IMPORTANT MATTERS ABOUT THE CHURCH - 5

ADAM, EVE AND THE SERPENT REPLAY?

Well, we all know the popular story of what happened in the garden of Eden. How the serpent deceived Eve, and how Eve gave the fruit to Adam.

The account in the garden of Eden, is more prophetic and figurative than real. That's why geographers are still in confusion of where this garden is located till date. It is important to know that this was a narrative from an angel to Moses, it was the only narrative whose characters were never seen by any man. The word "Eden" as used by the angel means a place of delight and pleasure. So I can say now that I am in my Eden typing this. In fact, the garden of Eden was used to describe the environs of the Joel army in Joel 2. Asides this, the garden of Eden was made by God himself according to the book of genesis. Now, there is a typology of Eden, Adam, Eve, the trees and the serpent in the New Testament and we could clearly grasp the message of God in putting up the story in the book of the beginnings.

Now, we already know that Jesus the Christ is the Adam of the NT. He was born of God and he started a new generation of God's sons and daughters. He is the first man after this order.

Also, Eve is the typology of the Church, being the wife of Adam. The Church of Christ is referred to as the bride of Christ many times in the bible, even Jesus once told a parable of the bridegroom and the virgins. So the Church is the bride of Christ which is married to Christ eternally upon salvation.

However all these terms "bride", "bridegroom", "marriage" etc are not to be taken in their literal senses. They are the best choice of words the writers could use for proper description.

Now, the tree of life is a symbol of Jesus Christ. Well, we know that in this tree was kept the eternal life. And by the revelation of the Spirit of God, we know that eternal life can only found in Jesus Christ. That's why John said "And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. " Good!

Dear reader, the question that comes to mind now is, who and where is the serpent?

Now, follow closely...I will show you whom the serpent is and how the serpent has been deceiving Eve again. Since this is more of a deeper revelation, I will try as much as possible to fashion it correctly in a simple manner, with references.

Remember that the serpent is said to be the most cunning or subtil beast according to genesis. The word beast tells us that the serpent is more than the kind of snake that you imagine. The word "beast" is the Hebrew word "chay" which actually means a living creature. That gives us a little light on the nature of the serpent. So the serpent is not necessarily a snake!

So what is then the serpent?

Now, in Revelation 12, we see how that Satan was referred to as a serpent. In fact, Satan was said to be a very old serpent. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world..."

It is interesting to know that the word "serpent" in the general sense in most cases is used in the bible to describe a creature with wisdom or smartness. That is just why Satan was called a serpent, not that he is a snake or that he is the only serpent.

Jesus was also referred to as a serpent. He said in the gospel according to John to Nicodemus "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ", It then means that the brass serpent raised up on the pole for the people of Israel in the OT, was a typology of Jesus Christ. The biting they suffered from the fiery serpents was a typology of deception which led to death.

Ok, let me show you again...

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore WISE AS SERPENTS, and harmless as doves." You see that? SERPENTS ARE WISE CREATURES!!!

But since our goal in this lesson is to show us that the same kind of scenario between the serpent and Eve in Eden, is found on replay today, let us therefore see to that. Now, Eden symbolizes the Kingdom of God. And by this we mean, the Church is being deceived by the Serpent, even in the Kingdom of God.

Paul saw this and said..."Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents." 1 Cor 10:9. He also said in 2 Cor 12:3 "But I fear, lest by any means, AS THE SERPENTS BEGUILED EVE THROUGH HIS SUBTILTY, SO YOUR MINDS SHOULD BE CORRUPTED from the simplicity that is in Christ." How does Paul mean? He went further to say "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him"

So now who is the serpent? They are many!

The serpents are those who TEACH OR PREACH FALSEHOOD OR DOCTRINES AGAINST THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. They are false teachers! They are mostly legalistic in nature; they are sound and full of cunning ways.

Even before Paul, Jesus was first to identify them in Matthew 24, that the elect could easily be deceived by them.

Jesus condemned them himself, he said "Ye SERPENTS, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

Peter also saw them in the Church, he called them brute beasts!

They crept into the Church and were deceiving people with false doctrines. They perverted the gospel of Christ and mixed it with many things that were passed down to many generations, even till today. 

These serpents were using the same tactics as used by the old one in the garden of Eden. They do present their own version of God's word to the Church, and the Church, which is vulnerable always fall for it. Just the way Eve was vulnerable, the serpent never deceived Adam, but Eve.

Miracles, signs and wonders among many others ceased because of these things. The unity of the Church became affected. The Church suffered and she is still suffering from this great havoc. The great schism of 1043 was another big blow. And that's how doctrinal issues divided the Church into pieces, till we now have more than 70,000 denominations in the world. ALL OF THEM WITH DIFFERENT DOCTRINE, claiming to be the true church. It is the work of the serpent.

But saviors are risen, the last army, and we will bring serious war upon these serpents and flush away their ancient venom from among God's people. Then, we shall see the GLORIOUS CHURCH OF CHRIST in white robes united in love!!!

Amen.