During the sermon that was given on that day, a prophetic area of scripture concerning Satan was discussed. It was then that God began to reveal to me the deeper meaning and importance associated with these verses in Genesis. Although these verses are a broad overview of future prophetic events, they begin to reveal a part of Satan’s waning power that is now in the process of rapidly moving forward as we enter the final stages of this phase of the end-time.
Prophetic Verses
Some of the most powerful and profound prophecies God delivered to mankind were given from the very onset of human life – right after the first recorded sins of Adam and Eve. These prophecies were about the future birth and the death of the Son of God, then his rise to power, and the Church of God that followed. These prophecies also speak of Satan’s curse that would continue to the time when his power would become more fully diminished, and then finally come to the time of his destruction.
“The Eternal God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. Upon your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. It shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel’” (Gen. 3:14-15).
To understand these prophetic verses in Genesis it is needful to quickly review God’s predetermined plan for Christ and then His church, and how His purpose for His son and mankind as His begotten children work to accomplish God’s curse on Satan.
From the very beginning, in this account of Adam and Eve’s sin, God’s great plan and purpose is awesomely revealing. For those in God’s Church, it is not that difficult to see that before human life was ever created, it was predetermined that mankind would be created in such a manner that, by his own free choice, he would be drawn to sin – to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. It is from these earliest verses in scripture that God begins to reveal that He predetermined that mankind would need a Passover through whom their sins could be forgiven. All mankind, except Christ, would sin and come under the penalty of death – under Satan’s power of bondage.
In the Book of Hebrews, a quote of one of David’s prophecies is given when he is contemplating God’s purpose for the creation of mankind. Hebrews quotes this prophecy and states that mankind was made (created) a little lower than the angels, yet they were created to become crowned with glory and honor and to be set over the works of His hands (over God’s creation). This states God’s purpose that existed from the beginning. It then states that God put all things under his feet (under the feet of mankind to rule over), and that all was made to be in subjection to him and that nothing was left that was not put under him (under mankind). Then it states, “But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (Heb. 2:8).
The next verse is awesomely revealing because it goes on to show what we can now see at this time in the creation of mankind. It concerns the very Son of God who was begotten by God, with God being his paternal father, and then born of a woman as a physical human being so that he could live and then die in order to become the Passover of all mankind:
“But we see Jesus, who was made [created in the womb of Mary] a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor [resurrected and born into Elohim – made a spirit being in God’s family], that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man [becoming our Passover]” (Heb. 2:9).
So indeed, before mankind was ever created, God predetermined (planned and purposed) that all mankind would need a Passover and Messiah who would work to deliver them from sin and then work to bring them into the God Family. Paul also speaks of this process in Romans:
“For whom He [God] did foreknow [see #1 below], He also did predestinate [see #2 below] to be [become] conformed to the image of His Son, that he [Christ] might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate [predetermine], them He also called, and whom He called, them He also justified [through Christ], and whom He justified, them He also glorified [see #3 below]” (Rom. 8:29-30).
[#1] Above, the word “foreknow” [Gk.- beforehand – to know, think through, plan] is used only a few times in scripture, but its very definition is best defined by its usage in 1 Pet. 1:20 when Christ is being spoken of as being foreordained by God. “Who [speaking of Christ] was ‘foreordained’ before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”
[#2] This Greek word translated here as “predestinate” [Gk.- beforehand – to determine, ordain, purpose] is again best defined by its context and usage in Eph. 1:4-5. Here it is revealed that before the foundation of the world itself was established that God determined the need for a Passover for mankind so that mankind could become part of God’s very family. “According as He has chosen us in him [in Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be [become] holy and without blame [forgiven of sin through our Passover] before Him [God] in love, having ‘predestinated’ us unto the adoption of children by [through] Jesus Christ to Himself [God], according to the good pleasure of His will.”
[#3] Those first called and justified to this time are those who are now the firstfruits and they will be in the God Family – “glorified” in Elohim. Certainly, all those in the future who go through this same process can potentially become “glorified” as well. All this was God’s plan that He determined before man was ever created, and it was predetermined that through Christ they would have the potential to become “glorified” as part of His family.
In returning now to Hebrews 2, and a few verses past what we covered in verse 9, a scripture from Isaiah is quoted that is about Christ. “And again he says, ‘Here am I [Christ] and the children [the Church – those begotten of God’s spirit] whom God has given me.’ Inasmuch then as the children [those begotten of God’s spirit and given to Christ] have partaken [sharers together] of flesh and blood [made physical before being able to be born of spirit], he himself [Christ] likewise shared in the same [was born of physical life first before being born of spirit], that through death he [Christ] might destroy [bring to nothing, nullify, and eventually literally destroy] him [Satan] who had the power of death [because of sin], that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:13-15).
