Our continuing premise is that the spoken word of God (creation) demonstrates the exact same eternal truths and divine principles as the written word of God (Bible). One of the endless ways to validate this relationship is by examining how the dramatic shifts in the creation’s environment have and will be prompted by shifts in the spiritual environmental. A very dramatic environmental shift was prompted by the violation of divine righteousness at Eden, when the curse of sin and death infected a previously “very good” creative order. Another dramatic environmental shift occurred when the waters above the firmament were released upon the earth. Following the global flood man’s length of life shrank by more than 90%. These environmental changes were the direct result of God’s assessment that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The Effects Related to Chaining Sin
The next dramatic environmental change will follow upon the circumcision of the hearts of mankind through the fear of the Creator. The dragon, serpent, devil and Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Rev 20:1-3). Sin will be restrained. Therefore, on the basis of the principle we are examining, the effects of sin will have to be restrained. Carnivorous animals become herbivorous. Lions will eat straw. Dangerous reptiles and insects will lose their venom. All types of danger itself is dramatically reduced. Agricultural yields abound. Mortal life terms are increased to the degree that someone dying at 100 years old is considered to be only a child, having had most of their lives still before them (Isa 65:17-25; 11:1-9). These three dramatic periods of change in the features of creation are the direct result of dramatic changes in the spiritual environment. This physical/spiritual relationship is also true of both temporary and regional environmental changes, such as the fascinating law of the early and the latter rains (Deut 11:10-17). We will be considering these in a future commentary.
Accepting and pursuing this relationship between physical and spiritual, between the recreational environment and divine truths and principles, has consequences. This is not simply an entertaining meditation exercise. This frame of reference confirms doctrinal truths, reveals doctrinal distortions and defines the very concept of peace. Literally everything must eventually harmonize with the Creator’s principles. All that is physical and all that is spiritual must perfectly agree without contradiction, for the Creator to be all in all (1 Cor 15:28). This is why death and the grave must end (cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death). Death (the result of sin) must be eliminated as it is a consequence for violations to the Creator’s rightness (sin).
Death was introduced as the defining feature of that first dramatic environmental mutation. After six evenings and mornings of verbally commanding earth’s flourishing environment into existence, everything was declared to be very good. Each individual day had only been good. The final interdependent, sustainable created environment was better than good. It was divinely very good. The curse of sin and death changed everything. That degree of change is powerfully validated by our Messiah. The best component of our cursed environment that the world has ever seen was Jesus Christ. Yet he refused any legitimacy for being addressed as simply “good” (Matt 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). If the best of our sin cursed environment does not qualify as being good, then how could our current environmental order ever have been divinely declared as very good? Since the mere restraining of sin will dramatically change the environmental order in the Millennial Kingdom, imagine how different the original creative order had to be prior to the introduction of sin and death. The foolishness of the religion called ‘evolution’ dramatically disrespects our Creator by assuming gradual, accidental environmental mutations over an extended time period without any relationship to sin.
The Introduction of Death
Death could never have been part of the original creative order declared to be divinely very good. This is a highly significant understanding as this issue is a foundation point for doctrinal challenges within the Christadelphian community for over 100 years. Was the original death threat for touching and eating from the tree in Eden’s center intended to be understood as an immediate execution or the infliction of a dying nature? The answer has everything to do with the concept of atonement. Are we supposed to understand that death preceded sin, or that sin preceded death. We can certainly quote Paul’s comments on the subject. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men” (Rom. 5:12). We can also quote creation.
Guiltless Sin Offerings
Could death have been part of a creative order our Creator declared to be very good? The mere touching of the dead under the laws of the Kingdom of God required a person to leave the community of God, living outside the camp for seven days and participate in two sin offerings. The ashes of the red heifer constituted a purification for sin (Num 19:9,17). Although this procedure was a purification for sin, there had been no transgression of any divine law in touching the dead (except for the High Priest or a Nazarite). This is one of the six guiltless sin offerings that highlight the physical aspect of sin. The six guiltless sin offerings were:
- The ashes of the red heifer for touching the dead;
- The sin offering for a new mother for the righteous behavior of giving birth (Lev 12:6);
- A recovered leper (Lev 14:22);
- A person recovered from a bodily issue (Lev 15:15);
- The initial dedication of the bronze sacrificial altar (Exo 29:36-37):
6) The annual sin offering for the Tabernacle and the things associated with it (Lev 16:15-20).
All of these sin offerings were for physically unclean conditions… just like the recreational environment following the introduction of a defiling contradiction to the Creator’s righteousness in Eden.
The defilement of sin did not simply physically affect mankind. It affected all of creation. This is the Creator’s foundation policy. Nothing is completely isolated. Everything affects everything else. This is true Scriptural and this is true environmentally (ecologically). This is the principle of God manifestation. Understanding that death could have been part of a divinely very good creative order would be presumption which despises God, as is the case with all false doctrine.
The Blasphemy of Immortal Sin Capacity
Adam and Eve chose the serpent’s testimony, thereby rejecting the Creator’s testimony as a lie. They chose the rightness of the serpent over the rightness of the Creator. Ever since then, the majority of mankind has eagerly embraced the serpent testimony that we don’t really die and that sin does not have to mean death, which despises the Creator. Sin and immortality are partners in the apostasy, but are contradictions of the divine truth. Declaring an immortal angel to be capable of sin as well as promoting sin is a blasphemous insult to the divine nature. The doctrinal fact is that angels cannot die (Luke 20:36), therefore they cannot sin. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), therefore it is impossible for immortals to sin. However it is not the mere doctrinal fact that is so significant. The significant feature is how doctrinal distortions degrade and insult the rightness of the Creator. Those insults are tolerated for a time, but will not remain unaddressed.
Divine truths and principles are demonstrated in the features of creation. This is because that which is physical is bound up with that which is spiritual. If we try to separate the two we are working against the divine pattern for activity and communication. It is never a safe position to contradict the Creator of heaven and earth.
Our next commentary will begin to address the overlapping template ‘layers’ of this avenue for witnessing an increasing measure of divine glory. This will demonstrate the depth of how the features of creation (spoken word of God) project the same truths and principles as expressed in the Bible (written word of God).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One