This is a follow up to my prior rapture post. It is one of those numerous numerous scriptures that I was refering to that contradicts rapture theory. The message is short and sweet and straightforward. In Isaiah 46:9-10, God says, "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.'" (This reminds me of when Jesus says in Matthew 24, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.") But what did God just say there? I read it as, "I gave you the pattern for the end times from the beginning, in the first story about man, and what happened there will happen again." So what happened there?
The first story of man is the story of Adam. This is how I read the story of Adam: Adam was put in charge of God's creation, he was the prince of the Garden of Eden (the first Adam represents Satan who was "the prince of this world", who failed the test - see John 12:31 - and the last Adam is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and King of Righteousness, who passed the test). Eve represents the bride of the prince in the old Garden, and the bride of Christ in the repetition - so Eve represents the Church in the story (where the original bride failed, the new bride will overcome... for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear). And here are the order of events that went down in the Garden - you can read of it in Genesis chapter 3:
Garden of Eden Final Days of the Earth
1. God gave instruction to man Jesus gave instruction to man before ascending to heaven
2. God goes off out of the Garden Jesus ascends into heaven
3. Time passes Time passes
4. The serpent shows up to tempt man Antichrist shows up to tempt man
5. Adam and Eve believe serpent & sin Many will believe antichrist and sin; some will not
6. God shows up to find man has sinned Jesus returns to find man has sinned
7. Man is given death sentence Man is thrown in lake of fire; the pure go to heaven
That's it. That's the pattern. There is no premature return to find out what man was doing - no wisking him off before the serpent comes. God told Adam what to do if the serpent came. God gave Adam the warning about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He also gave Adam authority over it. He did the same for us - if we will listen to Him.
A short and sweet message about how God declared the end from the beginning. It was His first lesson for us. God bless.
