Contrary to Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution that promotes the idea that man evolved from lower forms of life such as an ape man ultimately, initially from one-celled life and organic chemicals, God in His Word the Holy Bible states that he created man in his image, which probably includes the inner or invisible parts of man and woman such as the spirit, soul and mind or heart as well as being created after God's likeness which probably emphasizes our body being made in the likeness of God. God in his word also says that man as well as the animals would reproduce according to their kinds which in man's case means the whole human race so caucasians, negros, and orientals etc. can reproduce or intermarry and have children but they are all of the human kind but this discounts the idea that we evolved from an ape-man ancestor. There is little solid evidence for the supposed ape-man links. For instance Nebraska man was conceived only from the tooth of an extinct pig and Piltdown man from a contrived combination of part of a human skull and an ape jaw and Lucy which was found in Ethiopia was found in an area where animal bones were common but not bones of man or convincing ape-man links and there were only some remains of jaws that were closer to those of chimpanzees than man with no skulls. The skulls would be needed to determine brain size and intelligence. Peking man also has much controversy whether it was from humans or monkeys or some supposed ape-man link and most of the bones disappeared during world war 2 or more suspicious surroundings. These details about the search for ape-man links are from the book In the Minds of Men Darwin and the New World Order by Ian Taylor. The theory of evolution doesn't have any logical explanation where humans and other animals could develop souls and minds and how humans could additionally develop spirits from originally non-living matter when it discounts God's acts in the first week of creation. Unlike what the modern environmental movement or animal rights or similiar movement and some of paganism says and that is based on evolution that the human race should be servants of the environment and nature God in his word gives man authority over the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air (birds), and over all cattle (many mammals) over creeping things (insects, reptiles and amphibians) and over all the earth. God then commanded Adam the first man and Eve the first woman to be fruitful and fill the earth as they were then the only humans on earth and that they were to subdue the earth which includes the idea of using technology. God also said he gave dominion to the human race starting with Adam and Eve over all the herbs or plants and trees and to use them for meat (food). It seems at first humans were vegetarians and only permitted by God to eat meat (food from animals) after the flood. God saw everything that he had made including man in his image and given dominion over all the earth and all its life and men and women and the plants and animals all to reproduce according to their kind as very good. It is implied that although God gave man authority over the earth and all its life and resources and a command to multiply and subdue them God still expected man to be responsible in his use of what God set man over on the earth and in other scriptures it is clear that mankind are just stewards or people given authority to look after something that belongs to someone else and not owners of the earth or its resources as many people think or act like. The scripture reference in Genesis 1 of God making man in his image and likeness and giving him dominion over all the earth and its animal and plant life and the right to subdue these things in his service or stewardship under God are as follows:
A popular idea these days especially in New Age circles and for which I just recently heard a radio program supporting is the idea that the human race was begun by ancient astronauts. This theory was first popularized in modern times by Erich Von Daniken around the 1970s I think and a significant number of other people now follow in his footsteps. This theory is based on a number of things including different passages in the Bible as well as other writings. However one of the most popular verses they use in Genesis 1:26 where God in His word refers to himself as Elohim translated God in most bibles. It is true that elohim can mean gods in plurality from which some might refer to ancient astronauts and that elohim is translated as gods referring to false gods throughout much of the Old Testament. It is also true that the plural is used in the pronoun referring to God in Genesis 1:26 which could also leave open the idea of the ancient astronaut theory if this was the only consideration. However this is also quite consistant with the Christian doctrine of the trinity of a Creator God who is one in being but three in persons Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. However in the radio program I heard no mention was made of the context in which this verse occurs particularly the next verse Genesis 1:27. This is quite understandable for someone advocating the ancient astronaut theory as the next verse deals a severe if not fatal blow to the ancient astronaut theory or at least the use of Genesis 1:26 and the term elohim of the creator of mankind to support their idea. This is because in verse 27 the word elohim is again translated God not once but twice but in this verse every time a pronoun is used