THE MUSTERION OF THE APOKALUPSIS – THE MYSTERY OF THE APOCALYPSE

April 16, 2023March 28, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Mustérion – The Mystery

A mystery or secret doctrine of which initiation is necessary; in the New Testament. The counsels of God, once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof; the Christian revelation generally; particular truths or details of the Christian revelation.

Apokalupsis – The Revelation

An uncovering, an unveiling, revealing, revelation, disclosure. The book of the Revelation begins with John the Revelator addressing the seven churches in Asia.

What follows is an amazing prophetic insight of God’s plan and purpose for His creation from Genesis to the End of the Age.

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, verse 2, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Verse 4. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— Verse 6, and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 7. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”

Verse 8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I have color-coded certain words and phrases in these verses to draw attention to the Mustérion of the Apokalupsis. Others are color-coded in red to draw attention to their obvious and transcendent truth.

THE WORD OF GOD – THE ONLY WAY TO SAFETY AND SUCCESS

The cosmos and this world and everything in them, which God created from the beginning, were ‘Good’. God called all of His creation ‘Good’, and all things were ‘good’ because the process and the outcome of creation was perfectly in accordance to God’s Will, His Plan and His Purpose.

It may sound odd to say, but the scriptures about creation, particularly the creation of Adam and Eve, found in the Book of Genesis, seem to contain several contradictions.

THE FIRST ‘CONTRADICTION’

Revelation 1:1, says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place…” These words were written sometime around A.D. 90. Over 1,900 years have passed since this prophecy was written, and according to the God-breathed and Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. The first ‘contradiction’, if that is possible, is if these were ‘to soon take place’, why haven’t they? But that is the wrong question to ask.

The right question to ask is, “Is this is more rock-solid evidence that the breaking of the first tribulation seals began at the birth of Christ and ‘the things which must soon take place’ began to appear around the time John the Apostle wrote his Apokalupsis?”

This prophetic statement fits perfectly with the words of Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy, written around A.D. 30, and are found in :

Here is the Tribulation Timeline, in summary:

Section A.1. The opening of Tribulation Seal ONE began between A.D. 30 and A.D. 69, and perhaps as early as 2 B.C. Seals ONE through FIVE have been broken, progressively, up until this day.

So, in this case there is no contradiction. It is a clear and positive explanation of the timing of ‘the beginning of the End of all Things’ – The tribulation had begun. We are now standing at the precipice of the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal – which is the beginning of the final 7 years!

THE SECOND ‘CONTRADICTION’ – BACK TO THE BEGINNING

So, what does Genesis and the creation of man and woman have to do with the tribulation, the Revelation and the End of all Things? It shows that God planned all things to occur just has they have occurred from the very beginning. He planned it all.

Man and woman were created ‘in His image’ but as crazy as it sounds, the Hebrew language reveals, they were created with a flaw. They were created with a ‘as a mere image or a shadowed reflection of the Perfect God; an illusion with a dubious character’; but they were created with the potential of perfection.

This is shown as Adam and Eve sinned and doomed all humankind to live under the curse of sin. But, this was God’s plan all along, so He provided a solution, a Savior, His Son, Jesus. And the plan of Perfecting began.

Genesis 1:1, says, “In the beginning God, (Elohim), created the heavens and the earth. Verse 2. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Verse 3. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Verse 4. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Verse 5. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” And, God saw that it was good. (etcetera).

THE MAJOR EVENT

Then, in Genesis 1:26, “God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

This is a major event. The seminal event in all creation. God is making a creature He calls ‘mankind’ in His, (Their), own image and according to Their likeness.

AN ODD THING

In the midst of His creation work, an odd thing occurs. This is an event, an occurrence in the creation of mankind, which is completely overlooked by the vast majority, if not all, Bible teachers. This is a bit technical, but please pay particular attention, as this is a game-changer.

Genesis 1, Verse 27. “So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

It may seem tedious to look at the wording of this verse, as it was written in the original Hebrew language, but it is vitally important for our understanding of God’s Design, plan and purpose:

Verse 27. “So created God, man in His own image, in the image of God, He created him, male and female, He created them.”

man =adam, from ‘adam’; man, mankind. ruddy, i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind.

In Him own image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.

In the image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.

Male = zakar = A male

Female = naqab = female, from the sexual form.

