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Adam and Jesus
The Bible begins with the Scripture, "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth" GEN 1:1 . The Bible then goes on to describe how God took six days to finish His creation. The word "day" in Hebrew is yom and can mean the daylight portion of a day, 24 hours or an unspecified period of time.
So there are three possible meanings for the word day to choose from. Which then would be appropriate for the context of the passage? It is clear that the context should specify the meaning of the Hebrew word YOM. The context tells us that there was a time period of an “evening and morning”.The word day is also used with a number and when it is used with a number it means it is a 24 hour day. Another Scripture in Exodus 20:8-20:11 tells us what the meaning of the Hebrew word YOM we should choose.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Each word translated DAY in these verses is the same Hebrew word - YOM. If there was any opportunity for the writer to distinguish between the shades of meaning of the Hebrew word YOM it would be here. As we can see no attempt is made by the writer to show a difference in the word. In fact what the verses do show is the same meaning for us and for God. God tells us to labour for six days just like He laboured for six days and to rest on the seventh day just like He rested on the seventh day. So these Scriptures prove that the length of a day (yom) at creation is the same as our day.
The Bible tells us that at the end of each day God described the condition of what he had made as good. GEN 1:4; GEN 1:10; GEN 1:12; GEN 1:18; AND GEN 1:21. At the end of the sixth day when God finished everything GEN 1:31 God described what He had made as very good - even man. Why did God say man was good when in JER 17:9 the Bible says “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The answer is because when God first made man He made him in His image and likeness, He put His own characteristics in them. The supposed Pre-Adamic races did not display His image and likeness . So this must mean that Adam and Eve were the first people God created because the description of God’s image and likeness fits them. Also there was no sin in the world when God created Adam and Eve for when God had finished He pronounced everything as very good. There was no death in the world as well because the wages of sin is death. The creation was perfect - (from Gods’ point of view very good).
This is a stark contrast to the way Paul describes the condition of the creation in ROM 8:20-22. He didn't use the term very good but tells us that the creation is in the bondage of corruption ( decay ruin) waiting to be delivered. He tells us in verse 22 that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now (56 AD when Paul wrote Romans). Paul uses the term “birth pangs” to illustrate the fact that the creation wasn't always in the bondage of corruption needing deliverance. Therefore these “birth pangs” must have had a “conception”, that is a beginning. The beginning was when sin entered the world through one man - Adam ROM 5:12. Now these “birth pangs” get steadily worse until the birth of the next age when there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth (will be restored to the very good state it was in the beginning) Isaac 65:17. Isaac 65:17-25 gives a description of a restored creation. This will be when Jesus returns. The seed of sin was planted and grew.
From then on man inherited the Adamic nature, not a Pre-Adamic nature. The nature of supposed Pre-Adamic man was not good from Gods’ point of view EG P.N.G head hunters and cannibals. This nature was not built into the original creation. Jesus came to undo what Adam did not what Pre-Adamic man did.
A man came up to Jesus and said in Luke 18:18 "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus said in Luke 18:19-20 “Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.” Jesus made the point that the only one that is good is God. He then goes on to tell the man that God gave commandments to men and that he should keep them. These commandments make sure that man stops doing the things that they contain. The commandments reflect God’s goodness toward man. The Bible says there is none good but God and that was the state of the creation when God finished it. Actually God said it was very good. There could only be one conclusion. Adam was the first man. He caused sin and death to enter the world (God’s creation) and as a result God cursed the creation; therefore Jesus had to come to deliver man from sin and death and eventually the creation from the bondage of corruption.
This all started in the garden of Eden. God made Adam and put him in the garden. there were two special trees in the garden - the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life symbolizes Jesus who is the truth the life and the way. The tree of knowledge of good and evil symbolizes mans independence from God. The Bible says there is a way that seems right to a man but the end there of is death.
God told Adam that he could eat from any tree in the garden except from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The day that he would eat he would die. In the Hebrew it means he would begin to die - in dieing you shall die GEN 2:17. Adam would not only die spiritually he would die physically as well. Just like when I cut a branch from a tree, the branch is cut off from its life source and it begins to die. The first couple of days it looks the same but it eventually shrivels up and dies. This is what happened to Adam and Eve. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, ROM 6:23. The wording in GEN 2:17 seems to refer to Adam's physical death and his spiritual death is implied.
After God told Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil He made him a help meet, a wife out of his rib. Adam named her Eve because she is the mother of all living, GEN 3:20. God gave them free will meaning that if an alternative was made available they could choose. An alternative was made available. Satan came and tempted then to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He did this by lying to them.
