This book will speak on BOTH the natural and the spiritual side of the first few chapters of Genesis (but, in actually speaking more on the metaphoric than the natural); for, though it’s most popular to read and to discuss the natural aspects of them, it's actually less popular to speak on and to study the metaphoric side of those same verses. Of which verses, surely, we can gain both natural and spiritual understandings from. But, as far as the natural understandings are concerned, and of learning both of this planet’s and universe’s beginnings (as well as learning about the first occupants on this planet), all of that has already been meticulously documented by talented and wise Creationist teachers; such as:

 

Dr. Carl Baugh (creationevidence.org);

Ken Ham (answersingenesis.org, and arkencounter.com);

Dr. Kent Hovind (www.2peter3.com, or drdino.com, or dinosaur-adventure-l-d7daff.appdrag.site/index.html);

Eric Hovind (creationtoday.org);

Dr. Walt Brown (www.creationscience.com);

Dr. Henry Morris (www.icr.org); and, 

Dr. Duane Gish (creation.com).

 

Please explore each of their websites for further research into the extreme naturalistic understandings of our earth’s and universe’s beginnings. I highly recommend each one, as they are all experts in this field of study. And, this present book will actually harmonize with their naturalistic, historic researches with my own metaphoric understandings.

 

However, and even though mostly exploring the spiritual aspects of these first chapters herein (from the very first book in our Bibles), that doesn’t mean, as I’ve already said, that I’ll abandon their natural outlook; for, indeed, before we can even have a spiritual understanding, the natural understandings have to be established first as a foundation and a launching board. But, and at the same time, I also (for other parts therein) see metaphoric themes only, whilst other verses may tackle the natural only. And, though I am not trying to be confusing with my words here, it's actually the words of the Bible itself that may seem complicated to the carnal, naturalistic thinking minds of man; for, though (again) only the natural aspect has been explored by most scholars, there is an undeniable presence of heavy metaphoric language therein, too – just as deep, one should know, as the metaphors in the book/letter of Revelation; and, indeed, even in the Song of Solomon – perhaps especially in Ezekiel! So, to try and ignore the obvious metaphoric overtones is to deny ourselves a very deep, satisfactory study.

 

As this is Part 2 of my Spiritual Side of Creation Series, I have already laid the necessary groundwork in Part 1 for the metaphoric language of the Bible, starting at the very beginning of time, in my book: “In the Beginning: It was Spiritual from the Very Start;” and, therefore, I highly suggest the reader to indulge themselves into Part 1 for deeper investigations into the metaphoric underlining of the scriptures; which will certainly enhance the study of this present volume – though, the reading of Part 1 is not necessary in order to go ahead and indulge into this present work.

 

I want to repeat, once again, that even though I can see some things metaphoric in those early verses of Genesis, I do not abandon their natural interpretations; for, I will not go as far as to say that Adam and Eve never existed in the flesh – being nothing more than parables and allegories; nor to say that their story in the first few chapters of Genesis are total fantasy, to simply gain moralistic lessons only for the modern reader. But, and as to the way that I do see it (and, as I will give scripture for in the following text), is that Adam and Eve were very real flesh and blood folks who were placed into a spiritual, though real, Garden . . . On the other hand, though, that Garden wasn’t “real” as we see and understand natural gardens to be today. Again, it was indeed a real experience for both of them, but the “spiritual” Garden wasn’t a natural garden at all – though all such events certainly took place on Earth . . . However, and at the same time (because, again, I see Adam and Eve’s “experience” with God to have been much deeper than what a mere natural garden could offer them), I do see that the entire planet Earth, at that time (prior to the literal flood of Noah), to have been a global garden, nonetheless (naturalistically). That is, that the planet itself was very lush with greenery – more pleasant to the natural sight of man than what we today could ever imagine; for, I am of the number of folks who believe that the Earth (again, prior to the flood of Noah) was enveloped inside an enormous canopy of ice*1 (a thick sheet of ice, which encircled the entire globe [located miles above it, just beyond the immediate oxygen atmosphere] – causing a “green-house” effect below, which had helped the natural greenery to be the best that nature could offer). Of which ice canopy (this frozen “water”) I believe can be naturally seen in these verses:

 

Genesis 1:6-8a 

And God said, Let there be a firmament [the skies/heaven – see verse 8] in the midst of the waters [between them], and let it [this firmament] divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament [the skies], and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven…

 

That water above, being frozen in the far-up atmosphere, was that sheet/canopy of ice. Then, at the time of the flood of Noah, it burst into pieces as the fountains of the deep from the Earth below had shot upward with extreme force,*2 causing the ice of that canopy to collapse and to fall downward to the Earth below. And, once all of that ice had hit the atmosphere at a certain point, when it fell from the sky above, and much like our modern space-shuttles do once they get into our atmosphere, they had burned-up on their way down, turning the ice into rain; rain for the very first time in Earth’s history – Genesis 2:5-6. (I speak on all of this, along with the spiritual meaning behind it, in Part 1 of this Series) Then, once the flood was over with, the beautiful garden-planet (naturalistically) had turned into nothing but ugly mud.

