpent and the acquiescence of Adam. “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” [1Timothy 2:14] Now as a result of their disobedience they immediately experienced the terminal effects of “death”. That being the absence of the animated spirit and the mind loses its compass and wanders in the wilderness of carnal reasoning and the five senses. “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.…” in that their “spirit”  lost its abilities and their quality of life was then greatly diminished. This now being their immediate condition then fills with meaning the Words of “…for in the DAY that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” For the spirit was infected and suffered death in the same day they disobeyed, but they themselves, nor their bodies, did not experience the full effect of that “death” and return to the dust until hundreds of years later. But the fact is that their spirits’ abilities, having been greatly diminished, did have an immediate “death” effect on them, as now they were doomed to be eternally carnally minded, and soul and sensual body controlled, as seen in the response of Adam to God’s CALL. “…I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” [Genesis 3:10] “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh (soul minded) cannot please God.  [Romans 8:6-8] As now Adam/man hopelessly is carnal/fleshly, that is to say soul/reason controlled, as opposed to his original good state wherein he was spirit– enlivened and led/controlled. 

It is here we discover the merciful work of God in that first persuading Calling of Love when He said, “…Adam, Where art thou?” It is not a calling that God might become aware of where Adam is, but a Calling where Adam might become aware of where Adam is, unto his conscience in the fallen/unregenerate spirit. The carnal soul hides in the leafy covering of reason in a false sense of security. Then, upon hearing the Word of God, it is disturbed and sin awareness becomes acute, self examination results, there is discovery of the enmity between the stirred but emancipated spirit and the carnal sense–controlled soul/flesh, and an impasse results. [Romans 1:18-20,28,32, with 2:6-16] A decision with action is required. Regeneration and hope for restoration is at stake (it is the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart in progress). Will Adam decide to answer the Call, come into the light, or remain in darkness? [John 3:3-10,20,21]  Adam’s action and words speak of confession. “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Confession and repentance is the necessity for forgiveness and re-birth/ reanimating/regeneration of the spirit. In that forgiveness we have the testimony of “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Here is the first establishing of the great truth that has Christ’s Blood in view that “…. without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).” [Hebrews 9:22] And…“For the life of the flesh — is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” [Leviticus 17:11] 

REGENERATION AND RECONCILIATION AS OPPOSED TO RESTORATION 

But what is of great note is that although Adam has repented and God has thereby forgiven and atoned for his soul eternally through the blood sacrifice of those animals and that they are now reconciled, yet we see in Genesis 3:23 that they are not restored.  “…..the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,  (which speaks to another shadowed truth established here from the beginning, that being that the Blood Atonement alone does not answer to Restoration) …. to till the ground from whence he was taken.” This types a necessary further work for Restoration. That further Work of “What the Blood Cannot Do”, is to be thoroughly addressed in a later Chapter. 

Genesis 3:17 speaks to the loss of the Garden’s complete provision in close intimacy with God. And it types, on a spiritual level, that increased enmity between the spirit and flesh after reconciliation of the spirit while living on this earth.  “….cursed is the ground (within) for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shalt it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 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”. Being born again, now “The Sower sows the word.” [Mark 4:14-20] We are not relieved from the fleshly cursed ground, but for the sake of required work unto fruitfulness, we are now engaged in this life– long battle for spiritual sustenance and productivity, as a result of the hoeing and sweating to prepare the soil and stop the choking out of the rewarding harvest, on the ground within us.  

We may look to God’s determined type  in Esau and Jacob as respective representatives of the hated flesh and beloved spirit, beginning with their telling struggle in the womb of their mother.  “And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” In this we find the strength of the elder, that is the carnal soul/flesh. But in the end it shall be the younger, the renewed spirit, that is appointed to rule over the flesh. And with the Book of Hebrews we see the Words of Old in the further light of the New Covenant exhortation from Esau’s/flesh apathy in lost inheritance to diligence required in faithful sons. “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” [Hebrews 12:16-17] 

4. We see that God, as a result of “man’s” disobedience, pronounces Curses; first on the serpent, then the woman, Adam and the earth. What should be noted and understood is that the Curses are of God. And the first Spoken Curse points to him who is found most responsible, as God addresses *two individuals. One being the serpent himself; that specific individual serpent representing all such like creatures, first referred to in Genesis 3:1. Verse 1 says, “…the serpent was more subtil (likely wiser and more beautiful) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.” Verse 14“And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And then God specifically addresses satan as the one possessing the serpent; that fallen angel Lucifer. Verse 15 “And I will put enmity between thee and — the woman, and between thy seed and — her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” 

In this 15th Verse, in these historical Words, we have the declaration of God’s plan of Salvation/Restitution/Restoration of all things….and the hint of how. It is in satan’s bruising of the heel of the Messiah that the Cross is realized. Which was at the First Coming of Jesus Christ, that prophesied appointed Seed of woman, as manifest in the womb of a virgin, being then Son of Man and the Seed of David, His “bruising” tied Him to Isaiah’s Words as that suffering Servant of Chapter 53. 

And in the further Words of “…it shall **bruise thy head.…” we have the prophetic Word of His future Second Coming and the violent removing of the Serpent from his usurped authority, and the establishing of His Millennial Kingdom foreseen prophetically in the Book of Revelation. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war…. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS…. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled…” [Revelation 19:11,16, 20:1-3] 

And though this Shadowed Truth written by Moses in Genesis 3:15 became more clear and partially fulfilled in Jesus’ death and resurrection, the progressive fulfillment of prophecy in type is there to be comprehended. It is continued in Christ’s 2nd Coming (Revelation 20:2), and then finally the complete fulfillment is seen 1000 years later, in the Restoration of all things of Acts 3:21 just before the New Heavens and New Earth, with the Serpent’s head (authority) forever crushed. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone….and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  [Revelation 20:10] Thus the original prophecy of Genesis 15 was rightly applied on several previous occasions, but will finally and completely be filled up in meaning 7000 years after it had been given. And so, in a very real sense, God has revealed the ending from the beginning.  

* This style of God addressing culpable beings with satan at the same time is also found in Ezekiel 28 & John 13:27. 

** Crush; Strike; Cover in darkness