Genesis chapter 3 tells the story of the fall of man. Satan comes to Eve and tries to deceive her. He does this by lying to Eve telling her that they would not die if they ate. Eve was fooled and ate the fruit and gave to Adam and he ate. Their eyes were opened. The result was they took their attention off God and put it on them selves and realised they were naked. The seed had been sown and they would find it all too easy to sin again and again.
The tree of knowledge also has good in it. The good and evil in this world both have the same roots. The evil is obvious. It does not make us right with God. The good is a carnal goodness that does not have its origin in the Spirit of God. It does not make us right with God either. It has its origin in the same place as the evil that is in the tree of knowledge. An example of this is people who say they are good and don’t need to come to church. As long as they are good they feel they will be right with God. The Bible says there is a way that seems right unto man but the end thereof is death.
One must come to God through Jesus. He is the way the truth and the life. We come to Him by believing the Gospel of His death for our sins and sicknesses and His resurrection.
So we can see that the salvation plan of God revolves around two men Adam and Jesus. Adam brought sin and death into the world (kosmos). Jesus came to take away the sin of the world (kosmos) and get rid of death by giving us eternal life. To put it in a nut shell Jesus came to undo what Adam did - not what Pre Adamic man did. No mention of Pre Adamics here. The prophecy about Jesus coming was first given after Adam sinned not before. This whole happening does not take Pre Adamics into account. The Bible doesn't even mention Pre Adamics.
Say for example. Jesus came the day after Adam sinned. He still would have come to undo what Adam did, to come to take away the sin of the world (kosmos) because sin entered the world (kosmos) with Adam. NO ADAM, NO SIN TO TAKE AWAY, NO NEED FOR JESUS TO COME. So if Jesus came the day after Adam sinned the Scripture which says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God ROM 3:23 would apply and at that point it would only have been Adam and Eve. What if Jesus came to undo what Adam did when Cain and Abel were running around. The Scripture all have sinned would apply and at that point it would only have been Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. But if the Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God this must include Pre Adamics but it doesn't. The Bible clearly states that something entered the world (kosmos) that wasn't there before that is sin and death. This must mean that if Pre Adamics really existed they did not die. Pre Adamics not dying? This is absurd, besides only Adam and Eve had access to the tree of life. The plain answer is Adam and Eve were the first people God made.
I've heard of the sins of the fathers coming upon the sons even to the forth generation EXO 37:7. and in Adam’s case to all his posterity until Jesus came to undo what Adam did. But I've never heard of someone’s sin coming upon someone he didn't know that lived in another country thousands of miles away.
Think of it this way. Take a Pre Adamic man - an Australian Aboriginal living just before Adam was created. Sin hadn't entered the world yet neither death, ROM 5:12 . Take the same man still alive after Adam sinned. What happened? Sin and death entered the world. What changed in this man because now he is living in hope of redemption coming (although he is ignorant of it until his descendants found out in the 1700’s). He had no idea of what happened being thousands of miles away. He never knew Adam and did not know God. Nothing changed in him, but something did change in Adam and affected his descendants. Adam reaped what he sowed and as a result Jesus had to come. Pre Adamics could not reap what Adam sowed besides he had absolutely nothing to do with him. The simple answer is there were no Pre Adamics.
We'll look at two Scriptures 1 COR 15:21-22 and ROM 5:12-20. Both Scriptures compare Adam and Jesus - notice they don’t compare Pre Adamics and Jesus. That’s because Adam brought sin and death into the world. Jesus came to take away sin and death. The prophecy about Jesus coming was given after Adam sinned, because before Adam sinned there was no sin and death to take away so Jesus did not need to come.
1 Cor 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
The Bible tells us here that death had a beginning with one man. It came in with one man - Adam. The resurrection of the dead was made available by Jesus. The resurrection made available by Jesus referred to in this Scripture is the final resurrection. John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. So we can paraphrase this Scripture by saying - Before Adam death did not come yet, Before Jesus the resurrection was not made available. For before Adam there was no death and before Christ life was not made available for all because there was no need.
But people not dying? Yes this would mean Pre- Adamics did not die. That’s ridiculous only Adam if he had not sinned would have lived on because he had access to the tree of life. After he sinned Adam and Eve were banished from the garden lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever Gen 3:22.
It has been suggested that 1Cor 15:21-22 is referring to spiritual death. My question is was there spiritual death before Adam? The answer is no, because as the Scripture states death came by Adam. No Adam no death - whether spiritual or physical. I believe it’s both but the emphasis here is on the physical death because in order to be raised from the dead one must first die physically. If it is only referring to spiritual death which started with Adam and spread to all men then supposed Pre Adamics were created spiritual beings and died spiritually with Adam when Adam sinned - for in Adam all die.