Genesis 1, Verse 27 , in other words, says, “So, God, signifying that this is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, created, shaped through a formative process to make man, that is, mankind, ruddy, i.e., a human being, an individual of the species of mankind, in His own image, in the image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character, of God, yet having potential of being very great, mighty, and consisting as a plural in the ordinary sense, He created him, shaped, created, through a formative process; male and female He created them.”

RECAP:

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, created, shaped and formed mankind.
God created mankind ‘in His Own image’, which initially was a mere faint image of Himself; a vain representation, a shadow of the Original; an icon, a phantom pattern, an illusion, a mere resemblance; a being of dubious nature.
God has deliberately made man and woman with a flaw, and destined them to fail.
God would, through a formative process which would take a millennium, provide a way for man and woman to be redeemed and recreated into His perfect image through a Savior, His Son, Jesus.

Once again, there is no contradiction. God created man and woman with a flaw – He created you and me with a flaw – and destined us to fail WITH A PURPOSE. He also provided a Savior to redeem you from failure. Through all time, God is perfecting His creation, man and woman, into the very image of Jesus the Christ,

The Purpose of God’s Eternal Plan is “Perfection”. He is maturing and perfecting you into His image, ultimately to live in Perfect harmony with Him and with one another, in a New and Perfect heaven and earth.

“Because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14

Each and every chapter, verse and word in the Bible, when viewed within this context of God’s Eternal Plan of Perfection, begins to make perfect sense.

Read it. Know it. Believe it. Live it.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

ESCHATOLOGY – The Study of the End Times – Part 1

February 28, 2023January 29, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

PART I.

Eschatology is the study end times. The word ‘eschatology’ comes from Ancient Greek (éskhatos) ‘last’, and -logy, the study of) is about the expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself.^[1] The end of the world or end times.

A NOTE before we start: (1). Your eschatological views may very well decide, or have already decided your core views (your understanding) of scriptures ((for example, if you don’t believe in a rapture you may believe only certain parts of the Bible are true or are relevant to you; Or, if you dismiss the 1,000 year reign of Christ or a literal White Throne judgement, you may dismiss the need to obey scriptures because you believe, contrary to scriptures, that there will be no judgment; or, if you don’t believe scriptures are factual or without error, you may decide most things by your feelings));

(Secondly). Your understanding of scriptures will define your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. ((For example, if you say you believe in Jesus but you don’t believe that what Jesus taught or that you don’t have to do all that He taught or that you can modify what you do in response to His commands to suit your comforts, likes or methods you do not have a personal saving relationship with God. Or, if you do not believe that Mary’s pregnancy was not ‘immaculate’ – that she was a virgin who conceived, you do not have a saving relationship with God.));

(Third). Your relationship with Jesus will drive your attitudes, actions and behaviors in life. ((On issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and your behavior toward others, etcetera?))

Why does it matter “when” the tribulation starts or “when” Christians are to be raptured into heavens?

It matters because being ready for His Return is proof of true Christianity and only a true believer in Christ (The Word) will be guaranteed to join Christ at the sound of His Great Trumpet call and escape the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
It matters because being ready requires believing and doing what He has instructed us to do in preparation for His return.
It matters because He has warned that “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
It matters because many Christians are sitting idly waiting for an event that has already begun and they are not DOING what He told them to do and therefore are in grave danger
It matters because some of our family, friends and neighbors are completely unaware or just don’t believe that Christ will return and God’s final judgments will sentence them to outer darkness.
It matters because, as Christians, our faith, our convictions and our behavior (how we live) are speaking louder than our words.

MILLENNIALISM – TRIBULATIONAL VIEWS – THE RAPTURE

There are certain words you will hear being tossed around when talking about eschatology, such as Millennialism, The Tribulation and The Rapture:

Millennialism (The Millennium)

This term can be further subdivided by

Millennium means a “thousand years” and refers to Revelation 20:1 And then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in his hand. Verse 2. And he overpowered and laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and bound him [securely] for a thousand years (a millennium); Revelation 20:3. and the angel hurled him into the abyss, and closed it and sealed it above him [preventing his escape or rescue], so that he would no longer deceive and seduce the nations, until the thousand years were at an end. After these things he must be liberated for a short time.

(The Millennial Reign)

Revelation 20:4. And then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom judgment [that is, the authority to act as judges] was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had refused to worship the beast or his image, and had not accepted his mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:5. The rest of the dead [the non-believers] did not come to life again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:6. Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) and holy is the person who takes part in the first resurrection; over these the second death [which is eternal separation from God, the lake of fire] has no power or authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with Him a thousand years.

