Before God created our material universe he had created other creatures similar in form to himself. We refer to these creatures as “spirits” because they were in the form of God, namely, invisible to us. The word “spirit” is the English translation of the Hebrew word “ruah” and a Greek word “pneuma.” Both of these words carry the thought of wind or air. Because air in movement is invisible and yet exerts force a good basic meaning for “spirit” would be “an invisible force.” Naturally an invisible personage could also be referred to as a “spirit.” God had also created these “spirit sons of God” with the ability to exercise “free will” Only the Bible can accurately tell us what is happening in the the invisible spirit realm.

(Job 38:4,7) 4 Where did you happen to be when I founded the earth? Tell [me], if you do know understanding…..When the morning stars joyfully cried out together, And all the sons of God began shouting in applause?

(Psalm 104:4) . . .Making his angels spirits, His ministers a devouring fire.

Rebellion started in the invisible spirit realm and spread to the earth involving humans and so became a universal issue. Unfortunately for us, the rebellion occurred at a time when God, after accomplishing his creative activity with regard to the earth, began to rest, confident that things could now proceed to the fulfillment of his purposes. Like a rebellious child, a spirit son of God, became big-headed, imagining that he was smarter than his father, and set out to prove that this was so. By taking this course  he showed lack of appreciation, a callous disregard of his fathers loving care and a complete disregard for the welfare of the new inexperienced human couple that God had created. He had no concern for the calamity that he was bringing on the human race. the bible explains.

(Ezekiel 28:13,14,15) 13 In Eden, the garden of God, you proved to be. . .You are the anointed cherub that is covering, and I have set you. On the holy mountain of God you proved to be. In the midst of fiery stones you walked about. 15 You were faultless in your ways from the day of your being created until unrighteousness was found in you. God gave this rebellious spirit son two names Satan, meaning opposer and Devil, meaning slanderer.

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God’s Power Limitation

If a creature is given freewill the possibility always exist that the creature may use that freewill to go against his creator. How does one control creatures that have freewill? There are two methods. One is by the application of force and deceit. The other is by setting an exceptional example as a ruler, although powerful, one that exercises rulership, in a considerate, loving and trustworthy way and then relies on the loving appreciation of his subjects to achieve cooperation and obedience. The use of power in this case is the last resort.

Our Creator has voluntarily chosen to limit his use of power by only using it in a considerate way.

On the other hand the rebellious spirit son viewed his father’s way of handling matters as a weakness and sought to prove his point.

Choosing the words spoken to Adam by God, and by implying that God was lying to them, this spirit son brought the human race into the universal issue. He appeared to be confident that if he could get them to disobey God, God would be forced into an impossible situation. Why? Well if God let them die how could he fulfill his purpose to populate the earth with perfect humans in paradise conditions. It seemed a masterful plan as God was now resting and if he had to break his rest to create new persons to fulfill this purpose, this would also be an admission of failure.  God’s purpose for them had been stated at (Genesis 1:27-28) . . .And God proceeded to create the man in his image, in God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28 Further, God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth.”

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Deciding What was Good and Bad

The test that God placed before Adam was simple enough. It imposed no hardship upon Adam as he had no need of it. It was simply a question of property rights. Satan chose to make these commands of God, the issue. (Genesis 2:15-17) . . .And Jehovah God proceeded to take the man and settle him in the garden of E?den to cultivate it and to take care of it. 16 And Jehovah God also laid this command upon the man: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. 17 But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”

Notice that the command given to Adam was a loving act, because it constituted a warning as to what would occur if Adam left God’s loving care. God did not have to physically put Adam to death as Adam was not immortal but would deteriorate and die if  left to himself in harmony with the 2nd law of thermodynamics. However God’s warning showed the necessity of obedience to the direction of God.

After God’s creating the woman as a helper for Adam, this wicked spirit son approached the woman and began to sow doubts in her mind. (Genesis 3:1-5) Now the serpent proved to be the most cautious of all the wild beasts of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it began to say to the woman: “Is it really so that God said YOU must not eat from every tree of the garden?” 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat. 3 But as for [eating] of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘YOU must not eat from it, no, YOU must not touch it that YOU do not die.’” 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “YOU positively will not die. 5 For God knows that in the very day of YOUR eating from it YOUR eyes are bound to be opened and YOU are bound to be like God, KNOWING good and bad.. . .

