Typology of Duality

TYPOLOGY OF DUALITY

Introduction

Duality represents a basic existential category, in the material living world as well as in the «non-living one» (if one could make distinction between living and non-living at all), in the visible world as well as in the «spiritual one». Duality is present everywhere around us. Male and female, day and night, plus and minus, truth and lie, left and right, etc – these all are notions that are more or less, consciously or not, perceived not only by rational man, but also by every living being. So it is no wonder that duality is found at the basis of many philosophies (yin and yang in Chinese, the struggle of opposites with Hegel and Marx), or it is found at the basis of interpretation and understanding of spiritual realities (various Gnostic teachings, Bogumil movement), or it has an important place in theological respect:

"And of everything We have created pairs that you may be mindful. (Qur’an, Adh-Dhariyat, 51: 49)
"Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand.." (Qur’an, Al-e-Imran, 3: 190)

The basic dual type in the Bible is represented by "good and evil". Immediately follow "life and death", "light and darkness ", "blessing and damnation"...

At the level of personality, the duality “righteous man – godless, sinful man” dominates.

Beside these, the dualities “blessing - damnation”, “faithful - unfaithful”, "wise - mad", etc are mentioned, and they all together permeate entire Scriptures, from their first pages to their last ones, the Old and New Testaments. On the other side, various types of duality are very often cited intermingled in the same contexts, enabling us to identify formally the corresponding poles, but also to establish a kind of priority.

In the following lines we shall deal little more systematically with the system of duality in the Bible and outside it, and as a result of that we shall also establish their remarkable one-to-one correspondence.

Good and Evil – Archetype of Duality

Good and evil represent a basic type of duality in the Bible, and all other dual types are based.

Formally viewed, the syntagm "good and evil" is first mentioned in speaking about the "tree of knowledge of good and evil " (Gen. 2:9), thereafter permeating, in different forms and context, almost all other books (total about 100 verses):

And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:9)
Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers. (Deut. 1:35)
Whoever rewards evil for good, evil will not depart from his house. (Proverbs 17:13)
For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl. 12:14)
Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil. (Jer. 13: 23)
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Matt. 12:35)
Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. (Amos 5:14)

The notion of good and evil is found especially in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ:

The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one (Matt. 13:38)
Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. (Mark 3:4)
And come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:29)

Apostles Paul, Peter and John also use frequently this syntagm:

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. (Rom. 7:21)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rim. 12:21)
For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. (Rom. 16:19)
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebr. 5:14)
For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Petr. 3:17)
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (3 John. 1:11)

Old and New Testaments

In ancient Israel, evil and good can be, in a narrower anthropological sense, presented as in the following table:

good	evil
pleasure	pain
beauty (harmony)	disharmony
order	disorder
cleanness	uncleanness
security	fear
peace	unrest
joy	sorrow
justice	injustice
richness	poverty
honor	shame
life	death

However, in the New Testament we find that the essential factors are represented by both subject and object, i.e. by whether we are a source of good (rather means of good) or those who enjoy good, or we are source, (rather a medium) of evil or sufferers of evil. The sufferer of evil is classified into the same group as a giver of good (remember the Book of Job, while a passive receiver of good is halfway to a medium of evil:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. (Matt 5: 3-11)
Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev. 14:13)
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20: 35)
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. (Luke 6: 24-25)
There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16: 19-23)
Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; ou walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.
By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. (Ezek. 28: 12-17)

As we have seen, by the New Testament even Adam’s damnation (death) becomes, under some circumstances, a blessing. Here is hidden the great secret of God’s providence, which is able to transform even the greatest damnation, greatest evil, into a blessing and good. For God, there is no a lost and unsolvable case or situation!

Here is hidden, perhaps, also the main difference of understanding by an average Old Testament man and average New Testament one. The Old Testament man (including today’s Jews, even Muslims) looks at the concrete, this-worldly goods primarily. The New Testament man, on the other hand, looks primarily at (what he thinks is) heavenly. This conflict had and still has a great impact on the history of civilisation.

Because of the “heavenly” zeal of Christians, many works of ancient Greece disappeared, and they came to us by a roundabout way, through Islam (!?). Many Greek (as well as original) philosophical works came through Avicena (ABU 'ALI AL-HUSEIN IBN 'ABD ALLAH IBN SINA /980, Bukhara, Iran - 1037, Hamadan/) and Averoes (ABU AL-UALID MUHAMMAD IBN AHMAD IBN MUHAMMAD IBN RUSHD /1126, Kordova - 1198, Marakesh/), while mathematical ones through Quarismi (MUHAMMAD IBN MUSA AL-KHUARIZMI /ca 780, Baghdad - ca 850/) and Fibonacci (LEONARDO FIBONACCI /ca 1170 - ca 1240/) to Paris, Oxford and Cambridge, the first university centers of Europe. (Britannica CD. Version 97. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1997.)

Humanism and Renaissance, as well as all scientific progress in the Middle Ages, rests on this transfer in many respects. Besides, the Jews, scattered over Christian (as well as Islamic) countries, with their practical acting were an important factor of the progress of the “this-worldly” science and technology

The Struggle of Good and Evil

Evil is not passive. Even when we wish to do something good, the evil fights against us:

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. (Rom. 7:19)

A house that is not maintained and even if it is maintained but insufficiently – is ruined. On the other side, apostle Paul himself (former Saul) is an example how even the evil where he belonged at one time is not let alone by good:

Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 9:4-5)
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. (Matt. 10:34)

Therefore, there is no a static relationship between good and evil, but an incessant “struggle” is waged. The good fights with the means of good, while the evil by the means of evil:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:21)

Life and death

Arm in arm with the pair “good and evil,” we find in the Bible also “life and death” (total ca 50 verses):

See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. (Deut. 30:15)
Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” (Luke 6:9)
And come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5: 29)

One may conclude from these verses that “life or death” are a consequence of the choice between doing good or evil. Therefore we can call freely the tree of “knowledge of good and evil” in Eden “the tree of death” as an antithesis to the “tree of life”:

And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:9)
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:16-17)

By generalization of the cited verses, one may conclude that all God’s creatures face the choice between (doing) good and evil, whether they are “sinful” or “sinless”. "Sinless" Adam was faced with that choice. The “sinful” God’s people also had that choice when exiting Egypt, and we also have it today. The essential difference is in Adam having lived in the conditions of almost absolute good, while the evil was present only in the forbidden fruit. God’ people that exited Egypt lived in the conditions of evil (bondage, apostasy from God, Egyptian paganism), but had the advantage that also Good was revealed to them through Moses.

We today also live in circumstances of great evil, while good is present thanks to the coming of “God’s word” (‘the light not overcome by the darkness of this world’) on our planet at the time of Roman procurator for Palestine, Pontius Pilate, and it is revealed daily in one’s own experience, through the Bible, observing the nature etc. In that way we have the chance to grow up from the “deadliness” of this world “to the height of Christ’s stature.”

Creation and evolution

In modern science the notion of life is associated with the notion of evolution (a process of perfecting from lower forms of existence toward the higher ones, that is of establishing of higher forms of order, while the notion of death is associated with the notion of entropy (a process of growing disorder, i.e. an existential degradation). On the other hand, back in 19th century, German physicist R.J.E. Clausius concluded that in the basis of all known laws of physics is the law of growing entropy. According to this law, all natural physical processes tend to a maximum of entropy, i.e. of disorder, chaos. Having discovered this law in thermodynamics, he generalized it to entire “non-living” world, whereat he ascertained that the existence of life defies this law. In that way he concluded that there must exist a being that has created and is still creating and maintaining the life (i.e. order) in the universe - God.

