Prophecy
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INTRODUCTION
Genesis 1 and 2 Re-examined: according to Harper’s Bible Dictionary, Genesis is a Greek word meaning Origin or Beginning: it is known in Hebrew as Bereshith (“In the beginning”), which is the book’s first word.
In fact, the story of Genesis chapters One, Two and Three, has been of immense debate. To some it talks of creation and the Fall of Man, to others it is nothing than fiction.
However, what we are about to study is by the “Applied Principle” to Genesis Chapters One and Two, as it came to me in the light of the chart: The Different Shifts of God’s Moves in Humanity (1990), 1 which its new edition for this work, is now titled: “God’s Epochs in Humanity (2006)” in the light of this recent conceptualization.
In our context, by Applied Principle, we mean using an original cause and effect to interpret a secondary cause and effect. In our case-study, Genesis 1:1-31 and 2:1-25: the Creation Antecedents, will be used to interpret the events and developments of both human history and contemporary issues, beginning from when the Lord Jesus Christ first came into the world scene and when He shall come back again..
Although Dr. A. E. Booth, among other scholars, had earlier used the seven days of creation to chart, “The Course of Time From Eternity to Eternity”2 , yet this latter thought may help the modern man to grasp God’s wisdom, design and time-table. While the literal Genesis Chapters One and Two deal with creation, the applied approach deals with the Redemption Period or what is known as the Church Age Period.
As each day in creation was not isolated to itself, but was accumulative upon one another until the sixth day, so also each period in the redemption days. That is, the first formed the foundation, and each other builds upon one another to its finishing point, and of course each period or day, as it was in creation, does affect the whole universe or world.
God’s own mathematics may help us to understand this better.
“…Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).
Apart from the creation story of the entire universe being created by God, and the different theological theories, for instance, the GAP Theory, there is a dawning concept upon my mind, concerning the corresponding events and developments both on the pages of the Holy Bible and the History of Mankind which are both in Genesis 1 and 2.
This concept is therefore set forth in defence of creationism by using creation antecedents of the Six Day Creation of Genesis to allegorically interpret some historical hallmark events as well as developments; conceptualizing that, if the universe with its contents (including man) were to have only been evolved instead of created by God, then those historical unique events and developments of Humankind could not have so followed the pattern of creation antecedents. Since religion, philosophy and science are the three sisters of humanity and also came in that order, the unfolding of my thought seems to follow that same trend.
APPLIED PRINCIPLE ONE
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen .1:1).
In this study, what is foremost in this revelation is the Applied Principle. By this method, the majestic opening statement of creation in Genesis Chapter 1:1 could be equated to the scenery which surrounded Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:7-25.
Here it is on record that after Adam and Eve were created in God’s own image, they were placed in an excellent environment. The Garden was filled with different flowers of great beauty and all kinds of fruit-trees. The scenery which the four rivers produced was very exciting as well. Beneath the rivers were mineral resources for the benefits of mankind. All around the Garden of Eden were the green vegetation and the towering mountainous ranges of Alps. What a perfect landscape!
To Adam, freedom was given to exercise his free will at his discretion. This was first tested when God Himself brought all the animals and birds to him to give names to them. This he did perfectly well, according to Scripture. Also, the man was given the responsibility to cultivate and maintain the environment in the culture of proper usage and beauty.
To Adam, “at the cool of the day”, the Lord God would stroll into the Garden to have sweet fellowship with Adam and Eve. That is fellowship. That is the first Church in session. This in human terms belongs to religious sphere. This gave meaning, value and fulfilment to their existence. Both husband and wife were very compatible to each other. Assuredly, in this period, Adam and Eve were morally innocent. This attracted free communication flow between God and them.
To Matthew Henry, the Christian Amazon Commentator, “The situation of the Garden was extremely sweet. It was in Eden, which signifies delight and pleasure” 3
APPLI ED PRINCIPLE TWO
“And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the deep.” Genesis 1:2a could also be mapped with Adam and Eve at the Fall in Genesis 3, resulting in the horrified consequences of Cain murdering his brother Abel, etc (Genesis 4:1-24). This ugly condition now becomes the song on the pages of Human history.
Though one could see and readily appreciate the flow of human geniuses in the doctrines and works of great minds like Gautama Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, Aristotle, Wole Soyinka, etc., yet when examined in the light of God and creation, we see nothing but confusion and frustration in theories and actions loose upon humankind [See Romans 1: 18-31].
APPLIED PRINCIPLE THREE
“And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2b).
This could be equated to God’s sovereign search and choice among humanity to continue to completion, His eternal plan and programme for humankind. This unique search has spanned over six thousands years, based on the assumption of some Bible scholars. This hypothesis goes thus:
Adam Abraham 2000
Abraham Jesus Christ 2000
Jesus Christ the Church 2000+.
THE DIVINE SEARCH
However, the Bible history unfolds the divine search thus:
Seth Enoch Noah
(Gen. 5:3-8) (Gen. 5:21-24) (Gen. 5:32, 6:9)
Shem Eber Abraham
(Gen. 9:26) (Gen. 10:21) (Gen. 11:26; 12-24)
Israel Jesus Christ the Church
(Old Testament) (The Four Gospels) (NT/Church history).