for God it is singular which is inconsistant with the mystical idea that the creator God Elohim is a group of gods that could be ancient astronauts. However this use of the singular not once but three times and every time in verse 27 fully supports the Christian doctrine that Elohim as the Creator God is singular in some respects namely his being which also supports the Christian doctrine of the trinity. There are many other examples I found just in a brief look in Genesis of the word Elohim being used for the creator God of the Bible associated with singular personal pronouns which is consistant with the doctrine of the trinity but not with a group of gods or ancient astronauts as the creators of the human race. I encourage anyone who is reading this web page who supports the ancient astronaut theory or who is being swayed that way to not take everything the promoters of that theory suggest but look at the bible passages they use in context to see if they are giving an honest interpretation of the scripture passage they use as many false teachers including those with the ancient astronaut theory thrive on bible not knowledgeable of the bible or who don't take the trouble to check things out in the bible in context as we are instructed to do in passages like Acts 17:11 and 2 Peter 1:19-21. The scripture passage in Genesis 1 with the term Elohim used for the creator of the human race to which ancient astronaut proponents insist refers to a group of ancient astronauts but which the context better supports the God of the Bible according to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is as follows:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over the earth, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:26-31
In the beginning of Genesis chapter 2 God through the writer of Genesis gives fuller support to the days of the creation week of Genesis being literal 24 hour days and not long ages of time. This is because after stating that the heavens and the earth and all their components were finished that God rested on the seventh day. It is further stated that God sanctified or hallowed the seventh day to make it a day of rest for man. I personally at this time do not know if Israel or other nations before the giving of the Law through Moses kept the seventh day as a day of rest but that is quite possible as this passage in Genesis 2 suggests it was in the earliest history of mankind. One other thing should be noted is that God affirms quite unquestionably that it was he that made the heavens and the earth and they didn't just evolve from a random big bang and natural processes. The Bible also states that Genesis 1 and the beginning of Genesis chapter 2 is the record or generations of God creating the heavens and the earth. God also states that he made all the plants in a way suggesting they were fully formed and at first didn't come from seeds but were created fully mature when God placed them in the field. God also states that at first these plants in the Garden of Eden were just by themselves and didn't have any person to look after them before Adam was created. God also states there was at first no rain so this would make it hard for the people of Noah's time to believe him when he said God gave him a message he would destroy the earth with a flood. This lack of rain could have continued until the time of the flood as I don't think there are any references to rain in the time between the Garden of Eden and Noah's flood. However God still looked after keeping moisture for the plants and animals by a continual mist that came up from the earth. Finally in this section God also mentions that man or his body was formed from the dust of the earth. I have heard that our human bodies or that of animals are actually composed of very common chemical elements that are also found in the ground or earth in abundance so even scientifically this statement that man or his body was made from the dust of the earth makes sense. God says it was him breathing into man's nostrils that gave man life and a soul which in man's case included a spirit or God consciousness that sets him apart and above the animals that have a soul but not a spirit with God consciousness. Also God forming man means that God formed man in his image much as he looks now and not as an ape man intermediate creature that later evolved into modern humans. Most if not all supposed ape man links are produced from very limited evidence such as a tooth or of mistaken combination of bones such as a combination of normal human or ape bones or in some cases such as Piltdown Man and I think Java man were deliberate frauds. The Neanderthal man was most likely a deceased normal human with arthritis or similiar disease which could be quite common if they then didn't have a very good diet. The scripture reference in Genesis 2 of the origin of the sabbath as a reflection of the creation week being literal 24 hour days and some additional details of the creation of plants and humans is as follows:
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:1-7