The law of growing entropy contradicts Darwin’s theory of evolution, according to which the evolution of the living world from the non-living world has taken and is taking place according to “natural” laws (struggle for survival, natural selection..., i.e. force of entropy), because only a reverse process is possible according to these laws.

Light and Darkness

Light and darkness represent a physical projection of the struggle of good and evil (as a syntagm, it is found in ca 70 Biblical verses):

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa. 5:20)
But when I looked for good, evil came to me; and when I waited for light, then came darkness. (Job 30:26)
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Mat. 5:16)
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephes. 6:12)

Light-Darkness Struggle

Knowing that disorder, chaos and darkness are the basic characteristics of evil, the first Biblical verse becomes much clearer:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form (TOHU= chaos, disorder), and void (BOHU= uninhabited); and darkness was on the face of the deep(TeHOM =ocean). And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Gen. 1:1-2)

In other words, the Earth was in a state of evil (disordered, lifeless and dark) in the beginning. The first Divine creative activity concentrated to creating the light:

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Gen. 1:3)

If we pass now to the last books of the Bible, we find again the new “ocean”, which is at the same time the place of “the outer darkness”, as well as the place where the evil of the Universe is concentrated:

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Rev. 19:20)
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev. 20:10)
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:15)

The "lake of fire” is called " everlasting fire” in the Gospels:

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matt. 25:41)

i.e. “furnace of fire”:

And will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:42,50)

as well as the place of "outer darkness ":

Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matt. 22:13)

Therefore, we have two almost identical situations - one at the beginning of the Bible, the other at the end. If the analogy is complete, then “God’s spirit” will hover over the “lake of fire” as well as it hovered over the “waters” on the Earth, prior to beginning of creation of life on it. In that case, the terrible Hell should actually represent the object of new God’s care and love – new creation.

Awareness and Unawareness

It is through light that we become most aware of the beings and objects surrounding us (the other means of awareness, ears, touch, smell etc. participate in the mosaic of awareness to a much lesser extent). However, for the physical awareness it is necessary that we also have our eyes opened. The things are similar on the spiritual level. As for God, He has brought the light to this planet through His Son, but it is up to us whether we shall receive that light:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (John 1: 1-4, 9)
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt. 6: 22-23)

Night and Day

Night and day, periods of darkness and light that alternate regularly on the entire Earth’s globe, represent temporal projection (type) of the struggle of good and evil (c.a. 100 verses included):

And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. (Gen. 1:4-5)
Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. (Gen. 1:16)

In a biological sense, day represents a usual period of activity (awareness, extroversion), while night is a period of passivity (dream, unawareness, introversion):

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)
And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. (Luke 21:37)

Life and Death – Once Again

If life, light and awareness represent the type of good, then death, darkness and unawareness represent the type of evil. Further, if light and awareness are associated with the notion of life, then darkness and unawareness are associated with the notion of evil.

In that way one of the key mystic theological problem is (should be) solved – whether our soul lives (i.e. is aware) after death. It is obvious that a characteristic of death is unawareness.

It is not by chance that Lord Jesus himself (along with other biblical persons) calls death a dream:

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” (John 11:9-14)
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:51-52)
Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?
For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; then I would have been at rest. (Job 3:11,13)

A living man is aware and responsible for his actions. That is why apostle Paul also equals spiritual death with a state of dream and intoxication:

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thess. 5:4-8)

In prophet Daniel’s book we find the resurrection:

At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation (ivr. GOY), Even to that time.
And at that time your people (ivr. AM) shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame andeverlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:1-2)

This understanding of death is apparently contradicted by the story about poor Lazar, where Lord Jesus Himself says that Lazar goes to Abraham’s arms immediately after his death, while the selfish rich man, in front of whose door Lazar lied, goes to the torments in the hell:

Then a discussion follows between Abraham and the (former) rich man.

Since Abraham represents the most prominent Biblical type of God Father (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the type of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, see in “TYPOLOGY OF TRINITY”) at the moment when this story is related by Lord Jesus, I think that all this event cannot be understood but typologically. Here the point is a kind of judgment between a deceased and God Father, while for the relationship of Abraham himself and his descendants we have the following inspired words written:

Doubtless You are our Father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, o Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. (Isa. 63:16)

The story about poor Lazarus is often understood literally, despite Lord’s reprimand to the apostles:

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?— but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matt. 16:5-12)

It is sad that theological teaching of religious organizations are based on so obscure places in the Bible as the story about poor Lazarus is, let alone the stakes, cut tongues and necks....

Righteous and Unrighteous

Both Old and New Testaments call righteous (ivr. TSADIK, gr. DIKAIOS) that kind of man whom we call good and generous, primarily in God’s eyes (or, more exactly, good-doer), while the righteousness could be translated as good deed:

This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just (TSADIK) man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (Gen. 6:9)
And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Gen. 15:6)
Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.' (Deut. 6:25)
" It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deut. 9: 5)
When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight. You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God. (Deut. 24: 10-13)

while in the terms of court-legal terminology the righteous are referred only in a distorted Pharisee light (Matt. 9:13). The antithesis to the righteous in the Old Testament is represented by RESHAIM (RASHA = evildoer, translated also as "godless") or HATAIM (HOTE = sinner), while in the New Testament they are evil (PONEROI = evil ones or HAMARTOLOI = sinners).

This duality is also found in all parts of the Bible (total about 90 places), but far most in Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, being also rather represented in Jesus words written down in the Gospels:

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous (TSADIK),
But the way of the ungodly (RASHA) shall perish. (Psalm 1:6)
The wicked (RASHA) borrows and does not repay, but the righteous (TSADIK) shows mercy and gives. (Psalm 37:21)
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just. (Prov. 3:33)
For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. (Prov. 24:16)
For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. (Eccl. 7:20)
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous (DIKAIOUS), but sinners (HAMARTOLOUS), to repentance. (Matt 9:13)
So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just. (Matt 13:49)
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. (Rev. 22:11)

The last cited verse from Matthew’s Gospel (13:49) suggests also how the separation of the evil and righteous will take place. The evil will be separated from the righteous. This means that the righteous will be left on the Earth. We find a similar statement in The Church History by Eusebius:

But it is fitting to subjoin to the words of Papias which have been quoted, other passages from his works in which he relates some other wonderful events which he claims to have received from tradition The same writer gives also other accounts which he says came to him through unwritten tradition, certain strange parables and teachings of the Savior, and some other more mythical things. To these belong his statement that there will be a period of some thousand years after the resurrection of the dead, and that the kingdom of Christ will be set up in material form on this very earth. I suppose he got these ideas through a misunderstanding of the apostolic accounts, not perceiving that the things said by them were spoken mystically in figures. For he appears to have been of very limited understanding, as one can see from his discourses. But it was due to him that so many of the Church Fathers after him adopted a like opinion, urging in their own support the antiquity of the man; as for instance Irenaeus and any one else that may have proclaimed similar views. (Book 3, Chapter 39. The Writings of Papias. )

