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The Study of Scripture
By
Arlen L. Chitwood
www.lampbroadcast.org
Chapter Three
Beginning and Continuing
The hand of the LORD came upon me
and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD,
and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full
of bones.
Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold,
there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were
very dry.
And He said to me,
“Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered,
“O Lord GOD, You know.”
Again He said to me,
“Prophesy to these bones, and say to them,
‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
“Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall
live.
I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you,
cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’” (Ezekiel
37:1-6)
Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven has to do
with the future restoration of “the whole house of Israel” (v.
11) following Christ’s return at the end of the
Tribulation. “The whole house of Israel” will be comprised of both
the Jews who died in the faith during Old Testament days (the
dead [resurrected] return with the living [Exodus
13:19]) and Jews living at the time Christ returns
(saved through His personal appearance, at which time, through the
use of the Old Testament Scriptures, He will reveal Himself to the
nation [cf. Luke 24:16,
25-31]).
Apart from viewing the bones as very dry and lifeless, events in
Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven have nothing
to do with events in the Middle East prior to the time of Christ’s
return, for Israel must remain “dead” during the entire two
days (2,000 years) preceding that time and be raised only on
the third day (the third 1,000-year period). That is to say,
“breath”— the requirement for life, which comes only from God
— cannot be imparted to the nation until the third day (cf.
Hosea 5:15-6:2; Luke 24:21; John 11:6, 7,
25, 39-44).
The preceding has to do with the primary interpretation of
Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven. But all
Scripture, along with a primary interpretation, will invariably have
secondary applications. And it is within the realm of
secondary applications that this study will concern itself.
This study will center on basics surrounding the proper place and
way to begin and continue a study of the Word of God. And, insofar
as its connection with Ezekiel
chapter thirty-seven is
concerned, it will have to do with bones (forming a skeletal
framework), that which covers the bones (sinews [nerves,
tendons], flesh, and skin), and breath (that which gives
life). Through a secondary application,
Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven will be used
to illustrate the proper way to begin and continue a study of the
Word of God.
The structure of the Word — i.e., the entire
layout of the Word, from beginning to end — can be likened unto the
human anatomy after the preceding fashion. And this is not pressing
an issue. God uses the human anatomy numerous places in Scripture
to set forth spiritual truths.
Beginning in
Genesis chapter two
Adam was put to sleep, and God removed that portion of Adam’s body
that He used to bring Eve into existence. This foreshadowed
Christ’s death and the subsequent removal of the element from
Christ’s body, blood and water, that God would use to bring
Christ’s bride into existence (cf.
Ephesians5:30; Colossians 1:18). Or in the text
from Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven, the human anatomy is used to describe how
God will one day bring about the restoration of “the whole house of
Israel.”
And in the New Testament, the relationship of
Christ to the Church is depicted as that of the Head to the body,
with individual Christians likened to different parts of the body,
possessing different functions (1
Corinthians 12:12ff;
Ephesians 5:22-30). Then, in a matter closely aligned
with the present study, growth in the spiritual realm is likened to
growth in the physical realm (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 1
Peter 2:1, 2).
But the preceding, in a sense, is really neither here nor there, for
there is a textual connection in
Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven within this same realm relative to the Word
of God. And this connection comes through the use of “breath” to
bring about life, which takes one back to
Genesis 2:7 (the first
mention of breath in connection with life) and forward to
2 Timothy 3:16 (where
Scripture is said to be “God-breathed”
[which is what theopneustos in this verse literally means in
the Greek text; or note the verse in the New International Version (NIV),
where the word is literally translated]). And to further strengthen
the whole thought, note that God always lays foundations prior to
building (cf. Matthew 7:24-27;
Hebrews 6:1-6). He builds only after the foundations
have been laid, and He always builds on the foundations.
Then, transfer that same thought over into
Ezekiel chapter
thirty-seven. Using this
chapter as an illustration, note that God doesn’t begin with the
sinews, flesh, and skin. Rather, He begins with the bones.
The sinews, flesh, and skin are placed on the bones after the same
fashion that a structure is built on its foundation. And, in that
respect, the bones — forming the skeletal framework — would be seen
as the foundation.
The
Bones
So, the question: Where and how does one begin
a study of the Word of God? The question, in connection with the
background material, is really self-answering. Where and how did
God begin when He revealed His Word to man?
