Restoration
|
|
|
|
[Note: Read with care. Much of this thesis is no longer
considered accurate]
EXPLORING ANCIENT HISTORY --
THE FIRST 2500 YEARS
Compiled by
Roy Schulz Social Studies Department Imperial
Schools at
1967 INTRODUCTION This Xeroxed volume
represents the first crude attempt to put the history of earliest ancient times based on the bible
into story form. The main sources for this material are the bible and the two-volume 'compendium of world history'. The reader is
cautioned that the incomplete account presented here should not by any means be regarded as the final and authoritative word on the subject. It must be emphasized
that this is merely an initial attempt at telling the actual story of what went on in the distant past. Much research remains to be done. However, what has
been gathered into these pages will help provide a general, overall concept as to what was really taking place in the centuries before and after the flood. Certainly a more accurate concept than modern-day histories provide. Our tentative plan is
to present the story from the creation to the Exodus in the form of four parts or units broken down
into twenty-eight chapters. As this is being written, some six chapters are yet to be completed. The gaps have been partially filled in with outlines. Only seven copies of this incomplete version are being Xeroxed at this time for limited library use. Dr. Hoeh has stated,
"the time is coming when all history books will be rewritten." Although this monumental task
will not be completed till the world tomorrow is here, the work has already begun in earnest. MAIN TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: THE PRE-FLOOD WORLD 1. Before Adam -- Creation and Chaos. 2. Re-Creation and 3. The Ways of Cain and Seth 4. Lamech's Famous Family 5. Tubalcain, Lamech, and the Significance of
Myths 6. The Pre-Flood Society 7. The Doom of Pre-Flood Society PART 2: THE FOUR LOST CENTURIES 8. After the Flood 9. The Vast Scope of Noah's Work 10. Prelude to 11. FOLLOWING, CHAPTERS 12-15 NOT WRITTEN 12. After 13. The Activities and
Death of Nimrod or The Deaths of Nimrod! 14. Semiramis' Activities
After Nimrod's Death or Semiramis, Asshur, Ninus II 15. The Activities of
Horus or The Carrer of Horus PART 3: ABRAHAM'S IMPACT ON HISTORY 16. Abraham's Background 17. Abraham's World 19. Abraham in the
History of 19. God's Call of Abraham 20. Abraham and Sarah in 21. The Collapse of 22. Concluding the Story
of Abraham PART 4: 23. The Importance of
Egyptian History 24. From 25. Joseph's Reign in 26. 27. Job in The History of
PART 5: ADDED MATERIAL -- 1938 B.C. TO 539 B.C. PART 1:
THE PRE-FLOOD WORLD TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: Before Adam -- Creation and Chaos Bible True From Very First Verse -- Before "The
Beginning" -- The Original Creation of The Universe -- Earth's First Catastrophe
-- A Rebellion of Spirit Beings -- Evidence From Outer Space -- A Picture of Lucifer's World From Geology -- Disproving Evolution -- with Fossils -- Satan's Character. CHAPTER 2: Re-Creation and The Cause of Chaos -- The First Day -- The Second Day -- The Third Day -- The Fourth Day -- The Fifth Day -- The Sixth Day -- The Seventh Day -- The Relationship of Genesis One and Two -- The Question of Origins -- Location of CHAPTER 3: The Ways of Cain and Seth Cain and Abel -- The First Murder -- Cain's "Mark" --
The Curse On Cain -- The Proof of Geology -- Cain's Society -- Cain's Famous Walled City -- The Way of Cain -- The Line of Cain vs.
The Line of Seth and Enos -- Seth and Enos -- Eight Preachers of Righteousness -- Immense Length of Life Before The Flood -- The Size of Families -- The Population Explosion -- Chart: Genealogy of The Two Major Lines of People In The Pre-Flood World. CHAPTER 4: Lamech's famous family Lamech's Wives and Children -- Zillah -- Jabal -- Jubal -- Tubalcain -- Tubalcain and Smelting -- Naamah -- Lamech and Adam -- Lamech and Cain -- Lamech and Enoch. CHAPTER 5: Tubalcain, Lamech, and The Significance of Myths Tubalcain's Army -- Demon Possession -- Tubalcain's Military Expeditions -- Lamech Versus Tubalcain -- The Dual Meaning of Lamech's Poem -- The Source of Jewish Tradition -- Behind The Facade of Myth is History -- Understanding The Myths -- Myths Contain The Story of Pre-Flood World. CHAPTER 6: The Pre-Flood Society Who Were 'The Sons of God'? -- Pre-Flood "New
Morality" -- Methuselah's Influence -- Led Astray By Materialism -- Who Were The Nephilim? -- Why The Neanderthal Men Vanished From Archaeology and The Family of Cain -- Female Figurines and Other Discoveries -- The Nature of Pre-Flood Violence -- Segments of Pre-Flood Society -- Seven Categories of People. CHAPTER 7: The Doom of Pre-Flood Society Noah's Life Threatened -- Noah Forced To Flee -- Noah's Sons -- Ham's Wife -- Noah's Day Compared With Ours -- Criminals Who Lived Hundreds of Years! -- Mankind Could Have Been Better -- Noah and The Work of God -- Beginning of Technology Before The Flood -- The Deluge.
CHAPTER 1 Before
Adam -- Creation and Chaos "Certainly the
bible is the source of my religion," stated a modern-day professing Christian. "however, we all realize
that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are MYTH." This outlook
immediately presents a problem: if the first part of the bible is questionable -- so the rest would also be. Bible True From Very First Verse The bible's answer to
this modern concept is clearly stated in Psalm 119:160, Jewish translation: "the BEGINNING of thy
word is TRUTH." God knew the opening portion of the bible would
bring forth the most controversy. Therefore he has backed up its absolute validity IN PLAIN LANGUAGE. The BEGINNING OF ALL
THINGS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. If man cannot know where and how he began, he cannot know where he is going. But, if he has the correct start, the rest of the way becomes clear. The bible, and the bible alone, gives man the correct start in understanding the origins of all elements of
his universe, world, and society. Without that correct start, man
can never arrive at the true answers to his questions and problems. He will simply continue to grope aimlessly -- "... ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Modern
"scientific" man, having dispensed with god as superstition, IS groping around in his intellectual vanity! In his vain search for Godless explanations of origins and beginnings, while clinging to the idol known as Science, he has come up with two basic science fiction ideas: Evolution and a phantom called "PREHISTORY." Leaving evolution for
the time being, consider the concept of prehistory. "Prehistoric time" supposedly refers to
man's earliest experience WHICH IS NOWHERE RECORDED IN WRITTEN
RECORDS. This concept, incidentally, has become popular only within the last century. But is prehistoric time" an actual fact? Let
the Bible answer: "In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth." TIME is coeval with creation because time is
measured by the created heavenly bodies. The Bible then, provides a record that reaches back to the very beginning of time! The idea of "prehistory" or "prehistoric time" cannot be
reconciled with scripture for there is NO PERIOD OF TIME THE BIBLE DOES NOT COVER! The bible begins AT
THE VERY BEGINNING -- the original creation of the physical earth and universe. Actually, however, to
make the record complete it should be noted that the Bible, in other portions, actually provides a glimpse of event even PRIOR TO its opening verse! Realizing an
important point about God's character helps us to understand what occurred in the spiritual realm before the time of the original physical creation. Jesus, in John 5:17,
said that he and his father work. It is a certainty then, that God
the father, and the logos or spokesman, the one who became Jesus Christ -- the two members of the God family -- thought out and carefully planned everything they intended to bring into existence. In the long reaches
of eternity before time began, the God family was actively and dynamically thinking, planning, working -- devising the perfect plan to reproduce themselves. Since the bible makes plain that God has an eternal throne (Psalm 45:6)
and that he dwells in a holy temple (Psalm 11:4) located in a heavenly city (Psalm 48:1-2). This must have been the place he and his son were working before anything else was brought into existence. And then at a certain point in their program, the God family created -- instantaneously -- THE FIRST BEINGS. They were ANGELS. Thus, the first
creation of all consisted of eternal spirit beings who were to serve God and help him carry out his plan to completion. This creation of the vast gigantic project. It included bringing into existence the cherubim (Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer are the three the bible mentions) and the seraphim, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders who are God's wise and intelligent counsellors, and the millions of other angels that serve God in controlling the vast universe (Rev. 5:6, 8, 11). Finally the
time arrived to bring the material universe into existence. And this is where the first verse of the bible takes up the account. The Original Creation of The Universe The first verse of
scripture is packed with meaning. An expanded paraphrase helps to make plain its FULL SIGNIFICANCE. "In an
original beginning time, an untold number of
years ago, the -- goo family (elohiym is
the Hebrew UNIPLURAL word translated
'God') created out of invisible
energy (Heb 11:3), in perfect order and
harmony and beauty, (the Hebrew word for
'created' -- barah -- carries this meaning)
the physical earth and universe." The bible records
that the original vast operation was so over-whelmingly beautiful that the angels shouted for sheer joy when they beheld it for the first time. (Job 38:7). Many of them were going to dwell on the perfect planet that was earth -- and they were overjoyed at the prospect. Scientists have
analyzed the minerals of both the earth and outer space and have guessed at their age. "hundreds of
millions of years" is the claim. (see pages 409-415 of "The
Bible as History" by Werner Keller). The universe is VERY ANCIENT.