Life Before/After Life

The question what will be of us when we leave this world is as enigmatic as the question what was of us before we have come to this world. The answer is hidden (in my opinion) in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ, with his life he spent on the earth, represents an ideal man. By such his life he faithfuly revealed God’s character to all God’s creatures, neutralizing Adam’s fall:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Cor. 15:22)
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Rev. 1:5-6)

If we generalize this fact to both the periods before and after Lord’s life on the earth, we get an announcement of our past and future. We read about Lord’s past until his coming to our earth:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2)
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55-56)

These verses remind much of the known verse form the Book of Ecclesiastes describeing the time of dying (but, unfortunately, in an opposite, anti-dual sense):

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Eccl. 12:7)
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” (Matt 26:26)

The breaking of Jesus’ body is in fact an image (type) of breaking God’s body. Same as breaking Christ’s body generates his church, i.e. his bride (as Adam’s bride originated by breaking of Adam’s body), so Gods creatures originate by breaking God’s body. However, of all these creatures, i.e. parts of God’s body, only LOGOS, Word of God, remained quite true to its original. This Word of God has attributes of both Creator and creature, and we by no means can identify with Him. But, on the other hand, we can be similar, like Enoch, Joseph, Moses, Daniel or anti-similar like His anti-types. Therefore, our existence before our birth on the planet Earth should have been, similar to the Lord’s one, in God, and after this-earthly mission we return to God again.

Of course, there are levels here too. Enoch, for example, went to the Lord in a conscious state, not having experienced death. The other extreme are Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who went alive to SHEOL (= grave, abode of the dead, and in this case maybe even the lake of fire is concerned):

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Gen. 5:24)
And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”
Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit (SHEOL); the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly. (Num. 16:28-33)

Prophet Elijah was likewise taken alive to the heavens:

And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:1. 11)

As to Moses, it can be concluded that he, as the type of Jesus Christ, died and then immediately resurrected and taken to heavens:

Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho.
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. (Deut. 34:1. 5-6)
Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Judas 9)
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matt. 17:1-4)

On the basis the duality life and death (i.e. consciousness and unconsciousness), we have already concluded that death represents a kind of (unconscious) dream, as an effect of separation of spirit from body:

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”:
Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well.Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. (Eccl. 12:1. 6-7)
For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a reward according to his way. Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice. Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world? If He should set His heart on it, if He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. (Job 34:11-15)
These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth. (Psalm 104:27-30)

If death corresponds typologically to the state of unconsciousness, or more precisely to dream, then it is possible, by analogy, that the deceased also “dream”. If they do dream, than again by analogy it is only a relationship between the deceased man and his Maker, and by no means a communication between the dead and alive:

Doubtless You are our Father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. (Isa 63:16)
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Rev. 6: 9-11)

Reviving of the dead (resurrection) takes place only after the new, glorious coming of Lord Jesus Christ to our planet. Then the righteous will get reward – glory and eternal life, while the unrighteous – shame and eterand death:

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thess. 4:15-18)

The most authoritative are, of course, the words of the Lord himself, as when he says to Daniel through his angel:

At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. (Dan. 12:1-2)

But this resurrection is not a simple thing either. The point is that there are several types of resurrection, which can be classified into two groups: resurrection (of the saints) at the beginning of the 1000-year kingdom and resurrection of the others after the 1000-year kingdom:

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy (Gen. 2:3) is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:4-7, 12. 15)

It is logical to suppose that, as there are differences in the next life, so they are also in the possible previous life. It is written for God’s people:

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will (Ephes. 1:4-5)
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27)

Laos and Ethnos (Amim and Goyim)

Reading the spurious book Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, it was the first time that the word 'goyim' attracted my attention, as a pejorative term for pagan peoples (in that books /allegedly/ non-Jews.) Later on, while translating Revelation, I noticed that two greek words are used for marking a people: LAOS and ETHNOS, with expressly different meaning. And then, turning again to the Old Testament writings, I noticed that two terms are used there predominantly, AM and GOY. This chapter is just a result of the analysis of these meanings.

By analysis of the Old Testament verses containing the word AM (1862 verses), the conclusion is that that word refers to a people related to some (usually important) person, or even to a lesser group of people. On the other hand, the word GOY (plural GOYIM, 558 verses) refers to a people in a common sense of nation (i.e. all people of same language, historical development and culture, living mostly in the same country):

Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people (AM).’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation (GOY) is Your people (AM).” (Ex. 33-12-13)
And who is like Your people (AM) Israel, the one nation (GOY) on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people (AM) — to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations (GOYIM) from before Your people (AM) whom You redeemed from Egypt? (1 Chron. 17:21)
The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people (AM) do not consider.”
Alas, sinful nation (GOY), a people (AM) laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. (Isa 1:3-4)

In other words, AM does not need to refer to God’s people only:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people (i.e. God’s AM) go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people (i.e. Pharaoh’s AM), into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people (i.e. Pharaoh’s AM), and on all your servants.” ’ ” (Exod. 8:1-4)

The word GOY, again, does not need to refer to pagan nation only:

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations (GOYIM). No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations (GOYIM). I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations (GOYIM) of you, and kings shall come from you.” (Gen. 17: 3-6)

However, since God’s words are often cited in the Old Testament (especially in prophetic books), many verses can be found marking pagan peoples by GOY or GOYIM, while God’s people is marked by AM:

How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; There! A people (AM) dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations (GOYIM). (Num. 23:8-9)
So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people (AM) Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations (GOYIM) shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. (Ezek. 39:7)
At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people (AM); And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation (GOY), Even to that time. And at that time your people (AM) shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. (Dan. 12:1)
For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations (GOYIM), And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people (AM), My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations (GOYIM); They have also divided up My land. (Joel 3:1-2)
For I will gather all the nations (GOYIM) to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people (AM) shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations (GOYIM), as He fights in the day of battle. (Zach. 14:2-3)
Many nations (GOYIM) shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people (AM). And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. (Zach. 2:11)

These (and such) verses caused that in the New Testament time an attitude took root that the Greek word LAOS refers to God’s people exclusively, while the word ETHNOS to pagans. In order to confirm this, we shall cite some New Testament verses where the words from the Old Testament are cited:

OT Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles (GOYIM).
The people (AM) who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. (Isa. 9:1-2)
NT The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (ETHNOS):
The people (LAOS) who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned. (Matt. 4:15-16)
OT Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people (AM) draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.” (Isa. 29:13)
NT Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
‘These people (LAOS) draw near to me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.’ (Matt. 15:7-8)
OT Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants. Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant, even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (AMIM). (Isa. 56:6-7)
NT Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (ETHNOS – exception)’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” (Marko 11:17)
OT Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles (GOYIM). (Isa. 42:1)
NT Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles (ETHNOS). (Matt. 12:18)
OT Rejoice, O Gentiles (GOYIM), with His people (AM); For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people. (Deut. 32:43)
NT And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles (ETHNOS), with His people (LAOS)!” (Rom. 15:10)

These nuances exist also in the verses without an Old Testament match:

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles (ETHNOS). (Mark 10:33)
The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles (ETHNOS) and the people (LAOS) of Israel, were gathered together. (Acts 4:26-27)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (ETHNOS), His own special people (LAOS), that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people (LAOS) but are now the people (LAOS) of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Pet. 2:9-10)