God began, at the outset of His Word, by setting forth a skeletal
framework of the whole panorama of that which He was about to
reveal; and His subsequent revelation would be the sinews, flesh,
and skin to cover the bones forming the skeletal framework. Or, to
state the matter another way, God began, at the outset of His Word,
by laying a foundational structure, upon which the whole framework
of His revelation to man would subsequently be built.
Now, back to the question: Where and how does one begin a study of
the Word of God?
There’s only one place and way to begin.
A person must begin at the beginning. A person must
begin where the foundation has been laid. A person must
begin where the skeletal framework has been given.
In short, a person must begin where God
began. If one begins elsewhere, he will have nothing upon which to
build the structure; he will have nothing upon which to attach the
sinews, flesh, and skin.
And herein lays the very reason for the vast confusion that
presently exists in theological circles today. Christians have
failed to begin with the foundational structure. They do not know
and understand the structure of the Word, set forth at the
beginning. And, as a consequence, they have no bones upon which to
place the sinews, flesh, and skin; they have no foundation upon
which to build.
IT SIMPLY CAN'T BE DONE THAT WAY!
A person doesn’t begin with the gospel of
John or one of the Pauline
epistles. Those are not beginning points. Rather, this gospel and
these epistles have to do with the structure being built upon the
foundation. This gospel and these epistles have to do with the
sinews, flesh, and skin being placed on the bones.
The beginning point was given through Moses. The foundational
outline, the skeletal framework, was set forth at the very beginning
in the opening section of Genesis.
And it is here that one must begin if he is to begin aright.
He must understand the foundational beginning of the matter
first if he is to properly understand that which is built
upon the foundation.
1) Genesis 1:1-2:3
Genesis is the book of
beginnings, and the opening verses (1:1-2:3)
contain the skeletal framework for the whole of Scripture that
follows. These verses cover the whole panorama of Scripture, from
beginning to end; and if one understands the foundational framework
first, he will then be in a position to place all that
follows within a proper perspective in relation to the foundational
structure.
That would be to say, if one views the bones that form the skeletal
framework after the correct fashion first, then he will be in
a position to clothe this framework with all the sinews, flesh, and
skin that follow, placing them in their proper positions upon the
bones.
However, if one doesn't see and understand the skeletal framework
first, then he will be in no position to properly handle that
which follows. He will not have utilized the God-provided beginning
point of reference, which can only negatively affecting his
knowledge and understanding of how all subsequent Scripture fits
together. He will likely see numerous disconnected verses or
disconnected sections of Scripture, for he will not have begun with
and understood that which would have allowed him to properly relate
these verses or sections to the whole of Scripture.
Thus, two things could be said about the beginning point in
Scripture:
a)
A person must begin where God began.
b)
And a person must, aside from beginning where God began,
understand aright that which God has revealed in these opening
verses.
From a biblical standpoint, NOTHING is more
important than these two prerequisites in studying Scripture.
Genesis
1:1-2:3 begins with a simple statement concerning God’s
creation of the heavens and the earth (1:1).
Then disorder entered where only perfect order had previously
existed (1:2a). The
reason for this disorder is revealed elsewhere in Scripture. Satan,
God’s appointed ruler over the earth, sought to exalt his throne and
be “like the most High”
(Isaiah 14:12-17).
And, as a result, his kingdom — the province over which he ruled,
i.e., the earth (Ezekiel 28:14-16)
— was reduced to a ruined state. In the words of Scripture,
The earth was
[lit., But the earth became] without form, and void; and darkness
was [became] on the face of the deep. . . . (Genesis
1:2a).
All of this occurred over 6,000 years ago,
during a dateless past. That’s really all man can know about “time”
concerning that which is revealed in
Genesis 1:1, 2a. The
things revealed in these verses could have occurred over aeons of
time or they could have occurred over a relatively short period
within one aeon. We’re simply not told.
The latter part of verse two
is where God begins to count time insofar as the revelation of
Himself, His plans, and His purposes are concerned. The movement of
the Spirit of God upon the face of the waters, covering the ruined
creation below, marks the beginning point of a six-day period that
God used to restore the ruined material creation (1:2b-25).
Then, at the end or His restorative work on the sixth day, God
created man (1:26ff).
And on the seventh day God rested from all His work (2:1-3).
The preceding is the skeletal framework upon which all subsequent
Scripture rests. The six and seven days foreshadow six and seven
thousand years of time (2 Peter
3:4-8; cf.
