Now we want to see how the first and last sections of the Bible correspond to one another. If we would calmly consider the beginning chapters of Genesis and the concluding chapters of Revelation, we would see that these two portions of the Word have four points that correspond with each other.
First, in the beginning, in Genesis 2, the Bible mentions the tree of life. Then in chapter three it says that this tree of life was locked up. From then on, there is no direct mention of the tree of life until the end of Revelation, where the tree of life appears again. Therefore, the tree of life is mentioned in the first section and the last section of the Bible. In one section it is referred to in the way of a beginning, and in the other section it is referred to in the way of a conclusion. Thus, these two sections correspond to one another.
Second, in both the first section and the last section of the Bible there is a river. Genesis 2 tells us that “a river went forth from Eden to water the garden” (v. 10). At the end of the Bible, Revelation says that a river of water of life proceeds out of the throne of God (22:1). These two rivers correspond with one another.
Third, in Genesis 2 three kinds of precious materials are mentioned—gold, bdellium, and onyx stone (vv. 11-12). At the end of Revelation, a city that is pure gold appears (21:18). Its street is pure gold, its gates are pearls, and its wall is adorned with precious stones (vv. 19-21). Thus, these three kinds of precious materials are also at the end. The only difference is that they have become a building. Thus, this is another aspect of how the two sections of the Bible, the beginning and the end, correspond with one another.
Fourth, the last item mentioned in Genesis 2 is a counterpart (vv. 18-24), and the central figure mentioned in the last two chapters of Revelation is also a counterpart—the bride, the wife of the Lamb (21:2, 9).
Therefore, the beginning and the end of the Bible clearly mention the same topics with the same items as their content and center. The tree of life, the river, the three kinds of precious materials, and the counterpart in one section correspond with the same items in the other section. All the items in the first section correspond with the items in the last section. No one can deny that this is the writing of the Holy Spirit.
All these corresponding items show us what God intends to have, what He wants to do in the universe, and what His focus and goal are. At the beginning of the Bible, there is a picture that clearly describes the desire of God, and at the end there is a picture that describes to us His desire as it will be when it is achieved and when He has gained what He wants. This picture is a city built with gold, pearl, and precious stones as the habitation of God and the counterpart of the Lamb. The long middle section of the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 20 is the process, the interlude, within which are numerous twists and turns, plots and events, and moving stories.
Now we want to see what the vision revealed in these two sections is and what the important points of the vision are, point by point. However, before I point these things out, let me first speak a little about the background.
Everyone who has read the Bible knows that the first two chapters of Genesis are a record of God’s creation. God’s creation is not a small matter. Rather, it is a great matter. Thus, the way God wrote about it is very marvelous. The Bible uses only two chapters to describe in a general way how God created the heavens, the earth, and all the things in the universe. Strictly speaking, these matters are covered only in one chapter—Genesis 1. Why is it that the record concerning God’s creation in the Bible is so brief? This is because the divine record was written according to the central goal of God’s intention. The goal of His intention is life. Therefore, His record was written according to the view of life and with life as the goal.
Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Verse 2 then says that the earth became waste and emptiness and that darkness was on the surface of the deep. This is a description of the background, showing us that at that time the earth was full of death, full of chaos, and void of life. It goes on to say that the Spirit of God came to brood upon the surface of the waters (v. 2b) and that following this the light came (v. 3). From our experience we know that the brooding of the Spirit of God is for life and that the illuminating of light is also for life. After the light came, there was the separation of the light from the darkness (v. 4), the separation of the waters under the expanse from the waters above the expanse (vv. 6-8), and the separation of the land from the waters (vv. 9-10). Originally, the universe had been in a state of confusion, but now there were separations. Once these separations had been made, the dry land emerged to generate life. The first kind of life that was generated was the lowest form of life—the plant life, which is without consciousness or feeling. Then the lower forms of animal life—the fish and the birds—were generated. Following this, the higher forms of animal life, consisting of the mammals, were generated. Finally, the highest creature, man, was generated. Among the created beings, man is the highest creature, having the image of God and the authority of God. However, man did not have the highest life, which is the uncreated life of God. Therefore, God put this highest creature before the tree of life, which was a type of Himself as the God of life, so that man could receive Him to become precious material. I believe that you all are clear that this is the background of the first two chapters of Genesis.
Now let us look at the important points concerning us human beings in the first two chapters of Genesis.