However, in the New Testament is also visible that ETHNOS marks a people as a nation in the case of Israel too, especially in the communication with the Romans:

For he loves our nation (ETHNOS), and has built us a synagogue.” (Luke 7:5)
And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation (ETHNOS), and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” (Luke 23:2)
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation (ETHNOS).” And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people (LAOS), and not that the whole nation (ETHNOS) should perish.” (John 11:47-50)
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation (ETHNOS) bearing the fruits of it. (Matt. 21:43)
But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people (LAOS). ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations (ETHNOS). And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles (ETHNOS) until the times of the Gentiles (ETHNOS) are fulfilled. (Luke 21:23-24)

Clean and Unclean

The classification of peoples into LAOSES and ETHNOSES remind strongly of the classification of animals into clean and unclean ones:

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations (ETHNOSES) will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. (Matt. 25:31-32)
You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female. (Gen. 7:2)

Moreover, a thought emerges that God is creating now too, but on a higher level. Same as He created the plants and animals in the creation described in the first verses of the Bible, so he creates peoples now. In other words, peoples correspond typologically to the plants and animals from the creation described in the Genesis. Just as the crown of the previous creation was Adam, so the crown of this creation is the people “144000”:

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. (Rev. 14:1-3)
hen I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. (Rev. 21:2, 23-24)
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen. 1: 26-27)

This seems to be the reason why the worldly and heavenly powers are described like beasts throughout the Bible:

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.” (Daniel 7:1-3)
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. (Rev. 12:1; 13:1,11)

This would further mean that salvation represents consciousness of one’s own and general reality. Unclean animals have a lower level of consciousness, while the clean ones have a higher level, and Adam, as a crown, the highest. We have our own place in this current creating too.

Blessing and Damnation

Good and evil, i.e. life and death, are associated also with the duality blessing and<> damnation (as a reception of good, i.e. of evil.) in the Old Testament as well as in the New One (total about 15 verses):

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:
The blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. (Duet. 11:26-28)
See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. (Deut. 30:15)
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them. (Deut. 30:19-20)
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ (Matt. 25:34)
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ (Matt. 25:41)

Comparing this report with the report cited in Matthew 13:49, we note that two different events are concerned. In the first instance, angels appear and separate the evil from the righteous, while in the second we have a kind of court where the Lord Himself is present and separation of the evil from the righteous takes place, whereat ones are sent to one side, while the others to another. We find a similar situation in Revelation too, where several resurrections are mentioned as well as several sendings the "lake of fire ".

Paradise and Hell

The Greek word for paradise (PARADEISOS = garden) is found in only three places in the New Testament:

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (or: And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”) (Luke 23:43)

The two variants of this translation originate from the original Greek text lacking punctuation marks, and thus theologians dispute over the sense of the cited statement.

And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (2 Cor. 12:3-4)
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7)

This last verse serves us to identify the paradise.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (i.e. ethnoses). (Rev. 21:2, 22:2)

In the Old Testament the garden is mentioned where Adam with his wife had dwelled for a time, and from where they were expelled after the act of disobedience to their Creator:

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:8-9)

The hell as a place of tormenting the godless, evil and corrupted sinners is alluded most in the verses from the story about poor layer in Luke’s gospel, as well as in the description of the "lake of fire” in Revelation:

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:19-23)
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Rev. 19:20)
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev. 20:10)
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. (Rev. 14:9-12)

On the basis of the Holy Scriptures it is concluded that we will go here or there not before the resurrection. Even not immediately after the resurrection, but in the way described in the last chapters of Revelation (the problem is not simple at all, since in Revelation at least two resurrections are mentioned, as well as at least two goings to hell).

On the basis of the Lord’s words from the gospels, we conclude that paradise and hell represent a NEW duality, which replaces the heaven-earth duality:

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’
Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’
And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matej 25:34.41.46)

First of all, attention should be paid here to the fact that in the Bible the notion “eternal” (in hebrew OLAM = world, and thereby also eternity, and in Greek AIΩN (read EON) = age) need not mean an infinite lasting, as it is usually “implied”. “The everlasting punishment” is called by the Lord “fiery furnace” (Matt. 13:50). The "fiery furnace" is implied in the Bible as the outpouring of God’s wrath on the evildoers. However, we must by no means confuse this wrath with Dante’s and Mohammad’s sadistic descriptions of the “hell”, i.e. “gehennem”:

[4.56] Those who disbelieve Our verses - We will roast them in a Fire! As often as their skins are cooked, We exchange their skin with another, in order that they taste the punishment. Surely, Allah is Mighty, the Wise.
[14.16] Gehenna is before him and he is given oozing pus to drink,
[14.17] which he gulps and can scarcely swallow. Death will come to him from every side, yet he cannot not die, and yet to come is a dreadful punishment.
[22.19] Those are two who disputed concerning their Lord. Garments of fire have been prepared for the unbelievers. Boiling water shall be poured over their heads,
[22.20] and that which is in their bellies and their skins shall be melted;
[22.21] for them are hooked rods of iron.
[22.22] Whenever in their anguish they try to get out of it, they are restored to it. (It will be said): 'Taste the punishment of burning.'
[23.103] but those whose scales are light shall forfeit their souls and live in Gehenna for ever.
[23.104] The fire lashes their faces and therein are shriveled lips. (Qur’an)

We find the furnace, as a metaphor for God’s wrath, first in the Bible as a symbol of the troubles that must be passed through by Abraham’s progeny in an alien land, this being confirmed also in the reports after the fulfillment of the prophecy:

Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. (Gen. 15: 12.17)
But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day. (Deut. 4: 20, cf. also 1 Kings 8:51)

God’s wrath has good as its ultimate aim, even for those on whom the wrath is outpoured. God’s wrath is an ultimate means for removing, first of all, evil, and only then the evil men.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. (Isa. 48: 10)

We find the most detailed example of purification in the Old Testament at the occasion of pronouncing blessing and damnation to His people in the chapter 28 of Deuteronomy:

But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you
Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything. (Deut. 28: 15. 47.)

The description found between the cited verses rivals the most odious horror films, from a formal side as well as from the inner, mental one. However, we find the word of hope and consolation even for such "sinners" who have deserved such terrible punishments and humiliations:

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice ‘(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.’ (Deut. 4:29-31)

It can be concluded from the cited that paradise as a place of eternal bliss and the hell as a place of infinite torment are deprived of formal support from God’s word. After all, it would be absurd that Jesus teach us to love even the evildoers if there are not them anymore. It is hard for people to accept the attitude that even evil, as well as good, represents an eternal category.

Faithfulness and Laziness

This is perhaps the most interesting duality, found only in Mathew’s gospel, citing the Lord Himself.:

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matt. 25:21.23)
But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant
And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matt. 25:26-30)
That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebr. 6:12)
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. (Prov. 13:4)
The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. (Prov. 21:25)
The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” (Prov. 22:13)

We find a wonderful example of faithfulness and laziness in the situation when the spies came that had gone to reconnoiter the Promised Land. On one side, we have Caleb and Joshua the son of Nun

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Num. 13:30)
But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” (Num. 14:6-9)

On the other side, we see what laziness means:

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Num. 13:31-33)

However, it is very interesting that the “lazy” ones are very active when a reaction toward the “faithful” is concerned:

And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel. (Num. 14:10)
So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” (Exod. 17:4)

This reminds strongly of Jesus’ duel with Jewish scholars:

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:58-59)
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.”
“I and My Father are one.”
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. (John 10:25.30-31)

Laziness is by no means a naive thing. It is actually a mental or spiritual drawback that prevent us from doing good; there are usually invisible “persons” of evil behind it, and its action could be manifested in various ways – as a nervousness, inability to concentrate, paranoid fear etc. All this results eventually in aggressiveness toward those who are not same like us. Non-aggressiveness toward evil moves to aggressiveness toward good.