Matthew 17:1ff; 2 Peter 1:15-18); and, with very
few exceptions, the whole of Scripture concerns itself with events
during these 7,000 years. Scripture reveals events preceding the
7,000 years (e.g., Genesis 1:1,
2a; Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11ff) or
events following the 7,000 years (e.g.,
2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21:1ff) only to an
extent that would allow man to properly understand and place events
in their proper perspective within the framework of the revealed
7,000 years.
As God worked six days to restore the ruined material creation in
Genesis 1:2b-25, He is
presently working six days — 6,000 years — to restore two presently
ruined creations (ruined man and the material creation under a
curse). At the end of His restorative work in
Genesis, God rested on the
seventh day. And He is going to do exactly the same thing at the
end of His restorative work in the present restoration. At the end
of six days — at the end of 6,000 years — He is going to rest for
one day once again. That is, He is going to rest for 1,000 years,
the earth’s coming Messianic Era.
Then events outlining God’s activity within the six and seven days
in Genesis 1:2b-2:3 are
fraught with symbolism and meaning. The skeletal framework is
complete within these verses (including
Genesis 1:1,
2a, for the “Restoration” and the “Time” of the
restoration, followed by “Rest” [1:2b ff], could not be understood apart from the prior revealed
“Creation” and “Ruin” of the creation). Nothing superfluous has
been given in these verses. All is by divine design.
Thus, Genesis 1:1-2:3
provides the skeletal foundation upon which all subsequent Scripture
rests, given at the very outset of God’s revelation to man. And a
person reading this book must either attach the sinews, flesh, and
skin (all subsequent revelation) to these bones (Genesis
1:1-2:3) or lack for a foundation upon which to build,
for God has provided no other.
(For a more detailed exposition of
Genesis 1:1-2:3 — allowing one to see how the remainder of
Scripture must relate to this opening section of Genesis —
refer back to chapter 2 of this book.)
2) From Moses to John
Scripture can be properly divided into seven parts, each forming a
complete section of Scripture:
a)
Genesis 1:1-2a.
b)
Genesis 1:2b-2:3.
c)
Genesis 2:4-11:26.
d)
The remainder of the Old Testament and the gospel accounts in the
New Testament.
e)
The book of Acts
through Revelation
chapter nineteen.
f)
Revelation 20:1-15.
g)
Revelation 21:1-22:21.
The first and second divisions, as has
been demonstrated, cover the skeletal framework upon which the
remainder rests.
The third division covers the first 2,000 years of human
history extending from Adam to Abraham.
The fourth division begins with Abraham and covers the next
2,000 years of human history, wherein God called one man out from Ur
of the Chaldees to be the channel through whom He, from that point
forward, would deal with mankind at large.
The fourth division actually ends with the
establishment of the Messianic Kingdom, at the conclusion of
Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy (Daniel
9:24-27) — a prophecy forming the concluding 490 years of
this 2,000-year period. But God stopped the clock marking time in
this prophecy seven years short of completion, which coincided with
Christ’s death — with Messiah being “cut
off” in Daniel’s prophecy (v.
26) — and began an entirely new 2,000-year
dispensation.
The fifth division begins with the descent of the Holy Spirit
on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D.,
in Acts chapter
two, and covers the next
2,000 years, the dispensation that began following the fulfillment
of sixty-nine weeks (483) in Daniel’s prophecy. Israel was set
aside, the Church was called into existence, and during this time
the Spirit of God is taking 2,000 years to call out a bride for
God’s Son (in the antitype of that seen in
Genesis chapter
twenty-four).
Following the Spirit procuring a bride for
God’s Son, the Church will be removed, God will resume His national
dealings with Israel, and the last seven years of the previous
dispensation will be brought to pass. This period is referred to in
Scripture as “the time of Jacob’s
trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7),
and this final seven years of the past dispensation will complete
man’s 6000-year day, allowing the Messianic Era to be ushered in,
exactly as seen in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy.
(For additional information on these
final seven years, refer to the author’s book, The Time of
Jacob’s Trouble)
The sixth division begins with Messiah’s return following the
completion of the full 490 years in Daniel’s Seventy-Week prophecy
and covers the next 1,000 years of human history. This will be the
long awaited Messianic Era (Revelation
20:1-6), to be immediately followed by certain revealed
events (Revelation 20:7-15).
