Almighty God Yahweh’s Plan for Humankind.
Angels are mentioned almost 400 times in the Scriptures. Angels are Spirit creatures. The Bible says that angels “are greater in strength and power” than humans. (2 Peter 2:11) Angels live in the invisible spirit realm with God, so the Bible sometimes refers to them as spirits.—1 Kings 22:21. Yahweh created the angels as perfect spirit persons, so they are called “the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26) Like a well-ordered army, they are organized to carry out God’s commands. Thus, the Bible refers to “legions* of angels” and to “the heavenly army.” (Matthew 26:53; Luke 2:13). The Hebrew and Greek words translated “angel” literally mean “messenger.” Angels convey God’s messages.
Some Angels rebelled against Yahweh in Heaven. Yahweh God created the angels as perfect spirit persons. However, some of them are now called “unclean spirits” or “wicked spirits” because they rebelled against God. (Luke 6:18; 8:2)
Human parents can train their children to be good, but when the children grow up, they can choose to do bad. Likewise, the angels were perfect when Yahweh created them, but one angel chose to do bad and became Satan the Devil, God’s primary enemy and the enemy of those who love God. (1 Peter 5:8)
The Bible does not reveal the original name of the angel who became Satan. However, the terms used to identify him reveal his personality.
Satan: From a Hebrew word that means “resister,” or “adversary.” In all that he does, Satan resists and opposes God.—Zechariah 3:1.
Devil: From a Greek word that means “slanderer,” or “false accuser.” The Devil falsely accuses Yahweh and those who love Him of being wicked.—Proverbs 27:11; Revelation 12:9, 10.
“Angel of light”: Satan disguises himself and uses deception to increase his influence.—2 Corinthians 11:14.
Why did Satan rebel in Heaven?
He wanted to be worshiped, and he let this wrong desire lead him to wicked actions. (James 1:14, 15) Let’s examine a Bible account that exposes Satan’s desire to be worshiped.
Matthew 4:8-10
“The Devil took [Jesus] along to an unusually high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him: ‘All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.’ Then Jesus said to him: ‘Go away, Satan! For it is written: “It is Yahweh your God you must worship.”’”
Other angels joined Satan’s rebellion. These wicked angels, or demons, left Yahweh’s family of loyal angels. (Matthew 9:34) Satan and the demons have misled many people into joining their rebellion. (1 Timothy 4:1)
Read 1 John 5:19, and then answer the question, who currently exercises power over the whole world? SATAN.
Satan the Devil was created perfect, but he let his desire for worship lead him to rebel against Yahweh. For now, he is “the ruler of this world.” (John 12:31) Along with the angels who joined his rebellion, he misleads people so that they will follow him.
As a spirit creature, the Devil lives in an invisible realm.
“War in heaven”
For a time, Satan the Devil moved about in the spirit realm at will, including entering directly before God alongside the faithful angels. (Job 1:6). Satan had long rebelled against Almighty God Yahweh in Heaven, much before Adam and Eve were created on Earth. This can be seen by the fact that Satan approached through the animal Serpent to communicate and tempt Even against disobeying God Yahweh in the Garden of Eden on Earth. Read Genesis 3:1-6, 19.
When Satan suggested that Eve disobey God, he was starting a rebellion against God’s sovereignty, or position as Most High, just like he did it in Heaven, now he was doing it EVEN ON PLANET EARTH where God Yahweh created Humans to serve, worship and glorify him, BUT BY FREE CHOICE. The majority of mankind has joined Satan in rejecting God Yahweh as their Ruler. Thus, Satan has become “the ruler of the world.”—Read John 14:30; 1 John 5:19.
FIRST GOD YAHWEH CLEANS HEAVEN BY THROWING OUT SATAN FROM THAT DOMAIN.
The Bible foretold that there would be a “war in heaven” that would result in Satan’s being expelled from heaven and “cast out into the earth.” (Revelation 12:7-9, King James Version) Both Bible chronology and world events confirm that this war in heaven has already taken place. The Devil is now confined to the vicinity of the earth.
Does this mean that the Devil lives in a specific place on our planet?
For example, the ancient city of Pergamum was said to be “where the throne of Satan is” and “where Satan is dwelling.” (Revelation 2:13) Actually, these expressions likely refer to the concentration of satanic worship in that city. The Bible says that the Devil rules over “all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth,” so he does not dwell in any one physical location on earth but is confined to the vicinity of the earth.—Luke 4:5, 6.
The first man, Adam, rebelled against God, bringing sin and death not only on himself but also on his descendants. (Romans 5:12) At the same time, he rejected Yahweh’s rulership. History has proved that human rule is disastrous.—Ecclesiastes 8:9.