It is not hard to understand, then, why God the father is called the "ANCIENT OF DAYS" (Dan 7:9). The universe is very
ancient. Yet all segments were brought into existence by God at the same time. Radioactive elements prove matter is not eternal (see the booklet "Does God
Exist?" And lesson 11 of the old correspondence course). All material things were brought into existence at a definite time in the past. Scientific findings prove conclusively that the universe
is a CREATED entity. Notice also, in this
very first verse of the bible, that THE EARTH is given equal importance with the rest of the entire universe. (the King James translation has "the heaven"
but this is in the plural and should be rendered. "the
heavens.") In other words, God is an EARTH CENTERED creator -- he is geocentric. God is so vitally
concerned about this planet because THIS IS WHERE HE IS REPRODUCING HIMSELF. This is the only world to be inhabited by humans thus far in all the history of the universe. Christ, God's ONLY-begotten son came to redeem the inhabitants
of THIS EARTH. And not any other planet or planets. This has been the only inhabited world so far requiring a savior. And not only that,
but this is where the throne of Christ will be in the world tomorrow (Zech 14:9) and where THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE (Rev 21:2, 10) will ultimately be located. The Earth's First Catastrophe Many bible
translators (Goodspeed and Moffatt are two examples) COMBINE the first two verses of the bible as if they were speaking of the same period of time. This is a common misconception that has caused millions to misunderstand the very beginning of the bible. It is vital to understand this: THE
FIRST TWO VERSES OF THE BIBLE ARE SPEAKING OF TWO SEPARATE AND
DISTINCT EVENTS. They ARE WIDELY SEPARATED IN TIME -- by an untold number of years. The true meaning of
the second verse of the bible is as follows: Now (Jewish
translation, implying a later
period of time ) the earth HAD BECOME (the
correct rendering of the verse, not
"was") chaotic and
undistinguishable ruin, and darkness was upon the
face of the muddy ocean depths. The first verse of
the bible pictures a perfectly beautiful and harmonious creation. The second verse of the bible shows an earth that has become a chaotic wreck. A PERFECT CREATION AND A COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OCCUR WITHIN THE FIRST TWO VERSES OF GENESIS. This is what the bible reveals. What brought about this destruction? The bible does not
tell the cause of this chaos at its opening because God, at this stage of the story, does not want
to divert our minds from the concept of CREATION -- the
tremendously important realization that there was a BEGINNING and a BEGINNER. Other parts of the story are reserved till later. Bearing this
in mind, we may, to fill in the story, bring in other parts of the bible which reveal what occurred before the earth was re-created for human habitation. Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14, Hebrews 2:5, and II Peter 2:4 show that the original earth was inhabited -- not by men but by angels -- and the chief spirit being was
"Lucifer" (a Latin translation of the Hebrew word "Helel," which
means "lightbringer" -- see page 24 of the February, 1965
"Plain Truth"). A Rebellion of Spirit Beings It is unnecessary to
rehearse the entire story of Lucifer's rebellion here since this has been amply covered in Mr. Armstrong's booklet. "Did God Create a Devil?" As well
as lesson 11 of the old correspondence course. It is enough to note here that Lucifer did change his character to that of Satan -- "destroyer" -- by becoming a REBEL, an INSUBORDINATE,
and an AGGRESSOR. He actually planned and attempted to wrest God's throne, office, and authority from him by attacking his throne with a force of one-third of the angels composing the angelic kingdom. (Rev 12:4, and Isa. 14:13). A colossal battle of
the spirit beings took place -- the angels of God versus the forces of Lucifer, now the devil. The earth and all the universe was involved; tremendous catastrophes resulted. The earth was made a chaotic wreck. Plants and animals were buried in great tidal waves and floods. To use a
geologist's expression, it was "a time of great dying." Look at other members
of our solar system. Even the nearest planets -- especially our own moon -- bear scars of this fantastic space battle! Astronomers report that some of the huge craters on the moon are more than a hundred miles across. That means astral bodies weighing countless thousands of tons must have smashed into the surface of the moon. The planet mars shows the same kind of destruction. Spectacular photographs taken by the mariner 4 scientific spacecraft revealed gigantic craters there, just as on the moon. Scientists estimated that more than 10,000 meteorite craters may pit the Martian surface. (Notice, however,
that this kind of a catastrophe is not continuing today. There are no new craters of such immense size being formed on the moon or any of the planets observable
through powerful telescopes. This disproves an important principle of evolutionary theory, namely that the past can be interpreted in terms of what is going on in the present.) Evidence From Outer Space In short, the sins of
rebellious angels reached into the heavens and wrought chaos on the earth. What scientists see in their observations is not an evolving universe, but the wreckage of a titanic battle waged by spirits in all parts of the
universe -- a battle fought before man's creation. There is an interesting point about this battle. It concerns actual astronomical
evidence of Satan's initial attack against the creator. The throne of God is
situated in the northern heavens (Isa. heavenly city. This space, as mentioned in Job 26:7, is also toward the north. The Washington Observatory has discovered a VAST EXPANSE IN THE NORTHERN HEAVENS WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN A SINGLE STAR. The rebellious Lucifer and his force of angels, rising in a northerly direction, were met and defeated by the forces of God (II Pet 2:4). It is God's custom to destroy areas in which sin -- rebellion against him -- has occurred. Before Lucifer
(Helel) rebelled and became Satan, he had dominion over the earth, which was inhabited by millions of
other angels over whom he had charge. What were Satan and all his angels doing here before the first man was ever created? In Ezekiel 28:13 we read of Satan's "workmanship." He and
his assistants actually had the job of preparing this earth for
human habitation. If Lucifer and his angels had carried out God's
will, they would have had satisfaction and rewards far beyond even their expectations -- but they were not content with the role
God had assigned them. A Picture of Lucifer's World From Geology The world before Adam
was inhabited by spirit beings. But there were also physical plants and animals at this time. Geologists have discovered fossils in the strata of the earth which show what one could have seen in the pre-Adamic creation. It would have been an amazing sight to behold. It was a world characterized by giant dinosaurs that weighed as much as forty tons. Some roamed the land, some were sea creatures, and others actually could fly. In addition to these gargantuan reptiles, there were giant insects that filled the air. Huge plants
covered the ground comprising vast and dense forests which far surpassed even our densest jungles of today. To put it in geologic
terms, these were the creatures and plants of the Mesozoic and Paleozoic eras. This portion of the Mesozoic era is termed early Cretaceous. It contains the last deposits of the pre-Adamic world. (Cretaceous, then, contains material of Adam's time and there after.) Geologists assign long periods of time to these so-called eras because they believe the animals in them evolved over a long time span. But actually, these layers show the order in which these creatures were BURIED when the earth was wrecked in Satan's war of rebellion. The larger creatures were in the higher strata because they tended
to be buried later than the smaller creatures. In other words, the
fossil remains in the earth do not show the process of evolution but the relative order of burying in a great catastrophe which occurred before any men existed. Man and mammals appeared later in the geological picture in the Cenozoic era, not because it took them a long time to evolve, but BECAUSE THEY WERE CREATED LATER! (see the chart on page 26 in the November, 1963 "Plain Truth"). Disproving Evolution -- With Fossils The geologist Dunbar
has provided us with a startling admission: "... fossils provide the only historical,
documentary evidence that life has evolved from simple to more and more complex forms." ("Historical Geology", page 47)
now bear this in mind: evolution teaches that the strata of the earth were laid down slowly and in perfectly smooth and uniform fashion by the land areas slowly rising above and sinking below the ocean waters. This is the theory known as
"uniformitarianism." And during these long ages which covered millions of years, plants and animals were supposedly evolving from the original single living cell which once had miraculously appeared down by the sea shore. But here is the
catch. If such a process did go on in the distant undeterminable past, no fossils could have been buried. Why? Because fossils, in order to be preserved, must be buried SUDDENLY -- and packed tightly in sediment where no air can ever reach them. A sudden burying must take place otherwise the plant or animal will decay. If the evolutionary concept is true, all fossils would have decayed and none would exist. So the unanswerable question for the evolutionist is: if evolution were an extremely gradual process, but fossils can be formed only by sudden burying, HOW CAN FOSSILS PROVE EVOLUTION? (see article, "Proof of the Flood," December. 1963. Plain Truth.) As a result, then, of
Lucifer's rebellion, great catastrophe struck this earth and all the strange creatures of the
pre-Adamic age were buried and geologists themselves call this the first "time of great dying," but they cannot explain why all
these life forms suddenly became extinct. If they had analyzed the bible to see what it really did say, they would have had to understand
the full significance of only the very first two verses. A number of
fundamentalist church denominations believe the bible account of Noah's flood. But these groups do not
understand the great catastrophe which occurred after Gen. 1:1. Consequently, they try to interpret all the geological evidence of destruction and stratification evident in the layers of the earth's crust ON THE BASIS OF ONLY ONE DELUGE. The unbelieving,
geologists realize this explanation is entirely illogical and out of harmony with evidence. Therefore, they reject the bible account because they believe it says the same thing, the fundamentalist interpreters think it says. If
the agnostic geologist would lay aside the assumptions he has inherited from others and read the bible with an open mind, he would discover that the scripture is SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE. Satan's Character Lucifer, then,
changed his character from that of light bringer to that of destroyer. He had developed a philosophy just the opposite of God's -- he wanted to get instead of serve,
help, and give. Lucifer's job was to prepare this earth for human habitation. He knew this was to be the place where God was going to carry out his great spiritual creation of forming members of his very own family. He knew that God was planning to raise man to the level of the God kind -- the God kingdom -- a position higher than the angel kingdom. This was a thought Lucifer or Satan, finally could no longer take. He did not want to see man reach a level ABOVE HIS, SO HE DETERMINED TO TAKE GOD'S THRONE away from him and run things HIS way. He failed miserably.
