Where Do We Come From?Sample

The Beginning of a Centuries-Long, All-Encompassing Battle

“The Lord God said to the serpent, […]
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

The first people sinned against the Lord God. For this they themselves are responsible. But there is another party involved in this conflict: God's adversary, Satan, who disguised himself as a serpent. He sowed doubt and discontent in the hearts of men, enticing them to disobey their creator. The Lord God does not leave it at that. He announces a battle between the serpent and the woman's offspring. This conflict will largely take place on earth, but is essentially a spiritual battle.

The book of Revelation looks at these events from a different perspective. It tells about a great red dragon, “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” He is doing his utmost to devour a child—a child who will rule all nations. The battle is fierce, involving the inhabitants of earth and heaven. But in the end, the dragon is cast down and overcome.

The Bible also tells us who this child is, this offspring of the woman. It is God the Son who became man to defeat Satan. He fought for humanity and conquered!

What do these mythical-sounding stories mean to you, in the concrete reality of life on earth?