nebula Posted March 31, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.94 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted March 31, 2008 OK, no need to hijack this thread with a debate on environmentalism and whatnot. Can we agree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest man Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 OK, no need to hijack this thread with a debate on environmentalism and whatnot. Can we agree? Yeah, what was that all about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerioke Posted March 31, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 97 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,850 Content Per Day: 0.84 Reputation: 128 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/19/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/11/1911 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I like wild foliage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted March 31, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I was reminded this morning that I had a post "hanging out" there that needed attending to. I will post a little late today regarding the typological significance of items pertaining to Genesis 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted March 31, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted March 31, 2008 ok I was reading the bible and in bible it says Genesis 3:24 it says in my bible God put up flaming sword. Now where did it go I can't find it in bible. Flaming sword don't just vanish, and the place just don't vanish. So is it the paradise that we go after we die. Where is it. The bible does not say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben Hick Posted April 1, 2008 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 96 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 7 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/12/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted April 1, 2008 OK, no need to hijack this thread with a debate on environmentalism and whatnot. Can we agree? It was not a thread hijack, it was a direct response to gymrose's statement that suggested that the Garden of Eden was some perfect place that would only get messed up by man's intervention. (sigh) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted April 1, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Well I'm back, and ready to write about the spiritual significances of the items found in Genesis 3. But first I would briefly like to explain typology, for anyone who is unfamiliar with this branch of theology. Typology is the study of "types" in the Bible. In its most simplified form, typology is finding items, persons, or events in the Bible which point to Christ and His work of redemption, and God's work of transformation in the believers. There are a few easily found examples of typology in the New Testament, and the Lord Jesus used at least tow of them to reveal that He was the true Messiah to the apostles. The first such example is found in John 3:14-15, where Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, That every one who believes into Him may have 1eternal life.," Jesus' reference to Moses and the bronze serpent is recorded in Numbers 21:4-9. If we examine those verses in light of typology we can see a few things: First that there was a serpent fashioned out of bronze. Bronze has the likeness of gold and therefore indicates purity or righteousness. The serpent represents fallen humanity with the "poison" of sin (signified by the poisonous serpents which bit the children of Israel). With the bronze serpent affixed to the pole, all who gazed upon that image was cleansed from the poison of the serpents in Numbers 21:4-9. So also, all who gaze (believe) upon the Lord Jesus, who is both divine (bronze) and human (serpent) fixed upon the cross (pole) are cleansed from the poison of sin. So you see how typology can help us to view Christ in the Scriptures in a much deeper way? Not only are the elements in all the stories of the Old Testament significant in and of themselves, they have much deeper aspects to them, from which we can literally see the hand of God in His redemptive work. Now, to the story of Genesis 3. Here are the verses I'll be dealing with: (Genesis 3:7-11; 21-24) 7. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 21 And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" -- 23 therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Man Eating the Tree of Knowledge and Knowing His Sin. In verses 7-11 "the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked." Nakedness here signifies sin. There is nothing inherently wrong or evil about nakedness. So the shame of Adam and Eve was related to their sin. In order to cover their nakedness Adam and Eve made for themselves coverings of the plant life, which is in opposition to God's redemptive design. I've intentionally skipped over many verses in order to get to verse 21. God's dealings with Adam, Eve and the serpent all foretell of God's redemption. However, I want to emphasize here that man's invention is always in opposition to God's redemptive design. Man's invention to cover his sin is to hide it, or to attempt to hide from God because of it. However, man's inventions are never lasting. Like the fig leaves would have quickly dried up and whithered away, man's invention for hiding his sin is also fleeting. In verse 21 God instituted a pattern of redemption: He took an animal, killed it, and made garments of skins for Adam and Eve. Now death is certainly indicated in verse 21, although it does not say that God killed an animal. Certainly He must have, because he used "skins" to make garments for Adam and Eve. This is significant of itself, for in type, God "covered" the nakedness of Adam and Eve with the skins from a slain animal. Some theologians have believed that the animal must have been a lamb, and I am inclined to agree with that assumption. The point is, however, that God's redemption is different than man's invention. While man attempts merely to temporarily cover or hide his sin from God, God provides a means by which man's sin can be covered, and even washed. In the story of the prodigal son, the prodigal is covered with a garment, which signifies the redemption of Christ. In the new Jerusalem the overcomers receive garments of