When Satan approached the woman, he took advantage of her inexperience and she may have been surprised to hear speech coming from a snake, but this was an easy feat for Satan. He accused God of lying and said that they did not need God to direct them but they were quite capable of being like God and able to decide what was “Good or Bad” for themselves. He offered them freedom from God’s control. They foolishly chose to listen to Satan rather than their creator and so made Satan their God by obeying him rather than God.

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The Confusion in the Churches

The teachings of the religious churches has made this real situation appear to be just an imaginative fairy story. The eating of the forbidden fruit has been represented as sexual intercourse and other amusing stories about eating the apple. Actually one can never understand the Bible unless one understands these first 2 chapters of the Bible.

Animals died, but were not sentenced to death. They died in harmony with the 2nd law of thermodynamics and contributed to the ecology of the earth.

Humans were different. God had a greater purpose for them. They were to be caretakers of the earth and were to handle their assignment just as God cares for the universe. That is why they were created in his image, with similar abilities although scaled down. Furthermore he purposed that they have the blessing of living forever provided they were obedient to him.  They had plenty of freedom but were to be obedient to him, just as all the creation were subject to his laws. This was how he maintained the unity and peace within his creation.  Of course to have this privilege of living indefinitely, meant that God would accept the responsibility of maintaining them forever and this depended on them fitting into God’s way of running the universe and being obedient to him.

(Ecclesiastes 3:11) 11 Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he has put in their heart,. . .

When God instructed them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and bad they  knew what he meant. They knew it was bad to eat from the tree and good for them to abstain from it.  They were not confused like the religious teachings have confused humans today. So when the serpent told the woman that she could be like God able to decide what was good and bad for herself. she followed her heart’s desire to be completely independent of authority.

The fact was, that as long as they left the right to decide what was good and bad with their heavenly father, they would have continued to live happily carrying out God’s assignment of looking after the earth. Their children would have had the same opportunity. The problem was that the rebellion started before their first child was conceived. What Eve did not realize that by following the serpent’s direction she had merely exchange one rule for another. Instead of following God direction she was following Satan’s direction. In this way she chose  Satan to be her God.

(Romans 6:16) 16 Do YOU not know that if YOU keep presenting yourselves to anyone as slaves to obey him, YOU are slaves of him because YOU obey him, either of sin with death in view or of obedience with righteousness in view?

There is no escape. whoever we obey we become slaves of that one. We are either slaves of God, which slavery is benevolent and makes for happiness or we becomes slaves of someone else, whether knowingly or unknowingly. When we reject God’s rule we have chosen another God.

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The Failure of Independence

The Bible portrays God as being absolutely just and consistent which is what we would expect from a creator who produced such a marvelous creation. If he failed to uphold his own judicial decision, namely, that Adam and Eve would die if they disobeyed him. then he would have been branded as a liar and incapable of fulfilling his purpose. Consequentially Satan probably thought that he had proved that God was fallible. If God could not be trusted then the unity of the universe would be undermined. The issue had to be settled.

The Devil’s line of reasoning was possibly as follows. God had commanded the perfect human pair to increase, multiply and fill the earth with perfect humans like themselves, and so without God’s protection they would not be able to fulfill this command. He probably reasoned that it would be impossible for God to fulfill his stated purpose without going back on his word? By accomplishing this deception, the Devil felt that he had proved that he was smarter than God and that God was flawed.

This was a direct attack on God’s sovereignty. The Bible reveals that God’s name was thus involved. Satan had introduced slander into the world and the first victim was God himself. His name had to be cleared of this reproach and so that was why our creator permitted the rebellion to run its full course, allowing mankind to experience for themselves the truthfulness of his word. This is also how the issue of God’s name, Jehovah (the common English translation of the Hebrew original) became important to humans as well, because we now have an obligation to act as witnesses to his side of the issue,  if we are to benefit in any way. This is how we  contribute to the clearing of Jehovah’s name of the reproach.  Satan was a master of deceit. He also realized that the only way for God to clear his name was by allowing Satan to fulfill his boast. This would result in him having an opportunity to exercise dominion over mankind and he was confident that he could swing all humankind away from God by his masterful deception. Obviously like many today he wanted power.

This was made more clear in the time of Job. when the Satan implied that no human would remain faithful to God if Satan brought hardship upon him. Job remained faithful under all trials, but Satan accusation applied to all men.  Since then man’s integrity was brought into the issue. God therefore expects his servants to answer this challenge.

(Proverbs 27:11) 11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.

What was God’s response to the challenge?

God, upheld his word by pronouncing the death sentence.

(Genesis 3:17-19) . . .And to Adam he said: “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and took to eating from the tree concerning which I gave you this command, ‘You must not eat from it,’ . . .In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Jesus words identify Satan as the ruler and God of this world, although the majority of mankind are unaware of this fact. The wicked things that people have done to one another point to this demonic influence.