Then the seventh division has to do with the eternal ages
that will follow not only the Messianic Era but the revealed events
occurring at the end of this era.
Now, to illustrate how later revelation is inseparably connected
with earlier revelation and how any revelation subsequent to
Genesis 1:1-2:3 must be
inseparably connected with these opening verses of Genesis, note the
thousand years mentioned six times in
Revelation 20:1-7. This
is not the first time that the thousand years are mentioned in
Scripture; quite the contrary. Instead, it is the last time. The
first mention of the thousand years in Scripture is within the
skeletal framework set forth at the beginning, in
Genesis 2:1-3. This
1,000-year period comprises the seventh millennium, foreshadowed by
the seventh day in the opening verses of
Genesis.
Not only that, but the thousand years in
Revelation 20:1-7 are
mentioned numerous places throughout Scripture, covering the 6,000
years of time preceding the Messianic Era (ref. chapter 2). These
thousand years are the point in time toward which everything moves,
with their repeated mention being a very natural and necessary part
of Scripture.
The Sabbath given to Israel was a “sign” concerning this coming
millennial day (Exodus 31:13-17).
Every time Israel kept the Sabbath, at the end of six days of work,
they were acknowledging that which God had set forth in the
foundational framework at the very beginning (vv.
15-17). They were acknowledging that God was going to
work six days in the latter restoration (as He did in the former)
and rest on the seventh day (as He did in the former).
(The pattern was set perfect in the
beginning. And the latter restoration and rest must follow the
former restoration and rest in exact detail, in every
respect. The thousand years in Revelation 20:1-7 [which
follow 6,000 years of work] carry exactly the same relationship to
Genesis 2:1-3 as the Sabbath given to Israel [which followed
six days of work] carried to these verses. “There remains
therefore a rest for [lit., ‘a Sabbath rest for’] the
people of God” [Hebrews 4:9; cf. v. 4].)
Reference is made to part or all of the six and seven days different
places in Scripture, referring to 6,000 and 7,000 years, drawing
from Genesis 1:2b-2:3
(cf. Numbers 19:11-19;
2 Samuel 1:1, 2; Hosea 5:15-6:2; Jonah 1:17;
Matthew 16:28-17:5; John 1:29, 35, 43,
2:1; 11:6, 7).
Then, beyond that, events surrounding the coming Messianic Era —
events occurring during the seventh day, the seventh 1,000-year
period — are mentioned time after time after time throughout
Scripture (e.g., Isaiah 2:1-5;
4:1-6; 14:1-8; Jeremiah 30:1-9; 31:31-33;
Ezekiel 36:24-28; 37:1ff; Matthew 24:30, 31;
Acts 15:14-18; Romans 11:25, 26).
It will be in that day that the blessings of
Genesis 12:2, 3
will be realized in their fullness by both Israel and the nations;
it will be in that day that Christ will exercise the
Melchizedek priesthood, blessing the descendants of Abraham, both
heavenly and earthly (Genesis
14:18, 19);
it will be in that day that God will restore Israel to her
rightful place (Genesis 25:1ff);
it will be in that day that Christ and His co-heirs will rule
the earth from a heavenly realm in the stead of Satan and his angels
(cf. Revelation 2:26, 27;
4:10,11; 5:8-10; 11:15); and it
will be in that day that the seed of Abraham, both heavenly
and earthly, will “possess the
gate of [i.e., ‘rule over’]” the enemy (Genesis
22:17, 18).
And on and on one could go with that which God
has revealed in His Word about that coming seventh day.
It is all as Nathaniel West said one hundred years ago in his book,
The Thousand Years in Both Testaments:
“What we find in the New Testament as
its outcome in respect to the ages and the kingdom, has already lain
in the bosom of the Old Testament from the beginning . . . .
Nothing appears in the later revelation that was not hid in the
earlier, nothing in John that was not in Moses . . . . If we
study the eschatology of the Old Testament, we will find the
Eschata there identical with the Eschata of the New
Testament, and the Eschatology of both Testaments the same . . . if
‘the thousand years’ are not in Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets,
they have no right to be in John.”