It is only in temptations that our character is revealed. It is only then visible how much we are able to resist the apparently insignificant, petty situations, often without a clue that the armies of evil stand against us. How can it be that we feel sleepy or nervous, restless, fearful, aggressive etc just in the situations that are important at the level of good and evil?

Kinds of Life and Death

Life can be considered to be an existence of certain ordered, organized form (i.e. system) in certain time period and in certain area of space. Before that period, that form is considered to be non-existing, while after the period, it is considered to have died – it is not alive anymore, it does not exist in that area of space. Besides, every such a system or form serves to certain purpose.

The quality of life is measured by the level; or degree of consciousness.

Thinking this way, we come to conclusion that every creation that assumed a more complex form and serves to certain purpose can be considered alive, beginning from viruses, shirt, sun, moon and earth to computer, man “etc”. Therefore it is not strange that the relationship of God and man is compared with the relationship of man and a clay pot:

Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’? (Isa. 45:9)
“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!” (Jer. 18:6)
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (Rom. 9:20-21)

In the same way, we feel every separation from some person, and even from a thing, even for a little time, tragically as their death. On the other side, we find that Christ’s followers consider tragic neither their own nor other’s deaths, believing that just a temporary parting or even a travel to something better is the point, as it is said by apostle Paul on one occasion:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. (Philip. 1:21-24)

We conclude from the first chapters of the Bible that life has several levels, or rather kinds. It may be concluded (formal-logically) that the death should also have its kinds and subgroups. Same as life can be discerned by its level of order and consciousness, so death can be discerned by the levels of disorder and unconsciousness.

God’s beings decide incessantly for good or evil:

Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live. (Ezek. 33:12-16)

Biological species (kinds) are obtained as a mosaic of these decisions imposed incessantly during their existence governed by God father Himself:

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matt. 10:29-30)

In that way the species were obtained during the week of creation spoken about at the Bible’s beginning:

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. (Gen. 1:11.24)

A completely analogous situation happens today. Same as God created the beings on the earth according to their kinds at one time, so He creates today too. In the process we ourselves determine by our decisions which kind we shall belong to. We are creators of our fate in the global plan of God’ creation! More precisely, we define our fate by our decisions and actions, but affect nothing at all in the global scheme of the play (or love, struggle) of good and evil. Adam defined his fate by his behavior, but did not disturb at all God’s overall plans:

Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. (Mark 14:23)

We have a similar situation with computer program. Every program in a computer, from the simplest through the most complex program packs consists solely of nulls (logical YES) and ones (logical NO).

Every time we decided for evil, one our dimension died - we fell spiritually, and every time when we decided for good, we got a new life in that other dimension – we grew spiritually. Does our character correspond to the character of a lion, wolf, lamb, fox or snake? Or we are maybe a thorn or a fruitful tree beside the water.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. (Jer. 17:7-8)
And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.” (2 Kings 14:9)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?
Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens;
Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels So that its rider shall fall backward.
Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. (Gen. 49:9-22)

It could be said that there is a main direction (or directions) of our spiritual existence, which determines our final decision for good or evil (same as in the previous creation there is a division of animals to clean and unclean ones, and division of plants to those having seed and those not bearing fruit), as well as the daily directions that appear every moment before us and determine the subspecies we belong to (same as there is he division of the plant and animal world to species and subspecies).

That main direction, our life spiritual determination (choice), our philosophy has the decisive impact on our future. (Conscious or unconscious) fixed ideas of one’s own righteousness and others’ perversion had a decisive role in the course of history. The main reason of waging wars is right in our religious-philosophical system, which we accepted, consciously or not, during our lives, whether in mother’s lap, school, street or university. Every such a philosophy materializes as a political party and/or religious organization.

Foolish and Wise

This duality is also often cited, in the Old Testament (mostly in the Book of Ecclesiastes) as well as in Jesus’ words in the New Testament (in about 35 verses):

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov. 1:7)
Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars;
She has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table.
She has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.” (Prov. 9:1-6)
A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother. (Prov. 10:1)
Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (Matt. 25:1-2)
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. (Prov. 17:28)
Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more. (Eccl. 4:13)
For My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. (Jer. 4:22)
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (1 Cor. 3:18)

Acquiring Wisdom

The report from the first chapter of prophet Daniel shows us most obviously how wisdom is acquired. A faithful Judean young Daniel, who was taken, like by the medieval Turkish custom of “blood tribute”, to imperial court for further education, decided not to defile himself with the unclean (unhealthy) food offered from the emperor’s kitchen.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. (Dan. 1:8)

His three compatriots also agreed with him. As a result, we read:

As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. (Dan. 1:17-20)

Because of such a “little” act of faithfulness, so great a reward

Divine wisdom, in its cause, is primarily related to the spiritual, but in its scope of action it includes the earthly too. As a result of his faithfulness in a little, Daniel got an ability to govern the main world empires of the time.:.

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matt. 25:21)

Right and Left

This duality originates from a simple (and scientifically obscure) fact that by far, most people are right-handed, i.e. use their right hand in preference to the left. To such people, right hand is stronger and more skillful then left. It is found in about 70 places in the Bible:

And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. (Gen. 48:13-14)
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left. (Eccl. 10:2)
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. (Song 8:3)
“And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?” (Jonah 4:11)
And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matt. 25:33)
Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. (Matt. 27:38)

Even Jesus sat at the right hand of God, after taking to heaven:

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 7:55-56)

Heaven and the Earth

We have come to perhaps the most represented duality in entire Bible (it is found in about 220 verses), which can help us by its specificity to see a bit deeper through the phenomenon of the struggle of good and evil.

Beginning from the first verses of the Bible, the heaven is related typically to good, while the earth to evil:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Gen. 1:1-2)

The six days of creation described in the following verses represent an attempt that the earthly evil (chaos, lifelessness and darkness) be transformed into good, so that after the sixth day of creation we find the words:

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Gen. 1:31)

However, this attempt was thwarted by Adam’s disobedience:

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground for your sake.” (Gen. 3:17)

This "ordinary" disobedience culminated in general corruption of mankind on the earth:

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (Gen. 6:5-6)

By this way the Earth and the heaven still remained one of the types of duality of good and evil:

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa. 55:9)
Thus says the Lord: Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool” (Isa. 66:1)
Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. (Matt. 23:9)
The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. (1 Cor. 15:47)
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phil. 3:18-20)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. (James 3:14-15)
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. (Rev. 12:12)

By Lord’s efforts, this polarity is ever lessening:

Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it. (Isa. 45:8)
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. (Isa. 65:17)
Thus says the Lord: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,” says the Lord. (Jer. 31:37)
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:9-10)

Finally, in the last chapters of the Bible, this polarity disappears completely, and is replaced by a new duality: the heaven and the earth on one side – the lake of fire on the other:

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Rev. 19:20)
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev. 20:10)
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:14-15)
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. (Rev. 21:1)

Overcoming Evil by Good

The relationship of the heaven and earth, practically from the beginning up to the end of their polarity, can help us very much to understand also the relationship of their archetype - good and evil.