He was cast out of heaven with his angels, now become demons. (Luke 10:18, Rev 7-9). His bright light became dull, dim, eerie, perverted. His whole nature had been miserably transformed. This, of course, was not the end of Satan's influence on earth or in the universe. In fact, it is even possible to know what Satan tried to do to hinder God after he was cast out after the original rebellion and before man was created. Satan's next scheme
was to TRY TO DIVIDE THE GOD FAMILY. He thought if he couldn't conquer God by spiritual warfare he would do it by craft. He tried it with a very clever lie. Now it is true that Satan had been cast out of heaven, but the bible reveals that at times he is still permitted to return and appear in God's presence (Job 1 and Rev 12). And this was true even before man was created. The first recorded
lie is what Satan told Eve in Gen. 3. But that was not the first lie. There is an ancient source, known to the pagans which indicates what it was: "Prometheus still continued to defy Zeus and declared that there was a decree of fate according to which Zeus was destined to be dethroned by his own son" as can easily be deduced from this,
"Zeus" is God and "Prometheus" is the devil. And Satan was saying that
the time would come WHEN GOD THE FATHER WOULD BE DETHRONED BY HIS OWN
SON. Satan's idea and aim
is always to DIVIDE people and set them against each other. And this is what he tried to do to the God family. He told God the father, "you watch, your SON will
try to take your throne away from you. He'll try to DOUBLE-CROSS you. You'd better not trust him." The bible shows clearly that
this is Satan's nature. It is precisely what he would try to do. Satan
is the ACCUSER and he was now accusing Christ of what he himself
had tried to do and still wanted to achieve. Did God Create a
Devil? No, Satan "created" himself through his evil philosophy, thoughts, and actions. His warped character changed the entire universe in past ages and still influences
our chaotic world to the present moment.
CHAPTER 2
Recreation and The second verse of
the bible gives us a picture of an earth that had been totally destroyed. It was a ball of mud and water out in space. All life on its surface had died -- drowned in great flooding and tidal waves, and then buried in mud, silt,
and debris. Water covered the
earth (notice the words "deep" and "waters" in verse 2), water which was filled with
sediment and debris. The atmosphere had been polluted also because darkness hung over the earth and no light could reach its surface. The Cause of Chaos What caused this
pollution of air and water? The answer is tremendous VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. The earth erupted with vast outflows of superheated lava. Volcanic deposits on the
continents and ocean bottoms provide the proof of this catastrophe that
tore the earth. This unbelievable
volcanic action caused terrible thick gaseous clouds and ash to be thrown into the atmosphere. This is why thick darkness literally covered the entire surface of the earth. The vast subterranean outflows of hot lava raised the temperature of the oceans. Terrible poisonous gases circulated through the waters as the result of the horrible fumes pouring out from within the earth. Life in the sea was poisoned and boiled by this volcanic eruption. Deep corings into the
ocean bottoms have not produced a single deposit below the upper Cretaceous. The tremendously hot lava melted and fused everything along the ocean floor. What deposits existed at that time have been rendered unrecognizable. Now the scientists
say this could not have happened all at once. Otherwise all ocean life would have died and there could have been no evolution. With all marine life extinguished, the evolutionary process could not have continued. But this is exactly what happened. The destruction at Satan's rebellion resulted in the sudden extinction of all life on earth. Again scientific findings prove evolution a dead theory and the bible true in every particular. (see "The Deep and the
Past," by David Ericson and Now notice the last
part of the second verse: "and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." God was
doing something to the waters. This was before God said, "let
there be light." Nowhere later in this first chapter of the bible do
we read of God cleaning up the oceans to prepare them for sea life -- so that is what must have been happening at this point. God, through the power of his spirit, was PURIFYING THE MUDDY WATERS to prepare them to support life when the fifth day of creation week arrived. Now it is time for a summary of what God did to recreate the earth and prepare it for human habitation. The First Day It is well to bear in
mind that the story of creation here is told from the point of view of a person down on the surface
of the earth. Moses wrote from this perspective. Thus, when God said, "let there be light" he was sayings "let
the light shine through to the surface of the earth." The sun had been
there from the original creation (verse 1) but its light could not reach
the earth because of the dense haze in the atmosphere. Now God purified the air so the darkness disappeared. Verse 4 and 5 tell us of the origins of day and night. God divided the light from the darkness by causing the earth to begin spinning on its axis. The Second Day On the second day God
made the firmament (verse 6-8), the expanse or space which separates the clouds in their upper regions from the seas below them. This word firmament is an unfortunate translation. These verses are actually speaking of the ATMOSPHERE, the deep blanket of air which covers the earth. Scientifically this is called the troposphere, the portion of
the atmosphere below stratosphere. The very existence of
our atmosphere is a miracle. If it did not have proper composition and density, no life could exist on our planet. Our atmosphere is made up largely of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). It also contains essential amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapors, as well as traces of neon, helium, methane, krypton xenon, hydrogen, ozone, and other rare gases. The rare gases present in our atmosphere exist in much smaller amounts than anywhere else in the universe while the proportions of oxygen, nitrogen, careen dioxide, and water vapor are much greater. If the ingredients of our atmosphere followed the proportions prevalent around other planets life on earth would be impossible. An error such as having too much or too little of even one gas would make the earth uninhabitable. Beyond its perfect
chemical composition which makes human, animals and plant life possible, the atmosphere performs other vital functions. It shields us from the constant barrage of
gamma rays and acts as insulation against both heat and cold. The atmosphere holds and distributes heat, maintaining temperatures at mild levels. One major example: a
thin layer of ozone forty miles above the earth miraculously protects life on earth from eight killer rays. If this little belt of ozone were to suddenly drift into space, all life oh earth would perish. Ozone itself is poisonous to human beings but, thousands of feet above us, it acts as a protective shield. The point is clear.
Such an atmosphere as ours, with its perfect balance of layers and gases, could not be the result of sheer chance. The existence of the atmosphere proves the existence of the creator. And because its composition and functions remain essentially unchanged, this is proof that he maintains and sustains it. With every breath of air we take, we prove God exists. Notice, then, that God created the atmosphere early in the orderly progression of creation week as a necessary prerequisite for the living things that were to be brought into existence naturally. The Third Day When the third day of
creation week arrived, the earth still lay prostrate under a covering of water. But now God began RESHAPING the surface of the home of man. He caused the dry land to appear by raising the continents from their covering of
water. (verses 9-10). Follow this great demonstration of power, God. Brought into existence the fruits, vegetables, grasses. And grain's necessary to sustain human and animal life. These types of vegetation were not in existence in Lucifer's world because that world was not designed to support human life. In this connection,
it is significant to note that evolution is never discussed in terms of PLANT fossils. The remains of vegetation in the strata of the earth. Grains, grasses, fruit-bearing trees, et al, are never found before the Cenozoic era, the theme when man came to inhabit the earth. Grass, for example, was made for mammals and mammals were made for men. But giant tropical trees, as geologic evidence shows, did exist before grass. However, no evolutionist would admit trees
evolving into grass. That would be evolution in reverse. Thus the remains of plants from past ages prove the bible true and evolution a disproven theory. The Fourth Day This is the day that
God, in a figurative sense, created HIS CALENDAR, a calendar that man can never change because it is based on the solar system and the entire universe. In the words of verse 14, God set the astral bodies "for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years." (Luke 21:25). The sacred calendar, which God commissioned the Jewish people to preserve along with the old testament, is simply a record on paper of
what goes on in God's calendar stretching over the vastness of space. On this fourth day, then, God positioned the sun, moon and stars in correct and harmonious relationship. He made the sun and moon to visibly govern day, night, months and years. He also assigned the solar system its precise orbital patterns. At this point, we
should compare verse 3 with verses 14 and 16 -- the description of days one and six of creation week. Confusion often arises over the translation of the verbs in
these verses. In verse 3 when God said, "let there be
lights" the word "LET" from Hebrew doesn't mean to create or make; it
means to manifest what was previously in existence. God was simply
saying, "let the light shine through to the surface of the earth." Now look at verse 14.
Here the Hebrew word for "LET" is an entirely different word from that used in verse 3. By this time the atmosphere had been completely purified and the heavenly bodies were now unveiled in all their glory whereas only light had been manifested before, now the sun, moon, and stars became visible for the first time as they were placed in correct relative position to the earth. Verse 16 makes this
even more precise. Here we read, "and God made two great lights." Once again a clearer
translation of the verb makes this plain. The verb "made" is the
Hebrew "Asah." The meaning of this Hebrew word is: constituted, appointed, or ordained. God appointed the sun and moon to rule the day and the night. By way of review,
notice how God's re-creation progressed: on the first day, from an already existing heaven (sun, moon,
and stars) and earth, God manifested light through the darkness of the clouded atmosphere. The atmosphere was prepared on the
second day. Dry land and vegetation appeared on the third day. Then, on the fourth day, the sun, moon, and stars became clearly visible for the first time. This is when they were appointed or ordained for special purposes: for signs, seasons, days, years, and to give light upon the earth. Notice how orderly and logically
God's work was carried out. The Fifth Day In the next 24-hour
period God bought into existence all the types of sea life and feathered fowl (verse 20). All these creatures reproduced AFTER THEIR KIND. Evolution teaches that
all living things came from an original living cell and then developed, over eons of time, into all the living things we see today. For example, reptiles
are supposed to have evolved into birds. But, if this were the case, how could such slow development take place with no creatures being found which were HALF-WAY IN BETWEEN -- or a reptile with a few feathers on it. The evolutionists say we don't see this today because evolution is not happening now. We neither have any fossil remains of such creatures ever been found. Logically, there should be lots of remains of reptiles that tried to fly and failed in the attempt. Dogs supposedly
evolved into horses -- but no half-dogs or half-horses (or any other percentages of the two in combination) have ever been discovered. As we read of the creation of the animals on day six of creation week (verses 24 and 25), all
these reproduce AFTER THEIR OWN KIND. Dogs, no matter how many varieties (from dachshund to collie to Saint Bernard) they develop into, are still always dogs. They have never evolved
into any other kind of creature. God created each KIND of animal -- AND THE GAPS BETWEEN THOSE KINDS CAN NEVER BE BRIDGED. The Sixth Day In the bible, six is
the number of man. And it was on the sixth day that man, as well as all other land creatures, was formed, shaped, and brought into existence by God. Notice that a more detailed description of the creation of the first man and woman is given in Genesis 2. This second chapter of the bible, from verse 4 on ask in general, a flash back to the sixth day of creation. More wile be said about Genesis chapter 2 shortly. Now something very
important should be emphasized: the ultimate purpose of God -- to reproduce himself in human beings -- is already revealed in the very first chapter of the bible. Notice in verses 24-25 how God's laws operate: each creature he designed and brought into existence reproduces after its kind. Then, in verse 26, God says, "let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion ..." THE GOD
FAMILY REPRODUCES AFTER ITS KIND also! Of course, this does
not happen all at once. The physical creation took one literal week as described here in Genesis. But the SPIRITUAL creation -- from human kind to God kind --
requires the "millennial week" of 1000-year days (plus 100
years of the great white throne judgement) to reach completion (II Pet 3:8). Study Genesis 2:2 in this connection. As the sixth day's sun
set, and the seventh day of the week arrived, "God ended his
work which he had made." God did not end creating. He ended his
work which he had created only those physical things made by work.
But the spiritual creation was only about to begin. Notice also that man
is to have dominion over the sea, the air, and all the earth (verse. 26 and 28 -- God repeats that twice). In other words, man is to learn to rule over the
physical earth. He is to "subdue" or conquer it (verse 28).
Man's destiny is to rule. God sets man over the physical things now and, as he builds character in this, he is to be given spiritual rule later (Matt. 25:21; The limit of man's
rule is the air above the earth. The atmosphere. Outer space is not man's domain. Man is an
earthbound creature -- outer space belongs to God. Thus when man tries to
go beyond his limitations as assigned by God, he is headed for disaster. (see the booklet, "who will rule space?")
Man's ultimate destiny is to rule outer space -- the entire universe
-- but AS GOD, not as man. Man's mind can outreach his body as he tries to become God before his time. This is a lesson physical man must learn. He will not gain the power he wants until he comes into it GOD'S WAY. Finally, realize that
God gave man dominion over the animals and the rest of the physical earth, but God did not give him the prerogative to rule over other men. The only one who can rightly and correctly rule over man is God. Humans need THE GOVERNMENT
OF GOD to be happy. In this world God has allowed men to exercise human government. But this is about to end in complete disaster. Man must learn by experience that his way is not right. Then he will yield to God's governments God is giving man ample time -- 6,000 years -- to learn that his methods of government must be completely abandoned and replaced by God's perfect rule. The Seventh Day After creating the
earth and making it suitable for human habitation, God set apart the seventh day as a reminder to man
of the creation and the creator. He created the sabbath by resting on that day, by placing his presence in it, thus setting it
apart as holy time. God made the sabbath
special, sacred, holy, and commanded man to keep it that way. God has never changed on this point. It is a part of his eternal, unchangeable law. The only change in the sabbath has been man's carnal attitude toward it. But it still is the commemoration of creation. It reminds us of the
true God, and the people of God have always held it sacred and holy. So one can see that God is the author of the seven-day week -- not the Babylonians as some have supposed. (for detailed proof that the creation week was a regular period of seven 24-hour days, see the article, "How Long Were the Days of
Creation?" Reprint 470). The Relationship of Genesis One and Two An important final
note: chapter 1 of Genesis should include the first three verses of chapter 2 so that all seven days of
the creation week would be in one undivided unit. The account of the sabbath should not be separated from the other six days. Men divided the bible into chapters and verses, not God. These divisions are not an inspired part of scripture. The main events that occurred on day six of creation week are presented in more detail in Genesis 2 beginning with verse 4. At this point notice carefully the order of events in verses 7 and 8: in verse 7, God creates the first man out of the dust of the ground -- in the same form and shape as God, but not out of the same substance. God is spirit, but man is flesh. (and for proof that Adam was a white person, see page 6 of the October, 1963, "Plain
Truth", the article, "The Real Cause of the Race Crisis." by Mr.
