The Bed Keeper: Pressing Toward A More Glorious Church: Chapter 12: My Brother's Keeper

In the last chapter of The Bed Keeper, we took a look at the creation account from Genesis 1-2 and considered ways to interpret its meaning from a scientific (or natural) point of view. In this chapter, we’ll take a look at Genesis 3-4 and consider ways to interpret its meaning from a spiritual (or supernatural) point of view:

Genesis 3

1 Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden,

3 Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.

Genesis 3:1-3

NOTE: In actuality, God never said they could not “touch” the tree….only not to eat from it:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
Genesis 2:17

This is a good illustration of how so many Christians throughout history have not always looked to see what God’s Word actually says, and instead, attempt to quote it from memory, or based on what someone else said it said, instead of going back and reading it for themselves. This has resulted in the death of many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, who were killed based on their attackers’ belief that the Bible said we should be killed, instead of the adulterous heterosexual married men actually engaged in the same gender expressions Scripture limits its prohibitions to, although as Christians, we now live under the New Covenant, and sins are no longer punished by death. (See Chapters 16, Chapter 18 and Chapter 19 of The Bed Keeper for amore detailed explanation).

4 But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die,

5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apronlike girdles.

8 And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.

9 But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?

10 He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me--she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate.

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (cheated, outwitted, and deceived) me, and I ate.

14 And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, you are cursed above all [domestic] animals and above every [wild] living thing of the field; upon your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust [and what it contains] all the days of your life. Genesis 3:4-14

NOTE: It’s important to realize that Satan is known as the serpent, the dragon, and the devil as we learn from Revelation 12:9 which reads, “And the huge dragon was cast down and out--that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him.”

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15

NOTE: This is the first prophecy of the Coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, and we see the word "bruise" as it is prophesied again in Isaiah 53 (part of the Scriptures that Philip shared with the Ethiopian Eunuch during his baptism which we examined in Chapter 3 of The Bed Keeper), which reads,

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Isaiah 53:5-10

Looking once again at Genesis 3:15:

We also see the prophecy regarding Eve’s Offspring bruising and treading Satan’s head underfoot referenced again through the Apostle Paul in Romans 16:20, which reads, “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you.”

Looking yet again at Genesis 3:15:

We note here that God tells the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offpsring. Jesus confirms that Satan indeed has seed in the earth in Matthew 13:38 when He says,

The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel (tares, weeds) is the children of the evil one.

We'll also soon see the first of Satan’s seed (offspring) was Cain, and we see Cain's own descendants coming into the world later on:

When men began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and they took wives of all they desired and chose. Genesis 6:1-2

Which begs the question, “Who are the sons of God?” The answer comes to us from the Book of Job 1:6 which reads,

Now there was a day when the sons (the angels) of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and accuser) also came among them.

We see yet again from the Book of Job 2:1 which reads,

Again there was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and the accuser) came also among them to present himself before the Lord.

We see additional references to the “sons of God” from Genesis 6:4 which reads,

There were giants on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

The word “giant” is also translated as “Nephilim.” We see this verified in the Book of Numbers 13:33 which reads,

There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

What we learn here is that the sons of God are angels (Satan’s fallen angels, to be exact), and the “giants” or “Nephilim” were the offspring they subsequently bore through sexual relations with human women. These “sons of God” and their offspring, the Nephilim, are who God was referring to when He spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, saying,

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. Genesis 3:14-15

NOTE: It’s interesting that Satan is referred to in Genesis 3:14 as a “serpent,” especially when we compare that to Jesus’ terminology regarding the Pharisees and Sadducees from Matthew 3:7 which reads,

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming?

We also see Jesus refer to the Pharisees as “offspring of vipers” in Matthew 12:34 which reads,

You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.

Yet another example is in Matthew 23:29-33 which reads,

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,

Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets. Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins to the brim [so that nothing may be wanting to a full measure]. You serpents! You spawn of vipers! How can you escape the penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)? Matthew 23:29-33

NOTE: It’s important to notice Jesus is not speaking to faithful Jews here, but to Pharisees and Sadducees who had used their wealth and influence to rise to positions of power within the Jewish faith. They were also descendants of Satan’s contaminated blood line, who had infiltrated the highest offices of the Jewish religion. This scheme seems to be closely followed by some in the Christian Church today in regards to preventing God’s eunuch prophecy to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from Isaiah 55:11-56:8 from coming to pass. In both cases we see that the key strategy Satan used was to infiltrate the religious institutions teaching about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in order to prevent the permanent imprisonment of the fallen angels and Lucifer himself.

This would explain why there is such venomous vitriol against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from within the Christian Church itself. This would explain why there are no authoritative Christian resources defining the term “born eunuch” as being gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. This would explain why so many people say that there is a “spirit of homosexuality.” The reason being that the enemy wants LGBT people out of his way so that he can prevent the return of Jesus Christ, and he uses the “Spirit of Jezebel” (which we learned about in Chapter 4 of The Bed Keeper) to keep Shepherds blindsided to God’s plan for the return of Jesus Christ, and the critically prophetic role gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people fulfill in that Great Day.

This my friends, is why I believe God created gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the first place; to prevent the continuation of the serpent seed, while simultaneously leading so many of us to ministry positions within the Church in order to prepare the Bride of Christ so She will be “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”

To be clear, I am not suggesting that the serpent seed is what causes homosexuality. Obviously homosexuality works against Satan’s plan to further his bloodline, not for him, because it doesn't lead to procreation (which doesn't lead to furthering Satan's progeny in the earth). That's not to say that all heterosexuals are Satan's seed either, but rather to illustrate how there could not be a "spirit of homosexuality" because such a spiritual force would frustrate (not further) Satan's plan to procreate his seed beyond the Gospel's ability to reach enough people to keep the balance between good and evil in check.