Although God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve in a perfect environment and in an innocent state, sin had already entered creation by the prior rebellion and transformed into evil nature of Satan or Lucifer and the other fallen angels. Originally it seems the serpent was the most subtle (beautiful) of all the animals with its coloured skin and probably ability to walk or fly before God cursed it and made it to only slither on the ground. Satan or Lucifer used the serpent to indwell and to speak through as he and other fallen angels or demons are also able to indwell and speak through other people and animals since tha time and is doing so in a substantial way now and will do so more in the tribulation. Satan indwelled the serpent to be more appealing to the woman, Eve, when he tried to tempt her to eat of the forbidden fruit. As he often does even today, Satan started his temptation of Eve with attempting to get her to question the accuracy or authority of God's Word when he said "hath God said? ye shall not eat of all the trees of the garden". The rationale for this then and now and many times since then is that Satan or Lucifer rightly feels if he can succeed in getting people to question the authority of God's Word - the Holy Bible he can then get people to eventually disregard their responsibility to obey or take heed to any of the instructions or examples in God's Word - the Holy Bible or think of them as just stories or nice lessons for other people but not relevant for people today themselves which of course is a big and destructive lie. Satan also tried to confuse Eve by instead of asking her if God permitted her to eat of the tree of knowledge to which the answer would be a fairly obvious no, he asked her if God allowed her to eat of all the trees of the garden of Eden implying that God had allowed her and Adam to eat of all the other trees so he is just being cruel and unreasonable or inconsistant to refuse to allow her and Adam to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve then rightly replies to Satan in the serpent that God allowed or instructed her and Adam to eat of all the trees of the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and that when they ate of it they would die. Satan through the serpent then attempted to get Eve to further question God and his commandments and authority by getting her to question the certainty of death as God's punishment for taking part of the forbidden fruit trying to persuade her should could eat of it and get away without the punishment of death. Then Satan in the serpent tries to entice or seduce Eve the first woman with the pleasures or capabilities of sin that she could be as a god knowing good and evil and that her eyes would be opened to spiritual realities good and bad is she took part of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before this time Adam and Eve, of course, had no knowledge of good and evil and were not righteous, meaning having a knowledge at least intellectually of good and evil but choosing the good as believers are now on earth but she and Adam didn't have any knowledge of good and evil but had up to this time just chosen and known the good by obeying God and refraining from the one possible source of evil in creation then in the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Although good and evil since that time and especially in our time takes many forms, it seems in increasing depths of evil, one way that is probably most close to the enticement in evil Satan tempted Eve with and that caused the fall of the human race is the occult and idolatry especially beliefs like Hinduism, Buddhism, Satanism, witchcraft and the New Age movement and perhaps some of the aboriginal nature religions that promote people trying to themselves become gods and goddesses and have their eyes opened to occult or hidden wisdom of Satanic, demonic or evil nature. Eve faced the three main temptations that Satan or demons or evil people tempt people with on earth every day and that are called the lust of the flesh (the tree was good for food), the lust of the eyes (it was pleasant to the eyes) and the pride of life (and a tree desired to make one wise). These are all mentioned in 1 John 2:15-17 in the New Testament and the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah) was tempted in all three of these areas when he was tempted of the devil in the wilderness but Jesus successfully resisted the temptation in all three areas by replying from and staying obedient to the Bible the word of God as mentioned in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. Also it is perhaps significant that the other trees of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:9 are also described as good for food and pleasant to the eyes but not desired to make one wise which is the pride of life. It is no surprise the Satan through the serpent would use a tree that appealed to Eve then Adam's pride or self-will to be the deciding factor in their rebellion or disobedience to God and causing the fall of the human race when it was clearly pride or the pride of life that caused Lucifer or Satan to originate sin and disobedience in the universe by his proud "I wills" of Isaiah 14:12-14 and as also described in Ezekiel 28 through the king of Tyre. Anyway, Eve having already questioned God's word and discounting God's warning of death for taking part of the forbidden fruit and enticed with the pleasures of sin to become as a goddess and having her eyes opened took of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and ate of it in deception but also gave of some of it to her husband Adam who soon after ate of it deliberately or knowing what it had already brought on his wife Eve and they both thus caused the entrance of sin in the human race and the fall of the human race from fellowship and relationship with God (spiritual death) and the beginning of physical (and emotional) death and disease and ageing. Then their eyes