After establishing this introductory framework, we can now delve into the Six Day Creation and the Seventh Day Rest Phenomena in the light of the chart: God’s Epochs in Human History (See Chart 2).
THE DIFFERENT SHIFTS OF GOD’S MOVES IN HUMANITY
This chart: The Different Shifts of God’s Moves In Humanity: the Church Age Chart, was published in 1990 (See Chart 1). Concerning its natural authority, I shall quote from one of my books: GOD’S MANIFEST POWER IN THE NATIONS THROUGH THE AGES (2005).4
NATURAL AUTHORITY OF THE CHART: There are four points thus:
- Our God is the God of Nature as the Almighty Creator of the entire universe (Genesis1:1; Psalm 8:3, 24:1). So even the laws of nature and their attendant principles, all came from His good hand. By its universality, this chart has to give expression to the fact that both it and the laws of cosmos came from the same source and as such bear the same three most important characteristics any scientist can think about our earth. Principally, it deals with the geographical laws of nations- even their maps.
- Indeed, the geophysicist tells us that the earth, God’s created earth, rotates anticlockwise round its axis, giving rise to day and night, and revolves round its orbit, bringing about the different seasons. In a similar vein, the movement of the chart, as one traces it in the World map, starting from Israel through Antioch, Germany, England, U.S.A., Africa and consummates in Israel, is anti- clockwise, giving room for its rise and fall as well as the different seasons of God’s Moves in Humanity.
This anti- clockwise phenomenon is commonplace among the climbing plants like the yam whose tendrils coil anti-clockwise.
- The second point is closely related to the first: -- the movement of the earth. Normally, the sun rises from the East and sets in the West. In like manner, The Chair of His Lordship rose from Israel, East of Africa. And encircling the earth, it is now setting in Africa West of Israel.
- Furthermore, the scientists have told us that the earth is spherical in shape. So also this Church Age Chart is like a good healthy egg! (See Chart 3, the World map).
After stating its authority, let us examine its mode.
- More often than not, it begins in a small way. “For who hath despised the day of small things”? (Zechariah 4:10). That is what I call Arithmetical Progression. Just as the rising sun always begins small in a place!
- But it does spread and cover the whole world with time. “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase” bringing into being, the law of Geometrical Progression and Synergism (Job 8:7). Likewise, that small rising sun does later on cover the whole area of its geographic sphere.
- God has His set time for every of His eternal programme. “But hath in due times manifested His word” (Titus 1:3). In the same manner, the sun has its own set time to rise and to set.
There is a deliberate act on the path of this author to allow the quoted authors tell the stories as to help the reader appreciate their historical agreement with the concept of this book. Indeed when they were writing their different works, they did not have this revelation in mind, but God did, and they are now compiled and knotted together for you to see as to queue into God’s own frequency.
THE PLACE OF EPOCHAL SHIFT IN HUMAN HISTORY
That, there is always epochal shifts in Human history, is a common observation among scholars. For instance: Professor Dosunmu, M.I., a Chemist, as cited by Professor Alozie, P.I., in History and Philosophy of Science: “The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of science like chemistry and botany which were hitherto handmaids of medicine and pharmacy. During this century, Europe was the centre of scientific discoveries with England, Scotland, Holland, France and Germany leading. North America came into the scene towards the end of the century.”5
This is so because: as the hand of the clock moves from one figure to another in order for it to fulfil its purpose in serving man, so also God has in His sovereignty designed epochal events and developments to take place from one locality to another in order for His eternal purposes for humanity to be fulfilled. This is seen during the Egyptian Empire, Assyrian Empire, Medo-Persian Empire, etc. These Empires gave the substances on which modern civilization builds upon.
However, in this work, we are restricting our research to when the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and when He shall come back to this same world. It is within this specified period that we are using Genesis chapters one and two to interpret their historical epochs to showcase God’s own wisdom and control over His created universe. Truly as the New Testament is build-up from the Old Testament so also the Church Age from the Creation Age.
This author wishes to state categorically clear that he is not writing an epochal encyclopedia which would have demanded the choice of all epochal personalities to be included. But purely based on his independent choice, these names have been chosen, to help put across his thought to this generation. Some issues are unduly repeated. You are therefore requested to bear with him in such cases.
The table: Creation Age6/Church Age summarizes this work into subjects and features, while the chart: God’s Epochs In Human History, gives the names of some of the vital players in human history. Both give the reader a bird’s view of the entire work.
Each Epoch, however, carries a major of the import of “… for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9), which shall climax in Christ’s Millennium. The Prophet Isaiah spoke this truth about 700 years before the Lord Jesus Christ came the first time. Since then, this project has been on course, awaiting His Second Coming, to round it up.
Reading through this book will convince you to literally understand and greatly appreciate the position of the author of Psalm 119 with his emphasis on verse 128, thus: “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.” to be continued...
view Chats and table at www.tromfoh.blogspot.com
Feel free to call, text and comment. God Bless You.
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