If (as the Scriptures indicate) all of humanity has indeed been affected by sin, and are by our very nature children of God’s wrath, and if indeed (as Scriptures indicate) gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are born so “for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven,” it would stand to reason that many leaders in the Christian Church who continue to be swayed by Satan’s influence do so because it helps to ensure we never rise to ministry positions wherein we can teach the truth to the faithful. Instead, the best Satan seems capable of is to use leaders within the Church to drive us away from God and His Church before we ever get the chance to hear the Gospel preached.

As we recognize the enormity of the task of opening the eyes of Christians all around the world, personally it would suit me fine to never rise to ministry leadership! To me, it would be much more effective to simply educate those already in ministry as to the revelations shared throughout The Bed Keeper. This is one of those things we’ll have to wait and see how God desires to have this message revealed to the masses. I'll preach this message if ever called upon to, but recognizing I can't be in all churches and all places at the same time, again, I believe it would much more effective for those already in ministry to share this message with their congregations themselves instead.

Satan’s only recourse seems to be to keep the Church so opposed to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, that society as a whole will be. In doing so, societal forces such as bullying, hate speech, bigotry, and discrimination can be employed to come against the human spirit and dignity of gay people until many of us resort to suicide, resulting in one less opportunity for the truth of God’s Word regarding LGBT people from being exposed to the light. Satan uses leaders within the Christian Church itself to keep the truth about born eunuchs hidden, so that God’s prophecy from Isaiah 55:11-56:8 cannot come to pass, and therefore prevents Christ’s return...at least until now.

This would explain why Jesus' teaching on born eunuchs in Matthew 19:11-12, as well as Paul’s ordination of gay marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, have been kept a secret all these centuries by the Church itself. The last thing Satan wants is for us to become faithful marriage partners as God designed us to be for one another. The last thing he wants is for us to begin coming to Church and bringing our offerings to God's altar. This is why the military has been so opposed to including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, because the last thing Satan wants to see is a well trained army that includes gay folks to oppose his attempts to rule the nations through various dictatorships who oppress and kill their own people, or who would attack our own home countries. (See Chapter 21 for a more detailed examination of how that relates to LGBT people).

Keeping that in mind, let us once again take a look at Brother Len’s Comments regarding the Spirit of Jezebel and the Gay Community from chapter 4 of The Bed Keeper:

The spirit of Jezebel and the Gay Community

For thousands of years the spirit of Jezebel has had a personal vendetta against the gay community in the world. I recently heard Rev Jim Morgan discussing it at a church conference in Los Angeles, and looked up the related scriptures.

1 And it happened after these things, Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard in Jezreel, near the place of Ahab king of Samaria.

2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard so that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house. And I will give you a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you the worth of it in silver.

3 And Naboth said to Ahab, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.

4 And Ahab came to his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay on his bed and turned away his face, and would not eat food.

5 And his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so sad that you are not eating food?

6 And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth of Jezreel and said to him, Give me your vineyard for silver. Or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.

7 And his wife Jezebel said to him, Do you now rule over Israel? Rise up, eat food, and let your heart be good. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel.

8 And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

9 And she wrote in the letter, saying, Proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people.

10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You blasphemed God and the king. And carry him out and stone him so that he may die. 1 Kings 21:1-10

NOTE: (Brother Len's Commentary): Ahab desired Naboth’s vineyard for himself. Naboth explained that it was his inheritance. It produced him a harvest. As a result of his reply Ahab went sulking in a state of depression. Jezebel came to the rescue and planned his demise. So by having Naboth falsely accused and murdered, she stole his harvest and his inheritance. The prophet Elijah prophesied her end and when the day arrived, the Bible describes it as follows:

30 And Jehu had come to Jezreel. And Jezebel heard, and had painted her face and adorned her head, and looked out at a window.

31 And Jehu came to the gate. And she said, Was it peace to Zimri the slayer of his lord?

32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is with me? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out at him.

33 And he said, Throw her down! And they threw her down. And some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses. And he trampled her. 2 Kings 9:30-33

NOTE: (Brother Len's Commentary): So Jehu arrived at the palace where Jezebel lived. He needed to have her killed, but was unable to do so himself. He called up to see if someone else was there to help and 3 eunuchs looked down. When he instructed them to throw her down, they did so without hesitation.

I cannot help but wonder why they were so eager to kill her. Perhaps she treated them with such contempt because she as a seducer was unable to seduce them. Perhaps this attitude of hers resulted in them despising her. Jezebel was dead. But since we were dealing with a spiritual entity, the opportunity arose for this spirit to deal with the eunuchs once and for all.

They were now her sworn enemy. She was going to rob not only the gay community, but all of humanity of their divine inheritance and harvest. And she did so. During the formative years of the early church, Jezebel as a controlling spirit got a foot in the door and became a powerful force in the church. Within a relatively short time control was at the order of the day. The eunuchs were booted out so hard and so fast that the only message the church has given to the gay community since, was that they were lost, and hopeless and going to hell.

This is the prevailing attitude to this day. But God has a prophetic purpose for the gay community. Just as they were the ones who got rid of her in the Old Testament, they will be raised up again to get rid of her in the New Testament.

There is an interesting prophetic promise recorded in Rev 2:

20 But I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel to teach, she saying herself to be a prophetess, and to cause My servants to go astray, and to commit fornication, and to eat idol-sacrifices.

21 And I gave her time that she might repent of her fornication, and she did not repent.

22 Behold, I am throwing her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent of their deeds.

23 And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches will know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts, and I will give to every one of you according to your works.

24 But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put on you no other burden.

25 But that which you have, hold fast until I come.

26 And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. So the spirit deceives God’s people and was given time to repent. But she did not. Revelation 2:21-26

NOTE: (Brother Len's Commentary): The promise was that those who do not tolerate her would be given power to rule the nations. This is a promise for a divine inheritance and a harvest, something that the church is looking forward to. But for as long as Jezebel is active and tolerated in the church, she prevents this revival and harvest to come to pass. As long as she keeps God’s people in darkness about their position, and the Truth, she has a free hand. As long as God’s gay people are pushed out and cast aside by the Body of Christ, the church will fail in her commission. Since God cannot raise up the church to free herself from the shackles of Jezebel, God will raise up a remnant outside of mainstream theology. God will call forth a band of survivors who will come out of Jerusalem and out of Mount Zion and expose Jezebel. God will then free the church of those shackles and we will become one as Jesus prayed in John 17.

