The Bible’s First Prophecy?
(Galatians 3:16) . . .Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It says, not: “And to seeds,” as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one: “And to your seed,” who is Christ.. . .
(Galatians 3:19) . . .Why, then, the Law? It was added to make transgressions manifest, until the seed should arrive to whom the promise had been made; and it was transmitted through angels by the hand of a mediator. . .
(Galatians 3:24-25) . . .Consequently the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith. 25 But now that the faith has arrived, we are no longer under a tutor.
A comparison of these scriptures show why God instituted the law covenant. First of all it provided a clean environment for the preservation of the line of faithful people leading to the seed of promise. Second, by identifying what sin was, the law identified the seed, when he arrived because he was the only one capable of keeping the law perfectly. In this way it was a tutor leading to Christ.
Jesus therefore fulfilled the prophecy of the seed of the heavenly woman, because he came down from heaven to fulfill this role and this was the way that heavenly Jerusalem produced this seed.
Who was the seed of the Serpent? Jesus identified who they were.
The Seed of the Serpent
(John 8:42-47) . . .Jesus said to them: “If God were YOUR Father, YOU would love me, for from God I came forth and am here. Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth. 43 Why is it YOU do not know what I am speaking? Because YOU cannot listen to my word. 44 YOU are from YOUR father the Devil, and YOU wish to do the desires of YOUR father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of [the lie]. 45 Because I, on the other hand, tell the truth, YOU do not believe me. 46 Who of YOU convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why is it YOU do not believe me? 47 He that is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why YOU do not listen, because YOU are not from God. . .
To whom was Jesus speaking? The Jewish clergy who, while claiming to be worshippers of God, opposed Jesus and were not teaching the truth to the people. They, in alliance with the Roman state put Jesus to death.
When we look at the present situation, we can ask. Who, while claiming to represent God and the Bible, have permitted their flocks to live in ignorance of the Bible’s teachings. This is why evolution and atheism are so rampant because people do not have the knowledge to defend themselves against these falsehoods. When was the seed of the woman bruised in the heel? The answer was, when Jesus was put to death at the hands of the Jewish clergy and the Romans. The Serpent used his seed to accomplish this.
Why Jesus Died
Why did Jesus have to die? As we have stated this is a universal issue. What is the point of issue? Satan brought into question God’s attributes. These attributes are what the unity and smooth running of the universe are based on. God maintains his universe on trust. The unity is because God’s intelligent creatures rely on him to always be truthful, just, and merciful in dealing with them. Satan never challenged Jehovah’s power. Satan attacked God’s standards of ruling. These questions cannot be only settled by the use of force. God will ultimately use force, but only at his appointed time, once he has cleared his name of all false charges and vindicated his sovereignty by proving to the universe that he is Jehovah the only true God, the rightful ruler of the universe. His standards of ruling the universe are the only standards, that can produce a happy and united universe.
The Issue and Us.
One of the questions that was brought into question was the ability of God’s servants to stay loyal to God. Satan says that our loyalty is not based on our love for God but merely because God bribes us with protection and material blessings. To help us to see how God handled this question, we are given a detailed picture on two occasions of an assembly of all God’s angels. In their presence God draws Satan’s attention to Job, who although imperfect was doing his utmost to serve God. Satan, publicly before all the angelic sons, accused Job of only serving God because God looked after him. Satan insisted that if God withdrew his protection and allowed Satan an opportunity, he could get Job to turn against God. Destroying Satan would not have settled the problem. God permitted Job to be tested confident that Job would still remain faithful to God. In Chapter 2 at another assembly, when God told Satan that he had failed to turn Job away from God, Satan answered God and said that no man would remain true to God if Satan was allowed to get at his flesh and bone and to his life. This challenge brought all mankind into the issue. What we can ascertain from these accounts are that Satan, flushed with his victory over Adam, a perfect man, was vain enough to feel that no imperfect or perfect man could withstand his attacks. What is also apparent is that although God was permitting Satan to establish his case, he was in no way allowing Satan the freedom to do anything that he liked. Here is the scriptural record of the 2nd assembly.
(Job 2:2-10) . . .Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Just where do you come from?” At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth and from walking about in it.” 3 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad? Even yet he is holding fast his integrity, although you incite me against him to swallow him up without cause.” 4 But Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Skin in behalf of skin, and everything that a man has he will give in behalf of his soul. 5 For a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch as far as his bone and his flesh [and see] whether he will not curse you to your very face.” 6 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “There he is in your hand! Only watch out for his soul itself!” 7 So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah and struck Job with a malignant boil from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he proceeded to take for himself a fragment of earthenware with which to scrape himself; and he was sitting in among the ashes. 9 Finally his wife said to him: “Are you yet holding fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her: “As one of the senseless women speaks, you speak also. Shall we accept merely what is good from the [true] God and not accept also what is bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job did not know why these things were occurring to him but he maintained his faith and trusted God proving Satan a liar in the presence of all the angels.
So to summarize the issue. Man’s integrity was at stake. God’s Sovereignty or right to run the universe was being contested. This issue was a universal issue and was more important than man’s salvation. If humans died, this was Adam’s fault not God’s. However because God knew that the children of Adam were not to blame for the hopeless condition they were in, he resolved to provide for their legal redemption. But it had to be done in a legal way, harmonizing with justice. God’s qualities of love and justice caused him to introduce the ransom provision although this would cost him because, he knew that the son he loved most would have to suffer and die in the process. This loving son was willing to offer his services for this purpose.
As we can see this is a universal issue and the most important matter that has to be settled is the sanctifying of God’s name and the vindication of his sovereignty. Our future hinges on where we as individuals stand on this matter.
Now can we see the important part that Jesus played in the scheme of things. Jesus is referred to as the firstborn of all creation.
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