Accordingly, any study of the thousand years cannot possibly begin
with what God has revealed in
Revelation 20:1-7. Rather, a study of this nature
must, of necessity, begin with that which God has revealed in
Genesis 2:1-3. Revelation
20:1-7 forms the capstone to the matter. This section of
Scripture covers in very brief form that which the prophets
have previously covered in great detail. And only the simple
statement need be made at this concluding point, for all the details
have already been given.
The whole matter is really that simple if one remains within the
scope of the manner in which God has structured His revelation to
man.
Sinews, Flesh, Skin
Once God had set forth the skeletal structure
of Scripture at the beginning, He then began to place upon the
structure that which could only be considered as foundational
sinews, flesh, and skin. And, in this respect, the importance of
seeing and understanding the proper relationship of the section that
immediately follows to the preceding skeletal structure cannot be
overemphasized. God began to build upon the structure, and that
which He set forth at the beginning forms unchangeable patterns,
molds, etc.; and all subsequent Scripture must not only attach
itself after some fashion to the skeletal structure but it must also
be in perfect accord with all subsequent foundational material.
Some have sought to see within the first eleven chapters of
Genesis all the major biblical doctrines throughout
Scripture set forth in foundational form; and that may very well be
true, though the issue will not be pressed in this study.
Rather, that which will be pressed is the importance of what is set
forth at the beginning. Not only is unchangeable foundational
material given — material that one must understand to properly
understand subsequent Scripture — but that which is uppermost in
God’s thoughts can be seen in these verses. That is, if man wants
to see that which God considers of primary importance, he
will find it at the outset of God’s revelation to man. And the
importance of this fact is very simple. That which is uppermost in
God’s mind at the beginning remains uppermost in His mind
throughout the remainder of Scripture.
The preceding is not to say that God’s revelation to man in
Genesis 2:4-11:26,
covering the first 2,000 years of human history, is more important
than His revelation following this point, covering subsequent
history. One part of Scripture cannot be placed above another part
in this respect. The foundation is important, and the structure is
important. A foundation by itself would be incomplete and of little
value; and a structure must be built on a foundation, else it will
be unstable or collapse. The foundation and structure together
form a stable, complete building.
That which is being stated and emphasized has to do with the
importance of understanding both the foundational structure and the
foundational material built on the structure, for, apart from this,
a stable building cannot be erected. That is, for a stable,
well-built structure one must have a building that has been erected
on a solid foundation, after a careful fashion.
1) Genesis 2:4-11:26
God began His revelation to man in the third section of Scripture (2:4ff)
by showing how he had brought certain things to pass from the first
two sections (1:1, 2a and 1:2b-2:3). Everything in
Genesis 2:4-25 forms
commentary material on that which had proceeded.
Verse four is an
overview of chapter one, verses
five and six
cover events occurring on the second day, verse
seven covers events
occurring on the sixth day, verses
eight through
fourteen cover events
occurring on the third day, and verses
fifteen through
twenty-five cover events
occurring on the sixth day (with v.
19 relating to events on
both the fifth and sixth days).
And, if a person wants to see where God places an emphasis very
early in His revelation, that person might note the space given to
the formation of Eve and her relationship to Adam (vv.
18, 20-25). Details surrounding a portion of
that which was revealed in Genesis
1:26-28 are given in this section, and an unchangeable
pattern is established.
The bride of the first man, the first Adam was removed
from his body. She was formed from a part of his body, not
from all of his body. And, once she had been formed, she was
presented back to Adam to not only complete Adam but to reign as
consort queen with him (cf.
1:26-28; 2:18-22).
Thus will it be with the second Man, the last Adam,
and His bride. The bride will be removed from His body (the
Church). She will be formed from a part of His body, not
from all of His body. And, once the bride has been formed,
she will be presented back to Christ to not only complete Christ but
to reign as consort queen with Him (cf.
1 Corinthians 15:45, 47; Hebrews 2:10;
Revelation 2:26, 27; 3:21; 19:7, 8).
Now, note what was done throughout
Genesis 2:4-25.
Throughout this section God concerned Himself with placing
foundational sinews, flesh, and skin on the skeletal structure
previously revealed. And the foundational material set forth here
can no more subsequently be changed than can the beginning skeletal
structure itself. All later revelation must be in perfect accord
with all earlier revelation, and vice versa.
Then, chapter three reveals unchangeable foundational truths surrounding
man’s fall and subsequent redemption. The actions of the first Adam
establish a pattern, a mold, for the actions of the last Adam; and
God's actions surrounding redemption in this chapter form a pattern,
a mold, for His actions surrounding man’s redemption at any future
point in time.