And as we do so, we will become the glorious and mature bride for Christ God intended from the beginning, filled with love, free from fear, hatred and the controlling spirit of Jezebel. There will be no more homophobia, fear and hatred. Nobody will judge or condemn gay people because of their orientation.

(END OF Brother Len’s Commentary)

I want to once again thank Brother Len for permission to share his insights at yet another critical point in The Bed Keeper. I believe that as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender believers deliver this message regarding eunuchs in Scripture to the Church, we will indeed become part of beautifying the Church, but from the inside out.

Is it all starting to come together for you? The bottom line is that homophobia is much more than the hate, bigotry, and discrimination by unenlightened people. It is an evil spiritual force that has not only infiltrated the Church, but has infiltrated the entire human race in various degrees as Satan and his offspring strive to prevent the return of Jesus Christ. While that may seem to be a wild, unsupported claim by a gay religious zealot, the realities faced by the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community all over the world bears this out as truth.

How else do we explain that the gay rights movement not only began in New York in 1969, but has now spread to countries all over the world? How else do we explain that gay people are in every nation, every city, every family and every religion? How else do you explain young children beginning to not only identify but also begin bullying gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people at such an early age?

As I said in the Introduction to The Bed Keeper, it is not my intent to convince anyone of anything. My job is to “convey” this message, not to “convince” you of its validity or truth; only the Holy Spirit can do that for you. I do however hope that by sharing these observations from Scripture, that it encourages you to continue to study them, and rise up to take your place in God’s house of prayer for all people! Share this book with your friends, family, and pastor, and help us bring an end to Satan’s plot to oppose God’s plan for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people! Become part of bringing down the strongholds within the Christian Church that continue to stand in the way of Christ's return! In short, let us not give in to the pressures from within the Church which are designed to advance Satan’s agenda that endeavors to cause us to give up on pursuing our faith in God, in our fellow man, and in ourselves, in hopes that Isaiah 55:11-56:12 never comes to pass, offerings from LGBT people never reach God’s altar, God’s Glory never again fills the temple, and ultimately, Jesus never returns.

Let us now resume our exploration of the remainder of Genesis 3 from where we left off in verses 14-15:

There is much theological debate as to whether or not the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge was a metaphor for Satan’s seed which would give rise to the offspring of Satan that we have already clearly determined that Scripture attests to. The problem with this supposition is that not only did Eve partake of the fruit, but she gave some to Adam as well and, he did eat. If this fruit was a metaphor for Satan’s seed, it would then mean that Eve was somehow able to transfer this seed to Adam. I could see that if Adam had been the one to partake of the fruit and then gave some to Eve, but that’s not the order we see, and it could be for a very significant reason.

A more logical allegorical explanation is that the fruit acted as an aphrodisiac, and in their euphoria, both Adam and Eve were unaware of Satan’s impregnation of Eve. But once Eve was impregnated, both Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, and they were indeed able to discern between good and evil. What is clear from the rest of this account is that what happened to Adam and Eve was indeed evil, and they were ashamed, as we read in Genesis 3:9-10 which reads:

But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. Genesis 3:9-10

This is the first time fear (the exact opposite of faith) appears in Scripture.

To recapture the context leading up to the revelation of Satan’s offspring, let us back up and take another look at the Scriptures leading up to where we are now:

11 And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me--she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate.

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled (cheated, outwitted, and deceived) me, and I ate.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.

16 To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your grief and your suffering in pregnancy and the pangs of childbearing; with spasms of distress you will bring forth children. Yet your desire and craving will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. Genesis 3:11-16

NOTE: I’ve always wondered how He thought it would do any good to have Adam rule over Eve AFTER they ate of the fruit. Many Christian men’s groups attempt to use Adam’s failure as a leader for the reason Eve at the fruit in the first place, but as we see, it wasn’t until afterward that God set Adam to rule over Eve. I think this is important to point out, because some of these same Christian men’s groups blame the women’s liberation movement for why it’s confusing to be a man today.

As we now see though, God’s original intent did not involve men ruling over women. That means God had created Adam and Eve as egalitarian equals. Eve did not eat of the fruit because Adam shirked his responsibility to rule over Eve. She did it because of her own decision to do so. Adam didn’t have that responsibility until after she ate of the fruit. That means that since Christ has come, women and men should once again be treated as egalitarian equals, and explains why Paul said, “There is now no male and female, for in Christ Jesus, we are all one” in Galatians 3:28.

17 And to Adam He said, Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, the ground is under a curse because of you; in sorrow and toil shall you eat [of the fruits] of it all the days of your life. Genesis 3:17

NOTE: It’s important to see that this Scripture does *not* blame Eve for God cursing the ground. It clearly states the ground is under a curse because of you (speaking to Adam--not Eve.) It’s also important to recognize that Adam (in his independent role as a man who did *not* have authority over Eve at the time) listened and gave heed to the voice of his wife. But that again was Adam’s own decision. Eve had nothing to do with what Adam decided to do, nor was she the reason God cursed the ground. Adam’s own actions and decisions were. Also notice God had commanded Adam to not eat of the fruit (not Eve), so the fact that Eve did so, shows that Adam was the one responsible for making sure he did not eat of it, yet he blames Eve and God for his failure by saying to God, “The woman whom You gave to be with me--she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12

Further, it’s clear Eve knew God had commanded Adam to not eat of the tree as she replies to the serpent, “Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3)

So we see that indeed God had commanded Adam (not Eve) to not eat of the tree, and yet we also see that Eve knew God had commanded Adam not to, but adds something God did *not* say to Adam, “neither shall you touch it….” God never said that. Let's look again:

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:16-17

t would seem that just as today, men communicating with women leaves much room for improvement. The only way Eve could have known God had commanded them not to eat of the tree is if Adam had told her. It seems Adam had told her also to not touch it, or either Eve assumed that’s what Adam meant.