were opened as Satan in the serpent in this case accurately predicted but this made them ashamed of their nakedness and they tried to cover it up by self-works in this case by sewing fig leaves and using them as a covering. Just as we inherit some of our physical and emotional and intellectual characteristics in our genes and chromosomes in the DNA from our earthly father and mother we also through those or through their spirit inherit some of their spiritual nature including a tendency or desire to sin that also goes all the way back to Adam and Eve and for which we need the new nature in Jesus Christ to be brought back in God's image spiritually and have godly spiritual will and desires John 3:1-8, Romans 5:12-21. The scripture reference in Genesis 3 of the tempation by Satan in the serpent and the eventual questioning God and his word and disobedience of the first woman and man Eve and Adam and resulting fall into a sinful nature and start of sinful deeds and separation spiritually from God of the human race is as follows:
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Genesis 3:1-7
It was recently brought to my attention that the large computer company Apple has a logo with an apple with a bite out of it on one side. I have seen this on all its products since then. Although we don't know for sure it is a common belief that the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden was an apple although I don't know it that is true or not. Anyway I belief Steve Jobs had to know about this meaning and that it could be taken that way whether he planned it that way or not as he was a very intelligent man. I have read on the internet that other people already knew that much. But what is additional fact and makes this even more ominous is that I have heard with reliable sources that Steve Jobs before he became rich and famous made a pact with Buddhist or Hindu authorities and I believe with Satan through them that he would give his life to those false gods and evil spirits through them if they gave his fame and fortune in this life. These evil spirits certainly gave him much fame and fortune and wisdom and Apple continues to be very successful but Steve Jobs is already dead and I believe he is Satan's hands as I never heard he trusted in Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour before he died. I would caution the reader to admit you are a sinner and trust in Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour and seek a relationship with God and eternal life more than I-phones and computers or anything else in this world so you can have eternal blessings and not have any blessings past with this life and face eternal suffering in hell as I believe Steve Jobs is beginning to experience.
After our first parents took part of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and had their human nature corrupted through sin and their fellowship and relationship with God broken, God sought them out to seek a confession or admission of their sins to himself not to only condemn them but to offer them hope for initial limited and eventual full reconciliation with himself if they would trust him from that time. Adam and Eve responded to their new sinful nature and God seeking them in a way they had never done previously, by hiding themselve from God among the trees of the garden. God then finds Adam and asks him where he is even though he knew exactly where he was but God wanted to get Adam communicating with him again. Adam was honest in his confession that he hid from God because he knew he was naked. This was one of the results of sin that people became ashamed of their nakedness both physical and spiritual after the fall allthough this could be partly because a visible glory could have covered their bodies before the fall as can also perhaps still be seen in the similiar chinese characters for person (ren or yan) and fire (huo or foh). A spiritual covering they may have had to make them more comfortable with God before the fall could have been lost when they took of the forbidden fruit and started to experience death. Righteousness as garment is spoken of in scripture like Isaiah 61:10 and Colossians 3 where it talks about putting on the Lord Jesus Christ or the new (born again or born of the Holy Spirit) man in the New Testament (New Covenant). God then asked Adam how he knew he was naked and whether he had taken of the forbidden fruit. The main reason God asks Adam all these questions instead of Eve the woman is that God, especially after the fall, put the headship in a couple to the man with the woman to be submissive but for the man to love his wife and because the man had sinned knowingly and deliberately already having a sinful nature through Eve but she was deceived when she took of the forbidden fruit. As many have done since that time both Adam and Eve decline to take responsibility for their actions but blame someone else for their actions in this case Adam blaming Eve for giving him the forbidden fruit and Eve blaming the serpent for beguiling or deceiving her. The scripture reference in Genesis 3 of God's investigation, Adam and Eve's initial hiding and partial confession and partly passing blame for their sins of taking of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowlege of good and evil is as follows:
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. Genesis 3:8-13