Herbert W. Armstrong.) Then, in verse 8, God
plants a garden "eastward in did God create the man before he planted the garden? Because in this way Adam saw God in the process of creating with his own eyes. God the eternal wanted the first man to SEE and KNOW that he was the creator. Because Adam saw this, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt who his maker was. The last 8 verses of this chapter tell of the creation of the first woman and the origin
of marriage. The Question of Origins Here it should be
observed how many FIRSTS there are in the first two chapters of the bible -- two KEY chapters in revealing to man the ORIGINS OF ALL THAT EXISTS! 1) the
first revelation of God as creator and
originator of all things. 2) the
origin of life in all its forms. 3) the
origin of the 7-day week. 4) the
origin of marriage. Man IGNORES the
question of origins. Actually, in the final analysis, the carnal man does not want to know how and when he originated BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THAT GOD IS ORIGINATOR AND CREATOR. Man does not want to admit that God has revealed the origin of all things in SIMPLE TERMS in the bible. Man wants to be free to speculate about his origin. This is illustrated by a typical high school level ancient history text. This book begins with the usual first section on
"primitive" humans and refers to them, in a heading, as "people without names." In other words, the concept is presented that no
one knows the first human beings were. But the bible makes
plain who the first people were -- Adam and Eve. We know what their names were, where they lived, what they looked like, and who their children were. God wants us to knows these things; he does not want us in ignorance of this knowledge. But man rejects this truth. He calls God's historical record MYTH. Location of Now consider the
remarkable geographic picture contained in Genesis 2. Observe carefully that the garden where the first humans lived was actually just a small part of a larger area called was probably what we now think of as the entire coastal region
on the east side of the the south. Both, the bible, in other passages, and Josephus' account confirm this picture. The bible gives
further details. Notice that a river flowed out of river originated at a point west of the garden (the coast was further west at this time), flowed through it, and
then divided into its four branches. From Josephus (Antiquities I, I, 3) we learn that the river Pison is equivalent to the general area of the original name (verses 11-14). The picture given in
the bible suggests that the earth at this early time was a low-lying tropical paradise with a mild climate, and that these rivers were like wide, gentle-flowing streams or canals which rippled eastward toward the seas. However, geologic changes were subsequently to alter this drainage pattern to a great extent. As a consequence, these rivers now all have separate sources and flow in different directions. The bible also
indicates that this beautiful garden was the highest point of land. Scripture reveals that in the world tomorrow a great river will again emanate from once again be the highest area of land. Nations will go up to things as they were in the Adamic world. The picture the bible paints for the future also reveals how conditions were in the past. The garden of Eden
was in the vicinity of find in geological history, this geographical description of the river system of geologists, unaware of what they have discovered, have actually presented a simple sketch of the astounding evidence (on page 35 of E. A. Speiser's "At the Dawn of Civilization") in a
geologic map of strata labeled "upper Cretaceous" may be seen in
outline the area through which the waters from the garden of Eden flowed. Three
of the four parts of the vast stream flowed toward the north and east, the other moved southward. The present dead sea were not then formed. (Compendium, Volume II. pp. 316-317). There is more in the
bible on this topic. Later, when Adam was driven from the garden, he traveled east. Interestingly enough, when the children of Joshua into where the original humans lived after they left the Garden of Satan's Return Immediately after
Adam was created, God began to instruct him in the way to live (Gen. 2:15-17). But the training did not last long because, when chapter 3 opens, Satan is on the scene and craftily at work misleading the first humans. The serpent of verse 1 was a physical creature which was influenced by the
great fallen spirit, Satan. He approached the most susceptible member of the family, Eve, and began to cause her to doubt God's teaching. Eve did not know that only humans and spirits have the power of speech. He told her she had an immortal soul already
and that she was a God herself (verses 4-5). Satan was extremely
subtle in his approach. He knew that it was the destiny of man to ultimately be God -- to be composed of the eternal spirit of God which always existed. So, in a very crafty, soft, secretive manner, he said to the woman, "God
did not tell you everything. He is kept things from you, things that you are entitled to know. Immortality is already a part of your nature. It is in you now, Eve. Didn't you know that? God didn't tell you that, did he? You listen to me ...." (Read pages
41-51 of "God Speaks Out on the New Morality".) That was his approach
-- and it worked. The woman was influenced, and Adam sinned along with her in partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life, the source of the holy spirit, was there too, but they had not gone near it. Satan knew human nature and used this knowledge wrongly in order to teach the first humans sin. Adam and Eve made
clothes for themselves (verse 7) because Satan had taught them the philosophy of dualism -- that the soul is good and pure but the body, with its drives and desires, is evil and nasty. He convinced them they'd better cover up the prison house of the immortal soul. God now had to EXPEL
the first humans from their paradise because they had obeyed Satan instead of the creator. They were cut off from the tree of life which was the symbol of the holy spirit (verse 22). The holy spirit was not again made available to mankind until Christ, the second Adam, returned to heaven and sent it to his disciples on the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D. But God did not leave the first humans
without hope. He promised them a savior. It is commonly recognized that Gen. 3:15 is the first prophecy in the bible about Christ. The seed of the woman is singular (the 'it' in the King James version should be rendered 'he') and refers to Christ. Satan would 'bruise' Christ's 'heel' in causing him to be crucified. But Christ would bruise Satan's head by rising from the dead and triumphing over him. Thoroughly disqualifying and finally deposing him as ruler of the world. In short, Christ does much more harm to Satan than Satan ever does to Christ (Rom.
CHAPTER 3 The
Ways of Cain and Seth The first family's
brief experience in the garden of Eden was over. Now Adam and Eve had to start a new life in much less desirable environment. What were the events and developments at the very beginning of earliest pre-flood society? Cain and Abel The bible continues
the account in Genesis 4 with the birth of Cain and Abel. No mention is made of how much time had passed since the expulsion from the garden of Eden but it probably was
a period of several decades, possibly as much as half a century.
It seems a logical deduction that Adam and Eve, under gods direction, spent considerable time establishing themselves
before beginning to raise a family. The indication in
verse 2, reports Adam Clarke in his commentary, is that Cain and Abel were twins because it says about Eve, " ... she again bare" -- or added in baring
-- "his brother Abel." It does not say that she conceived
separately again later before Abel was born. So the implication, says
Clarke commentary, is they were: born at the same time. Understanding Cain's
character is important for the early story of human history. His very name implies what type of
person he was -- Cain means "gotten" or "acquired."
Cain was selfish; he wanted to get for himself. He was a spoiled child. This becomes very apparent as the story develops. There are definite
and startling reasons why Cain turned out as he did. He was, first of all, the product of an unhappy marriage. Adam and Eve did not live in harmony. Eve blamed Adam for the expulsion from Eden and Adam blamed Eve. They probably never really forgave each other for having bungled their golden opportunity. Every argument they had must have ended up focused on this painful memory. However, a savior had
been promised (Gen. 3:15). This was something to look forward to. But this promise caused Eve to
draw a hasty, false, and extremely harmful assumption. Notice her statement in Gen. 4:1. The King James rendering -- "I have
gotten a man from the eternal" -- is not correct. In the original Hebrew, this statement reads, "I have gotten a man -- the eternal." She actually thought that her firstborn son was
the promised child, God in the flesh. Under this deception, she treated Cain as if he were a god. And that is why he turned out to be such a monstrous delinquent. The full significance of this will be explained in chapter 6 when the actual meaning of Gen. 6:2 is revealed. Now verse 2 states
that Abel was a shepherd but Cain was a farmer. God actually wanted people in this early time to be mainly shepherds instead of farmers so that the soil could slowly be built up from animal waste, leaves from the trees, and so on. He wanted elements to be added to the soil instead of removed from it. But Cain was a farmer, which in itself, was not
pleasing to God. As will he been later, he also forced the ground, and,