(The Final Rebellion)

Revelation 20:7. And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison (the abyss), Revelation 20:8. and will come out to deceive and mislead the [c] nations which are in the four corners of the earth, [including] Gog and Magog (Russia) Gomer (Eastern Europe), Togarmah (Turkey/Armenia), Put (Libya), Cush (Ethiopia), Persia (Iran) —to gather them together for the war; their number is like the sand of the seashore. Revelation 20:9. And they swarmed up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints (God’s people) and the beloved city [Jerusalem]; but fire came down from heaven and consumed them. Revelation 20:10. And the devil who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and burning brimstone (sulfur), where the beast (Antichrist) and false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.

THE TRIBULATION

The Tribulation is associated with the day of the Lord, that time during which God personally intervenes in history to accomplish His plan (see Isaiah 2:12; 13:6–9; Joel 1:15; 2:1–31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). It is referred to as “tribulation in the latter days” (Deuteronomy 4:30, ESV); the Great Tribulation, which refers to the more intense period of the seven-year period (Daniel’s Seventieth Week) which begins with the breaking of the 6^th tribulation seal (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 6:12); “a time of distress” (Daniel 12:1); and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7, NKJV). And we have this description of the tribulation that attends the day of the Lord:

“That day will be a day of wrath and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry” (Zephaniah 1:15–16).

The tribulation will be marked by various divine judgments, celestial disturbances, natural disasters, and terrible plagues (see Revelation 6—16). In His mercy, God sets a limit on the duration of the tribulation. As Jesus said, “Those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive” (Mark 13:19–20).

The 4 dominant tribulation views are:

pre-tribulational (the rapture occurs before the tribulation),

mid-tribulational (the rapture occurs at or near the mid-point of the tribulation), and

post-tribulational (the rapture occurs at the end of the tribulation).

pre-wrath (the ‘birth pains’ (tribulation) began around the time of the birth of Christ – 5 seals have been broken – we are waiting for the 6^th seal and the rapture occurs at the 6^th Seal).

FURTHER SUBDIVISONS ARE:

Pretribulation Dispensationalists believe the tribulation is a future seven-year period when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world.

Pre-Wrath Pretribulation believes the tribulation is spoken of as “times of distress” or “tribulation” with a small “t”; the Great Tribulation (capital “T”) and the “Days of Wrath”.

The tribulation seals began as early as Christ’s birth and five seals have been broken. We are awaiting the breaking of the 6^th Tribulation seal and the beginning of the GREAT Tribulation, a.k.a., The Days of Wrath, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

THE RAPTURE

The RAPTURE of the church is the event in which God “snatches away” all believers from the earth before the tribulation period begins, in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth. This is spoken of, primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50–54.

(This is the dispensational premillennialism and a pretribulation rapture view, which is considered by many traditional modern fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals churches as a future event and that the beginning of a year seven tribulation period will occur with the breaking of the 7 tribulation seals. This has become their dominant view and teaching since John Darby introduced dispensational premillennialism and a pretribulation rapture around 1909.)

The rapture is associated with the tribulation period. The timing of the rapture in relation to the tribulation is one of the most controversial issues in the church today. Some of the primary views are

- Pre-wrath rapture (Sixth Seal Rapture).
- Pre-tribulation rapture (Dispensationalism)
- Historic pre-millennial pre-tribulation rapture
- Mid-tribulation rapture
- Post-tribulation rapture (Historical premillenilism)
- Preterism

MORE DETAIL:

What is pre-tribulation Dispensationalism? It is a theological system of interpreting the Bible that was first espoused by John Nelson Darby. Dispensationalism maintains that history is divided into multiple ages or “dispensations” in which God acts with humanity in different ways. Dispensationalists generally maintain beliefs in premillennialism, a future restoration of Israel, and a rapture that will happen before the second coming, generally seen as happening before the tribulation.

What is Historic pre-millennial pre-tribulation rapture? Historic premillennialism is one of the two premillennial systems of Christian eschatology, with the other being dispensational premillennialism.^[1] It differs from dispensational premillennialism in that it only has one view of the rapture, and does not require a literal seven-year tribulation (though some adherents do believe in a seven-year tribulation). Historic premillennialists hold to a post-tribulational rapture, meaning the church is raised to meet Christ in the air after the trials experienced during the Great Tribulation. Historic premillennialism does not require that apocalyptic prophecies be interpreted literally.

What is the Pre-Wrath Pretribulation?