You may have heard of the Kingdom of God.
Millions pray for it when they repeat the model prayer, often called the Lord’s Prayer, which includes the requests: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.” (Matthew 6:10, King James Version)
PLEASE NOTE: We pray and plead to the Almighty Creator Yahweh, “THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE. (Where?) ON EARTH. (Comparing to what?) AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. In other words, we are requesting Yahweh to do what he has already done in Heaven. He has cleansed the Heavens off Satan and his demons. Similarly we are told by YAHSHUA (Jesus) to pray to God Yahweh to cleanse the Earth of Satan and his demons too.
Though the Kingdom will rule over the earth, it will do so from heaven. Jesus called it “the Kingdom of the heavens.”—Matthew 4:17.
What will God’s Kingdom do about bad ruler-ship?
It will “cast out” Satan as world ruler and remove human governments, bringing peace to the entire earth. (John 12:31; Psalm 72:7, 8)
The Bible says that God’s Kingdom “will crush and put an end to” imperfect human ruler ships.—Daniel 2:44.
Although Jesus’ miracles temporarily relieved people’s suffering and attracted many to his message, his primary work was to preach and teach about God’s Kingdom. (Luke 4:43) His miracles helped to prove that he was qualified to be the future King of that Kingdom and showed what the Kingdom would do for humankind.—Matthew 9:35.
God’s Kingdom will bring blessings to humankind, eliminating the suffering caused by bad ruler-ship. Bible prophecy shows that this will happen soon. Although it’s not possible to know the exact time when God will bring an end to human rule and the suffering it causes, Bible prophecies and world conditions prove that the time is near.—Matthew 24:33.
THE FIRST ADAMS DISOBEDIENCE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN ON PLANET EARTH BROUGHT IN SIN TO THE WHOLE OF MANKIND. THE SECOND ADAM YAHSHUA’S (JESUS) OBEDIENCE TO YAHWEH ON EARTH AND THROUGH THE SACRIFICE OF HIS LIFE, WE HUMANS GET A NEW LIFE. 1 Corinthians 15:22.
Almighty God Yahweh set this Divine Plan way back in the Garden of Eden when Adam failed in the test of obedience to him, but put upon Adam & Eve by Satan the Devil. This divine plan was spoken forth through the first prophecy in the Bible at Genesis 3:14-19 (NIV) Bible.
14 The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
and you shall bruise him on the heel.”
between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
and you shall bruise him on the heel.”
16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”
“I will greatly multiply
your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
and you will eat the plants of the field;
and you will eat the plants of the field;
19 By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.
Genesis records the first prophecy in the Bible, found in Genesis 3:14-19.
Adam and Eve were still living in the Garden of Eden. Satan, speaking through a serpent, had just deceived Eve into eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She, in turn, had persuaded Adam to do the same. These sins demanded the judgment of God, which He expresses as curses that would result from their disobedience. In addition, when God inquired about their actions (Genesis 3:11), they neither admitted their transgressions nor sought forgiveness. Instead, they shifted the blame—Adam to Eve, and Eve to Satan (verses 12-13)! Thus, what we see is that God did not curse them—they cursed themselves! Because of sin's predictable course, God merely voices the consequences of their actions in prophetic terms. This prophecy, then, includes Satan's ultimate guilt and punishment, mankind's battle of the sexes and struggle to survive, and the need for a Savior to repair the damage they had caused. What we see in microcosm is the plan of God!
The Woman's Seed
God predicts the war between the serpent and the woman and between their seeds:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. (Genesis 3:15)
Women and snakes are bitter enemies, but the real hostilities are spiritual—between Satan and the woman, a symbol of the church (see Revelation 12:1-6; Ephesians 5:22-32; etc.).
Some ask, "If this is so, how can Satan, who cannot reproduce, have ‘seed'?" The answer, again, lies in the spiritual realm. Paul says in Galatians 3:26-27, 29:
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. . . . And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
No matter what their racial makeup, members of God's church become Abraham's spiritual descendents because, as Jesus says, "Abraham's children . . . do the works of Abraham" (John 8:39).
Jesus goes on to explain that Satan has spiritual offspring also:
But now you [those in Jesus' audience] seek to kill me. . . . You do the deeds of your father. . . . You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. (Verses 40-41, 44)
Satan's seed are those who do Satan's will in rebellion against God.
In Ephesians 6:10-12, Paul writes of this enmity between seeds:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Genesis 3:15 prophesies of this spiritual war between God's people and Satan's.