white, which signify the redemptive work of Christ. The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge In the garden there was the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil. Both trees were attractive to the eye and bore fruit which was attractive and desirable for eating. However, God forbade man to eat of the tree of knowledge, for in the day that man would eat of the tree he would die. So there is a definite contrast between the two trees. On the one hand the tree of knowledge would kill man, and then on the other hand the tree of life would cause man to live. In Genesis 3:22 God reasons that, since man ate of the tree of knowledge, He would have to block the way to the tree of life in order to prevent man from eating it and living forever. So we see that the tree of life was actually a tree in which the very divine life of God was contained, for only God's life is eternal. Therefore, we can rightly say that if the tree of life contained God's divine life, then it represented God Himself. And if the tree of life represents God, then the tree of knowledge must also represent Satan. When man ate of the tree of knowledge he did not die physically but man died spiritually. Another life got into man through that tree, a life which is corruptible, fallen, and driven to corruptible things (Gen. 6:5; 1 Cor. 15:50, 53). So God had to cut off the way to the tree of life in order to prevent man from eating it and living forever in the state of corruption. The Cherubim, the Flame, and the Sword In order to block the way to the tree of life, God set the cherubim and a flaming sword which turns every way, to block the way to the tree of life. We can presume that there was only one entrance to Eden, and that was at the east. However, there are three elements that are significant of the cherubim and the flaming sword. The first element is the cherubim. If we read Ezekiel 9 and 10, and Hebrews 9 we will see that the cherubim are symbols of God's glory. Ezekiel 9:3 it says that the glory of God "went up from the cherubim on which it rested," and Hebrews 9:5 speaks of "the cherubim of glory," referring to the cherubim which sat upon the ark of the covenant (Exo. 25:18-20). So God set the cherubim to guard the entrance to the garden, and the way to the tree of life, by His glory. According to Romans 3:23, all have fallen short of God's glory. A sinful man could not approach God's glory, therefore, it is God's glory which guards the way to the tree of life. The second element to consider is that of the flame. Although the verse says that there is a "flaming sword," the flame itself is a component of the sword and is therefore worth consideration. Fire in typology signifies the holiness of God. God is Himself a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24; 9:3; Heb. 12:29). Anything common or unclean is consumed by Him. his consuming fire signifies God's holiness, and without holiness no man shall see Him (Heb. 12:14). Therefore it is also God's holiness which blocks the way to the tree of life. Finally there is sword. Swords are weapons of war. They are made for battle: For protection and for attacking an enemy. It is easy to see that God placed the sword there, turning every way, to protect the tree of life. However, God needs no protection from man. Both God's glory and His holiness prevented man from approaching the way to the tree of life, so man could not have passed. So the sword has another significance here. The sword is for killing. If God killed a sinless person He would be considered unrighteous. But according His righteousness, the sinful condition of man demands his death. Therefore the sword for killing must indicate God's righteous requirement. It must indicate God's righteousness. Therefore, the cherubim with the flaming sword in typology represent God's glory, His holiness and His righteousness, all of which must be satisfied in order for man to approach the tree of life. However, as we know, the sinful condition of man does cannot attain to God's glory, does not possess God's holiness, and cannot meet God's righteous requirement in order to have fellowship with Him. Between God and the sinful man is an enormous gulf which no mortal man, or even the blood of animals could ever bridge. More to continue tomorrow. I will leave you all to "chew" on this portion for now. After you read this begin to consider carefully the significance of Christ's death in opening the way to the tree of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerioke Posted April 1, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 97 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 5,850 Content Per Day: 0.84 Reputation: 128 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/19/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/11/1911 Share Posted April 1, 2008 So God invented the sword? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted April 1, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted April 1, 2008 So God invented the sword? That's all you got from that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GymRose Posted April 1, 2008 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 31 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 862 Content Per Day: 0.12 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/31/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted April 1, 2008 OK, no need to hijack this thread with a debate on environmentalism and whatnot. Can we agree? It was not a thread hijack, it was a direct response to gymrose's statement that suggested that the Garden of Eden was some perfect place that would only get messed up by man's intervention. (sigh) Hey ..... I wasn't going so deep as you took it. I was thinking of it like how my kids treat the house as compared to how I would like to keep the house, eg their bedrooms or even the backyard. I don't see mankind as cancer on the earth and I never said anything about man being evil I was talking about man having knowledge and in an immature way making mistakes or the like..... And I'm only having to think hard about explaining what I was meaning now, the converstion was very light hearted which was where I was coming from. But personally I'd prefer a wild rambling garden or forest to a manicured garden any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts