We have said that the entire Bible is required to prove and reveal this vision. If we carefully read through the Scriptures from beginning to end and consider them in a good way before God, calming our spirit to look to God, then we will clearly see that the first two chapters of the Bible (Gen. 1—2) form one section and that the last two chapters (Rev. 21—22) also form one section. These two sections, the beginning and the end of the entire Bible, mirror each other from afar. In between these two sections is another section from Genesis 3 through Revelation 20, which is the main body of the Bible. This section is like an interlude in a play, within which are many plots and events, twists and turns, ups and downs, and touching stories. To summarize it briefly, this section simply deals with matters on the positive side and matters on the negative side. These two sides, the positive and the negative, each emphasize three matters. By pointing out these three matters, we will see a sketch or outline of this section.
Genesis 3 is the start or beginning of this inserted section. This section starts by telling us that a serpent came in. The first two chapters of Genesis speak of how God created the heavens, the earth, and all things, including the highest of the created, living things—the human race—as the center of the universe. They also tell how God created man with His image to be His representative and how He put this man before the tree of life so that he would become a man of honor and glory. This is the description in the first two chapters. Following this, chapter three opens with a description of a serpent. We all know that this serpent was Satan in disguise. When this serpent came, he injected his poison into the man whom God had created in His own image and for His own glory. The poison that the serpent injected into man is the sin that is within man. The sin that dwells in us and is referred to in Romans 7 is the poison of the serpent in Genesis 3. This poison acts, reigns, and subdues us. From this sin many sinful acts are produced. Since man has this sin-causing poison within him, he is held captive and controlled by it. Hence, man cannot help but commit many sinful acts. Because of these sins, death follows. Therefore, death comes to all men. The serpent came, he injected sin into man, and from sin came death. These are the three most important items on the negative side in Genesis 3 through Revelation 20.
In this long section of the Bible we often see the “head” or the “tail” of the serpent appear. In many portions we see the serpent coming out of man. Sometimes we see his tail, and other times we see his head. When John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus were on the earth, they called those who followed Satan “offspring of vipers” (Matt. 3:7; 12:34). In the Old Testament, the children of Israel, one time while journeying through the wilderness, did something that offended God. Then poisonous serpents came and bit them, so they called on God to rescue them. God told Moses to make a brass serpent and hang it on a pole. These are two stories related to the serpent. Then the serpent is mentioned again in Revelation 12, where he is called “the ancient serpent” (v. 9). He is called this because he was already in existence at the time of the garden of Eden. Then in Revelation 20 we see the Lord Jesus in His victorious power binding the poisonous serpent and casting him into the bottomless pit and, subsequently, into the lake of fire. Therefore, this section of the Bible begins with the serpent coming into the garden of Eden and ends with the serpent being cast into the lake of fire.
If you were to ask me what this long section of the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20 is about, I would tell you that on the negative side it is about all of the issues of the serpent’s coming into the midst of man and into man himself. I once saw in a Christian book a chart of the seven dispensations. It showed the periods of time from Cain to the end of the millennial kingdom. Above all of these periods of time, there was a huge serpent. It stretched from the first dispensation all the way to the end of the millennium. That chart expressed this point perfectly. The story of man on the earth throughout the ages, beginning with the sin of Adam and ending with the millennial kingdom, is truly the story of all the troubles caused by the serpent. Throughout history the serpent comes and goes; he manifests himself and then retreats. Sometimes he shows his head, other times he shows his tail, and still other times he shows a part of his body. On the earth the serpent continually causes men to sin, causing them to be brought into death. If you read the newspaper, you will see that not one day goes by without an occurrence of robbery, adultery, fornication, theft, or murder. Whenever I read these reports, I always have the feeling that these reports are stories of men who have been poisoned by the serpent and that all these events happened because of the serpent’s poison. This society has been occupied by the serpent. Therefore, it is natural that it is full of sins, corruption, and death. This is the Bible’s description of the negative situation. The serpent entered in Genesis 3, and it is not until Revelation 20 that he will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. At that time the Lord will also judge all the sinners and all of the sins of men. Lastly, He will cast death into the lake of fire. These are the main items on the negative side that are spoken of in the Bible.
However, thanks be to God that on the earth we have not only night but also day and not only the negative side but also the positive side. We must worship Him that after the serpent entered in Genesis 3, God declared in the very same chapter that the seed of the woman would come and bruise the serpent’s head. This One who would deal with the serpent would not be an ordinary man. Every ordinary man is a seed of man, but this One would be the seed of a woman. Today we all know that this seed of the woman is the Son of the living God, our glorious Lord Jesus, who was born through a virgin and who was also the most outstanding One among mankind. This One came and bruised the serpent’s head. The Bible says that “the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). The serpent came in, but afterward Christ also came in to deal with and get rid of the serpent. Since that time, a war has been going on among mankind on the earth—the war between the serpent and the Son of God. If you know this line in the Bible, then it will not be difficult to see from the Scriptures that the serpent was continually using all his devices to try to prevent the birth of this seed of the woman. On the other hand, you will also see that God was exercising all the authority of His sovereignty to put a restraint on the serpent’s activity and that ultimately He made it possible for His Son to come to the earth through incarnation to deal with the serpent.
The serpent brought in sin, but Christ brought in righteousness. In fact, He Himself is righteousness. When we receive Him, we gain Him as our righteousness, and we are justified before God and delivered from sin. The serpent brought in death through sin, but this One, Christ, brought in life through righteousness. The serpent injected sin into man and thus trapped man in death, but Christ came and gave man righteousness and thus caused man to have life in righteousness. Christ is versus the serpent, righteousness is versus sin, and life is versus death. Although there are many plots and events, twists and turns, ups and downs, and bends and curves in this section of the Bible, it is a story played out by two main characters, and each of these main characters has two smaller, subordinate characters. In this story there is the serpent and the Son of God. These two continually oppose each other. With the serpent are sin and death, and with the Son of God are righteousness and life. I want this picture to be impressed into us. When we read the Bible, we should immediately be able to see what is the serpent, what is sin, and what is death, and we should also see what is Christ, what is righteousness, and what is life. These are the two sides that we must see when we read from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20. All the stories in this middle section are played out by these six characters.