Did you know that some think that Genesis 3:15 is a prophecy about the First Coming of Jesus and Genesis 3:16 is a prophecy about the Second Coming of Jesus? Not everyone agrees, but the thought that Adam and Eve knew about the First and Second Coming of Jesus is a blessing to many.

The prophecy of the First Coming stems from the curse God placed on Satan for tempting Adam and Eve to sin. God told Satan, “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” (Gen. 3:15). The word “seed” can be singular (one seed; Gal. 3:16) or plural (many seed; Gen. 15:5). In this case, the woman’s Seed is called an “it” (one seed) and a “his” (one male descendant). God was saying He would cause hostility between the offspring of Satan and one particular male descendant of Eve (see Jn. 8:44; I Jn. 3:10). This hostility reached a peak when Jesus was crucified and it will continue until Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire.

But let’s dig a little deeper. One definition of the word “seed” is sperm. Men have seed or sperm. But women don’t have seed or sperm. There is no such thing as a “seed (or sperm) of woman.” So the birth from a “seed of woman” would have to be a miracle birth. Isaiah clearly prophesied a miracle birth when he said, “The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).Isaiah said, “A virgin shall conceive.” That is what several translations of the Bible say: “A virgin shall conceive.”

Skeptics say Isaiah meant a young woman shall conceive, but Isaiah also said, “The Lord Himself shall give you a sign.” My dictionary says a sign is “something unusual, a symbol or a miraculous demonstration of Divine power.” It isn’t unusual for a young woman to bear a child. That happens all the time. But the virgin birth of Jesus was a sign because it was an unusual miraculous demonstration of Divine power that happened at the first coming of Jesus (Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:27-35; Jn. 1:34).

God also said Satan would bruise the heel of the Seed of Woman. Concerning the Suffering Servant Isaiah said, “He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). This bruising (beating and death) of the virgin born Seed of Woman was a prophecy about His first coming.

The prophecy of His Second Coming stems from the curse God placed on Eve.Unto Eve He said, “In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children” (Gen. 3:16 KJV). The Modern Language reads, “You will suffer birth-pangs.” And the RSV reads, “In pain you shall bring forth children.” The word “sorrow” refers to birth-pangs or pain in childbirth. Childbirth was a blessing that God bestowed upon Adam and Eve when He created them, but because they sinned, that childbirth would be accompanied by sorrow or birth-pangs.

When Jesus was asked about the signs of His coming He mentioned false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes. Then He said, “These are the beginning of sorrows” (Mark 13:8). The Modern Language reads, “These are the first pains of childbirth.” And the RSV reads, “This is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.” The sorrow or birth-pangs in Gen. 3:16 are an example of how the signs will be at the Second Coming of Jesus. As the birth of a baby nears, the mother’s birth pains increase in frequency and intensity. In like manner, as the end of the age nears famine, natural disasters, etc. will increase in frequency and intensity (they will get closer together, harder and more destructive not better).

The First Coming of Jesus was preceded by a time of trouble (travel to Bethlehem under difficult circumstances, no place to stay, birth-pangs, etc.). And the Second Coming of Jesus will be preceded by a time of trouble (birth-pang disasters, the Tribulation period, etc.).

FYI: God Has Spoken (And We Know It) by Daymond Duck is available, (linked to my publisher @ https://www.raptureready.com/terry/book17.html). Books and a Kindle version are available at amazon.com. A Nook version is available at bn.com. Check out what it says about Syria, Russia, Iran, Egypt, natural disasters, the Two-State Solution, etc.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

Church members often say there are no tears in heaven, but that’s not quite correct.  In John’s vision in heaven, he said, “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Rev. 5:1-5). John cried many tears in heaven.

Most Church members get heaven mixed up with New Jerusalem.The New Jerusalem is not heaven. New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven to the new earth. It is that special place that Jesus is preparing for His bride (the Church). Our Lord will do away with (or reverse) the curse that resulted from the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:16; 3:16-19). Because of sin Adam had to work and Eve experienced pain in childbirth. Both probably sorrowed over the death of their child and both aged and died.

Concerning this issue, John said, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Rev. 21:1-4). Tears have to exist there before God can wipe them away.

It won’t be that way in the New Jerusalem. Isaiah caught a vision of the new heaven and the new earth. He said the former things won’t be remembered in the new heaven and the new earth (Isa. 65:17).

This can be linked to something that Isaiah said about Jerusalemduring the Millennium. He said people will live longer and not weep during the Millennium (Isa. 65:18-20). God will see that His people don’t cry on earth during the Millennium. So this writer believes He will eventually help His people in the New Jerusalem so that they do not remember or weep over their loved ones who did not make it.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck