When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden for disobeying God’s Word, all of mankind, Adam’s progeny, from that moment on was cursed with sin and death. But all was not lost. God had a plan for the redemption of the human race, and the Scriptures say that he planned it even before the foundation of this world.—1 Pet. 1:20

However, during the period of sin and death, the world became very corrupt and full of sin and evilness continually. Angels came down and married women creating a hybrid race of giants. Genesis 6:6,7 says, “It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; forit repenteth me that I have made them.” We see in verse 8, though, that a man named Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. We read that Noah and his family were saved by obeying God in building an Ark to protect them from the flood. We read in 2 Peter 3:6, the “world that then was” and every living thing was destroyed by that flood. When the flood waters receded, Noah and his family left the ark, and from this time a new age began, the Patriarchal Age.

Why was it called this? The word patriarch literally means “chief father,” or head of a family. The patriarchs were favored ones that the Lord God dealt with individually to bring about his plans and purposes. As for Noah and his family, they became the second progenitors to multiply and replenish the Earth.—Gen 9:1,19

Along with Noah, other patriachs include Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three are recognized as the forefathers of the nation of Israel. Jacob’s death brought an end to this Patriarchal Age.

It was a very unique period of history when the Creator of this universe not only dealt with these individuals but made a covenant and an oath to Abraham to make of him a great nation (Israel), and through him and his “seed” bless all the families of the earth. Abraham’s seed would be both spiritual, “stars of heaven” or Christ and his church, and earthly, “sand of theseashore” or Israel and all mankind. (Gen. 22:18) What a wonderful Heavenly Father!

Every day the TV, radio, newspapers and the Internet remind us that we live in what the Bible calls “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4). This world has resulted from Adam’s disobedience and the resulting penalty of “dying thou shalt die” which has condemned mankind to a lifetime of imperfection, sin, suffering and finally, death (Gen. 2:17 KJV margin). Because of Adam’s disobedience, man has become a fallen, imperfect creature driven in a large part by selfishness, greed and other unholy motivations.

The evil practiced by man rose rapidly following Adam’s disobedience until it reached a peak in the days of Noah. As a result, God destroyed all mankind except Noah and his family in the flood (Gen. 6:1-8:22). Evil then grew rapidly again until the tower of Babel where God confounded man’s language to limit his ability to band together in evil schemes (Gen. 11:1-9).

Still, since that time, evil has continued to grow as the human family has grown. The powerful continue to oppress and take advantage of the weak. Nations, tribes and religious groups continue to fight competing nations, tribes, and religious groups, all in the name of supremacy. Human history has become a saga of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man.

With the increase of knowledge associated with our Lord’s return, evil has increased greatly resulting in world wars, genocide and ethnic cleansing on a huge scale and an enormous gulf between the wealth and privilege of the rich and the poverty and despair of the countless poor (Dan. 12:4). For the past 70 years, man has possessed the potential for destroying himself and the world sits on the brink of annihilation. Jesus prophesied regarding our day, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved” (Matt. 24:22 NASB).

God had foreseen this development of evil and has both allowed it and overruled it to teach all of His intelligent creation, both men and angels, the ugly result of sin – misery, unhappiness and destruction. God has always had evil under control as the Psalmist writes: “The wrath of man shall praise thee [God]: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain” (Psa. 76:10).

This permission of evil is only half of the lesson God intends to teach his children – “the knowledge of … evil” (Gen. 2:17). God’s plan of salvation also plans to teach mankind “the knowledge of good” through his son’s earthly kingdom. This second phase of God’s plan awaits the completion of the church, Christ’s bride, who then will be joined with her Lord and judge both men and angels (1 Cor. 6:2-3).

The intensity of the trouble today and other signs, such as the re-gathering of the nation of Israel, indicate that we are in the final days of this trouble and this present evil world (Matt. 24:30-33). The trouble will culminate in the attack of Gog and his allies upon Israel and mankind’s descent into the chaos of Armageddon (Ezek. 38,39; Rev. 16:16-21).

God will rescue Israel by defeating the hoard of Gog’s attackers through His miraculous intervention which will reveal himself both to Israel and to all mankind. The trouble

of Armageddon will bring every man’s hand against his neighbor and lead to the complete destruction of all man’s institutions – financial, religious, social and political (Zech. 14:13; 2 Pet. 3:10,11). Everything that man has created with his selfish spirit and fallen wisdom will be removed so that Christ’s kingdom can take its place.

The Apostle Paul describes this trouble saying, “‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’  This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Heb. 12:26,27 NASB).

Under Christ’s kingdom, Satan will be bound, the “stones” of evil influence will be removed and mankind will be taught good (Rev. 20:1-3; Isa. 62:10). In Christ’s kingdom, the Lord’s judgments will be in the earth and the people will learn righteousness (Isa. 26:9). Death and hell will give up the dead that are in them and all who have ever lived will have the opportunity to eat “from the tree of the knowledge of good” (Rev. 20:13; Gen. 2:17).

All mankind will have the opportunity to profit from that knowledge and gain everlasting life by obedience to that knowledge. “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds” (Rev. 20:12 NASB). Christ will judge mankind according to their deeds in that kingdom.

Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats reveals how that judgment will take place (Matt. 25:31-46). Those who learn the lesson of good and demonstrate that knowledge by helping one another through love, will gain everlasting life as part of the sheep class (Matt. 25:34-40). Those who do not learn the lesson of good and thus, fail to help others due to a lack of love, will be destroyed forever as part of the goat class (Matt. 25:41-45).

How thankful we should be for God’s provision to teach all mankind good through His son’s kingdom. This will give each an opportunity to learn the lesson of righteousness and thereby, gain everlasting life.

To learn more, see our ad for the booklet Why God Permits Evil on the back page.

Following Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin abounded.  Iniquity came to the full after 1,656 years of man’s existence on the earth. “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. … And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them” (Gen. 6:5,7).

However, one man found grace in the eyes of the Lord, Noah (Gen. 6:8).  He was a preacher of righteousness and he had three sons (2 Pet. 2:5; Gen. 6:10). God commanded Noah to build an Ark for the purpose of bringing the animals of each kind, Noah, his wife and his sons and their wives through the flood safely while the rest of the wicked perished in the flood (Gen. 6:13-14).

Prior to the flood, there had been no rain. Instead, a watery canopy encircled the earth in the upper atmosphere and caused the earth to be watered by a mist. It was this canopy that broke and thus, caused the rain and the flood of waters that covered the earth.  It was a natural phenomenon that occurred in God’s due time.  By this flood, God determined to stop the extension of evil from the face of the earth.  It rained for 40 days and nights and the flood waters came upon the earth. No flesh survived save those in the ark.

When the waters subsided, Noah opened the doors and released the animals.  A fresh start began for life to blossom again upon the earth.  What a wonderful vision of the restitution of all things.  As the waters covered the world in Noah’s day, the waters of trouble cover the earth today. After the shaking, breaking and washing away of this present evil world takes place via Armageddon, the Lord will bless His creation with a renewed earth and He will remember their sins no more.

God has promised, the earth abideth forever (Eccl. 1:4). He signified this promise in the heavens with a rainbow which reminds us of God’s promise to never destroy the earth again with a flood (Gen. 9:11-15).

Following Adam and Eve’s disobedience, man “began to multiply on the face of the earth” (Gen. 6:1). As earth’s population grew, some of the angelic “sons of God” saw that the daughters of men were beautiful.  No doubt being instructed by the great Adversary, Satan, these angels materialized on the earth. By all outward manifestation, they seemed to be human beings—men of striking appearance. It was not long before they began to take wives among the “daughters of men,” following which children were born (vs. 2).

Since the mothers of these children were human beings, and the fathers were spirit, or angelic, beings, the resulting offspring were a hybrid race. They were neither human nor angelic, and were not the creation of God. The Bible describes them as “giants in the earth; … mighty men” (vs. 4). The Hebrew word here translated giants is “Nephilim.” As a hybrid race, they were incapable of producing offspring, yet they were evidently very powerful, and capable of wreaking much havoc and evil upon the earth.

Because of the Nephilim’s evil influence upon mankind, “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (vs. 5). As a result, God brought the “world that then was” to an end with the flood—saving only faithful Noah and his family (2 Pet. 3:6).

What happened to the hybrid Nephilim, and to the angels who materialized in an earthly form to produce them? The Nephilim were destroyed in the flood, going out of existence forever. Not being of pure Adamic stock, they could have no part in the “ransom for all” provided by the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5,6). The ransom was for Adam and his progeny—mankind. The Nephilim, however, were the progeny of angelic, spirit beings, to which the terms of the ransom do not apply.

As for the angels who materialized as humans, the Scriptures state that the “Angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, [God] has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day” of Christ’s kingdom (Jude 6 NASB). They await the final judgement of Christ and his church (1 Cor. 6:3).