Either way, once again, not paying close attention to what God does (and doesn’t) say has led to the death of untold numbers of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people at the hands of those who “thought” God’s Word commanded our deaths. While they (as Eve) may have sincerely believed that’s what God said, they (and Eve) were sincerely wrong. (See Chapters 16, 18 and 19 for more details in regards to LGBT people, and what God’s Word truly does--and doesn’t—say…and to whom).

Returning to our examination of Genesis 3:

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field.

19 In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you shall return.

20 The man called his wife's name Eve [life spring], because she was the mother of all the living. Genesis 3:17-20

NOTE: It’s important to recognize that at this point, Adam is just now naming his wife Eve, and that she is already being considered by him as “the mother of all the living.” In Chapter 11 of The Bed Keeper, we learned that Adam and Eve were the first people to become a “living being,” which I believe is an allegorical way of saying they were the first people to “became aware of their spirit.” That would mean that Eve is not necessarily being described here as the mother of all living “people” or “humanoids,” but all who are aware of their spirit (or at least have the capacity to be). What makes this distinction significant is that this would mean she would also be the “mother of all the living” offspring of Satan, as well as Adam. We’ll see this as we progress into Genesis 4.

21 For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins and clothed them. Genesis 3:21

NOTE: Where did the Lord God get the skins necessary to make these tunics? It seems to me this is an indication that the first sacrifice for sin was made, and that the skins God used to clothe Adam and Eve were made of a sacrificed animal. This would explain why animal sacrifice became symbolic of forgiveness of sins throughout the entirety of the Scriptures, whether it was the blood of bulls and goats in the Old Testament, or the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament.

Notice also that God uses the skins to “clothe” Adam and Eve, or “cover” them. This would once again be symbolic of the atonement of sin (or “covering” for sins) as explained in Chapter 5 of The Bed Keeper when we learn what the Covenant is that God tells gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to “take firm hold of” through His eunuch prophecy in Isaiah 55:11-56:8.

This is also symbolic of what Paul said:

1 If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2 And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.

3 For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.

5 So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

6 It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will),

7 Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices].

8 But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!

9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices,

10 And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.

11 [In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person]. Colossians 3:1-11

Continuing with our examination of Genesis 3:

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us [the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], to know [how to distinguish between] good and evil and blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever—

23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

24 So [God] drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep and guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:22-24

NOTE: Here we see the Tree of Life in verse 22 above, but it also appears in the Book of Revelation! This is an important connection to make. First we see that the reason God exiled Adam and Eve from the Garden was to prevent him from being able to “put forth his hand and take from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Now let’s compare that Revelation 2:7 which reads,

He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (is victorious), I will grant to eat [of the fruit] of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

And also, Revelation 22:19 which reads,

And if anyone cancels or takes away from the statements of the book of this prophecy [these predictions relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions or warnings pertaining to them], God will cancel and take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the city of holiness (purity and hallowedness), which are described and promised in this book.

So it seems that the mode God uses to provide human beings who believe that Jesus is the Son of God with immortality is to eat the fruit from the Tree of Life. What is interesting to note though is that the Tree of Life appears not only in the Garden of Eden (on the earth), but also in heaven, also called the “paradise of God,” which exists in “the Holy City.”

This leads me to conclude that possibly--(possibly)--the account of Adam, Eve and the serpent happened in the Garden of Eden which God had planted on the earth, and that at one time (in the beginning), the paradise of God was established on the earth. That would explain then why God stationed “the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep and guard the way to the tree of life,” and why there is (apparently) no trace of the Garden of Eden on the earth today.

One way to explain this is to posit that either it was taken back into heaven (along with the Tree of Life), or (as we posited in the Chapter 11 of The Bed Keeper), even the Garden was simply a reflection—a mirror image—of God’s paradise in heaven, which Adam and Eve were able to discern by their physical senses interacting with light, at least up until they ate the fruit and their eyes were opened to a physical reality, instead of the spiritual one they were in prior to eating of the tree. If so, their visual perception of the mirror image of heaven became reversed, so they could no longer visually perceive the spiritual realm, but only the physical realm. This condition is what Jesus came to restore back as we learn in Hebrews 1:

1 In many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the Truth] and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets,

2 [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].

3 He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,

4 [Taking a place and rank by which] He Himself became as much superior to angels as the glorious Name (title) which He has inherited is different from and more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1:1-4

And as Paul said:

1 Therefore, since we do hold and engage in this ministry by the mercy of God [granting us favor, benefits, opportunities, and especially salvation], we do not get discouraged (spiritless and despondent with fear) or become faint with weariness and exhaustion.

2 We have renounced disgraceful ways (secret thoughts, feelings, desires and underhandedness, the methods and arts that men hide through shame); we refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly). And so we commend ourselves in the sight and presence of God to every man's conscience.

3 But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing and obscured [only] to those who are spiritually dying and veiled [only] to those who are lost.

4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.

5 For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake.
2 Corinthians 4:1-5

For so long, many in the Christian faith have given hand wringing sermons about how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are simply “blinded by the god of this world,” as the reason for our sexual orientation, and as an excuse for them refusing to reach out to us. But it is their job to reach out to us and reveal to us the image of Christ, Whom we see from Hebrews 1:3 is the “sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature.”

Imagine if Christ had taken the same attitude toward the salvation of these same preachers and had simply wrung His hands in the synagogue and blamed the god of this world for why people didn’t come to Him, instead of preaching:

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3 To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion--to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:1-3

It’s clear here Jesus wasn’t talking about opening the eyes only of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, but of EVERY person on the face of the earth. I believe the advent of The Bed Keeper is also going to usher the end of an era of preachers shirking their Christ-like responsibility for doing the same for LGBT people, as Christ did for them.