The pre-wrath view states that there is a 7 year period which is NOT called the Tribulation, but is called Daniel’s 70^th Week. Half way through it, or 3.5 years, the antichrist will set himself up with an image and demand to be worshipped as god. This starts the “Great Tribulation” and the satanic persecution of Christians and Jews. During this time there are cosmic disturbances, The Rapture and the pouring out of God’s Wrath, known as The Day of the Lord.

Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:15-31, Joel 2:30-32, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:11, Revelation 6:12-17

NOTE: Your eschatological views may very well decide your core views (understanding) of scriptures; and your understanding of scriptures will define your relationship with God through Jesus Christ; and your relationship with Jesus will drive your attitudes, actions and behaviors.

Once again: Eschatology is the study end times. Eschatology is the study of matters concerning the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself; The end of the world or end times.

So, let’s start at the beginning and ask WHY in order to get to the end of these matters – because it is the WHY’s of eschatology that will drive our belief systems, our paradigms, our attitudes, our understanding, of the Bible, our living relationship with Jesus and our behaviors in response.

In the beginning, God created.

God began with the imperfect and created a Masterpiece – first in the heavens and then on the earth. His work completed in just seven days; He would allow His Masterpiece to mature for a millennium until it became His Perfection.

This is a journey of discovery and revelation of God’s Grand Plan and Design, from creation through the End of the Age, then into a New Heaven and a New Earth.

We can only know the reasons for WHAT God is doing in these Last Days, if we understand WHY He is doing thing this way. My prayer is that, after studying this, everything we may have wondered regarding the reasoning behind God’s Plan for the world and your life, will fall into place.

(Perhaps, one of the reasons there are some many differing views of the tribulation, the rapture and the millennium is that men and women, over the ages, have failed to ask WHY and have only asked WHEN and WHAT).

There are many answers, or conjectures, as to WHY God created all things. Here are 3 popular examples:

GotQuestions.Org says, “The short answer to the question “why did God create us?” is “for His pleasure.” Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Colossians 1:16 reiterates the point: “All things were created by him and for him.” Being created for God’s pleasure does not mean humanity was made to entertain God or provide Him with amusement. God is a creative Being, and it gives Him pleasure to create. God is a personal Being, and it gives Him pleasure to have other beings He can have a genuine relationship with.

Southern Evangelical Seminary says, The first pattern is that God creates things for His glory. The second pattern is that the things God creates show God’s glory and attributes.

John Piper (Desiring God) says, When the first chapter of the Bible says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27), what is the point? The point of an image is to image. Images are erected to display the original — to point to the original, glorify the original. God made humans in his image so that the world would be filled with reflectors of God

The Blue Letter Bible says, 1. He Created It For Himself. One of the reasons that God created the universe was for His own self. Paul wrote, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36). For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him (Colossians 1:16).

THE SNAG

Genesis 1, Verse 27. So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

It is helpful if not vital to understand the definition of each word used as it was written in the original Hebrew language, how it was worded and the arrangement of each sentence:

In His own image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.

God did not create mankind ‘perfect’ as God is perfect. He created mankind in a resemblance of His image and likeness, but with a designed flaw – mankind was given a dubious character which was on full display, from the beginning, in the Garden of Eden.

Man and woman failed – sinned – from the beginning!

Still, God created mankind with the potential of becoming ‘perfect as God is perfect’ and in the image and likeness of Jesus, like God. Mankind is also made as a plurality, with a mind, soul (will and emotions) and spirit. This is why in Matthew 5:48, Jesus said, “You, therefore, will be (esomai – future tense) perfect [telios – growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is (esti – present tense) perfect.”

All of these Bible referenced teachers are right of course – in part – but their remarks could be arranged as ‘sub-topical’ supporting evidence of God’s Supreme Reason and Plan:

The Purpose of God’s Eternal Plan is “Perfection”. He is maturing and perfecting His people into His image, ultimately to live in Perfect harmony with Him and with one another, in a New and Perfect heaven and earth.

“Because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” – Hebrews 10:14

Each and every chapter, verse and word in the Bible, when viewed within this context of God’s Eternal Plan of Perfection, begins to make perfect sense.