Although the serpent was only an animal, because it was the animal which Satan indwelt and possessed to cause the temptation and fall of the human race, it was cursed from God with a severe cursed above all animals that it would lose any legs or wings it had before and from then on go on its belly and eat dust. Even more significantly God promised to put enmity or hatred between the serpent and the woman and between his descendant and her descendant with the serpent also speaking symbolically of the evil and his descendant being sinful human beings and her descendant being the promised Saviour of the world or Messiah fulfilled in the Lord Jesus from Nazareth and the Son of God sent from heaven. Messiah or Christ Jesus partially bruised the head of Satan with his payment for our sins by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead but will be completely fulfilled at the second coming in power and great glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah) at the end of the tribulation to set up God's kingdom on earth and take away Satan the god of this world into the lake of fire and end his ungodly world system that started with the fall of man. Satan or his seed bruised the heel (literally as well as figuratively) of the seed of the woman by his inspired actions against the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah) on his agonizing cruxifiction for our sins. As also part of this covenant God promised to the woman that he would multiply her sorrow or pain in conception and that her desire would be to her husband and that he would rule over her (although with love to her). Probably these parts of the curse, a woman's pain in conception and the general principle that the man is expected to be head of the household, will not be as firmly the case when the curse is lifted at the beginning of the 1000 year Messianic Age beginning with the Lord Jesus and God the Father coming with his Church Age and other saints and holy angels from heaven at the end of the tribulation of seventieth week of Daniel. Finally for the part of this covenant particularly to the man, and all men after him, God cursed the ground and that with much work and strain he would grow food and make a living by often making the ground hard or choked by weeds and that thorns and thistles would be on many plants. Probably this is also the explanation why many plants are poisonous to eat. God also promised that men (and women) would return to the dust they came from. This hard or rocky ground and ground with thorns could also be the background part of the parable of the sower, the seed and the soils in Matthew 13 with these being some of the characteristics of people still rooted in the old Adamic fallen nature and those whose hearts are good ground are those who have humbled themselves and trusted in Jesus Christ to reconcile them to God and get hearts like ground before the fall and curse that was good for growing fruit. These measures of the curse the ground cursed for man's sin and that man must with struggle and sorrow grow food and eat or earn a living and that plants have thorns and thistles or be poisonous will be in large part lifted in the 1000 year Messianic Age. It is most likely no coincidence that Jesus on the cross wore a crown of thorns showing he was taking the lead of bearing the sins of the human race starting from our first parents Adam and Eve. Adam also called his wife Eve because she was the first woman and first mother of the human race. The scripture reference in Genesis 3 of the Covenant of God with Adam in the parts with the serpent, the woman and the man and the descendant of the serpent and the woman (the Messiah - Christ (Jesus)) is as follows:
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Genesis 3:14-20
Although Adam and Eve were uncomfortable and convicted of their nakedness after the fall and made scanty coverings of fig leaves to cover themselves, God here makes more substantial coverings of coats of animals to clothe or cover them and also provides an example of the sacrifice of animals and shedding of blood for sin in the process. God comments that man by taking of the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil received and intruded into the knowledge previously possessed just by God (and probably angels) of knowing good and evil. In order to prevent Adam and Eve or their children from eating of the tree of life in their sinful and corruptible mortal state and living forever with sin corrupted and decaying bodies and minds God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and set cherubims (angels) guarding the way to the tree of life and the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword. This expelling Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and them having to go through the angel to go along the way to the tree of life and the Garden of Eden could be the original picture of the seed sown by the way side in the parable of the sower and seed and soils in Matthew 13 of the Lord Jesus Christ (Messiah). The scripture reference in Genesis 3 of God's response of expelling Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and other things to their sin of disobeying Him and taking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and receiving an adversial relationship with God and death and sickness and curse on creation is as follows:
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skin, and clothed them. And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know 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: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Genesis 3:21-24
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