The "Proto-evangelium"
Immediately after the historic space-time Fall of Adam and Eve, God,
even in pronouncing judgement and the curse, promises deliverance
through the offspring of the woman. In one cryptic sentence, addressed
to the Serpent, God divulges the plan of salvation: "And I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it
shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis
3:15).
An individual from among the woman's seed, namely Christ, shall deal
a death blow and utter defeat to Satan at the cross, while Satan would
bruise Christ's heel, that is, cause Him to suffer.
Two matters are brought out: the completeness of Christ's victory;
and the inestimable cost at which this victory shall be secured.
The divine initiative must also be noted. It is God who puts enmity
between the two seeds, between the children of light and the children of
darkness.
The essence of man's deliverance consists of a reversal of his
attitude, from hostility towards God to friendship. To be observed also
is the continuity of the Redeemer's work. It extends to the 'seed' of
Eve and Satan. All nations and generations are involved.
Finally, the outcome is not in doubt. Victory lies with the Seed of
the woman, who is pre-eminently Christ, as Galatians 3:16 affirms.
The proto-evangelium, literally, the first gospel, is actually the
first revelation of the Covenant of Grace; this was the first dawning of
the light of the Gospel on earth.
How does Galatians 4:4 relate to the "Proto-evangelium"?
"But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem..." (Galatians
4:4; cf. Mark 1:15, "The time is fulfilled...").
It is here specified that the promise first made to Adam and renewed
and intensified in detail by the prophets throughout succeeding
generations has been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus the Anointed One.
The fullness of the time is the time known by the Father and set by the
Father, elsewhere denominated "the ends of the ages" (1
Corinthians 10:11), when the promises of God are realised, for it is
only in His Son that all God's promises are yea and amen.
So Galatians 4:4 sets the seal on the veracity of the early divine
promise, originally given to our first parents at the dawn of history.
Salvation would come; and Israel particularly has waited and waited for
it. But its delay did not mean forgetfulness on God's part; no, at the
appropriate time God made good His word.
By the Fall, man became the slave of sin, of Satan and of self. But
the Redeemer, the Great Liberator, would come; and He did come - and His
identity is none else but the Son of God, incarnate.
There is therefore consistency and full harmony throughout sacred
history and the sacred record (Scripture) vis-à-vis the covenant of
redemption. What was early intimated has come to full light.
The Protoevangelium - The Seed-bed of the Gospel
The first proclamation at the dawn of human history is given by the
Lord himself in judging the serpent (Satan), and is recorded in Genesis
3:15: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel."
Quite cryptic, but so very true as we see it fulfilled in history. I
will develop the following salient points concerning the first gospel:
1. The divine initiative. It is God who puts enmity between the two
seeds.
God, who exercises absolute sovereignty over all his creation, and
works all things after the counsel of his will, knew of Adam's fall
beforehand, having decreed it to happen. In his unsearchable wisdom God
allowed this apparent defeat so that He will turn it to his own greater
glory. Though the fall He will bring many sons to glory, not through
Adam, but through His Son.
And this controversy that arose out of the fall, and which is still
being fought out (the darkness not overcoming the light), God directs
and moves to his own wise ends.
From the beginning, then, the godly seed and the children of Satan
are set against each other. Though this started in primeval history, its
continuing relevance for us today is undoubted. As children of light,
being called out of darkness, we are meant to maintain this antithesis.
We are to hate the works of darkness, and reprove them by coming
continually to the light. "Come out from among them and be ye
separate."
2. The essence of man's deliverance consists of a reversal of his
attitude, from hostility towards God to friendship.
At its core, the Fall consisted of rebellion and insubordination to
the claims and rights of the Creator over the creature. The creature was
alienated from its Maker and opted for an independent and irreligious
existence from God. Man made himself an enemy of God; in man becoming
sinful, God's wrath and sore displeasure was immediately manifested.
Again, at its core, the Calvary Redemption consisted of a thoroughly
obedient Man, as Mediator, offering himself and making amends for the
failure of the creature. He became responsible for their misdeeds, and
not only so, but in applying his redemption to his elect by the ministry
of the Holy Spirit, he makes them willing to obey God's commandments and
thusmake manifest their reconciled status as God's adopted children.
"I have called your friends....You are my friends if you do what I
command you..." Christ declared his manifesto at his coming when he
read from Isaiah: "To proclaim liberty to the captives" (in
bondage to their own lusts and to the will of Satan), "To set at
liberty those who are oppressed" (by sin and an evil conscience).
As the Go-between, Christ makes us friends again with the Father
(Colossians 1:21-23). Zecharias' prophecy contains in gist the same
concept: "To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our
enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before Him all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74,75).
3. The continuity of the Redeemer's work. It extends to the
"seed" of Eve and Satan. All nations and generations are
involved.
The Holy Scripture is Heilsgechichte, it is the story of emancipation
from sin to the pure and grateful worship of God. As such, the Redeemer,
even in his pre-incarnate state, prophesied by His Spirit through
God-chosen vessels, men who spoke for Him and on His behalf. They
witnessed about his sufferings and his subsequent glory.
And now that He has appeared at the end of the ages, He continues his
ministry through the promised Advocate, the Holy Spirit who applies his
redemption, teaches the truth to his own, and sanctifies his people.
Veritably, Christ's work extends throughout all human history, though he
tabernacled among us for a short period of time, being clothed in human
flesh.
Since all authority and power is granted unto him (Matthew 28), He is
the one who gives eternal life to those who are given unto him (John
17:2). "The Son gives life to whom he will."
But this does not imply that those who do not belong to him by grace
have no relationship whatsoever to him. Still, the reprobate, Satan's
seed, are to bow the knee to Him and confess him as Lord (Philippians
2). He is their Judge, and even now rules over them with an iron sceptre,
and at the Eschaton will shatter them to pieces.
Christ's relationship to both the elect and the reprobate is
expressed fluently in Psalm 2: those who kiss the Son are blessed; those
who refuse him allegiance will be the objects of his wrath.
4. The outcome is not in doubt. Victory lies with the Seed of the
woman, who is pre-eminently Christ. See Galatians 3:16.
Humanity is divided into two communities: the redeemed, who love God,
and the reprobate, who love self (John 8:33,34; 1 John 3:8). The
division finds immediate expression in the hostility of Cain against
Abel (Chapter 4 of Genesis).
The prophecy of victory ("He shall crush his head") finds
ultimate fulfilment in the triumph of the Second Adam, and the community
united with Him, over the forces of evil, death, and the devil (Daniel
7:13,14; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Hebrews 2:14,15). The
promise of victory is reiterated again in thrilling terms in Romans
16:20: "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet
shortly." Christ's decisive victory over Satan by his death on
Calvary is historic and irreversible: "Having disarmed
principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:15).
The issue of human history is the unfolding of the scroll held in
Christ's hands by right of conquest.
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