Every year in December as the world celebrates Christmas, they repeat the words of Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” While the world appreciates the promise and applies it to Jesus, they grasp neither the depth nor the enormity of what was given or what it will accomplish.

John 3:16 tells us what was given: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just as God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac (Gen. 22:1-18), God gave His only begotten Son Jesus to take Adam’s place under the penalty of death. God did not spare His only son (Rom. 8:32). Instead, He demonstrated what true, unselfish love was as John expressed it in 1 John 4:9 (NASB): “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

Jesus, in his pre-human existence was the only direct creation of God. Called the “Word” in John 1:1-3, he was in the beginning with God as a “master workman” using the Creator’s power and direction to create the heavens and the earth (Prov. 8:22-31 NASB). “All things came into being through Him [Jesus], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3 NASB). As the apostle Paul explains it, God and His son together created all things, both spiritual and terrestrial. “There is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him” (1 Cor. 8:6 NASB).

When sin entered the world and a perfect human being was required to redeem Adam and all his descendants, our Lord volunteered to be made flesh and suffer the penalty of death. “But emptied Himself [Jesus], taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8 NASB). Jesus humbled himself twice, first being made flesh giving up the spiritual for the earthly and then humbled himself again, dying on the cross.

Because of his faithfulness unto death, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11 NASB). God performed this exaltation “when He [God] raised Him [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:20 NASB).

Paul also speaks of this exaltation in Hebrews 5:8-10 (Phillips): “Son [Jesus] though

he was, he had to prove the meaning of obedience through all that he suffered. Then, when he had been proved the perfect Son, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who should obey him, being now recognised by God himself as High Priest ‘after the order of Melchizedek.’”

As a high priest (and king) after the order of Melchizedek, the risen Jesus has been given all power in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18) and then fulfills through his earthly kingdom, the four titles prophetically mentioned in Isaiah 9:6. He will be a “wonderful counselor” or teacher, teaching the human family righteousness (Isa. 26:9). He will be “a light to the Gentiles; To open blind eyes and … make darkness light before them [mankind], and crooked things straight” (Isa. 42:6,7,16).  He will be a mighty God using his power to bind Satan for 1,000 years so that he can deceive the nations no more (Rev. 20:2-3), dashing the nations into pieces to establish his earthly kingdom (Psa. 2:9)  and then permitting nothing to hurt nor destroy in his earthly kingdom (Isa. 11:9). He will be an everlasting Father calling forth all of mankind from the grave (John 5:28-29) and giving everyone an opportunity to walk up the way of holiness to become righteous and receive everlasting life here upon the earth (Isa. 35:8-10; Isa. 62:10).  He will heal mankind of all their diseases (Isa. 35:5,6).  “No inhabitant will say, ‘I am sick’; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity” (Isa. 30:24).  Finally, he will become the Prince of Peace by bringing mankind back into peace with God through the blood of his cross (Eph. 2:13-17). He will speak peace to the nations and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks (Isa. 2:4).

The only begotten Son Jesus was made flesh and then gave up his human life in sacrifice so that he might re-gather the rebellious, human sons of God (Adam and his descendants) back into harmony with God. “For it was the Father’s good pleasure … through Him [Jesus] to reconcile all things to Himself [God], having made peace through the blood of His [Jesus] cross; through Him [Jesus], I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:19-20 NASB).

Genesis is a book of beginnings: the beginning of the heavens and the earth, of plant and animal life, and as in the case of our lesson, human life. We know from the Bible that there were six creative days which ended when “on the seventh day God ended his work, … and he rested” (Gen. 2:2). The creation of man occurred toward the close of the sixth creative day. In this wonderful book as we see demonstrations of God’s power and wisdom, we come to this most important event recorded in Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, … and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

The creation account continues in Genesis 2:7, “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.” In the marginal translation of Genesis 1:30, the expression “living soul,” is applied to the lower forms of earthly creatures. The expression does not mean an immortal soul, but simply means a living creature. We know that man was a perfect creation of God (1 Cor. 15:45,47). God also knew that it was “not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18). So God created Eve to be Adam’s “help meet” (Gen. 2:20). God’s method of accomplishing this was unique.  He used a portion of Adam’s own body (rib) to form Eve. This was done for the special purpose of propagating of the human race, and for companionship (Gen. 2:21-24).

