Chapter 5

'Eden

Joy

Living in Paradise......

This is the story of man. Here we will discover Adam’s and Chawah’s nature, and how and why they came to exist. We will explore their relationship with Yahweh, detailing their rebellion, and then contemplate the consequence of their fall from grace. But more than all of those things, this story will reveal the nature of choice, and the role freewill plays in a loving and productive family. As we progress, we will discover that loving relationships are the most important and valuable commodity in the universe.  

Love is the one thing that cannot be compelled, even by an omnipotent deity. It can’t be forced, bought, stolen, held for ransom, or even manufactured, but it can be earned. It can’t be sold or bartered, but it can be given away.

Here’s the bottom line: the capacity to love requires the capacity not to love. If the object of Yahweh’s affection cannot reject Him, then accepting Him becomes meaningless. As mankind’s history unfolds, this will become increasingly clear.

It’s all about choice. Not only are religions the sinister consequence of freewill, most all of human history is the result. The concealment, corruption, and counterfeiting of Yahweh’s Word is best explained as a consequence of choice.

Similar to the creation account, the story of Adam and Chawah in the Garden of Eden communicates on many different levels. It is an accurate historical presentation, one which starts man’s time clock ticking. It is a spiritual parable, communicating the importance of the familial model. It is a referendum on the nature of choice and freewill. And it serves as a treatise on the laughter and tears inherent in loving relationships.

To appreciate these intertwined testimonies, it is incumbent on us to scrape away the centuries of religious muck which has been smeared on top of the Genesis account. In doing so, we must ask ourselves why “Eve,” the name of a pagan Mother Earth goddess, was substituted for “Chawah,” a name which means “source of life.” In Babylon, the Mother Earth goddess, Asherah, also known as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God, became Eve when she wed the Evening Star, a.k.a., Satan. Asherah in this guise was known as a Serpent Goddess.

So why does this obvious error remain uncorrected? Setting aside the satanic associations, all names should be transliterated and Eve bares no similarity to Chawah (sometimes vocalized Chavah or Chavvah). Setting the lost meaning aside, there is no rational justification for this corruption.

Along these lines, why does the church teach that Adam was the first human, rather than the first soul created in Yah’s image (with a conscience in addition to consciousness)? God goes out of His way to tell us that Adam was not the first animal, nor the first mammal and He speaks of human communities living outside the garden at the time of the expulsion. Moreover, archeologists and paleontologists have verified that the species we consider human (Homo sapiens) has roamed the earth approximately 100,000 years, and thus was thriving well before the fall.

Therefore, I find it ironic that the oldest Homo sapiens fossil was found in of all places: Israel. A decade or so ago, there were twenty-one individuals discovered in a Qafzeh cave. A male was carbon-dated to around 95,000 years old. He was around twenty when he died. His nearly complete skull was found next to the remains of a small child. So in this cave we witness the full circle of life.

This begs the question: why have Christians been led to believe that plants and animals didn’t die or decay outside the garden or prior to Adam’s exodus when all evidence is to the contrary? Why are we told that children must be baptized to expunge the effects of initial sin when this is unsupported Scripturally? The continued promotion of these myths in light of evidence to the contrary makes it seem as if religious clerics are purposefully trying to make God appear unenlightened and errant. And yet, Yahweh’s testimony is precisely accurate and remarkably profound. It is written such that the simplest child can understand the core message while at the same time being brilliant beyond the wisest of men. 

With the stage set, and questions lingering, let’s begin our review. In the previous chapter, which served as a summary of the creation account as well as an introduction to the story of man, Yahweh said: “This is the record of the birth and genealogy (the written account of the conception) of the spiritual realm and material world when they were created (caused to exist and brought to life) in the day Yahuweh God prepared and produced the earth (‘erets) and the heavens (shamayim).” (Genesis 2:4) Yahweh, whose name means “I Exist,” caused the universe to exist so that life could exist. We are the product and purpose for which Yah prepared everything. Scripture is the story of life—abundant, purposeful, productive, joyful, familial, and eternal life.   

Before we examine the next verse, recognize that scientifically, we have discovered that the earth was shrouded in water vapor for millions of years, creating a nurturing greenhouse effect. The climate was temperate from the equator to the poles. As a result, the evaporative heating process required to produce water vapor and then rain did not occur. We know this because we have found tropical fauna in the mouths and stomachs of mammoths recently freed from their icy graves north of the Arctic Circle. And petrified wood is bereft of tree rings, confirming consistent growing conditions and a lack of seasonal temperature variations and rain. Even the existence of dinosaurs is related. Without the direct assault of the sun’s damaging rays, reptiles, unlike other species, have virtually unlimited growth potential. That is not to say that there were not places and periods when the vapor canopy gave way to rain, only that there were extensive regions and extended periods when precipitation didn’t occur as it does today.