Genesis 3:14
In this story of the first two humans whom God created, and then their subsequent sin, God gave prophetic pronouncements that involved judgments that would be executed upon man, woman, and Satan through time. Those are described as the curses they would suffer due to sin. In previous posts, much of those things relating to curses that befell men and women already have been covered.
This post concerns the curse that was placed upon Satan. This was due to his evil work, within his evil spirit, where he harbored evil intent towards the creation of mankind, and then acted in sin to lead man and woman into sin – to also turn them against God.
“The Eternal God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field [land]. Upon your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life’” (Gen. 3:14).
These verses are very poorly translated into English. Not a great deal of time will be spent in covering the scriptures that strongly clarify the true meaning of the poorly translated words. Rather, an overview of basic explanation, along with a few needful verses showing greater clarification will be given.
When it says that he is cursed “above every beast,” the Hebrew word for beast should be more correctly translated as “life” or “living.” This Hebrew word is used in a few areas in reference to animals, but it is also used in specific reference to mankind as well, and such instances are a matter of understanding by the specific context. Nevertheless, it should still be translated as “life” or “living” in order to give its truest intent and meaning. This word is used twice in the scripture when it speaks of God giving life to Adam. One time it is translated as “life” and the other as “living.”
“And the Eternal God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of ‘life,’ and man became a ‘living’ soul [body or being]” (Gen. 2:7).
In Gen. 3:14, the word “cattle” is not about cattle at all. If it were to be read literally as being cattle, this would be exceedingly strange and it would carry very little comparative value. This usage and interpretation would almost be equivalent to saying that Satan was of the cattle kind, and this would also raise questions as to the kinds of curses that have befallen cattle, which indeed should seem weird and should bring into question such a translation or interpretation. There are specific words in Hebrew that do describe only cattle, however, this word is far beyond that specific narrow usage.
One of the more practical, easier to grasp uses of this word is found in the account of Noah and the ark.
“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing [Heb.- “all life” – that was on the ark], and all the “cattle” that were with him on the ark…” (Gen. 8:1).
It should be quite obvious that God was not merely concerned with the seven pair of cattle more than all the other animals that had been gathered together on the ark. Other descriptive words concerning the life that was on the ark is broadened when God gave Noah instruction to bring all life off the ark.
“Bring forth with you every living thing [all life] that is with you of all flesh, of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth” (Gen. 8:17).
All “flesh” in this verse is a word used as a description that includes any and all life that was on the ark (Gen. 8:17-19). It also includes human life as when Adam and Eve were told that they were to become one flesh (one body) as husband and wife.
The word “cattle” in these verses that have been quoted is used in context like the word “animal” might be used when describing life of land creatures that is distinct from birds or creeping things (as reptiles). This word in Hebrew which is translated as “cattle” is plural and is used to include a vast variety of living creatures and does not simply describe one type or a specific variety by its use. Cattle alone as a single variety could not be described by such a word when used by itself in this manner.
So in returning to Genesis 3:14, we see that God told Satan that because he had sinned by leading the man and woman into sin, he was now cursed above all that God had created in the animal kingdom. This does not mean that animals were cursed, but instead that the greatness of Satan’s existence and very life was being cursed, by a process that would begin to lower him below that of all the creation of the animal kingdom.
The contrast that is made is that Satan’s curse was akin to being lowered below that of the animal kingdom to that of creeping things, and as such, he would be so low as to symbolically be licking up the dust of the earth for the remainder of his life. Although Satan did not grasp what God told him, he certainly knows now.
There is yet even deeper prophetic meaning in what God told Satan. In this curse of being lowered to the level of licking the dust of the earth, God was prophetically revealing how He would “lower” Satan. It would be by what God would accomplish in His ongoing creation through that which was the primary purpose of all His creation. God’s great purpose in creation is in that of creating His Family, Elohim. Satan would be made to lick of the dust of the earth – lowered to have to swallow what God was accomplishing in His creation of mankind – mankind that was made of the “dust” of the earth.
Genesis 3:15
“I [the Eternal] will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. It shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15).