IT ALL BEGAN – THE SCIENCE OF IT ALL

A strictly scientific study of the beginning of all things may reveal theories of WHAT, HOW and WHEN things might have begun, but science has never attempted to explain WHY. It is just not in the realm of scientific interest or possibility. But the scientific view has influenced and is influencing and invading the Biblical view of creationism.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

IT ALL BEGAN – THE SPIRIT OF IT ALL

The Bible has been telling the ‘WHAT’ and the ‘HOW’ all things began long before science began to catch up, but the Bible inform us from a Spiritual Perspective. It is from this paradigm that we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible; it is by the spoken Word of God that the heavens (the cosmos) and the earth, and all that exists, came into being – became visible.

Most importantly, we can learn God created ALL THINGS, and this perspective gives not only the beginning, but forecasts the journey, giving insights of HOW, WHEN and all things are going as they are going, but also gives us the HOW, WHEN and God allows, things such as suffering, disease, famines, earthquakes, pestilence trials, tribulations and death – all of which is the result of sin.

NONETHELESS, we must remember that “We know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.” (See Romans 8:28-29)

*****If you will endeavor to gain insight and understanding from this study, you can obtain the strength of endurance through the hope that God indeed has a design and a plan for your life. A plan for you like the one God promised His chosen people before their captivity into Babylon; ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11).

(PART II – Click here)

THE TRUTH BE KNOWN – Does God Exist? Ch. 2

February 19, 2023April 26, 2023 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

I am not equipped to deal with philosophy, existential thought or superstition. So, I will make this a short chapter by saying, “God Is”. WHY? Because those thousands who have seriously pursued God and have invested their entire lives, and to the many who have given their lives to that end, have recorded what they have found in a book. That book is the Bible, and the findings of these people tell us that “GOD IS”.

Hence, the basis, or foundation for this thesis: “IN THE BEGINNING, GOD”.

You may have chosen, at some time in your life, to go with the idea that science is a more reliable source when dealing with the material world, and you may believe that empirical evidence offers a chance to prove yet-unproven theories about the physical world. But science is a relatively new field of study, which has only recently explored the beginning of all things through a theory called the Big Bang. That theory has been revised a number of times and, in fact, is currently being reevaluated for accuracy – since it does not adequately fit current scientific mathematical models. And, science is myopically flawed in the sense that it largely, if not completely, dismisses the idea of GOD or any ‘higher being’ having a hand in the creation of all things. (What I have just postulated will not answer the question, “Does God Exist”, and could possibly cause some readers to leave this journey. I encourage you to continue, and make your own decision based on facts and faith.)

The only things that you or I can think we know about God is from we have personally experienced or what has been written by those who have experienced God. Even then, faith will play a role.

The Bible gives scores of personal accounts over several centuries, of those who have encountered God and testify that GOD IS. These encounters, experiences and writings transformed the world. Therefore, I will use the Bible’s extensive writings, original languages, as best I can, keeping this study in the Biblical context that says, “there is a beginning and there will be an end and there is a purpose and a reason for it all”.

Genesis 1:1, says, “In the beginning God, (Elohim), created the heavens and the earth. Verse 2. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Verse 3. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Verse 4. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Verse 5. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” (etcetera).

There are varying estimates as to when the Book of Genesis was written, from sometime around 1400 B.C. to 1800 B.C. There is also some debate on who actually wrote the book, but most agree that it was written by Moses under the inspiration of God. There was no reliable-recorded history, virtually no technology, and no way for Moses to know what he was saying if the Genesis account was correct.

Yet, Moses, standing in a remote part of earth’s wilderness, perhaps looking skyward, spoke those words. Now, roughly 3,800 years later, we find that science agrees that “the earth had been in fact, a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep…and somehow, the earth came into an orbit – at the perfect distance – around our sun, rotating and spinning at precisely the right speed to accommodate gravity, an atmosphere, creating a day and a night, months, seasons and years – and eventually, life! Christian, creationist, atheist, scientist or whatever you may call yourself, believing this takes some measure of faith, even if you think the thousands of things that had to have happened were somehow a ‘coincidence’ of cosmic proportion.

So, yes. I say that God, (Elohim), created all of this.

I will say again, since there is no credible way to deny that GOD IS, then I will continue to base our thesis on faith and the fact that GOD IS.

^“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6

THEN CAME MAN (kind). The Bible clearly states that God, created all there is that is seen. There is a lot of speculation and conjecture and some good reasoning as to why God created all things. It is my intention to show how the Bible reveals Why. God created all things in the cosmos and on the earth.

By this, you and I can understand God’s Purpose, Plan and destiny for our lives. By this, you can understand .