The origin of the heavens and the earth, described at the very beginning of the Bible, indicates their expressed polarity:

n the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was (HAYA = to be, to become) without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Gen. 1:1-2)

Therefore, the Earth was (or became) in a state of evil. Nothing is said about the heavens, since it is not the main theme of the biblical account anyway, but it is logical to conclude that situation there was OK, at least immediately after creation (i.e. before Lucifer’s riot). A hypothesis is deduced from here that at the origin of something "good", its "evil" anti-match originates too. Further God’s efforts are directed toward transformation of that anti-match in a new good. However, that transformation of evil into good ("overcoming evil by good" /Rom. 12: 21/) goes in two stages. The first stage (stage of darkness) is apparently unsuccessful, for evil delivers a strong blow to good (by Adam’s fall into sin, the evil occupied the Earth again). In the other stage (the stage of light), the earth’s evil is overcome finally. Actually, it is moved to the "lake of fire ".

In a similar way (probably, before that), the evil that appeared in the heavens was overcome and moved to the earth:

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev. 12:1-9)

By cleansing from evil, God’s kingdom is established in the heavens, while the Earth becomes a region of evil:

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev. 12:10-12)

Likewise, by cleansing the earth from the evil, the “kingdom of God” is established on the earth, while weeping and gnashing of teeth is heard in the lake of fire.:

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev. 21:2-3)
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. (Rev. 22:3)
So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:49-50)

Same as Satan and his angel were separated from God’s angels and thrown from the heavens to the earth, so will the evil men on the Earth will be separated from the good ones and thrown into the fiery furnace (= lake).

Love and Doubt (Hatred)

Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:15)

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24)
But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4: 7-21)

Love of Good and Evil

The example of the history of the heavens and the earth describes best, perhaps, the relationship of good and evil. Between good and evil there is not unbearability (not to say hatred) in an ordinary sense of the word. Good wishes good to evil. And finally the evil is overcome, although at the cost of origin of a new evil.

The heavens and the earth, once opposite poles of the duality, become friends finally. Moreover, out of a planet ruled by Satan, finally the Earth becomes JHVH SHAMA, (i.e. “God is there”).

Dialectics

One of the main goals of Jesus’ mission on the Earth was a correction of our relationship to what we consider to be evil:

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:38-48)

God is present with his spirit even in evildoers, helping them to improve themselves. And, when (if) they finally improve themselves, he settles in them/us (JHVH SHAMA).

God’s Righteousness

Good and evil has absolutely equal treatment.

Every evil is defeated by good finally, but at the cost of origin of a new (worse) evil. Likewise, every good is "defeated" by evil, the good being transformed to a higher level, too.

When Satan "defeated" Jesus, the Lord was "bound" in the grave during Sabbath:

Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56)

Thereafter he raised and gathered again the demoralized and disappointed disciples:

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. (Mark 16:9-10)

Then the disciples united in prayer, so that the fire of Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of Pentecost:

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. (Acts 2:1-3)

While the Lord got all authority in heaven and on earth and “traveled” to heavens, where were already Moses (type of Christ) and Elijah (type of Holy Spirit):

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (Acts 6:8, 7:55-56)

When God defeats Satan, he will first bind him for a 1000-year Sabbath in the bottomless pit (the first death):

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1-2)

As we see, the history of the struggle of good and evil goes typically. In the week of creation spoken about at the beginning of the Bible, the life on the earth was created in six days, while the rest from the struggle with the earthly evil was on the seventh day. We are living now at the end of the period of six thousand years struggle with evil, after which the famous 1000 year kingdom will take place, during which the evil, i.e. Satan, will be neutralized.

Then Satan will be let to gather his “people” from the "four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog", so that “the fire from God fall upon them out of heaven”:

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. (Rev. 20:7-9)

Satan gets down to the lake of fire, where are already Anti-Christ and anti-Holy Spirit:

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev. 20:10)

***

Every evil gives birth to good. Men and women that watched the torments and killings of Jesus’ disciples in the arenas of Roman Empire decided themselves to give the fate of their lives to the “creator of a new sect”. The stakes and dungeons where Jesus’ followers were burnt and tortured during the reign of "papacy" were actually labor pains whereby the movements of spiritual awakening were bearing throughout Europe and the New World.

Paradise Fate of the Righteous

Hell Fate of the Sinful

Moses – type of Christ

(died and resurrected, then taken to the heaven, Gen. 34:6, Matt. 17:3)

Beast - Anti-Christ

(wounded lethally, but revived, Rev. 13:3, 19:20)

Elijah – type of Holy Spirit

(taken alive to the heaven, 2 Kings 2:11)

False prophet - Anti-Holy Spirit

(Rev. 19:20)

Christ

(type of Father, Mark 16:19)

Satan

(Anti-Father, Rev. 20:10)

Likewise, every good gives birth to evil. The order, peace and harmony in very God’s throne hall in the heaven were an ideal ambient for Satan to notice that "something is wrong":

You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, o covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.
Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.
You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; you have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.” ’ ” (Ezek. 28: 12‑19)
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. (Rev. 12: 3‑4)

But again, evil conceives evil:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

And, on the other hand, good conceives good:

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Matt. 12:35)
Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it.” (Isa. 45:8)

Origin and fate of Evil

God’s people, as we find it written from Qumran writings to "Watchtower”, rejoice at the destruction of the sinful and establishing the eternal kingdom of the righteous. In that way, it is supposed that evil and its source (Satan) should be eradicated from the universe. However, it is written in the Bible that God Himself is creator of evil:

I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isa. 45:5-7)

From God’s viewpoint, evil is a constituent part of good. That serves as a means for transition to a higher spiritual level. It seems that good and evil represent two fundamental divine driving forces. It is through evil that God Himself passes to a higher level. Through Golgotha, Christ got all power in heavens and earth. Therefore we have Jesus’ words written:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matt. 5:38-39)
Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matt. 18:7)
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” (Luke 17:1)
And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. (Luke 22:22)
The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. (Matt. 26:24)

An incarnation of evil had to appear in the universe, but Satan is responsible for his choice and his action.

If Jesus was a likeness of father on Golgotha too, ("He who has seen Me has seen the Father " /John 14:9, 12:45, Hebr. 1:3) then Golgotha also reveals the heavenly Father. Same as Jesus had to die in order that his body be broken and his blood spilt for his bride, so God Father gives birth to his “bride” by his death.

God is a source of evil and sufferer of evil, as well as Satan. The essential difference between them is in the motives, as well as in the sequence of events. God first suffered evil, in order to get to a higher level of existence in his creatures. God is also a source of evil toward His creatures, but for their ultimate good. With Satan we have a different situation. He is first a source of evil because of his megalomaniac and narcissistic goals. He suffers evil too, but against his will.

The good die for love and beat for love.

The evil beat out of their aggressiveness, and are beaten out of aggressiveness of others.