Returning back now to Eve and the serpent, let’s examine a couple of specific points from Genesis 3. The first one is this exchange between Eve and the serpent:

2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden,

3 Except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.

4 But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die,

5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apronlike girdles. Genesis 3:2-7

How is it possible that in verse 5 Satan tells the woman “your eyes will be opened,” and yet in verse 6 it’s already possible for Eve to “see that the tree was good for food and that it was delightful to look at?”

Is it possible that God would have created Adam and Eve to be physically blind? I think there's a more logical explanation. We already have shown they were aware of their own spiritual nature prior to eating of the fruit, so this couldn’t be saying that their eyes were opened as an allegorical way of saying they became aware of their spirits. They were already aware of their spirits, as we saw that Adam “became a living being,” and he declared Eve to be the “mother of all the living.” So this has to be talking about something else.

In light of another passage of Scripture from 2 Corinthians, I believe what Eve “saw” as she discerned the “tree was good for food and was delightful to look at” was something like a holograph that the serpent was able to temporarily create for her to see in a physical sense. In other words, I believe Satan said to the woman, “your eyes will be opened,” then revealed to her a physical vision of the Tree of Knowledge before her, hence she “saw the tree was good for food and it was delightful to look at.” Then she ate, then Adam ate, and Scripture says, “Then the eyes of them both were opened and they knew they were naked.”

This seems to be explained better by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:1-3, 20 that reads,

1 I wish you would bear with me while I indulge in a little [so-called] foolishness. Do bear with me! For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

2 But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah).

3 And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds. For you endure it if a man assumes control of your souls and makes slaves of you, or devours [your substance, spends your money] and preys upon you, or deceives and takes advantage of you, or is arrogant and puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.

Certainly today's Christians seem willing to tolerate anything from their preachers--with the possible exception of being struck in the face--so long as they are told they'll be healthy, wealthy and "blessed." Too many seem willing to spend their life savings, pay 10% of their income, believe what they are told, never question anything their pastor does, and when he's caught cheating on his wife, molesting children, or renting a male prostitute on the side, they just turn a blind eye. Too many Christians are going to church to build their social network, not their spiritual advancement.

We’ll recall earlier in this chapter of The Bed Keeper that Jesus had confirmed that the Pharisees and Sadducees of His Day were “spawns of vipers” (another word for “serpent,”) and we have already seen for ourselves how many so-called Christian leaders masquerade as ministers of righteousness as they decry the alleged harms of homosexuality upon society by using lies, bigotry, hate, and discriminatory speech as they twist the Word of God to say something it never meant to say toward gay people, while at the same time ignoring teachings of Jesus Himself regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people being born for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s (as yet unfulfilled) prophecy regarding our inclusion in his house of prayer for all people, and the Apostle Paul's ordination of gay marriage.

Far too many preachers are in the pulpits for profits, and not as prophets they claim themselves to be. What’s astonishing to me is that if they understood that God’s prophecy to eunuchs also promises to accept our offerings on His altar, that not only does the Church have to include LGBT people, but LGBT people have to be bringing their offerings to God’s altar, or Isaiah 55:11-56:12 is still not fulfilled, and Jesus is still prevented from returning. Further, Malachi 2-3 admonishes preachers to “bring all the tithes to God.” Most preachers today use that passage to unScripturally goad congregants into giving 10% of their income. In actuality, God is saying through Malachi that by preventing LGBT people from coming to Church, these preachers are unknowingly also preventing our offerings from even reaching God’s altar!

Turning this situation around not only means more income for the Church, but also provides the “kindling” for the “fire to fall from heaven and consume the offerings, so God’s Glory can fill the temple” as it did in 2 Chronicles 7, or as Malachi goes on to describe as God “opening the windows of heaven and pouring out a blessing so large it cannot be contained.” (See Chapter 20 of The Bed Keeper for a more in depth look at these points).

I believe that likewise, Satan came to Eve as a false prophet and attempted to usurp Adam’s spiritual authority in the earth as a true prophet of God, but fell prey to it himself, just as so many so-called Christians have today, especially as they continue to do exactly what the Holy Spirit said they would in 1 Timothy 4:1-3:

But the [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach,

Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized),

Who forbid people to marry…

It would appear that in the Garden of Eden, Satan caused Eve’s mind to play tricks on her, and see something that perhaps wasn’t actually even there (the Tree of Knowledge), but was perhaps nothing more than a holographic or mirror image that Satan created using light. This seem verified by her saying to God, “the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

That’s not to say there wasn’t an actual Tree of Knowledge in the Garden, but that perhaps Adam and Eve weren’t actually seeing it with their physical senses until Satan projected an image of it, or perhaps created a mirror image of it using light. Then when they ate of it, they were able to see themselves in this mirror image of their reality and see for the first time see themselves being naked.

If true, it's possible the Garden of Eden was a spiritual image in heaven being projected as a physical manifestation on earth. This would also then explain why John says in the Book of Revelation,

He who overcomes (is victorious), I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God; he shall never be put out of it or go out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of heaven, and My own new name. Revelation 3:12

And

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband;
Revelation 21:2

And

Then in the Spirit He conveyed me away to a vast and lofty mountain and exhibited to me the holy (hallowed, consecrated) city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, Clothed in God's glory [in all its splendor and radiance]. The luster of it resembled a rare and most precious jewel, like jasper, shining clear as crystal.” Revelation 21:10

From John’s perspective, he saw the new heavens and new earth descending out of heaven, as if he is telling us also that when God “planted the original Garden of Eden” and “put the man in the garden,” it was perhaps an allegorical way of saying that both the Garden and Adam were “transported” or "transmitted" to the earth via light, and that at some point in the future, the earth will be "transported" or "transmitted" to heaven via light, and will appear as if the new Jerusalem is descending out of heaven, but in actuality the earth may be ascending to it, just as Jesus Himself did!