 

2 Peter 3:6 

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

 

However, and even though (as I’ve already said), I see many parallels of the natural with the spiritual in the first several chapters in the book of Genesis (as we can take a scripture naturally, but then turn right around and gain a spiritual understanding from that same verse), I still don’t see the Garden of Genesis chapter 2 as to being the actual global garden (natural paradise garden – from chapter 1 of Genesis) that Adam and Eve had literally lived in. For, the natural was but a picture of the metaphorical Garden – of which metaphorical Garden had held a much deeper meaning to it than did the natural. For, though the literal, natural garden was indeed destroyed with that global flood, we still see the Garden of Eden in existence during Ezekiel’s day (Ezekiel 31:9), and also in John the Revelator’s day (Revelation 2:7). Therefore, it couldn’t have been the same garden as the natural global garden since Noah’s flood had destroyed that natural garden all the way back in the early chapters of Genesis. Of which thoughts I will get into much more detail about in the following pages.

 

Therefore, and what I’ll be trying to show herein (and through actual scripture, but not from mere conjecture!) is that Adam and Eve were the very first people ever created on this natural Earth (the first chapter of Genesis being a good model of how all of nature was created), and that they had followed the very first commandment ever given unto them to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28); but, not to “replenish” as in a modern sense of the word (as I will also explain); and, that they had actually done so (that is, to have many children) even prior to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden – as we will learn as well. But, it will, once again, be explored through actual scripture deciphering and not from mere conjecture. For, and as I’ll continue to explain herein, the spiritual Garden was more than just a jumble of natural trees and bushes – it was actually God’s spiritual Work with the very first humans who ever inhabited the planet – just as much of a work as God had done with Abraham, with Moses, with King David, and etc. It was simply Adam and Eve’s own dispensation of time within God’s Kingdom; within His Paradise; within the confines of God’s present Work with mankind. Therefore, and once they were ejected from that Garden experience, Adam (just as we see with the rich man from Jesus’ parable, from Luke 16:19-31) had then, immediately, found an unbreachable “gulf” set in between he and God. That is, an eternal separation of he dying a second-death (Revelation 21:8; Jude 1:12): a death, that is, which is worse than a physical death; for, it was, instead, a “spiritual” death; because, God had promised him and Eve that with their disobedience, of eating from that Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (their second and strongest commandment from God) that they would, in that very day, die!

 

Genesis 2:17 

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

And, yet, we see Adam physically live-on even after committing that horrible sin. However, God did make good on His promise, nonetheless, for though Adam and Eve had physically lived-on, they both had actually died the very day that they had sinned. But, again, it was spiritually as opposed to naturally. Though natural death did eventually overtake them; but, not until they had lived many more years upon this earth (Adam had lived nearly 800 years more!), perhaps begetting more and more children along the way, and of continuing to fulfil that first commandment ever given unto them in Genesis 1:28; because, that was still a very important thing that had to be done on the Earth prior to them finally dying for eternity (and, their children, and their children’s children had also continued the practice of child-rearing). Because, it’s my belief that because of Adam’s terrible sin (of which, too, we will discuss herein), he did not get to participate in the promised resurrection of the Old Testament saints, which we finally witness in the Gospels:

 

Matthew 27:52-53 

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the [Old Testament] saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his [after Jesus’] resurrection [also on the third day], and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

 

Therefore, and in this book’s opinion, Adam and Eve are still dead for eternity . . . However, and even so, their story still lives on: an enduring testimony of Earth’s first parents (of which thought [i.e. of they being Earth’s first parents] we’ll explore in the very next chapter), of whom had committed a terrible, unforgivable sin in God’s sight; of which sin we ourselves are to avoid – once we learn of what that sin truly was; for, you see, theirs is a lesson that we all need to learn, and of what to avoid in order to not displease God. Adam was, after all, the prime example of a false minister – of which thought we also shall see herein; a man of whom had usurped unmerited authority in God’s name:

 

Genesis 3:5 

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, AND YE SHALL BE AS GODS, knowing good and evil.

 

Adam, again, is the father of false religion, as I had discussed in pretty good detail in one of my already published books in this Teaching Series, called: “The Church and the Five-Fold Ministry: Should we put our Trust in Man?” A thought which will continue to be explored herein.