Adam found his bride, a part of his very being, in a fallen state;
and Adam was left without a choice as to his course of action. He
could not now eat of the tree of life as God had previously
commanded, for a part of his very being was in a fallen state
(though the fall itself didn’t actually occur until Adam, as the
federal head, had eaten of the tree [evident from the sequence of
events in Genesis 3:6, 7]).
Adam could only cleave unto his wife, as God
had also previously commanded, placing himself in a fallen state as
a complete being; and this would be with a view to
redemption, wherein the man, as a complete being, might one
day eat of the tree of life. That would be to say that Adam
partook of sin to affect Eve’s redemption, with a view to both
of them one day partaking of the tree of life together (2:9,
16, 24).
And the antitype is easy to see. The last Adam found His bride in a
fallen state and was made sin to affect her redemption, with
a view to exactly the same thing set forth in the type — both one
day partaking of the tree of life together (2
Corinthians 5:21;
Revelation 2:7).
(Partaking of the tree of life has to
do with the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge to rule and reign
[see the author’s book, Judgment Seat of Christ, chapter 5].
Christ Himself, being very God of very God, possesses such
knowledge apart from partaking of the tree. But His bride doesn’t.
However, as He partook of food following His resurrection, He can
just as easily partake of the tree of life with His bride should He
so choose.)
Then basic unchangeable truths surrounding God’s redemption of man
have been established in Genesis, chapter three.
God, rejecting man’s efforts to do anything about his fallen state,
slew animals and clothed Adam and Eve (3:7,
21). This forever sets forth salvation, restoration,
entirely through divine intervention, in perfect keeping with
how God restored the ruined creation in
Genesis 1:2bff (i.e.,
entirely through divine intervention).
Then, in
Genesis chapter three,
death and shed blood relative to man’s salvation,
restoration, are introduced. And, with the introduction of shed
blood, more foundational material is placed on the skeletal
structure. And beyond this one finds more and more and more
. . .; but all subsequent references to salvation, adding details to
the structure, must be in perfect accord with previous revelation,
always going back to and beginning with
Genesis 1:2bff.
Beyond chapter three, very briefly, chapter
four deals with Cain and Abel, setting forth foundational
truths surrounding Israel and Christ. Cain slays Abel; Israel slays
Christ. The blood of Abel cries out "from
the ground," but the blood of Christ speaks "better
things" than the blood of Abel (Genesis
4:10; Hebrews 12:24).
Chapter five forms a
genealogical table covering the ten generations from Adam to Noah.
Then there is the Flood in chapters
six through
eight, with a new
beginning following the Flood in chapter
nine. And in the new
beginning, following the destruction of the nations of the earth,
Shem, among Noah’s three sons, is the only one revealed to have a
God (9:26). This then
forms the foundation for God’s subsequent call of Abraham, a
descendant of Shem, and the father of the only nation on earth that
has a God — the nation of Israel, through Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s
twelve sons.
All of the surrounding Gentile nations are
without God, without hope, and can partake of blessings associated
with Shem and his God only one way, spelled out in
Genesis chapter
nine — through dwelling in
the tents of Shem. The Gentile nations must go to Israel, the
nation in possession of a God, the nation that brought forth the
Messiah. This is fundamental and basic (cf.
Genesis 12:2, 3; Jonah 2:9; John 4:22),
and the matter is set forth in an unchangeable fashion in the early
chapters of Genesis.
The whole of the matter set forth in
Genesis chapters
five through
nine has to do with truths surrounding the past
dispensation, the present dispensation, the end of the present
dispensation, the coming Tribulation (which will comprise the last
seven years of the past dispensation), the end of the age, and the
Messianic Era. But viewing these things in the light of
Hebrews 11:4-7, which
draws from the overall type in
Genesis chapters four
through nine, that are
foreshadowed in the antitype and are centrally in view, is that
period extending from Christ’s crucifixion to His second coming.
Note the order in Hebrews 11:4-7:
Abel (v. 4), Enoch (v.
5), and Noah (v.
7). These three and no
more are listed in the ten-generation genealogy extending from Adam
to Noah, and that is for a reason. The order has to do with:
a)
Salvation through shed blood (Abel).
b)
The removal of a man from the earth, apart from death, preceding the
Flood (Enoch).
c)
A man remaining behind and being saved through the Flood (Noah).