by this method, damaged it even more than normal. Cain was selfish and greedy. He wanted what he wanted NOW! On top of that, he always wanted to keep the best for himself. So Cain was a farmer which, in itself, was not pleasing to God. But, as will be seen later, he also FORCED the ground and, by this method, damaged it even more than normally. Thus, when reading of
the offering of Cain and Abel in verses 3-5, it is easy to understand why God was displeased with Cain. He not only had a selfish attitude but he used wrong, methods in even growing the fruits he offered. He had not obeyed God at all. Notice here that
though the first family had been driven from the garden of Eden. God was still teaching and instructing them. He had not told them to disperse. He wanted the human family in his presence. If they obeyed him they would be
blessed. In this case, God had requested an offering and the two brothers brought theirs. But Cain's, and what it represented, was not acceptable while Abel's was. The First Murder In verses 5-7 God
analyzed Cain's attitude for him. He told him he could triumph over sin if he wanted to and that his offerings could be found acceptable if he were genuinely repentant. But Cain never made any attempt to repent. He had an angry look on his face not only because he was disappointed, but because he was premeditating the murder of his brother. He thought this was the quickest way to solve his problem. Verse 8 finds Abel
naively out in the field in his wicked brother's company. Little did he realize he would be the victim of the first murder in all human history. How Cain accomplished the deed is not known but, being a farmer and reaper, he might have done it with a cutting instrument such as a scythe. Then, after it was over, Cain tried to hide his crime by burying the body. Human society was off to an appropriate start because war and murder have been its prime characteristics through all ages. Cain's "Mark" God confronted Cain
with his sin. He could have done this in front of the family of Adam. (see Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown commentary.) But Cain was still not repentant. He tried to cover up (verse 9). The eternal did not waste time with Cain. He immediately told him his sentence (verses 10-12). God could have executed Cain, but he wanted the world to learn what Cain's way would lead to. He wanted to let man, cut off from God. Express his way so mankind could learn the ultimate result of wrong methods of living. After the eternal
told Cain that he would be a fugitive and a vagabond as a result of his sin, Cain still did not change his negative attitude. His reply (verses 13-14) shows his consistently self-centered outlook. He blamed God for his problems, not himself. In a sense, he said, "what you're doing
to me isn't fair. I don't have a chance. I'm not getting a square deal." God did not execute
Cain for his crime. But he separated him -- excommunicated him -- from the rest of the human family. This is the meaning of Cain's "mark" (Gen. 4:15). It was
not a brand on his forehead, a long horn growing out of his head, affliction with paralysis, his dog, or any other of the ridiculous guesses that men have put forth. It was a WARNING MARKER or BOUNDARY
LINE set up to separate Cain from the rest of Adam's family. A better rendering of
the verse would make it more understandable: "and the eternal set up a marker (or,
monument) for (or, against) Cain. Lest any finding him should kill
him." This was actually a religious segregation because Cain wrong attitude had made it necessary. God was saying, "I won't
want Adam's family influenced by your selfish and sinful approach to life." Yes, Cain was unfit
to live in the same land with the rest of the people. God told Adam's children, "you stay here in
the area of in" (see Deut. 32:8). Later, this separation included
racial segregation; Cain became the ancestor of all the non-white people. Before the flood. Different races did exist before the flood as one can see, and these races passed through the defuse. The line and posterity of Cain did not cease with the flood. It has actually continued down to our day. The Curse On Cain Cain was now cut off
from God. "Cain went out from the presence of the eternal." (Gen. 4:16) he was now on his
own; he was forced to wander; he could no longer call on God. He would have to solve his problems on his own. It was not a pleasant fate. This ostracizing of Cain is analogous to putting an individual out of God's church. Such a person is separated from God's people until he repents. But Cain did not repent. He
wanted his own way at all costs and started his own society and practices. When did the
excommunication of Cain take place? The indication of Gen. 5:3 is that approximately a century and a quarter had elapsed since Adam's creation. A logical deduction based on this verse is that Seth was born soon after Cain's
crime because he was to replace the murdered Abel (Gen. 4:25). Since Seth was born when Adam was 130, the death of Abel must have occurred shortly before that birth. By putting the bible
together with Josephus' account. It is possible to determine Cain's activities after he was separated from Adam's family and cut off from God. He and his wife who
was, of necessity, his sister, (Gen. 5:4) went to live in an area called "the land of wandering". Which was east of over many countries." (Antiquities I, II, 2.) Here is an indication
that, after the expulsion: Cain actually spent a century or more wandering over the earth. Why did Cain become a wanderer or nomad? Why did he not settle down permanently in a specific area? Amazingly, the bible and geology provide the answer. As a result of the sin of Cain the entire history of human society and the earth's surface were remarkably changed. Notice what God had
told Cain before his expulsion: "and now art thou cursed from the earth ... When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive (or wanderer) and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth"
(Gen. "contrived to plough the ground". In addition, he
greedily tried to get more crops faster by "forcing the ground."
Cain, in other words, sought to gain his livelihood by farming methods which depleted the soil. For example, he
probably used the following method. He would burn down a forest or other vegetation on the land. Then he
would plant seed in the ashes which served as fertilizer. Such land would produce well for a few years but after that it was ruined through such harsh abuse. Cain destroyed the soil for the
purpose of quick crops. He did not care about conserving fertility for future generations. God wanted the earliest humans to be shepherds so that the soil could be built up -- but Cain forced the ground before it was developed. God put a stop to
Cain's way -- the way of getting. If Cain and his heirs had been allowed to continue these agricultural methods, soils all over the world would long ago have been rendered unfit for cultivation. The curse on Cain was not some strange poisoning of the soil. Logically, it could mean only one thing -- A CHANGE IN THE EARTH'S CLIMATE! The geological record tells us what God did to save the soil from utter depletion. Mountain chains arose where there were none before. Seas dried up. The balmy semitropical climate of the world rapidly shifted into torrid and frigid zones. Wherever Cain
wandered, his agricultural pursuits came to naught. When it should have rained, the weather turned dry. Just as he was about to reap the ripening crop, in came a storm. Nothing turned out right. Cain was forced to turn to food gathering -- to hunting and gleaning the wild fruits and
berries. He and the generations who followed him eaked out a wretched living. Both geology and archaeology testify to these
conditions. The Proof of Geology In the tertiary
geological deposits, which follow the upper Cretaceous, many surface changes are recorded. The climate began to turn cooler. Desert regions developed in the wake of mountain building. Pluvial and arid periods fluctuated. The climate in
the northern hemisphere became even cooler. Vast snow falls engulfed the regions now labeled expanded. Fluctuations in sea level occurred. All along, the continental shore lines the changing beach levels left their mark. Many may still be seen today. Geologists mislabel this pre-flood period "ice ages." Cain's children were
forced to adopt his level of existence. Because of his sin, Cain initiated a degenerate way of life. His descendants became fugitives, wanderers, vagabonds. They too
were reduced to hunting and gathering because the soil would not
yield normal crops. They began living in caves in regions far removed from the main civilizations in the near east and became shockingly depraved. These stone cultures
have even left evidences of Canni-Balism. (page 3 of Dr. Hoeh's article, "Scientists
Discover There Were Giants on Earth in Those Days," reprint 150.)
The existence of these cave men, which archaeologists have discovered, does not prove the theory of evolution -- it shows the shocking process of degeneration in the human race. This period witnessed
the spread of human habitation around the world. Fossil remains of giant human beings (Gen. 6:4) of this period have been found by geologists. This is the time of the Paleolithic man, of the Neanderthal man and the Mousterian culture, of the mammoth and reindeer hunters of the upper Paleolithic. Their culture exactly fits the curse that befell Cain. The complete story of
culture changes before the flood may be found in such works as F. C. Hibben's "Prehistoric man
in " clear that the flood occurred at the end of the geological epoch called the Pleistocene -- an event marked in geologic records by the sudden disappearance of many forms of animal life.