Since we know that everything that God created was perfect, it follows that he would place “our first parents” in a perfect home. “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden: and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Gen. 2:8).  God desired that they would  “multiply, and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28 NASB). In these words we can see that although evil was permitted to come upon the human family for a time, one day all evil will be removed and mankind will fill the earth. Then, God’s creation, which He originally pronounced as being good when first created, would be brought back to perfection (Isa. 35:1-10). For God has promised, “the earth abideth forever” (Eccl. 1:4; Psa. 104:5) and “he [God] created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited” (Isa. 45:18).

In Genesis 3:21, we are told the Lord God made for Adam and Eve coats of skin. Why did God make them coats of skin since they had already (vs. 7) made themselves garments from fig leaves? Adam and Eve were created perfect, by God, with the ability to live forever.  He put them in the Garden of Eden, with perfect food and they had the ability to discern between right and wrong.  However, God commanded them not to eat the fruit of one particular tree in the Garden, and if they disobeyed, death would be the penalty (Gen. 2:17).

One day Satan convinced Eve by telling her the first lie that she would not die, but become wiser, if she ate of that tree.  After taking a bite of the forbidden fruit, she gave it to Adam, and, he also ate of it, willingly disobeying God’s command (1 Tim. 2:14).    Immediately, their eyes were opened, and they realized that they were naked.

They were used to communion and fellowship with God in the “cool of the day.”  What were they to do now?  With fear and shame, they dreaded to meet God.  Their righteous position with God began to decline, so they decided to sew fig-leaf garments to maintain virtue and self-respect before their Creator.  In the “cool of the day,” the voice of God called to them, and they hid themselves among the trees — the natural impulse of guilt.

In place of the fig-leaf garments, God made them “coats of skin,” which required the shedding of blood and death. This suggested that a future covering for man’s guilt would provided by the death of a Redeemer.  God’s law of Justice required a perfect human man to redeem Adam (Ex. 21:23).  When Adam transgressed God’s command, he lost his perfection, and became a sinner. Thus, all of  Adam’s descendants, who were born after the fall, were born in sin (Psa. 51:5) and because of their imperfection, none of them could redeem Adam (Psa. 49:7).

Therefore, God so loved the human family, that He gave His only begotten son to redeem Adam and all mankind (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:21-22).   Jesus was born a perfect human being, (Matt. 3:17) and in due time, gave himself a ransom, and died for all mankind (1 Tim 2:5,6; 1 Cor. 15:3; Eph. 1:7).

In Genesis 3:21, we are told the Lord God made for Adam and Eve coats of skin. Why did God make them coats of skin since they had already (vs. 7) made themselves garments from fig leaves? Adam and Eve were created perfect, by God, with the ability to live forever.  He put them in the Garden of Eden, with perfect food and they had the ability to discern between right and wrong.  However, God commanded them not to eat the fruit of one particular tree in the Garden, and if they disobeyed, death would be the penalty (Gen. 2:17).

One day Satan convinced Eve by telling her the first lie that she would not die, but become wiser, if she ate of that tree.  After taking a bite of the forbidden fruit, she gave it to Adam, and, he also ate of it, willingly disobeying God’s command (1 Tim. 2:14).    Immediately, their eyes were opened, and they realized that they were naked.

They were used to communion and fellowship with God in the “cool of the day.”  What were they to do now?  With fear and shame, they dreaded to meet God.  Their righteous position with God began to decline, so they decided to sew fig-leaf garments to maintain virtue and self-respect before their Creator.  In the “cool of the day,” the voice of God called to them, and they hid themselves among the trees — the natural impulse of guilt.

In place of the fig-leaf garments, God made them “coats of skin,” which required the shedding of blood and death. This suggested that a future covering for man’s guilt would provided by the death of a Redeemer.  God’s law of Justice required a perfect human man to redeem Adam (Ex. 21:23).  When Adam transgressed God’s command, he lost his perfection, and became a sinner. Thus, all of  Adam’s descendants, who were born after the fall, were born in sin (Psa. 51:5) and because of their imperfection, none of them could redeem Adam (Psa. 49:7).

Therefore, God so loved the human family, that He gave His only begotten son to redeem Adam and all mankind (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:21-22).   Jesus was born a perfect human being, (Matt. 3:17) and in due time, gave himself a ransom, and died for all mankind (1 Tim 2:5,6; 1 Cor. 15:3; Eph. 1:7).

Everywhere we look today, we see trouble. The civil war in Syria has claimed over 150,000 lives, created over 2 million refugees, and given rise to a new terror group, ISIS. In the Ukraine, there is a civil war between that country’s government and those in its eastern provinces who would rather be aligned with Russia. There are economic troubles throughout the world and an increasing disparity in income between the rich and everyone else. New illnesses (Ebola) threaten the health of mankind.

Both Jesus and the Prophet Daniel prophesied these troubles. Daniel wrote, “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time” (Dan. 12:1 New American Standard Bible). Jesus said, “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short”  (Matt. 24:21,22,  NASB). Both identified the trouble as an evidence that Jesus had returned (Michael arising) to establish his earthly kingdom.

This trouble comes from the increase of knowledge interacting with man’s fallen nature and selfishness.  This leads to strife between nations, religions, ethnic groups and social-economic classes.

The selfish, raging masses of mankind bring the trouble as Joel writes in Joel 2:1-3 (NASB): “So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it … A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them. But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.” Joel later calls these people, “His [Lord’s] army” (vs. 11, NASB).

While the trouble seems to be growing out of control, the Heavenly Father and our returned Lord are in control. The psalmist writes, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee [Lord]: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain” (Ps. 76:10).

The purpose of the trouble is to bring this present evil world and its selfish institutions to an end so that Christ’s earthly kingdom can be established on the earth to bless all mankind. The Apostle Peter describes this in 2 Peter 3:10,13 (NASB): “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up … But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

The heavens and earth that pass away are the churches, religions, and civil governments and institutions of this world. The Lord replaces them with a new heavens [new spiritual government led by Christ and his church] and a new earth [new earthly government] led the ancient worthies [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc].

The book of Genesis tells the story of creation, including that of Adam, the first man.  Adam was formed of the dust and given the “breath of life” and thus “became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7).  He was created in the mental “likeness” of God (Gen. 1:26).  God took a rib from Adam and created Eve (Gen 2:23).  Together, they were given the opportunity for everlasting life in Eden, a place where “the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:9 New International Version).  Adam and Eve enjoyed, with free will and innocence, a beautiful paradise and perfect life.

The first parents were given one rule, a test of obedience, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Gen. 2:16, 17 NIV).  In Genesis 3 Eve is deceived by the serpent and Adam chooses to join his wife in disobedience.  God banished them from Eden in order to enforce the penalty of death (Gen. 3:23).

Mankind was also cursed by God for their sin.  Woman was cursed to be subjected to man and to have pain in child birth.  Man was cursed to live a toilsome life of working the ground (Gen. 3:16-19).  All humanity inherited sin and this penalty of death (Rom. 5:12).  The fall launched humanity down a long path of suffering, pain, sorrow, and iniquity that continues to plague us today.

Isaiah 46:10 says that God knows the end from the beginning, meaning he gave this test with the knowledge that mankind would fail. In his wisdom, God allowed the fall to take place with the end in mind.  At the end of the age, when the resurrection takes place and all who are in the grave hear the voice of our Lord and come forth (John 5:28,29), the experiences gained from the fall will show humanity the grand love of God and provide the experience needed to choose obedience and go up the highway of holiness to perfection and harmony with God. 

When the Heavenly Father was creating everything, after each creation we are told, “it was good” (Gen. 1:4,10,12,18,21,25). Everything created was perfect in God’s sight.

At the end of the sixth day, “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Here, we get our first glimpse of God’s only begotton Son, the Logos, with the use of the words “us” and “our.” Then in John 1:1-3 (Emphatic Diaglott) we are told “In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God and the Logos was a god. This was in the beginning with God. Through it every thing was done; and without it not even one thing was done, which has been done.” According to Thayers’s Greek dictionary, “Logos” means the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, his minister in creation of the universe.

Revelation 1:11 describes the Logos as “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,” the only direct creation of God. Other scriptures describe him as God’s “only begotten Son” (1 John 4:9; John 1:14,18; John 3:16).

All of the rest of the creation was made by him using God’s power. Proverbs 8:27,29,30 (NASB) states, “When He [God] established the heavens, I [Logos] was there … When He marked out the foundations of the earth; Then I [Logos] was beside Him, as a master workman.” “There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things …. and one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6 NASB).

One can imagine how touched the Father was when his “only begotten Son” stepped forward and volunteered to be the ransom sacrifice for Adam. Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name” (Phil 2:7-9 NASB).

Because of his faithfulness to God, God has entrusted him with “all  authority … in heaven and earth” to bring God’s plan of salvation to its glorious conclusion and bring mankind back to perfection and harmony with God (Matt. 28:18 NASB). 