Thus, these three things have to do with:
a)
Man’s salvation (dealt with in
Genesis 1, 3,
and 4 at the beginning).
b)
The removal of the Church preceding the Tribulation (dealt with in
Genesis 5 at the
beginning).
c)
Israel being saved through the Tribulation (dealt with in
Genesis 6-8 at the
beginning).
(Note that “Enoch” foreshadows the
“one new man” in Christ, which would encompass all
Christians; and both “Noah” and his “house” are seen, together,
foreshadowing “the house of Israel.”)
And, beyond that, there is the matter of a new
beginning in Genesis
chapter nine, with the
Shemites (saved through the Tribulation [while the Gentile nations
of the earth suffer destruction]) as previously stated, being the
only people having a God (cf.
Isaiah 2:2, 3; 14:1; Ephesians 2:12, 13).
Then chapters ten and eleven
cover the same Tribulation period once again from a different
perspective. Babylon, with her first king, is introduced; and the
Lord intervenes, as He will when Babylon reappears on the scene in
the immediate future, with her last king.
Then, beyond God’s dealings with the first Babylon, there is a new
beginning with Abraham (cf.
Hebrews 11:8ff). And this is exactly what is about to
happen yet future relative to Babylon on the one hand and the
descendants of Abraham on the other.
So, there it is in very brief form. If you want to know what was
uppermost in the mind of God at the beginning, which could only
remain uppermost in His mind the remainder of the way, study
Genesis 2:4-11:26. This
section of Scripture has to do with Redemption, Christ,
Israel, the Church, and the nations; and the whole
of the matter looks out toward that seventh day.
2) Genesis 11:27ff
Beginning with the call of Abraham, Scripture centers on one man and
his descendants. In order to bring His plans and purposes
surrounding man to pass, God set about to do three things:
a)
Give man the Word of God.
b)
Bring forth the Messiah.
c)
Bring forth a people (both heavenly and earthly) through whom the
nations of the earth would be blessed.
And revelation relating to events following
this time (Genesis 11:27ff)
is as revelation relating to events preceding this time (Genesis
1:1-2:3 and Genesis
2:4-11:26). That which God revealed following Abraham’s
call only continues to add more sinews, flesh, and skin to the
skeletal framework set forth at the beginning — continuing to
progressively clothe the skeletal framework, little, by little, by
little. . . .(cf. Isaiah 28:10,
13).
For example:
There’s Melchizedek coming forth to bless Abraham, following the
battle of the kings, forming the type (Genesis
14:1ff); and, in
the antitype, this sets forth events that will occur in the coming
seventh day when Christ comes forth as the great King-Priest after
the order of Melchizedek to bless the descendants of Abraham (both
heavenly and earthly), following the battle of the kings (following
the destruction of Gentile world power).
Then there’s the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities of
the plain (Genesis 18,
19), typifying, again, the coming destruction of Gentile
world power. And there are numerous lessons within the overall type
relative to Abraham and Lot, typifying matters surrounding carnal
and spiritual Christians both today and in that future day.
Or a person might look at the overall type encompassed in
Genesis chapters
twenty-one through
twenty-five. Revelation
in these chapters, in the antitype, covers once again events
surrounding Redemption, Christ, Israel, the
Church, and the nations, extending from Christ’s birth to
His second coming.
(Ref. the author’s book, Search
for the Bride, for a detailed exposition of Genesis 21-25,
particularly chapter 24.)
And that’s the way it is. Scripture has been
structured after a particular fashion, and it must be studied
after the fashion in which it has been structured. A person must
begin where God began and continue after the manner in which God
continued — with the foundation, then build upon the foundation.
Remaining within a completely biblical
framework, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!
Concluding Remarks:
In Ezekiel 37:5ff,
“breath” is connected with the whole man — the bones, sinews, flesh,
and skin; and “knowledge” concerning the Lord is connected with
seeing the whole man live, through the impartation of breath (v.
6). And that is as it must be, for the whole of
Scripture is God-breathed (ref. chapter 1 of this book); and a
proper study of the God-breathed Word — seeing the whole man live
— provides the only Scriptural means to acquire that seen
in Ezekiel 37:6 (cf.
Romans 10:17).
I will put sinews
on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath
in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
(Ezekiel 37:6)
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