(John 16:11) . . .then concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged

(2 Corinthians 4:3-4) . . .If, now, the good news we declare is in fact veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. .

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The laws of Decay

When these first humans left Jehovah’s direction, this act exposed them to the full effects of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. They began to die. With the birth of their imperfect children the dying world of mankind under Satan’s control came into existence. God was not asleep, he had already made his decision how to completely restore humanity and have them fulfill his ultimate purpose. Furthermore he would completely vindicate his sovereignty and clear his name in the process and not even break his rest to accomplish this. To accomplish this he introduced an arrangement that the Devil had never even considered. Satan had completely underestimated his father and although given every opportunity to prove his case would ultimately have to pay the price for his rebellion. The means that Jehovah would use is called the Ransom.

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The Ransom Provision

The ransom is a legal principle, balancing the scales of Justice.

As long as Adam and Eve remained faithful to God as symbolized by then refraining from eating from the tree of good and bad they could have continued living. Adam as a perfect human, could also have populated the earth with perfect children like himself.

Because he disobeyed and sinned before his children were conceived he introduced a new separate issue into the equation. Adam and Eve died as God had warned, however their children were now affected by their disobedience.

Because Adam and Eve’s children were only conceived after they had sinned, the damage done to their bodies by their rebellion was passed on to their children. We must always remember that going against God, damaged their conscience and caused them to experience the damaging effects of guilt that even psychologists today recognize as physically and emotionally damaging to humans.

Adam and Eve had never been designed to experience such destructive forces in their bodies but now their damaged bodies could only pass on this damage to their offspring.  Modern science  agrees with our reasoning on this matter because it shows that we pass on genetic damage to our children. This is one of the reasons why intermarriage between close relatives is forbidden, because the children are severely affected.

That is also why Jesus referred to Abel’s birth as the founding of the world because a world of imperfect children came into existence at that  time. Can you see how cunning Satan had been. He had chosen the best time to strike because now God also faced the problem of dealing with a sinful world that was coming into existence. This world of people were in this condition through no fault of their own and yet, because of their sinful state  could not be allowed to exist forever in the universe. What was God going to do? How could he possibly be faithful to his righteous laws and true to his word as well? The plan seemed impossible for God to handle.

(Luke 11:50-51) 50 so that the blood of all the prophets spilled from the founding of the world may be required from this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zech·a·ri?ah, who was slain between the altar and the house. . .

This world was the world that God loves so much.

(John 3:16) . . .“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

To purchase what Adam had lost, an equivalent price had to be paid. This is described in detail for us in the “Miracle of  the  Ransom” provision. In the following scripture notice how God was preparing the way for people to understand this legal concept, long  before the birth of Jesus  Christ.

(Psalm 49:6-15) “Those who are trusting in their means of maintenance, And who keep boasting about the abundance of their riches, 7 Not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him; 8 (And the redemption price of their soul is so precious That it has ceased to time indefinite) 9 That he should still live forever [and] not see the pit. 10 For he sees that even the wise ones die, Together the stupid one and the unreasoning one perish, And they must leave to others their means of maintenance. 11 Their inward wish is that their houses may be to time indefinite, Their tabernacles to generation after generation. They have called their landed estates by their names. 12 And yet earthling man, though in honor, cannot keep lodging; He is indeed comparable with the beasts that have been destroyed. 13 This is the way of those who have stupidity, And of those coming after them who take pleasure in their very mouthings. Se´lah. 14 Like sheep they have been appointed to She´ol itself; Death itself will shepherd them; And the upright ones will have them in subjection in the morning, And their forms are due to wear away; She´ol rather than a lofty abode is for each one. 15 However, God himself will redeem my soul from the hand of She´ol, For he will receive me..

According to “Robert Young’s Analytical concordance” the Hebrew word Sheol is translated 31 times hell, 31 times grave and 3 times pit. A comparison of the various occurrences shows that the basic meaning is the common grave of all mankind.

As no man on earth could provide a ransom, God himself promised to provide a corresponding ransom for mankind. By the ransom provision Jehovah would prove to all that he was completely righteous and just, and that his purposes never fail, and that he was capable of upholding his sovereignty. The ransom provision also brought to the fore his other outstanding qualities. Namely his love, justice, wisdom and power in a way that showed that only his way could ever succeed.

The way the ransom actually functions is discussed in detail in the article “the Miracle of the Ransom”

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