THE MAJOR EVENT – But with a ‘flaw’

According to the Bible, God creates all things, seen and unseen. And, if that weren’t enough, God also created humans, or, as the Bible puts it, in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

This is a major event. The seminal event in all creation. God is making a creature He calls ‘mankind’ in His, (Their), own image and according to Their likeness. Reading and understanding this is a foundational key to understanding the entire journey, from creation to the End of Time.

Before we get to the creation of mankind, we see that God begins to set things in a specific order and to give them function and purpose in preparation for His Masterpiece work: the arrival of mankind; “And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28).

THEN AN ODD THING HAPPENS

In the midst of His creation work, an odd sounding thing occurs. This is an event, an occurrence in the creation of mankind, which is completely overlooked by the vast majority, if not all, Bible teachers. It is only found by studying the context and the Hebrew language, in which it is written. (This is a bit technical, but please pay particular attention, as this is a game-changer.)

Genesis 1, Verse 27. So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

It is helpful if not vital to understand the definition of each word used as it was written in the original Hebrew language, how it was worded and the arrangment of each sentence:

Verse 27. “So created God, man in His own image, in the image of God, He created him, male and female, He created them.”

So created = bara’ = to shape, create, a formative process, to make robust.

God = Elohim = God; very great, mighty; Plural of ‘elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural. Signifying, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

man =adam, from ‘adam’; man, mankind. ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind.

In His own image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.

Male = zakar = A male

Female = naqab = female, from the sexual form.

Genesis 1, Verse 27 , by transliterating this verse it would read, “So, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, very great and mighty, created by shaping through a formative process to make robust, man; that is, mankind. Ruddy (as the birth of a baby?), i.e., a human being, an individual of the species of mankind, in His own image, but a mere, empty, resemblance of God; a shadow or a phantom, an illusion, a faint copy of God; hence, a representative figure, but of dubious character.”

To repeat, God did not creat mankind ‘perfect’ as God is perfect. He created mankind in a resemlance of His image and likeness, but with a designed flaw – mankind was given a dubious character which was on full display, from the beginning, in the garden of eden. Still, God created mankind with the potential of becoming ‘perfect as God is perfect’ and in the image and likeness of Jesus, like God. Mankind is also made as a plurality, with a mind, soul (will and emotions) and spirit.

PLEASE NOTE: This cannot be overemphasized. This is crucial to understanding the rest of creation, ‘the fall’, sin, death, redemption the coming of Christ and, ultimately, End of the Age, the destruction and the heavens and the earth and the making of a new heaven and a new earth.

Genesis 1:28 tells us that, “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Verse 29. Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; Verse 30, and to every animal of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. Verse 31. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Genesis, chapter two, verses one through three, record the completion of creation. Now began the process of perfecting.

ITS NOT SWAMP GOO

Genesis 2:4, recounts God’s creation of man and woman in great detail. A careful study reveals some startling facts. Read with me:

Genesis 2, Verse 7, says, “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person.”

Let’s look at the words in this verse in the language of the Bible, which is Hebrew. (Please be patient and deliberate, here.)

The wording of this verse, written in Hebrew, would be aligned as such:

“And formed Yahweh God man (from) the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and became the man a being living.”

Now, let’s add the definition of these Hebrew words and their translations to these words to clarify their meaning (you can browse this if you like, because I will reassemble all this with its meaning and significance):

“And formed = yatsar = earthen, fashion, form, frame, maker, potter, purpose; Through the squeezing into shape; to mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, to determine.

Yahweh = Jehovah, the Lord, = hayah = (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God — Jehovah, the Lord.

God = Elohim = God; very great, mighty; Plural of ‘elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural. Signifying, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

man = adam = From ‘adam; ruddy; a human being, an individual or the species, mankind + hypocrite, + common sort, + low man, of mean, of low degree; a person.

(from) the dust = aphar = dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud — ashes, dust, earth, ground, mortar, powder, rubbish.

of the ground = ‘adam = soil (from its general redness) — country, earth, ground, husband, husbandry, land.

and breathed = naphach = blow, breath, give up, cause to lose life, seething, snuff;

into his nostrils = anaph = a nostril, nose, face, anger; from the rapid breathing in passion, ire, angry.

the breath = nasham; a puff, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. blast, that breaths, inspiration, soul, spirit

of life = chayah = alive; hence, raw flesh; alive, with appetite, of a wild beast, lively.

and became = hayah = to fall out, come to pass, become, be.

the man = adam = from ‘adam’; man, mankind. ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind.

a being = nephesh = from naphash; properly, a breathing creature.