The good die for love for God and his neighbors, whilst the evil die cursing God and/or heating their neighbors:

But he (i.e. Stephen), being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60)

However, for both of them holds the fundamental law of the universe, announced on the Mount of Blessings:

For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (Matt 7:2)

Both God and Satan will be present in the “lake of fire”, formally seen: God as the main (indirect) author of evil, and Satan as the main instrument of evil. God for love, Satan because of the verdict. The difference between God and Satan is so much refined that Satan succeeded to draw after him the third of the heavenly and the two third of the earthly creatures:

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. (Rev. 12: 3-4)
“And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one- third shall be left in it:
I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ” (Zach. 13:8-9)

Many consider Job, beside Jesus, the greatest figure in the Bible, because he did not sin with his lips despite all the evil that had befallen him, differently from those described in Revelation 16:

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. ¹¹ They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. (Rev. 16:8-11.21)

The most sublime men are those who with clean heart (without an interest, calculation etc) praise God and love their neighbors even in the most difficult conditions, for it is right in such cases that God’s character is exposed most.

It was right by not succumbing to the temptations despite 40 days of being hungry that the Lord showed Satan that he was Son of God.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. (Matt. 4:1-11)

For majority of the saved, sending Satan and his followers to the “lake of fire” means practically liberation from evil and destruction of Satan and 'sinners'.

However, with the Lord the notion “destruction” does not exist:

I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. (Eccl. 3:14)

We find a similar situation with the treatment of the so called 'first death'. For some people it represents the grates tragedy, whilst for others, like deacon Stephen (Acts 7:55-60) it represents a feat whereby one participates in divine nature that is giving, sacrificing itself for the sake of others for love.

Likewise the "like of fire" will represent a place of verdict, of greatest darkness, while for the Lord it represents a place of new activities and new life, like the earth as it is described in the first verses of the Bible. Same as in the eve of the creation of life on the Earth "God’s Spirit hovered over waters", so will after the verdict "God’s Spirit hover over the convicts".

We represent God according to our perverted character, copy our evil impulses, and therefore it seems that only 144000 of the creatures be able to go with the "lamb" voluntarily, filled with God’s love even to the "lake of fire " and thereby participate in the NEW CREATION.

Male and female

When God created life on the earth, Adam was created as a crown of creation:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen. 1:26-27)

In the second chapter, we have a more detailed account of creating Adam and his wife, where it is said that Adam was without Eve in the beginning. What is the matter? If Adam was created according to Jesus form, then his bride should have been represented by all earthly creatures as a community (church), same as Christ’s bride is represented by his people (his church):

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (Rev. 21:2-3)

However, it is right here where the limit of Adam’s similarity to God was.

The basic message of the entire Bible is:

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

The most important role of Christ’s service on the earth consisted right in showing us the heavenly Father. His messages, miracles, unselfishness, humility, care, love even to sacrificing himself, all that had the main purpose – to reveal to all God’s creatures their heavenly father in all possible dimensions (The Politics of Jesus, John Howard Yoder, William Eerdmans Publ. Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan, first print. 1972, reprint 1988, p. 122). The fall of the greatest figures in the Bible consisted right in their failing to glorify adequately (that is to be similar by their life to) God:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. (Deut. 32:48-51)

The fundamental difference between Jesus and any other person in the history of mankind is right here. By his life on the earth, from his first to his last day, Jesus was revealing the character of the heavenly Father. That is why no other person can be compared with him. The teaching and/or life of Confucius Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster or Mohammad has, certainly, its value and spiritual message, depending of the extent to which they were connected (consciously or not?) with the heavenly Father. But certainly none of these persons had the fullness and depth of Jesus’ message.

The limit of Adam’s similarity with the Father consisted right in the imperfection of his love. Let us read:

Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. (Gen. 2:19-20)

We all face daily the choice between good and evil. We decide constantly for the heavenly or earthly. Often as well as Adam in this situation, we invent 'evil' where it does not exist.

Adam noticed that all animals are in pairs. Then the moment came that determined the direction of his further development. He did not understand the depth or purpose of his existence, nor had he love to feel it or feel premonition of it. Simply, having seen how wonderfully the pairs of other living being function, he did not see his role as of their soul-keeper, protector and master, intended by the Lord for him, but wished selfishly to have his own pair too – instead of wishing to be like the creator, he wished to be like creatures. He also probably fell into deep depression, like every child in us whenever its capricious desires are unfulfilled:

And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. (Num. 15:39-40)

Since God understood that desire, we find the words:

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable (NEGED = against) to him.” (Gen. 2:18)

“It is not good” is halfway between good and evil. So we find the words whereby God warned Cain:

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well (i.e. good), sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. (Gen. 4:6-8)

The 'Not-good' results, as a rule, in evil, which is more than obvious in the case of Cain. I just wonder what (sad) Adam’s face looked when he saw others living beings parading, happy and content? Here a message is hidden too: 'The root of our sorrows lies, most often, in our egocentric unfulfilled desires.' When we are sad, let us lift our eyes toward Christ, or down toward those who need our protection and care.

It is only Jesus, about 4000 years after, showed what role was intended for Adam:

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. (John 10:11-14)

Jesus’ relation to us, his creatures, corresponds completely to the relation of Adam to other creatures (before the fall into sin, of course):

This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” (John 21:14-17)

Having understood Adam’s desire (to have an assistant), God fulfils it, but in a way that sketches typically God’s sacrifice of creation:

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. (Gen. 2:21-22)

Same as Christ had to die (get asleep) for his bride (church), and as his body is broken for his people (bride), so Adam had to get asleep in order that his body be broken for his wife.

From this moment on, the earth (hebr. ADAMA) and other living beings (mother), and even the Creator himself (father) fell absolutely into background, while on the other side we find the words of delight for his new assistant:

And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen. 2:23-24)

Perhaps the most positive role by noted naturalist Charles Darwin was the people paying attention again to the other living beings, which have not been created just to serve them, but also to be loved and cared by them.

In that way, instead of being an assistant in his work about other God’s creatures, Eva became a kind of idol for Adam, a means that separated him from both God and creatures. Therefore such a female principle (at whose root there lies male narcissism, carelessness and selfishness) is often spoken about with a negative connotation in the Bible. It is right for the narcissistic men’s state of being enamored that women have the power to induce them to evil:

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. (1 Kings 11:1-4)

It can be concluded from the account of Solomon’s father David that the root## of the weakness toward women is right in David (remember David’s adventure with Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite /2 Sam. 11:1-12:24/), and that Solomon inherited that David’s weakness not having overcome it.

It is only after resurrection that man will be at the level Adam was before creation of his wife:

Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” (Matt. 22:29-30)

As it is commonly known, the love story of Adam and his wife is not ended here. Actually, it just begins.