"Seed" in verse 15 is collective (like "team" or "family"), but the following pronoun, "He," is singular. As Christ's body (Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:22-23), we are included as participants in the "enmity." However, the subjects of the "bruising" clauses are strictly Christ and Satan, the two leading opponents in the battle.
Paul also uses "Seed" in a singular sense in writing of Christ as "Abraham's Seed" in Galatians 3:16: "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,' who is Christ." Revelation 12:5 illustrates the connection between the woman and the Seed:
And she [the woman] bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.
Interpreting itself, the Bible shows that the singular "Seed" of the woman is indeed the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Just a Flesh Wound
The King James and New King James versions translate the "bruising" clauses word for word without making the sense obvious. Other translations render the verb as "wound," "crush," "strike," or "attack." The New International version provides a more descriptive translation: "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." The difference is in degree of wounding: Crushing a snake's head destroys it, rendering him powerless, if not dead (see Hebrews 2:14); a snake's strike on the heel, though painful, is minor by comparison.
Another way to look at the comparison focuses on the site of the wounding, the head as compared to the heel. The serpent's wound affects the seat of his intellect and control of his powers, whereas the Seed's wound merely impairs His flesh for a short while—three days and three nights, to be exact.
These bruising's also carry on the theme of humiliation expressed in the preceding verse. The crushing of the serpent's head is understood to be by the heel of the Seed3 ("He will bruise and tread your head underfoot"—Amplified Bible), so the figure of being "under the heel" of the Messiah is present. This is a common biblical illustration of subservience, submission and mortification (I Kings 5:3; Lamentations 3:34; Malachi 4:3; Romans 16:20; I Corinthians 15:25; etc.)
Like the symbol of the "Seed," the wounding of the Messiah is another theme that crops up frequently in Scripture. In Numbers 21:8-9, God commands Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so "that everyone who is bitten [by the fiery serpents], when he looks at it, shall live." Later, Jesus points to this as a type of His crucifixion, by which He spiritually heals our "serpent bites" (John 3:14-15).
In the Psalms, David writes of the Messiah's wounding: "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption" (Psalm 16:10). Psalm 22 prophesies of Christ's reviling, scourging and death, showing that, rather than being an end, the Seed's wounding extends God's purpose to every generation! Many other Psalms repeat this theme (Psalm 31:5; 34:20; 41:9-12; 49:15; 69:7-9, 19-21; 109:1-5; etc.).
Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-12, the well-known "Suffering Servant" section, contains the very detailed prophecy of Christ's suffering and death. It explains that He, though sinless Himself, endured these ignominious afflictions as a result of our sins. In His wounding, Christ pays the penalty for all sin and qualifies to replace the serpent as ruler over the earth. This, of course, becomes the central theme of the entire New Testament, repeated in some form by nearly every writer.
The Gospel Preached
It is amazing to realize that God laid out these major players and events in His plan by the third chapter of the Book! Genesis 3:14-15 are remarkable in that in symbolic language God preaches the gospel in detail to the first sinners immediately after their first transgression. He made sure they were not ignorant of the truth.
When Yahshua was born as a man on Earth, who was earlier the Word and Logos and beginning of all Creation of God in Heaven, continued to teach in this symbolic/prophetic way. Matthew comments:
. . . without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 13:34-35)
He preached this way so that He could reveal the truth to those who were called and prepared to accept it, hiding it from others so that they would not lose their opportunity for salvation and eternal life (verses 10-15).
We have the keys to understanding these mysteries, these "enigmatic" prophecies, because God has personally opened our minds to His Word by His Spirit (I Corinthians 2:9-16). Jesus tells us, "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matthew 13:16). By virtue of being chosen by God, we now know of the great spiritual battle in which we fight, and we know who wins! This should give us great faith as we "endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (II Timothy 2:3).
As part of the woman's Seed—the body of Christ—we have a share in the Messiah's victory over the Serpent and will reap the rewards in God's Kingdom!
End-notes for "The First Prophecy"
Even Jesus Christ is symbolized as a snake in Numbers 21:8-9 and John 3:14-15. All the sins of the world fell on Him at His death (Romans 5:6-8; Hebrews 9:26-28; 10:12), and he suffered the shame of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 12:2). Thus, He fits the type of a snake, which symbolizes humiliation because of sin, not His own, of course, but ours.
God's prophecy is so exact that this symbolic battle between the serpent and the Seed describes the fact that the Messiah's wound occurs in the same act that crushes Satan's power! By Christ's death Satan seems to score a blow, but that same death provides God with a crushing victory over sin and death (John 12:31-33; Hebrews 2:14-15; I John 3:8)!