Living = chay = from chayah; alive; living; hence, raw (flesh).

Genesis 2, Verse 7, with transliteration, says, “Then the LORD Jehovah, the Self-Existent, Eternal God, formed, fashion, and framed, as maker and potter, with purpose, through the squeezing into shape the man, a ruddy a human being, into an individual or the species, mankind, a hypocrite, a common sort, a low man, of mean and of low degree, a person, of dust, ashes, earth, mortar, powder and rubbish from the ground soil, from its general redness, as husbandry-land, and breathed breath, giving up part of Himself, causing Himself to lose life, as seething, and snuffing into nostrils, and the face, by rapid breathing, in passion, ire, and anger, the breath, by an angry puff of vital breath, of divine inspiration and intellect, blasts of breaths of inspiration, soul and spirit, of life, hence, raw flesh came alive, with the appetites of a wild beast, lively; and the man, ruddy a human being, an individual of the species, mankind, became a breathing creature a living person, alive, living, hence, raw flesh.”

What we see:

1. 1. God, has always existed and He is eternal.
  2. He is the creator of life.
  3. He creates with purpose and on purpose.
  4. This creation has all the imagery of childbirth: ruddy, squeezed, passionate, violent, painful, raw and costly (very similar and descriptive of what we know as childbirth.)
  5. A being of passion with a wild nature and base appetites is created. Mankind is created with flaws, destined to fail, condemned to death and separation of God.

The reasonable next thing for us to do, would be to follow the sequence of events in scriputres: The fall of mankind, the pronouncement of the curse, their banishment from the Garden of Eden, their separation from God and the events that follow. But, all of that is recorded in the Bible for you to read.

This is an overview of those events with the purpose of discovering how we got to where we are now, how this ends and what we are to do in response to these “Latter Days” leading to “The Last Days” and the “End This Age” – and, ultimately and most importantly, Why?.

PERFECTION – Chapter 3 – Then Came Man(kind)

April 11, 2022May 14, 2025 ~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen by audio and pause the audio to follow page links for important details on these teachings; then resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links for important details and in lieu of footnotes and references.)

Chapter 3

THEN CAME MAN (kind)

The Bible clearly states that God, created all there is that is seen. There is a lot of speculation and conjecture and some good reasoning as to why God created all things, but there are no definitive statements in the Bible as to WHY God created the heavens and the earth in the first place. But, according to the Bible, He did create all things, seen and unseen. And, if that weren’t enough, God also created humans, or, as the Bible puts it, in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

THE MAJOR EVENT

This is a major event. The seminal event in all creation. God is making a creature He calls ‘mankind’ in His, (Their), own image and according to Their likeness.

Before we get to the creation of mankind, we see that God begins to set things in a specific order and to give them function and purpose in preparation for His Masterpiece work: the arrival of mankind; “and let them, (mankind), rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.”

AN ODD THING

(Please note: Asterisks will be used to indicate importance only).

Genesis 1, Verse 27. “So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

PLEASE NOTE: The following is very technical and uses the Hebrew language, translations and transliterations. You may skip the sections (in green text) if you wish and continue reading the regular text.

Genesis 1, Verse 27. So, God = (Elohim = God; very great, mighty; Plural of ‘elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural. Signifying, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit)

created = (bara’ = to shape, create, a formative process, ‘to make fat’);

man = (from ‘adam’; man, mankind. ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind)

*in His own image = (tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.)

*in the image = (tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.)

of God = (Elohim = God; very great, mighty; Plural of ‘elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural. Signifying, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit)

He created = (bara’ = to shape, create, a formative process, ‘to make fat’.)

him; male = ( zakar = A male)

and female = ( naqab = female, from the sexual form.)

He created them = created = (bara’ = to shape, create, a formative process, ‘to make fat’);

When Genesis 1, Verse 27 is transliterated from the Hebrew language, in order to get a more detailed meaning and image, they would read as such:

**“So, God, very great and mighty, the plural of ‘elowahh, specifically used in the plural, signifying that this is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, created, shaped through a formative process to make fat, man, that is, mankind. ruddy i.e., a human being, an individual of the species of mankind, in His own image, in the image an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character, yet of God, having potential of being very great, mighty, and consisting as a plural in the ordinary sense, He created him, shaped, created, through a formative process, to make fat; male and female He created them.”