“Everyone (kol) ponder and consider (siah — imagine, meditate upon and think about) the earth (‘erets) before (terem — previous to the time of) the spreading out of the land (sadeh — expansion of the ground, open fields, and the terrestrial environment) came into being (hayah — came to exist) and of all the growth of (samah — springing to life, and the increase in size, quantity, and vitality of) green plants (‘eseb — vegetation) in this earlier (terem - previous) environment (sadeh — of expanding ground and of fields). For Yahuweh, God (‘elohym), had not (lo’) caused it to rain (matar) upon (‘al) the land (‘erets —region). And (wa) ‘Adam (‘adam — man) was not there (‘ayin) to work (‘abad — toil in) the soil (‘adamah — ground).” (Genesis 2:5) “Imagine,” God says, “the world before land began to emerge from beneath the seas, before rain, and before man.” This is difficult for us because we humans are self-centric and see most everything from our own perspective.

In a way, this is the antithesis of John Lennon’s “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky. Living for today...” Unknown to most who love the haunting tune, Lennon’s attack on politics and religion was really a call to a one-world government apart from God—one without “countries or possessions” a “brotherhood of man...sharing all the world.” All of life is a choice: you can go John’s way, the Church’s, or Yahweh’s.

Recognizing our difficulty, God helps put us in our place: ‘Adam is directly related to the Hebrew word for “ground,” “dirt,” and “soil”—‘adamah—inferring that temporally and materially, we are little more than dirt and water. And yet with the addition of a nepesh soul or consciousness and a nesamah conscience, we are alive and vital. We become capable of choosing and absorbing Yahweh’s Spirit—living waters sent down from heaven. “A mist (‘ed — water vapor, dew, moisture, and artesian springs) rose up (‘alah) from (min) the land (‘erets — ground or earth), watering (saqah — providing drink to) the whole (kol) surface (paneh — face and presence) of the ground (‘adamah — dirt and soil).” (Genesis 2:6)

Yahweh is presenting Himself as the source of living waters and suggesting that He can satisfy the thirst of those who want to come into His presence. And by revealing this passage thousands of years before these scientific realities were known, He is also confirming that He is God and that we can trust Him.

Yahweh’s 15-billion-year, six-day, timeline, is precisely presented in Genesis one. In Genesis two, we are reacquainted with the order of things, and of man being a late arrival on the scene. But we are not told how many years transcended the time plants first sprouted and ‘Adam was conceived. And I suppose that’s because Genesis one is told from Yah’s perspective, from the vantage point of the Creator at creation. Genesis two was revealed for the benefit of man, and it is presented from our frame of reference.

“Yahuweh, God (‘elohym), formed (yasar — forged and fashioned, planned and prepared) (‘et — for association and accompaniment) ‘Adam (ha ‘adam — the man) from (min — out of) the powdery dust (‘apar — fine dirt or very small natural material particles) of (min) the ground (‘adamah — soil or earth) and blew (napah — breathed) into (ba) his (hu) nostrils (‘ap — nose or breathing passageway) a life-giving, restoring and sustaining (hayym) conscience (nesamah — seat of judgment, of recognizing the difference between right and wrong, discernment and discrimination), and ‘Adam came to exist as (hayah) a living (hay / chay) soul (nepesh — consciousness).” (Genesis 2:7)

Hay or chay is “life,” making hayym, “lives.” The reason for the plural is that God gave us a nesamah so that we could chose to become His children. But to accomplish this we must be born twice, once of water and once by Spirit. That is why hayym in its various derivations are translated “life-giving, that which renews and restores life, that which invigorates and sustains life, and that which protects and preserves life.” We should not be surprised then that hayah, existence, and hay, life, are related, or that hayah is the basis of Yahweh’s name. Written as hayyah, the Hebrew word designates “the home of life and the residence of renewal.” 

And as we discovered in the “Chay — Life” chapter, hay and hayym, could just as easily be chay and chayym, with a hard rather than soft h. Chayah similarly conveys “to live, to have life, to remain alive, to sustain life, to live prosperously, to be restored to life and to live forever.”

By juxtaposing hayym, “life-giving, restoring and sustaining” and nesamah, “the seat of judgment, discerning, and discrimination,” Yahweh has linked the terms and defined the purpose of our nesamah/conscience. In this context, the nesamah represents the ability to choose life over death, to accept restoration rather than annihilation. Our nesamah, or conscience, enables us to be discerning and judgmental, to distinguish that which is true from that which is not. It therefore endows us with the potential to know God and to receive His gifts of salvation and eternal life, or to reject Him and them.

In Job, which serves as the ultimate referendum on good and evil, Yahweh revealed: “Indeed (‘aken — truly and surely) the Spirit (ruwach), She (huw’) in mortal man (‘enowsh — in the weak and frail, in humankind) and the nesamah of the Almighty (shaday) provides understanding (biyn — the ability to perceive and discern so as to apprehend information, to be rational and judgmental).” (Job 32:8) Based on this, we can reasonably conclude that it is the nesamah which makes the connection between information and understanding, between the soul and the Spirit. While it does not make us immortal, it provides us with the ability to know, commune with, love, and trust the source of immortality. It is the thing that unites us with the source of life, which is why nesamah is based upon nasham, meaning “the process of childbirth.”