I know that sounds kind of “way out there,” but in light of Scripture, it isn’t so far-fetched. We see quite a number of Scriptures describing things descending out of heaven:

At Jesus’ Baptism: And when Jesus was baptized, He went up at once out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. Matthew 3:16

At Jesus’ Resurrection: And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled the boulder back and sat upon it. Matthew 28:2

As Jesus describes what Nathaniel will one day witness: Then He said to him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you all, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man! John 1:51

At Jesus’ ascension: And it occurred that while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven. Luke 24:51

At Jesus’ Return: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16

On Jacob's Ladder: And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! Genesis 28:12

And the Book of Acts tells us the following (which also ties up several points made in the previous 3 chapters of The Bed Keeper):

1 In the former account [which I prepared], O Theophilus, I made [a continuous report] dealing with all the things which Jesus began to do and to teach

2 Until the day when He ascended, after He through the Holy Spirit had instructed and commanded the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.

3 To them also He showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God.

4 And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.

5 For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.

6 So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel?

7 He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.

8 But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

9 And when He had said this, even as they were looking [at Him], He was caught up, and a cloud received and carried Him away out of their sight.

10 And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold, two men [dressed] in white robes suddenly stood beside them,

11 Who said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven, will return in [just] the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven. Acts 1:1-11

I shared all this to explain that I am coming to a point in my personal faith journey where I am beginning to believe that the account of Eden (up until the point of Adam and Eve’s exile) actually occurred in heaven, and that Adam’s exile from Eden is one possible point where the account begins to transpire on the earth, (or at least what we perceive as the earth). I believe that’s why the Tree of Life appears in both the Book of Genesis (on earth) and again in the Book of Revelation (in heaven). Yet Another possibility is that the earth was originally created as part of heaven itself, which would certainly align with Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." It's very possible that the entire account of Eden transpired on the earth, while the earth was still part of heaven itself!

While it doesn’t make any difference to anyone’s salvation as to whether they agree with these summations one way or the other, these Scriptures indeed stretch our imagination to the point of stirring up our spirits, and hopefully just as Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened from a spiritual reality to a natural reality, our eyes will be opened from a natural reality to a spiritual one!

Further, I shared this point of view in order to stimulate your consciousness to the possibilities that can be explored through the Scriptures, and in the next chapter of The Bed Keeper, we’ll be tying up some logical loose ends as we examine the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, and see how many points regarding the account of those cities will tie back in to the past few chapters of The Bed Keeper. I believe you’ll find that the exploration of the Eden account in this chapter will provide a firm foundation for exploring Cain’s influence in the earth as the first offspring of Satan.

But for now, let us return to our examination of the Eden account as we now move into Genesis 4, and I think it will start making more sense to you from a logical perspective.

Keep in mind again, as Mr. Spock quoted in Star Trek, The Undiscovered Country:

“Logic is the beginning of wisdom. If you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

Genesis 4

1 And Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she became pregnant and bore Cain; and she said, I have gotten and gained a man with the help of the Lord.

2 And [next] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Genesis 4:1-2

NOTE: We understand the word “know” in Scripture is a reference to sexual relations. What we see here are two sons being born, after Adam “knows” Eve only once. This would be a good indication that Eve had become pregnant with twins.

As we progress through our examination of this study, I believe we’ll come to see that both sons have different fathers; Cain the offspring of Satan, and Abel the offspring of Adam. We can see this belief supported throughout Scriptures, which we’ll examine as we near the end of this chapter of The Bed Keeper.

3 And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.

4 And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for Abel and for his offering,

5 But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.

6 And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected?

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. Genesis 4:3-7

NOTE: This is the first time the word “sin” appears in Scripture.

8 And Cain said to his brother, Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:8

NOTE: This is the first murder. Let us now see what Jesus says in yet another conversation with the Pharisees from John 8. It’s rather lengthy, and I have underlined the points that directly relate to Jesus’ awareness of Cain being Satan’s offspring, however I included the entire conversation because it truly ties back to so many things we’ve already looked at in The Bed Keeper, and will hopefully tie up some of those logical loose ends:

13 …the Pharisees told Him, You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid and is worthless.

14 Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

15 You [set yourselves up to] judge according to the flesh (by what you see). [You condemn by external, human standards.] I do not [set Myself up to] judge or condemn or sentence anyone.

16 Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true [My decision is right]; for I am not alone [in making it], but [there are two of Us] I and the Father, Who sent Me.

17 In your [own] Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid.

18 I am One [of the Two] bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me.

19 Then they said to Him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.

20 Jesus said these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple [court]; but no one ventured to arrest Him, because His hour had not yet come.

21 Therefore He said again to them, I am going away, and you will be looking for Me, and you will die in (under the curse of) your sin. Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come.

22 At this the Jews began to ask among themselves, Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come?

23 He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world (of this earthly order); I am not of this world.

24 That is why I told you that you will die in (under the curse of) your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He [Whom I claim to be--if you do not adhere to, trust in, and rely on Me], you will die in your sins.

25 Then they said to Him, Who are You anyway? Jesus replied, [Why do I even speak to you!] I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first.

26 I have much to say about you and to judge and condemn. But He Who sent Me is true (reliable), and I tell the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him.

27 They did not perceive (know, understand) that He was speaking to them about the Father.

28 So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will realize (know, understand) that I am He [for Whom you look] and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say [exactly] what My Father has taught Me.

29 And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.

30 As He said these things, many believed in Him [trusted, relied on, and adhered to Him].

31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.

32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

33 They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free?

34 Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin.

35 Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever.

36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.

37 [Yes] I know that you are Abraham's offspring; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no entrance (makes no progress, does not find any place) in you.

38 I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father's side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father.

39 They retorted, Abraham is our father. Jesus said, If you were [truly] Abraham's children, then you would do the works of Abraham [follow his example, do as Abraham did].

40 But now [instead] you are wanting and seeking to kill Me, a Man Who has told you the truth which I have heard from God. This is not the way Abraham acted.