Especially the Mammoths of geologically is the post-flood world. (see Volume II of Dr. Hoeh's Compendium of World History, Chapter 18.) Cain's Society Before telling of the
activities of Cain in his later life, it would be helpful to summarize the seven key points about him which Josephus recorded. 1) Cain was a
"covetous man" who "was wholly intent upon getting." This statement reveals this evil man's true
character. He was completely selfish. 2) Cain was the first
to plough and force the ground -- a point already covered in detail. 3) Cain did not
repent but only GREW WORSE IN HIS WICKEDNESS. He "only" aimed to procure everything that
was for his own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious
to his neighbors. He increased his own wealth by violence and robbery. 4) Cain "became
a great leader of men into wicked courses." He set a wrong example and others copied it. This could include his own children and/or other sons of Adam -- other children of the general family as it developed over the centuries Cain's
life spanned. 5) Cain was the
author of measures and weights." He was not only the inventor of farming but the originator of trading -- with the motive of getting. His aim was to give the least to get the most. Cain's weights and measures were probably dishonest. And this is certainly supported by Josephus' statement that Cain "changed the world into cunning craftiness." Cain was
a shrewd dealer -- this was the way he operated. 6) "he first of
all set boundaries about ..." Cain was the first to build fences around his land. He said "don't
trespass this is mine." He didn't want to let others' cattle graze
upon his land. This is the feeling and the attitude he had and promoted. 7) "he built a
city, and fortified it with walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it ..." As one
shall see, Cain's methods continued after the flood. Nimrod copied
from him. Nimrod gathered people together to build a city so he could easily keep the populous under his control. He merely perfected an idea which had originated with Cain. Cain's Famous Walled City At this point
Josephus' words about Cain need to be emphasized: Cain "built a city, and fortified it with walls
..." The bible speaks of this same city: Cain "builded a city,
and called the name of the city, after the name of his son,
Enoch." (Gen. 4:17) Though in a sense
this is getting ahead of the story, it is appropriate at this point to tell of the significance of the famous walled city, Enoch. In recent years, archaeologists made
a startling discovery. In their excavations at the site of ancient they were amazed to uncover a big town in an early
"pre-pottery Neolithic" state thousands of years -- as they measure time
-- before any city of this type should have existed. This vast town existed at a time when only villages of tents or huts should
have been in use -- but there it was. It was of large proportion, of great duration -- and had a huge wall around it. When the archaeological findings are correctly interpreted (see the chart on page 80 of the "Bible and the Ancient Near East",
edited by G. Ernest Wright), it is evident this city must have existed before the flood. In short, when the
statements of the bible and Josephus are correlated with the findings of archaeology, there is one
logical conclusion: PRE-FLOOD JERICHO WAS THE WALLED CITY OF ENOCH WHICH CAIN BUILT. Here are some details
concerning this city. It occupied an area of not less than ten acres -- large dimensions for that early time, and especially since it was completely surrounded by a great wall. Many thousands of people lived in and around this heavily fortified town -- and it is these fortifications that form the most astonishing feature of this remarkable discovery. These defenses are
described as "astounding for any period." They consisted of a ditch, wall, and tower. The ditch or moat
was some 28 feet wide and six to seven feet deep. Inside this protective ditch the wall itself was built. A remarkable structure over five feet thick and some thirteen feet high. Finally, adjoining the wall was a great circular stone tower (which is still standing to this day) reaching a height of over 26 feet. James Mellaart makes this significant observation:
"the prodigious labour involved in the erection of these defenses implies an ample labour force, a central authority to plan, organize and direct the work and an economical surplus to pay
for it." ("Earliest Civilizations of the page 36.) Such was the power and authority that Cain had mustered. To recapitulate:
early in his life, after having been driven out by God, Cain wandered over many areas of the world. He did not stay in any one place very long. And the children he had
over the course of those many decades also were nomads who migrated and engaged in hunting and fishing. The implication in Josephus' account is that Cain did not build this famous walled city until well into his life. Some centuries elapsed before he began this project. Now take careful note
of the location of this city: it was in "Seth's land" or COME BACK INTO FORBIDDEN TERRITORY. At an earlier time God had said: "this area is for Seth and his family -- the rest of
the world is for Cain and his children to wander on." But, as
we well know, Cain was not noted for being willing to obey any of God's orders. Another significant
point: the archaeologists cave concluded that pre-flood population by agriculture alone. There was not enough fertile area to support that many people. Thus they conclude that this famous city must have existed on the basis of trade and
commerce. How could this city
engage in trade and commerce? Remember what Josephus said -- that Cain was the inventor of weights and measures implying that he was engaged in trading. But also
recall that Cain procured "spoils by robbery." In other
words, he must have forced surrounding peoples to pay tribute, and he must have engaged in looting and pillage. This was the basis of his trade and commerce. In addition, with the dead sea then already in existence and located near-by, Cain must have controlled the
salt trade of that world. This was a lucrative business because all people need salt for meats and vegetables. Cain then, built this
great walled town and made it the world center of trade and commerce. From it he pillaged the rest of society. "Do unto others before they do unto you?"
And this is the way our world is today. Cain was cut off from God. He was wandering on his own. And we live in world cut off from God too -- groping its way to destruction. He sent marauding
bands out to steal and loot. Then they would escape their pursuers by hiding inside the city's impenetrable walls. This was his headquarters, the focal point
of that society's "civilization." As a result of it also,
the family of Cain broke down racial bounds and began to began to
intermarry with the family of Seth. (for detailed information about this famous city, see Emmanuel Anati's "Palestine Before the
Hebrews" and Kathleen Keyon's "Digging up numerous fine pictures showing the walls of pre-Flood the kind of buildings that were there.) Yes, Cain's city is
still with us today. This famous pre-flood world trade center was destroyed, of course, by the flood. But archaeology has found that it had been destroyed before that also. The wall was
smashed and then rebuilt. The Way of Cain The important truth
we need to learn from all this is that Cain was the originator of civilization as we know it. Our
entire society today is patterned after "the way of Cain"
(Jude 11). It is a way of competitiveness, selfishness, and greed. Satan used the family of Cain to perpetuate his philosophy. Cain was
"spiritually bankrupt." He had no love for his neighbor at all. The code of Cain was, "get the other
fellow before he gets you. Do unto others before they do unto
you." This is the way our world is today. Cain was cut off from God. He was wandering on his own. And we live in a world cut off from God
too -- groping its way to destruction. God could have
destroyed Cain. But He wanted him to develop his own way and let the world learn from it. God wanted man to
go ahead and express his own way and let that way come to full flowering and fruition. Cain's way led to the Flood -- the complete destruction of humanity except for eight persons! And
it will lead to an unbelievable carnage again in the near future! God has decreed that man must learn once and for all -- in complete finality -- that THE WAY OF CAIN SIMPLY WILL NOT WORK!! When man learns this lesson by hard experience, then he will
turn to God in real repentance! But he has not reached that point -- yet! We study history to
learn the lesson of human experience so we don't make the same mistakes ourselves (I Cor. 10:6, 11;
Rom.. 15:4.) The history of the past will help the citizens of the World Tomorrow see that God's way is the only way. And so the great
truth of these early chapters of the Bible is that Cain started an entire pattern in society which is with us to this day, a way of life which must finally be eradicated from the earth! It is a way which, though our human nature prompts us to follow it, we must exterminate from our daily practices and replace it with the way of God -- the way of love, giving, and sharing!" What was the effect
of the "way of Cain" on society down to the Flood. And can we know what ultimately became of Cain? Also, what were the major contributions of the line of Cain to society in pre-Flood times? These are the interesting questions yet to
be covered. The Line of Cain vs. The Line of Seth and Enos To put the picture in
as simple terms as possible. It may be stated that the story of the pre-flood society is the story of the line of Cain as opposed to that of Seth and Enos. What was the interrelationship of these two major groups before and up to 2370? As indicated
previously, Cain and Abel may have been twins. But they were un-like twins. Cain was originally separated because of religious reasons, because of his rebellious
attitude. But, later, this division also became racial in significance. In other words, Cain
was the father of the NON-white race before the flood. Seth was the ancestor of the contrasting WHITE line. And these two lines were to remain separate. This is what God wanted. And, for a long time, they were -- but this changed in Lamech's day (Gen. 4:19) who lived in the generation that existed just before the flood came upon the earth. The important concept
to bear in mind, then, about the situation before the flood is this: biologically (racially), culturally, intellectually, and spiritually there were just TWO BASIC WAYS OF LIFE -- the way of God which was preserved in the family of Seth, and the way of Satan which was promoted by the descendants of Cain! See the accompanying genealogical chart at the end of the chapter. Seth and Enos WHAT KIND OF A PERSON
WAS Seth, the son born to Adam and Eve after Abel's murder? (Gen. 4:25) (Josephus Antiquities I, II, 3) provides some interesting information. Seth was a man of CHARACTER! His children were properly reared and imitated his good character. All of them had good dispositions and lived together in the same country without fighting and warring. This implies that the
family of Seth WAS SEPARATE FROM THE FAMILY OF CAIN AS GOD HAD INTENDED. As shall be noted shortly, the family of Cain carried on fights, feuds, quarrels, and dissension's. It is only natural that the philosophy of Cain should breed such results. But the family of Seth, for
centuries, was separate from the sins and mistakes of the line of Cain. God certainly must have protected them and given them blessing and favor. Knowing what kind of
a person Seth was is very important to bear in mind in relation to the following information, Seth was born when Adam was 130 years of age. Seth lived a total of 912 years. Enos was Seth's first
son (Gen. 5:6). Notice, at this point, that Genesis chapters 4 and 5 are not in direct sequence. To
find out anything additional about Enos, it is necessary to go back
to Gen. 4:26. "... Then began men to call upon the name of the eternal." Now understand this point: the Hebrew here
rendered "call upon" can mean, just as correctly, to
"preach" or to "publish." (compare, for example, Matt. 24:14 and Mark
13:10 -- in the first the gospel is prophesied to be preached but, in the second instance. It is to be published.) In short, this verse
may be properly understood as, "then began men to preach or publish in the name of or by the
authority of the eternal." In other words, this Hebrew expression
means to communicate in general without distinguishing as to whether it
is writing or speaking. And it may include both these methods. A few Jewish commentators
have understood this verse to mark the beginning or origins of WRITING! In other words, the first people to use the written language and records (as well as to spread the knowledge of God by preaching) was THE FAMILY OF SETH AND ENOS. Adam and Eve, back in
the garden of Eden, had a spoken language. God put into Adam's mind, by a direct miracle, the symbolic knowledge necessary to understand and to speak a verbal language in order to communicate with God. But God did not give
man a ready-made written system of communication. Something's God leaves to man to develop and perfect. Writing was one of these arts. God wants man to work
and build character in acquiring and preserving knowledge. Thus he left the development of this skill to man. The fact that the
line of Seth, in the lifetime of Enos, perfected a beginning form of written communication is supported by verse 1 of chapter 5: "this is the book ..."