With creation of Eve, Adam’s “not-good” disappeared. However, his greed, which his wife received genetically (Adam is Eva’s mother at the same time, for she originated from his body, and brother, for they have a common creator – God, as well as, of course, husband), results in her open violation of God’s commandment:

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:6)

The open violation of God’s commandment is called sin. However, the root of that sin is often hidden and undistinguishable at first glance. We have a similar situation with one of the greatest figures of the Old Testament, "God’s friend" Abraham. Even after God’s promise that he would give him the land (corresponding to present Israel, Lebanon and part of Syria) as inheritance, this spiritual giant fled to Egypt after the first draught in the “promised land”, not asking God for advice. And there, he even rented out, as a procurer, his nice wife (then certainly over 65 years old) to the pharaoh, in order that he (Abraham) be fine. (Gen. 12:1-20). There, however, the Lord interfered, and forced the Egyptian pharaoh to give the woman back to his chosen one, and then they return, with great wealth, to the promised land. As a result of this Abraham’s action, we find God’s promise:

Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.” (Gen. 15:13-15)

Here the point is a kind of a happily ended damnation, based on one of the universal laws pronounced on the mount of blessings:

For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (Matt. 7:2)

God could not Bog say directly or explain Abraham that he had made a blunder, for He emphasized his positive sides prevailing the negative ones by far. However, in the case of, for example, Abraham’s descendants at the exodus from Egypt, four hundred years later, we find a similar situation, but with a different connotation. After the 40-day reconnaissance of the promised land (Gen. 13-14), the spies brought discouraging news, inducing the people to riot against Moses and God. As a consequence of their act, we read:

‘But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. ‘And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.
‘According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. (Num. 14:32-34)

If the analogy of these two events is complete, then we conclude that Abraham dwelt in Egypt four hundred days.

Neither Adam, nor Abraham, nor God’s people that left Egypt violated any God’s commandment, and still degraded in the cited situations, which was confirmed by the Lord in the third case only (in the second one He suggested it, and in the first not even so much).

One of the main reasons of God’s placing the tree of knowledge of good and evil in our lives is that we become aware of our state. Adam and Eve fell at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But it was right through the same tree that they, actually, prospered spiritually and much more their descendants, i.e. good as a whole.

As it is said, we don’t spoil God’s plans as to overcoming evil. We can only downgrade or upgrade our personal position in that plan. By his actions in the three cited cases, Adam, Abraham as well as God’s people that had left Egypt degraded personally in God’ plan of overcoming evil. However, these actions did not spoil God’s plan at all. The blessings God intended for them are transferred to the following generations, culmination being, of course, is the last generation of its famous 144000 that will be a crown of the new creation, in which we ourselves also participate, just as Adam was a crown of creation described in the first pages of the Bible. That generation will be taught by the “errors of their ancestors” and, similarly to the Jews at the time Jesus and Joshua the son of Nun will be ready for the special role intended for it:

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. (Rev. 7:2-4)
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. (Rev. 14:1-5)

By her act, Eve degraded in relation to Adam and got also the negative label of duality. The serpent also degraded in relation to other animals – from a flier it became a crawler. Eve, of course, repented her sin, but her disobedience resulted in the worst possible evil - Cain’s fratricide:

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. (Gen. 4:8)

Eve’s act reveals actually what lies at the root of Adam’s desire to have a companion, like other living beings: "desire of eyes” plus pushing God to background. Same as Adam had left his creator (father) because of the desire of his eyes, so Eve left her husband (and mother) for desire of her eyes. Eve was induced to that by Satan, whilst Adam was induced by his personal “evil”.

Cain’s act reveals the root of Eve’s decision to neglect God’s commandment...

Eve was created as Adam’s “assistant”. However, it turned out that she became a means by which evil prevailed on the earth again. Therefore the result is a dual picture:

So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Gen. 3:14-16)

The relationship of husband and wife can be compared now with the relationship of heaven and the earth:

Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it. (Isa. 45:8)

Having seen other creatures in pairs, it maybe seemed to Adam that he needed an assistant (EZER), as well as it seemed to Moses after the Lord called him at the burning bush. Both these cases reveal the principle of God’s action. God wishes ardently that we are similar to him, but he respects our personal desires and meets them in order that we may become aware of their baseness.

Eve was so flattered by Adam’s delight with her that she became conceited about her beauty and wished to be above Adam, to be like God. We find the fruit of her dissatisfaction in Cain’s act.

Therefore we find two women at the end of the struggle of good and evil on the earth. One is the "harlot" who rides on the terrible beast. She wants to rule:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. (Rev. 17: 1-6)

This picture contrasts with the modest scene of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a colt:

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21: 1-9)

The other woman, Jesus’ assistant, comes from heavens. It is New Jerusalem, bride of the lamb:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. (Rev. 21: 1-17)

Roots of Human Psychopathology

The initial chapters of the Bible reveal also the roots of psychic deviations. The insert from Adam’s biography described in Genesis 2 gives an example of typical maniacal depression. His turning point was the moment when God brought other creatures in front of him:

The bringing of animals in front of Adam provoked a stress in him. On one hand, he was delighted with God’s creation, but on the other, he was disappointed for not having his match as other creatures.

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Gen. 2:18)

He, although created in God’s shape, wished to be like a creature, not like Creator. So in Adam a new person originated, i.e. he was split to the earthly and heavenly parts. Here we can look for the root of every schizophrenia; in each of us there are at least two persons fighting with each other, a heavenly person and an earthly person. Earthly Adam fell into a depressive state, and God had to say:

It is not good that man should be alone! (Gen. 2:18)

The solution of this sate is the splitting of Adam’s person:

The first Adam was created by his wife (ADAMA), and after she was brought to him as a creature, he, blinded by her beauty and desire to be like her, fell to depression.

Adam’s other wife (ISHA) was created by Adam, and also brought to him. Adam fell now to delight, a state of mania.

Until creating Eva, it seems that Adam was not a male in the worldly sense, but in a higher Divine one, same as Christ is the head of the church, and God is head of Christ:

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor. 11: 3)

So the lord Himself had to take steps to heal Adam. The first step was the division of Adam into two. Creation of Eve was not a simple act of new creation; it was a division of Adam’s person into two parts. Schizophrenia is the first result of depression. The physical splitting of Adam’s person done by the Lord is a result of the inner mental splitting of Adam’s person caused by the lustful desire of his eyes. Adam was created in the image of God, but by no means equal to God. The limit of the image is right here.

After creation of Eve, Adam goes to another extreme, into a state of mania, so that in his excitement he sings the first love song in the history of mankind:

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Gen. 2:23)

However, this state is also short-lived. Adam’s other person (i.e. Eve) succumbs soon to the illness of disbelief - paranoia. As we can see, paranoia has two ends too. Initially Eve, Adam’s other I, having inherited from Adam the inclination to the desire of eyes, seeks even the faintest reason to satisfy that need. Besides, she also probably was influenced by Adam’s state of excitement (mental state of mania), when man does not know of sin. All is so wonderful. Sin does not exist. All is permitted:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:1-6)

Obedience to the “father of lie” leads really to “opening eyes”, but with disappointing consequences:

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Gen. 3:7)

We find in Revelation (3:18) that God advices his church with an opposite sequence: first to buy gold and white robes and only then to anoint its eyes to see. Therefore the first result of such Adam’s action is the feeling of unworthiness, shame and self-accusation, which ends with a paranoid fear and flight from the Lord’s face.

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen. 3:8-10)

Adam’s and Eve’s paranoid fear and disbelief in God resulted in paranoid aggressiveness of their firstborn, Cain:

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. (Gen. 4:1-8)

Cain was a typical case of a paranoid person. Paranoia is an illness of disbelief, and Cain inherited it from his mother primarily. Same as Eve sought even weakest reason for justification of satisfying of the desire of her eyes, so Cain, paranoid, sees the threats to his person even in the faintest omens, while God‘s advices do not influence his life attitudes. The only way that Cain becomes aware of his misconception is to permit him to realize his intentions completely, and that is why his brother, the type of innocent Christ’s suffering, had to perish.

Last updated 14.1.2006