Recap of what we are seeing:

1. 1. God, used in plural, representing God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, created, shaped and formed mankind.
  2. God created mankind ‘in His Own image’ but, as a mere image of Himself; a vain show, just a shadow of the Original; an image, in icon, a phantom pattern, an illusion, a mere resemblance; a being of dubious nature. (God has deliberately made man and woman with a flaw, destined them to fail.)

***PLEASE NOTE: This cannot be overemphasized. This is crucial to understanding the rest of creation, ‘the fall’, sin, death, redemption the coming of Christ and, ultimately, End of the Age, the destruction and the heavens and the earth and the making of a new heaven and a new earth.

Verse 28. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Verse 29. Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; Verse 30, and to every animal of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. Verse 31. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis, chapter two, verses one through three, record the completion of creation.

ITS NOT SWAMP GOO

Then, beginning in verse four, the Bible recounts God’s creation of man and woman in great detail. A careful study reveals some startling facts. Read with me:

Genesis 2, Verse 7, says, “Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person.”

Let’s look at the words in this verse in the language of the Bible, which is Hebrew. (Please be patient and deliberate, here.)

Now, let’s add the Hebrew translations to these words to clarify their meaning (you can browse this if you like, because I will reassemble all this with its meaning and significance):

Then the LORD God = Yahweh = Jehovah, the Lord, = hayah = (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God — Jehovah, the Lord.

“formed = yatsar = earthen, fashion, form, frame, maker, potter, purpose; Through the squeezing into shape; to mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, to determine.

God = Elohim = God; very great, mighty; Plural of ‘elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural. Signifying, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

man = adam = From ‘adam; ruddy; a human being, an individual or the species, mankind + hypocrite, + common sort, + low man, of mean, of low degree; a person.

(from) the dust = aphar = dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud — ashes, dust, earth, ground, mortar, powder, rubbish.

of the ground = ‘adam = soil (from its general redness) — country, earth, ground, husband, husbandry, land.

and breathed = naphach = blow, breath, give up, cause to lose life, seething, snuff;

into his nostrils = anaph = a nostril, nose, face, anger; from the rapid breathing in passion, ire, angry.

the breath = nasham; a puff, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. blast, that breaths, inspiration, soul, spirit

of life = chayah = alive; hence, raw flesh; alive, with appetite, of a wild beast, lively.

and became = hayah = to fall out, come to pass, become, be.

the man = adam = from ‘adam’; man, mankind. ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind.

a being = nephesh = from naphash; properly, a breathing creature.

Living = chay = from chayah; alive; living; hence, raw (flesh).

When Genesis 2, Verse 7, is transliterated from the Hebrew language, in order to get a more detailed meaning and image, they would read as such:

“Then the LORD Jehovah, the Self-Existent, Eternal God, formed, fashion, and framed, as maker and potter, with purpose, through the squeezing into shape the man, a ruddy a human being, into an individual or the species, mankind, a hypocrite, a common sort, a low man, of mean and of low degree, a person, of dust, ashes, earth, mortar, powder and rubbish from the ground soil, from its general redness, as husbandry-land, and breathed breath, giving up part of Himself, causing Himself to lose life, as seething, and snuffing into nostrils, and the face, by rapid breathing, in passion, ire, and anger,

the breath, by an angry puff of vital breath, of divine inspiration and intellect, blasts of breaths of inspiration, soul and spirit, of life, hence, raw flesh came alive, with the appetites of a wild beast, lively; and the man, ruddy a human being, an individual of the species, mankind,

became a breathing creature a living person, alive, living, hence, raw flesh.”

Recap of what we see:

1. 1. God, has always existed and He is eternal.
  2. He is the creator of life.
  3. He creates with purpose and on purpose.
  4. This creation has all the imagery of childbirth: ruddy, squeezed, passionate, violent, painful, raw and costly.
  5. A being of passion with a wild nature and base appetites is created. Mankind is created with flaws, destined to fail, condemned to death and separation from God.

The reasonable thing to do, here, would be to follow the sequence of events which follow: The fall of mankind, the pronouncement of the curse, their banishment from the Garden of Eden, their separation from God and the events that follow. But, all of that is recorded in the Bible for you to read. This is an overview of those events with the purpose of discovering how we got to where we are now, how this ends and what we are to do in response to these “Latter Days” leading to “The Last Days” and the “End This Age”.

NEXT: Chapter 4 – THE POINT – SEQUENTIAL – RELEVANT – MANIFEST GROUNDWORK FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE AGE.

(Click here to go to the previous Chapter 2)