Records were being kept. This chapter 5 is a simple genealogy, an uncomplicated type of writing with no particular style or form, another indication that this was the beginning of written records. Eight Preachers of Righteousness A verse in the new
testament, II Peter 2:5, provides a major point about the line of Seth. Notice that the word
"person" is in italics. The way the verse stands in the King James version, the impression is given that Noah was the eighth person of the eight that were in the ark, but, in the original Greek, the meaning of the verse is this: "and spared not the old world, but saved
Noah, THE EIGHTH PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly ..." Noah, then, was the
eighth preacher of righteousness in his line, beginning with Seth, Methuselah is not included -- he died the year of the flood. For the other six preachers of righteousness before the flood, see Genesis 5 and the accompanying chart. To repeat: the major
cultural and social contribution of the family of Seth, in the society before the flood, was THE ART AND SKILL OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE. The next question is,
"what were the contributions of the family of Cain?" And "what were the RESULTS of their contributions?" Immense Length of Life Before the Flood Before answering
these questions, it would be helpful in arriving at an understanding of the pre-flood world, to realize the impact of the great length of life these people experienced and what effect they had on the entire society. When did people reach
maturity in that day? Certainly it was not at 20 or 25 as today. Genesis 5 gives a definite indication. The fathers listed there had their first sons, between the ages of 60 and 130. The youngest recorded age at which the first son was begotten was in the case of Mahalaleel -- 65 (Gen. 5:15).
The same was true in Enoch's case (verse 21). Jared, on the other hand, was 162 years of age, and Methuselah was 187. In short,
the indication is that it took people to mature, on the average, upwards of three or four times as long. In other words, in that world, a person was in his "teens" till he reached 60
to 80 years of age. The oldest human
fossil remains prove this. One of the chief characteristics of all these remains is the extreme longevity characteristic of the skeletons. The massive proportions of the body. The great development of the muscular processes, the extreme wearing of the teeth -- without our characteristic
amount of decay -- THE OBLITERATION OF THE SUTURES OR SEAMS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS BONES OF THE SKULL and the indications of SLOW OSSIFICATION of the ends of the long bones, all point to the inevitable conclusion that the earliest man matured slowly and attained great length of life -- just as Genesis declares. Such characteristics of the skeletal frame are completely absent from modern degenerate man. That these ancient
men did attain great age is demonstrated by the fact that their remains are usually found with
fragmentary skeletons of youths and babies not exhibiting those characteristics. (chapter 5, "The Meeting Place of Geology
and History" by Sir J. William Dawson, pp. 62-63.) These
genuinely scientific findings do not prove that man has evolved. Rather, they substantiate the truth of the bible that men in ancient times, unlike today, experienced centuries of physical life. It is also worthwhile
to note in regard to this topic that in Antiquities I, III, 9, Josephus lists eleven ancient writers -- Manetho, Berossus, and Hesoid among them -- all of whom "relate that the ancients lived (nearly) a thousand
year." True science and the records of ancient times again serve to corroborate the bible. The Size of Families The next key
questions then are: how large were the families of that day? And how many children did people have? People did not have had children as often as is possible today. This factor was regulated by nature. It is probable that women could
conceive children only at a certain time in a period of a year rather
than monthly. According to ancient
Hebrew traditions Adam had 33 sons and 23 daughters or a total of 56 children over a period of about
500 years. This would be an average of one child every 9 years. And Josephus tells us that Lamech, by his two wives, Ada and Zillah, had 77 children. These figures give us
an idea of family numbers in that time. Today people live only one tenth as long, and they can
have children more frequently. In other words, if we reduced the totals for Adam's life and family to one tenth, he would have lived 93 years and had 5 or 6 children. Families now tend to be smaller but, a generation or two ago, it was not unusual to have a family of 6 to 8 children. So, using the comparison of once tenth, we can gain a helpful perspective in evaluating that society. The Population Explosion With these concepts
in mind, it can be seen that the population of the earth, which started with two people, grew
very slowly over a long period of time. The population did not "explode" till near the time of the flood. Even if the
population had doubled every 50 or 60 years, it still would not have been considered great until around 2500 -- and the flood came in
2370. There is the analogy
Mr. Armstrong uses of doubling the penny. If 1 cent were doubled every day for 30 days it would not count up to much the first two or three weeks, but in the fourth week the total would really mount up. In the 28th day that original penny would have become $1,342,177.28. The point is this:
the population of the earth was relatively small till the life-time of Methuselah (3339 to
2370). But, IN THIS SEVENTH GENERATION -- starting to count with Seth
-- BOTH THE POPULATION AND THE SINS OF MAN BEGAN TO MULTIPLY TREMENDOUSLY. This is what is recorded in Genesis 6:1: "...
when man began to multiply on the face of the earth" --
"explode" -- then sins began to increase to such an extent that God had to exterminate the human race and make a fresh start with the
family of Noah. How, in greater detail, this result came about is the story that remains to be told. GENEALOGY OF
THE TWO MAJOR LINES OF PEOPLE IN
THE PRE-FLOOD WORLD
ADAM (LIVED 130
YEARS AND BEGAT SETH) LINE OF CAIN LINE OF SETH AND
ENOS (GEN. 4:17-22) (GEN. 4:25 TO
5:32) 1) Cain started a way of 1st) Seth, 105 years. He was life that was the epitome a righteous man with obedient of rebellion against God. happy children. He was the He was the originator of son of Adam and Eve who The non-white disobedient replaced the murdered Abel. line of people in the pre- It was from this line of Flood society. people that Christ was
ulti- mately to
come (Luke 3:38). 2) Enoch was the first man 2nd) Enos, 90 years. As ex- born to Cain. Cain built a plained in the text, he was city and named it after the second of eight preachers his son. (Gen. 4:17). Notice of righteousness in his line. that some of these names during his life the repeat themselves in the population of the world had two lines of people. grown large enough to
necessitate the spreading of the truth by preaching and writing. 3) Irad Note: these
three 3rd) Cainan, 70 years. descendants
of Cain are
simply 4) Mehujael listed in
Gen. 4 4th) Mahalaleel, 65 years. verse 18.
Appar- ently they
had 5) Methusael no great
impact 5th) Jared, 162 years. on society. 6) Lamech lived somewhere in 6th) Enoch, 65 years. As the period 3400 to 2500. He
Gen. 5:21-24 states, he was was a contemporary of both a man famous for his Cain and Noah. He was the obedience to God but whose leading man of violence in life was cut short by some the centuries prior to the 600 years. He was the sixth Flood. Read the text to preacher of righteousness. understand his full impact on society and the magnitude Methuselah, 187 years, the of his evil deeds. longest life recorded in
human history. Methuselah 7) Jabal, Jubal, Tubalcain, died in the flood. His father and Naamah were the four Enoch, had prophesied the end outstanding important children of that wicked society and of the 77 that Lamech
Methuselah, the son was a traditionally had. They living testimony of this. shaped their society in many wrong directions. As a 7th) Lamech 182 years. He was direct result, the flood the 7th preacher of came in their generation. righteousness in the pre- But as the text makes clear flood world and was the one of them carried the way father of Noah. of Cain through the flood. 8th) Noah,
600 years to the This generation was close of the flood. He was contemporary with the lives of the only racially pure and Methuselah, Lamech, and spiritually righteous man Noah. in the world
when the flood came. EXPLANATION OF THE
CHART: this simple chart provides the KEY to understanding the TIME ELEMENT of the pre-flood world. The most significant feature of this summary outline is that it
shows that the impact of LAMECH AND HIS FAMILY was concentrated in the last few centuries before the flood when the population of the earth was exploding. Notice: the numbering 1 through 7 for the line of Cain represents the seven generations spoken of by Josephus as living from Adam to the flood (Antiquities I, III, 1,). The listing "1st" through "8th" from
Seth through Noah numbers the eight preachers of righteousness as spoken of in II Peter 2:5.
CHAPTER 4
Lamech's Famous Family The descendants of Cain were the key figures in the events that brought the flood upon the world. What did they do to bring
world |
