The Bible in Depth - #1

Study One

The Garden of Eden

​The Garden of Eden still exists, but unseen by the human eye. This is where the creation of the first man took place.  God wanted a relationship with man; that’s why He created him, and in His joy of companionship, God gave this man God’s own attributes. The most important one being “Dominion.”
 
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26–28).
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Adam became the second in command.  God gave Adam a wife, Eve, to join him in his labors. Unfortunately, Eve disobeyed God by eating a forbidden fruit. Adam watched Eve do this, and he joined her in her disobedience. By doing that he gave away his dominion, and he gave it to the one who hated God, who wanted to see his Creator fail—Satan. This being was a highly designed angelic helper for the Son of God, Jesus, but this being wanted power, so he led ⅓ of the angels in revolt against God. The ⅔ of the angels who remained with God, are still with us today, obedient to God and fellow servants with us. All the others? God kicked them out of heaven. Today these defeated angels are evil demons. Satan is known in these passages as a serpent.
 
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:4–6).
 
Adam’s high treason put God on the outside of Creation, and so He waited for a man He could trust, someone He could put back in authority, someone He could cut a covenant with that would bring God back on the throne. In fact, the man He planned from the beginning of all things, was His own Son, Jesus.
 
9 And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has  been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:9, 10).
 
Satan did his utmost to eliminate the Son of God from the story of Creation, offering the Son of God triumphant gifts, ones that would put Jesus in authority, but Jesus was true to His Father.
 
Then Jesus said… “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.’”  (Matthew 4:10).
 
Jesus survived the testing of Satan and now was prepared to cut a covenant with God His Father, and therefore became the last Adam. The first Adam failed; the last Adam became the Savior of the world. We, in His image, are a creation of dust who can be made into a spiritual creation in whom the Holy Spirit can live. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God.
 
And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam because a ‘living being’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).
 
Who is it, then, to whom this last Adam, Jesus, gives life? It’s us. What’s involved in this life? How can we possess it? The fear of death is replaced by the gift of eternal life, to be lived in heaven with Almighty God as our Father forever.
 
Because of His virgin birth, the seed of the Father of Jesus came from the Holy Spirit, not from man. The blood of Jesus came from God, His Father, not from man. From the beginning the price man had to pay for their sins to be erased and forgotten, was blood. Not just any blood, but holy, untainted blood. Where could we possibly find that? We found it in Jesus.
 
14 In as much then, as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:14–18).
 
Throughout the Bible, questions naturally pop into our heads. We need to find the answers. This book, the Bible, contains all truth from all time and into all future. Let’s start with, “Who is this guy Abraham?” He’s talked about everywhere. He’s known as the Father of Faith. Why? Because he heard the voice of God and He obeyed. He didn’t understand the reasoning of the command, but he obeyed anyway. We call that “blind” faith these days. Today we call Abraham the Righteousness of God. Because of his obedience, he entered right standing with God Almighty. Do you want to be known as being in “right standing” with God? I sure do.
 
So how did Jesus pay for all our sins? That’s an indescribable price to pay. I can’t imagine having the sins of the world placed on my shoulders.
 
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
 
It’s not just the sin that He paid for, it was also every disease, pain, and sickness, plus our prosperity. All illness and all poverty were somehow placed on the body of Jesus as payment for the way we lived our lives, not believing in and trusting God.  But He paid the price anyway.
 
4 Surely He has born our sicknesses and carried our pains; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His blows that cut in we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4–6).
 
What kind of death could accomplish all that? This death was prophesied over one thousand years before it took place. Every detail had been planned, and was accomplished in order to return creation to its original intention, in order to defeat the works of the devil, and in order to allow God the Father to once again have the family He desired when He created life.
 
1a My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
 
4 Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
 
14 I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16b They pierced My hands and feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, and My clothing they cast lots.
 
25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever. 27a All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord (Psalm 22:1, 4–6, 14–18, 25–27).
 
 
Psalm 22 describes what happened on the cross, and it was written 1,000 years before it happened.  This is what Jesus accomplished for us, all by the planning of God. But notice, what Jesus accomplished is only ours through our surrender to Him as our Lord and Savior. Many signs happened at the moment of the death of Jesus. Rocks split open as if an earthquake happened. The thick veil in the temple ripped in two as if being torn from above. The soldiers who mocked Jesus all along the route on which He carried His cross and during His time on the cross, suddenly bowed their knees before Him and declared Him as Lord. Jesus died after six hours on the cross. Another sign as a crucifixion usually required two or three days before death took the victim.
 
The body of Jesus laid in its grave for three days, but when women came to prepare the body for the burial, they found the body was gone. Jesus first went to hell where He confronted Satan and defeated him for all time. He took back the keys of the kingdom that the first Adam had given to Satan 3,000 years ago.
 
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15).
 
17c “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and Death.” (Revelation 1:17, 18).
 
Then He went to heaven, soothing Mary Magdalene along the way, and with the Father They placed the holy blood that had paid for us on the altar in heaven. It remains there even today, paying for our sins, sicknesses, and poverty. But remember, it is only for those who surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
 
There is one thing the Lord asks us to do:

18b “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20).