41 You are doing the works of your [own] father. They said to Him, We are not illegitimate children and born out of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect Me and welcome Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God [out of His very presence]. I did not even come on My own authority or of My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me.

43 Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.]

44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.

45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [do not trust Me, do not rely on Me, or adhere to Me].

46 Who of you convicts Me of wrongdoing or finds Me guilty of sin? Then if I speak truth, why do you not believe Me [trust Me, rely on, and adhere to Me]?

47 Whoever is of God listens to God. [Those who belong to God hear the words of God.] This is the reason that you do not listen [to those words, to Me]: because you do not belong to God and are not of God or in harmony with Him.

48 The Jews answered Him, Are we not right when we say You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon [that You are under the power of an evil spirit]?

49 Jesus answered, I am not possessed by a demon. On the contrary, I honor and reverence My Father and you dishonor (despise, vilify, and scorn) Me.

50 However, I am not in search of honor for Myself. [I do not seek and am not aiming for My own glory.] There is One Who [looks after that; He] seeks [My glory], and He is the Judge.

51 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My word], he will by no means ever see and experience death.

52 The Jews said to Him, Now we know that You are under the power of a demon (insane). Abraham died, and also the prophets, yet You say, If a man keeps My word, he will never taste of death into all eternity.

53 Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and all the prophets died! Who do You make Yourself out to be?

54 Jesus answered, If I were to glorify Myself (magnify, praise, and honor Myself), I would have no real glory, for My glory would be nothing and worthless. [My honor must come to Me from My Father.] It is My Father Who glorifies Me [Who extols Me, magnifies, and praises Me], of Whom you say that He is your God.

55 Yet you do not know Him or recognize Him and are not acquainted with Him, but I know Him. If I should say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word [obey His teachings, am faithful to His message].

56 Your forefather Abraham was extremely happy at the hope and prospect of seeing My day (My incarnation); and he did see it and was delighted.

57 Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?

58 Jesus replied, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I AM. John 8:30-58

NOTE: Talk about getting taken to the woodshed! Notice how Jesus described these Pharisees as children of the original liar, and as children of the original murderer! Again, Jesus wasn’t speaking to all faithful Jews, but only the Pharisees who desired to kill Him so they could maintain their power. Far too long, the Christian Church has explained this as something in the Pharisees that simply made them overly religious, or hungry for power, or greedy. But what we see by comparing this passage to Genesis 3 and 4 is that indeed there’s a reason behind even those surface characteristics; they were descendants of Abraham in name only, but were truly the offspring of Satan, just as so many people are Christians in name only, and are truly not living by the commands Jesus gave us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Jesus explained that the reason He considered them so wasn’t strictly because of their doubt in Him being the Son of God, but as compounded by the fact they plotted to kill Him. We see Jesus saying that though they be children of Abraham, they did not act like Abraham, but acted like Cain instead, who was a murderer, not a homosexual. How many spiritual Christian leaders in countries such as Uganda and Iran do the same thing in order to justify killing gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the name of God or Allah? This is one more illustration that supports the notion that Cain was Satan’s son through Eve, and was Abel’s twin brother through Adam.

As we now continue through our examination of Genesis 4, we’ll see the account of Cain and Abel can be seen as an archetype of Jesus and Satan themselves; good and evil, life and death, blessings and curses. (It's important to clarify that Jesus and Satan are not, however, "brothers." Satan was "created." Jesus was "begotten." It's impossible for them to even be related to each other, for Jesus was human, and Satan was originally an angel).

Once again recalling what God told the serpent from Genesis 3:15, we would see that at the point Cain kills Abel, the portion of God’s prophecy that reads, “you will lie in wait and bruise His heel” immediately comes to pass.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15

In the portion of John 8 that we just examined we see a great enmity already exists between the Pharisees and Jesus as they claim to be descendants of Abraham, and yet Jesus displays how their desire to kill Him betray them as offspring of Satan, and again, we recall the many times Jesus referred to the Pharisees as “brood of vipers,” “spawn of vipers,” etc., which are clear references to “children of the serpent.” The only portion of this prophecy remaining to be fulfilled at this point in the Eden account then, is for Jesus to “bruise and tread Satan’s head underfoot.”

If one were to accept that the Eden account (up until Adam’s exile) transpired in heaven, (or on earth as it was originally designed to be part of heaven), one could also say that up until Cain slew Abel the account was still transpiring in heaven, and could be an archetype of the Scripture in Revelation 13:8 (a reference set within the context of Satan being permitted to wage war against God’s people) which reads,

And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him (Satan) homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world." (While the NIV translations say, "before the world was made,” neither the King James Version, nor the Amplified Translation (shown here) say that. Both the KJV and AMP say, "from the foundation of the world." If indeed Jesus was slain "from the foundation of the world," it would continue to point to Abel as an archetype of Christ Himself).

If indeed the account of Cain murdering Abel is an archetype of Satan killing Jesus through the actions of the Pharisees, then this passage in Revelation becomes an expanded view of that account as Satan wages full blown war against all God’s people. Let’s now pick back up where we left off in Genesis 4:9:

9 And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?

10 And [the Lord] said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

11 And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's [shed] blood from your hand. Genesis 4:9-11

NOTE: We’ll recall from Chapter 5 of The Bed Keeper a reference to Abel’s blood was included when we examined the details of the Covenant which God prophesies gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people must “take firm hold of” in His prophecy to eunuchs in Isaiah 55:11-56:8. Let’s now examine that from Hebrews 12:23-25 which reads,

And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect, And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].

So see to it that you do not reject Him or refuse to listen to and heed Him Who is speaking [to you now]. For if they [the Israelites] did not escape when they refused to listen and heed Him Who warned and divinely instructed them [here] on earth [revealing with heavenly warnings His will], how much less shall we escape if we reject and turn our backs on Him Who cautions and admonishes [us] from heaven? Hebrews 12:23-25

Resuming our examination of Genesis 4 at verse 12:

12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast].