This verse is an outline of awesome prophetic events that cover nearly 7,000 years. Satan first led Eve, the first woman, to sin; therefore, God stated that through woman He would put (set, appoint, establish) enmity between Satan and the woman. This would be accomplished in a progressive manner through time. Through woman, as mankind began to be multiplied upon the earth, God would begin calling out those whom He would mold and fashion to become part of the firstfruits of His creation.
The means through which God would put enmity between Satan and the woman was through this process of God calling individuals out of the world – out from the ways of Satan and sin. God would forgive those whom He called and they would begin to worship Him in spirit and in truth. This process of how God worked with those whom He called automatically put them and the way of life they embraced at odds with Satan, and he with them – enmity between them.
Satan could not grasp nor fully know what God was doing through those with whom He interacted. Yet Satan was always there to fight against – to be an enemy – to those with whom God worked. So from the beginning, there began to be enmity between the woman and Satan. The process began first in the life of Abel, whom God first called and worked with.
However, the greater prophetic fulfillment would come when God created life to come into existence within Mary’s womb, as she would then give birth to the very Son of God. Satan could never destroy what God was doing, yet he was always an enemy and sought to do so. Still, this devil was allowed to influence the very killing of Jesus Christ, but he could not destroy him. He did not grasp what God was going to fulfill (to establish) through His only begotten Son.
Satan’s seed refers to all the world that has followed his ways – the ways of pride, rebellion, selfishness, greed, lust, and sin. The woman’s seed is that which is first about Jesus Christ who came to spill his blood to the earth and then die to become the Passover for all mankind. This “seed” then is broadened mightily in meaning to include all who have come from woman and have been called of God, being forgiven of sin through Jesus Christ, and receiving the life of God dwelling in them. This “seed” became the Church of God, which will soon grow in massive size over the next 1,100 years.
In reality, Satan was only able to inflict a temporary suffering upon Jesus Christ (to bruise his heel), as he was not able to destroy him. Satan did not grasp that by what he had instigated in the killing of the Son of God, he was only lowering himself to lick more of the dust of the earth, since as a result of Jesus Christ then becoming mankind’s Passover, the means was made manifest for the potential of “all mankind” to be forgiven of all sin and then to receive the life of God to dwell in them (more “licking of the dust of the earth” by Satan).
Not only did Jesus Christ then become the Passover for all mankind, but three days later he fulfilled the meaning of the wave-sheaf offering, the first of the firstfruits to be born and received into God’s family Elohim, the first of mankind to be made greater than the angelic realm. This too became more “licking of the dust of the earth” by the Devil.
Fifty days after the wave-sheaf was accepted by God, the Church of God, the Body of Christ, was established. Jesus Christ then became the High Priest of God to the Church. On that day of Pentecost, the Church was established as a spiritual mother to all whom God the Father would call into it. This is the spiritual woman spoken of by John for the end-time:
“When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth [to lick the dust of the earth], he persecuted [the enmity – as an enemy] the woman which brought forth the man [Jesus Christ]. And to the woman [Church] was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent” (Rev. 12:13-14).
These verses and those that follow cover a period of time from the birth of the Son of God of a physical woman to the establishment of the Church, which is likened to a woman. It then continues on to reference the time of the Apostasy, which was the long awaited proclamation to the Church of Christ’s imminent return. These events all culminate with the end of Satan’s influence upon the Church and upon all mankind for the next 1,100 years. We are now rapidly moving through that transition and the greatest “licking of dust” yet by that evil being.
So the reality is that Satan was only able to bring about a temporary harm (to bruise the heel) on the “seed of the woman” when Jesus Christ’s physical life was taken from him. Figuratively, Satan was “only” able to bruise Jesus Christ’s heel, whereas this prophetic “seed of the woman,” Jesus Christ, would bruise Satan’s very head. Three days after Satan bruised Jesus Christ’s heel, he was resurrected from death and became the first of the firstfruits of the human family to enter Elohim and to receive such “glory” in the spirit-existing Family of God.
The following is a far better translation of the true context and spiritual intent of Genesis 3:15: “I [the Eternal] will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed, and it [her seed] shall bruise your very head, but you shall only bruise his heel.”
Bruising Satan’s Head
As it has been covered in the recent past, Satan’s life will come to an end. It will occur at a time soon after the final 100-year period of judgment when the greatest salvation of mankind takes place. This event will be the final fulfillment of what will occur in the bruising of Satan’s head. He tried to destroy Christ, but only bruised his heel when he facilitated Jesus Christ’s human death; however, Christ will bruise Satan’s head, meaning the vulnerable part of the body that will fully end his very existence and destroy him.