This is absurd. The Scripture here is definitely referring to physical death being introduced by Adam and the resurrection of the dead being introduced by Jesus . So Adam is the head of all his descendants that is the whole human race and Jesus is the head of all His “descendants” that is the spiritfilled. That is why Jesus is referred to as the second Adam in 1 COR 15:45. When you compare Adam and Jesus - these two sons of God the parallels are remarkable. Both are termed the son of God, both were created with direct intervention of the Holy Spirit, both were made in the image of God, both were tempted by the devil and many more. With all this we try to squeeze Pre Adamics into the picture.
We'll look at Romans 5: 12-20 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Mosses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world(kosmos). Something entered the world that wasn't there before, that wasn't in the world. Before what? Before Adam (one man). What entered? Sin. Therefor before Adam there was no sin in the world - no sin to take away. Jesus came to take away the sin of the world (kosmos) John 1:29. NO ADAM, NO SIN TO TAKE AWAY, NO NEED FOR JESUS TO COME. Remember the first prophecy about Jesus was given after Adam sinned because there was sin in the world to take away.
and death by sin; Death entered the world also. It was the result of sin. The wages of sin is death. If Adam had not sinned he would still be alive today. Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return was never spoken till after Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit. Death passed upon all men - passed through that is passed through from father to son “ all men” - the whole human race.
all have sinned. Adam stood as the head, the forefather and representative of all his generations. So his sin came upon all his descendants. All have the seed of sin when born because of Adam. All are sinful, all are mortal, all must die.
For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Yes sin was in the world. It entered in because of Adam- verse12. So even though there was not a written law sin was in the world. There was a consciousness of sin because of Adam. Remember what Abel said to Cain in Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. Paul brings the Law into his explanation to the Romans to show that although the Gentles were not Israelites they did not have the Law of Mosses they were still descendants of Adam. Being descendants of Adam they were equally involved in the consequences of Adam’s sin from which they shall all be equally released through obedience to the Gospel. They also share equally in all the benefits and blessings included in the gift of the Holt Spirit.
sin is not imputed when there is no law. There was sin in the world. It entered in with Adam. There was a consciousness of sin. There was a law of conscience- ROM 2:15. but sin was not imputed according to the law of Mosses. Take Cain for example, he murdered his brother Abel. According to the law of Mosses Cain should have been put to death but he wasn't. God himself had the prerogative on what to do with him and because God watches over His Word to perform it and there was no word on murder, God could not execute Cain. So the sin in the world could not be taken into account according to the law. but there was death in the world and the wages of sin is death. The death in the world was not the result of personal sin taken into account but was the result of the consequences of Adam’s sin being passed down. A good example of Adam’s sin being passed down to all his generations is that infants still died even though they were innocent of personal transgression, for the wages of sin is death.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Mosses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Even though sin was not imputed death reigned for the period between Adam ( the time sin entered) to Mosses (the time the law was given) and still does. Death reigned even on those who did not break a specific command like Adam. Death because of sin entered the world through Adam and because of Adam we are born with the seed of sin in us. Adam reaped what he sowed and that seed is in us now because we are all descendants of Adam.
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. With the free gift of God we receive much more than the undoing of Adam’s sin. By Adam’s offence many died from Adam onwards to the time Paul wrote Romans (54 AD) and many more since. The “many refers to all because Paul is making a comparison between Adam and Jesus. The second “many refers to all those who need redemption in Jesus Christ and that of course is all of us - all have sinned. The gift of God has abounded to many. To all those who believe the gospel and there are many and many more since Paul wrote Romans.
And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Adam's one sin brought the penalty of death to many and resulted in condemnation where as Jesus takes away many sins
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. The sin of one man Adam caused death to be king over all (reign over all) but they that obey the gospel of Jesus Christ shall reign in life.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Adam's sin caused condemnation to come upon all. Jesus act of righteousness leads to the acquittal and right standing with God to all who come to Jesus in repentance.
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. In this one Scripture the gospel is summarised. It’s because of Adam that mankind is in the state he’s in and Jesus came to undo what Adam did. If Adam was not disobedient many would not be made sinners, so Jesus would not have to have come. The “many” here refers to all in Adam - all have sinned and the second “many” refers to all who accept the gospel and are made righteous.
So in conclusion we can see from Scripture that Adam was the first man. We also briefly looked at a six literal day creation. What man does is come along with his science and try to make the Bible fit. It's like trying to squeeze a round peg into a square hole. The Bible is God's truth, His revelation to mankind. What science should reveal is the Personal Creator God of the Bible not Darwin.
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