13 Then Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14 Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land, and from Your face I will be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.

15 And the Lord said to him, Therefore, if anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark or sign upon Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. Genesis 4:12-15

NOTE: As we discussed in the previous chapter of The Bed Keeper, there clearly seemed to be earthly inhabitants aside from Adam. That would explain why we have fossilized remains of humans and humanoids that are far older than 6000 years. Here, we see Cain fearing that “whoever finds me will kill me.” Why would Cain be fearful of this if only he, Abel, Adam and Eve inhabited the earth at the time? We also see God recognizing these other inhabitants as He says in verse 15, “lest anyone finding him should kill him.” This is the clearest evidence from Scripture yet that God recognized there were other inhabitants as well.

16 So Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering], east of Eden. Genesis 4:16

NOTE: Again, if one were to accept that the Eden account transpired only a spiritual plane, or was only a holograph of an earthly reality, it would seem this Scripture could be another point in the account (aside from the exile from the Garden) where the account seamlessly slips from a spiritual reality into a physical reality. If so, it could very well be that what we learn of from Genesis 3 and 4 is a prophecy that would contain a few archetypes of things to come.

Let’s take a last look at a collection of points made in this chapter:

God makes clothing for Adam and Eve from the skins of animals, which could serve as an archetype of the atonement for sin by the shedding of blood of animals under the Old Covenant.

We see Abel’s blood is shed, which could serve as an archetype of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the propitiation of sin (more than atonement, which just “covers” sin, but a propitiation actually became a substitute for not only the death, but also the penalty of sin, which is what Jesus removes from those who believe He is the Son of God.

We see God telling the serpent that He would put enmity between his offspring and the woman’s Offspring, which could serve as an archetype of the enmity between Jesus and the Pharisees who desired to kill Him.

We see the Tree of Life appear in both the Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation, and in both cases the fruit thereof providing those who eat its fruit eternal life. Had Adam eaten of it, he would have forever lived in a sinful state.

When we partake of it in heaven, we will live in an eternally sinless state. This can serve as an archetype of eternal bliss, or eternal punishment.

Now let’s wrap up our examination of Genesis 4, and we’ll see how it builds the foundational understanding for comprehending the subject of the next two chapters of The Bed Keeper: The Flood, and Sodom.

17 And Cain's wife [one of Adam's offspring] became pregnant and bore Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch. Genesis 4:17

NOTE: Although the Amplified Translation of the Bible is quoted here, the words, [one of Adam’s offspring] have been added based on the assumption by the translators that Cain married one of Adam’s children. As we’ll see in the next chapter of The Bed Keeper, this is very likely not the case. The phrase [one of Adam’s offspring] appears at the privilege of the translators of the Amplified Version of Scriptures.

18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methusael, and Methusael the father of Lamech.

19 And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah and of the other was Zillah.

20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle and purchase possessions.

21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.

22 Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all [cutting] instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say; for I have slain a man [merely] for wounding me, and a young man [only] for striking and bruising me.

24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech [will be avenged] seventy-sevenfold.

25 And Adam's wife again became pregnant, and she bore a son and called his name Seth. For God, she said, has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him. Genesis 4:18-25

NOTE: We’ll recall in the account of the births of Cain and Abel that Adam knew his wife. Why does Scripture not say that Adam knew his wife to bear Seth here as well? My understanding of what we’ve learned so far leads me to believe that this is an archetype of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus descended from Seth’s bloodline. We’ll see in the next 2 chapters of The Bed Keeper that all who perished in the Great Flood descended from Cain’s bloodline. And now let’s look at the last verse of this chapter:

26 And to Seth also a son was born, whom he named Enosh. At that time men began to call [upon God] by the name of the Lord. Genesis 4:26

This appears to be yet one more possible transition of both the Creation and Eden account that transpired on in a spiritual reality prior to its beginnings in our natural reality. It would also explain this peculiar passage from Genesis 5:1-4:

1 This is the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of the offspring of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

2 He created them male and female and blessed them and named them [both] Adam [Man] at the time they were created.

3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, after his image; and he named him Seth.

4 After he had Seth, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Genesis 5:1-4

Why are neither Cain nor Abel listed here as sons of Adam? Why does Scripture just now say for the first time that any of Adam’s offspring are “in his own likeness?”

If the differential is being made between what happened between Cain and Abel occurred in a spiritual reality, then Seth is the beginning of what happened in the natural reality we know of today. But here's another important question: why does God say here that "When God created men, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed and named them [both] Adam [Man] at the time they were created."?

The answer is that the word "adam" in Hebrew is a word that means mankind, and on the 6th Day when God created mankind, He created them male and female (and named them both adam). However, as we examined the Creation account in Chapter 11 of The Bed Keeper, we see that Adam (the person) had not yet been created even after the Sabbath Day, and was therefore likely created on the 8th day and not the 6th. So how do we reconcile this apparent contradiction of that understanding? By realizing that adam (mankind or the human race created both male and female) is not the same as Adam (the man or the human being who, incidentally, was also created both male and female, even though God had not yet extracted Eve from Adam).

Friends, I believe that if nothing else, no one who reads this chapter will come away thinking that all that happened in the Garden of Eden was a snake convincing a woman to eat a piece of fruit. It was far, far more! Possibly it was far more than any of us could ever put into words or even come to know! I hope it also helps us to realize the value of studying God’s Word as the primary way by which we come to know Him. The more we come to know Him, the more we realize we’ll never fully comprehend Him, but we can certainly learn; line upon line, precept upon precept.

It’s just as Paul said:

9 For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

10 But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded).

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.

12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God].

13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith--conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love--true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:9-13

For this is the message (the announcement) which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another [and] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds (activities, works) were wicked and malicious and his brother's were righteous (virtuous). 1 John 3:11-12

...Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant and to have the sprinkled blood which speak [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. Hebrews 12:24

[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts.

And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.
Hebrews 11:4

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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Chapter 12: My Brother's Keeper