Most everyone believes that since Satan is a spirit being that he cannot cease to exist. That is simply not true! For the sake of some new readers, a quick and partial overview of this would be helpful, although there is much more that has been covered on the subject.
The truth is that God alone has self-sustaining, age-lasting existence – eternal existence inherent in Himself. God not only created the physical universe and everything in it, but He also sustains it. Mankind cannot begin to remotely grasp such magnitude of power and might. Even the spirit realm was created by God, and it was created before the physical creation. It too is sustained by Him. After the spirit realm was created, God created angelic beings who were composed of spirit, but their life is not self-sustaining. God sustains it all! The reality is that the spirit life that God gave to angels can be taken from them and they can come to an end of life, just as what will happen to Satan.
Notice what God has said to Satan: “By the multitude of your merchandise, it has filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned [Lucifer sinned]. Therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God [remove him from all power], and I will ‘destroy’ you” (Ez. 28:16). God will destroy Satan and make him to perish from among the entire created angelic realm.
The Hebrew word translated here as “destroy” means just that and is most often translated as “perish.” Two examples are given below:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly ‘perish’ from off the land whereunto you go over Jordan to possess it. You shall not prolong your days upon it, but you shall be utterly destroyed” (Deu. 4:26).
“And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to ‘perish,’ all Jews” (Es. 3:13).
This Year of Dedication
This prophecy in Genesis 3:15 actually brings us up to the present and those things that God is now doing in and through the Church to accelerate the “bruising of Satan’s head.” As it was stated at the beginning of this post concerning God revealing even greater prophetic meaning in these two verses of Genesis, “The timing of this could not be more apropos.”
For about the past three years now, the Church has been living through a very specific prophesied time of the sixth period of 1,260 days in the count to Christ’s return following the Apostasy upon the Church. This period is about the “measuring of the temple” covered in the beginning of Revelation 11.
This time for the “measuring of the temple” is about a final great cleansing of that temple, as harmful, profaning, and polluting elements are being removed from it. Some of what began to be removed early on and is still taking place to a much smaller degree is the removal from the environs of the Church of those who feign (pretend – falsely live) that they have been part of the temple. This time is also about many within the Church who have been yielding themselves to more fully measure up to their placement in the temple of God. These begotten individuals are cleansing themselves as they work to more fully “dress and keep” what God has placed before them.
Within this time of measuring the temple, and now in this final Year of Dedication, month by month the Church is being made stronger and Satan weaker. In this time of the Church being made stronger and of being prepared for what lies ahead in the next few years, as well as being prepared for Christ’s coming, Satan’s head is beginning to be bruised. Not only is God increasingly diminishing Satan’s power, but also He is preparing to have him completely removed from the presence of mankind for the next 1,100 years. When that time has passed Satan will then be released for a short time in order to meet his destruction – the final bruising of his head.
This adversarial spirit being knows that his time is short and he is striking out at God’s Church in whatever ways he can, but due to the Church being so strengthened spiritually, he is simply eating more and more dust. Yet this knowledge should sober all of us to focus even more so on putting God first in our lives and working earnestly to more fully dedicate our lives to Him and His way of life. God and Jesus Christ have granted us this most awesome opportunity to excel in that quest in the remaining time of this important and exceedingly blessed and special Year of Dedication.
There is yet one more prophetic verse that is now beginning to be fulfilled. It was recorded by Paul when he states, “And the God of peace shall bruise [KJV quote – the actual Gk. means ‘to break, shatter, crush’] Satan under your [the Church’s] feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20).
This is part of what is now beginning to take place in this year and will continue through the seventh period that follows. The word translated “shortly” is not a word that means it will happen soon, but is a compound word that means, “When it is time for it to happen, it will happen relatively quickly or over a short period of time.” The next few years is indeed a short period of time when held up to the past nearly 6,000 years of Satan’s work against mankind, and short compared to the nearly 2,000 years of his fighting against God’s Church. So indeed, this time spoken of by Paul has begun and will continue to accelerate until it is complete.
The more that Satan fights against God’s Church, the more his power will become diminished and shattered. This will continue up to a crescendo when the 144,000 return with Christ and he binds Satan for the next 1,100 years. At that point, Satan’s power and influence against God’s Church will be fully crushed, broken, and shattered, as he will never again be able to harm it! As the rest of the verse in Romans 16:20 states, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you [the Church], Amen.”
The Church of God - Preparing for the Kingdom of God