Our nepesh, or soul, makes us conscious, similar to all other animals. Our nesamah, however, makes us like God, providing us with the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. It is this unique human element that seeks to yada Yahweh.

The reason the concept of the nesamah, or conscience (sense knowing of right and wrong, of justice, of principled morality, ethical behavior, ability to reason and judge, and to discriminate and thus choose wisely), is introduced at the beginning of the Garden of Eden story, is because it provides the foundation for what follows. It reveals the path to God and to life, the purpose of freewill, the nature of choice, the difference between good and bad, and the consequence of choosing unwisely. The nesamah explains what causes man to exist as the shadow, or diminished likeness, of God. And similarly, it reveals what made Adam unique, different from all other animals created with a nepesh/soul, or conscious awareness. Understanding the nature and purpose of the nesamah makes this message come alive.  

“Yahuweh, God (‘elohym) planted (nata’ — established, firmly embedded the seed for) an enclosed garden (gan) in (ba) ‘Eden/Great Joy (‘eden — delight, ultimate pleasure, extreme satisfaction and luxury, a favorable state of great gladness)...” (Genesis 2:8)

 Gan, which literally means “covered and protected enclosure,” is from ganan, denoting: “to surround, cover, shelter, and defend, shielding from danger.” According to etymological resources, ganan “strongly implies a spirit of care and concern on behalf of those being protected.” And therein lies an important key to understanding the Garden, and its relationship to the Festival of Tabernacles, the Millennial Sabbath, eternity in heaven, and the Set-Apart Spirit. As a reflection of His care and concern for us, the Spirit covers us in a Garment of Light, protecting and sheltering us in Yah’s perfect enclosure.

The Garden is therefore a metaphor for the Miqra of Sukah (meaning shelter), which is a metaphor for the Millennial Sabbath, which is a metaphor for eternal life in heaven—all of which depict camping out with God in His garden. In this gan, Adam was protected from pain, work, disease, and dying. He was the charter member of Camp Yahweh.

One of the reasons we know that the gan is symbolic of the seventh Festival Feast, the Miqra of Sukah, is because ‘eden (blissful joy, gladness, pleasure, and delight) is synonymous with both descriptive terms used Yahweh used in Leviticus to depict the attitude and emotional state of those engaged in the observance of Tabernacles. There we find that ‘asarah is a “joyous assembly of people participants in a festive celebration,” or simply, “party-goers,” and samah means: “rejoice and be glad, be happy and express your joy, be merry and party, flourish, take pleasure in, and celebrate.”

This blissful state is attributable to the Spirit’s protective Garment of Light. ‘Eden is “a fine and beautiful jeweled material used to make a garment.” This remarkable wardrobe makes us appear perfect in Yah’s eyes, thus enabling us to camp out for all eternity with our Creator. It is a “favor” He has bestowed on us, the gift which brings “great joy.”

While it’s a small thing among big ones, God did not say He “planted the Garden of Eden.” Ba is “in or with,” not “of,” and there isn’t a definite article before gan. Further, nata’ literally means “to establish upright,” the foundational concept and basis of the Covenant. Yahweh stood up for us so that we could stand with Him, established upright for all eternity. Therefore, Genesis 2:8 is saying: “Yahweh, God, established an upright protective shelter in great joy, a garden of pleasure, extreme satisfaction and luxury in a most favorable state of gladness.” By comparison, “planting the garden of Eden” loses something in the translation.

Yashayahu, meaning Yah Saves, but better known as Isaiah, spoke of Eden, and of the realm outside the protected garden, in a passage which presents Abraham as a prototype of our Heavenly Father and His role as our Savior, and Sarah as a metaphor for our Spiritual Mother. He equates our Spiritual rebirth with the pain of that sacrifice, using words which tie the prophetic message to the story of Adam and Chawah. In that the Savior and Spirit provide the lone means back to Eden, let’s consider what Yah’s prophet revealed. “Look back to Abraham your father (‘ab) and Sarah who writhed to give you birth in pain (chuwl — anguish of childbirth). Indeed, when he was one (‘ehad — a singular essence or union [in marriage with Sarah]), I called out to him (qara’ — summoned him), making him productive, magnified, and numerous (rabah — multiplied him unto many while exalting others through him). Indeed, Yahuweh has compassion on and comforts Zion (nacham siywn — vindicates and restores, suffering grief to change the thinking of the desolate Signpost along the Way by punishing another in her stead). He will have compassion on and comfort, suffering grief on behalf of and vindicating (nacham) all desolate, destroyed, dry, and lifeless places (charbah), making (suwm — appointing and establishing) the barren wilderness (midbar — wasteland virtually devoid of life; from dabar, thus meaning the place of lifeless words) to be like Eden (‘eden — a joyous, pleasurable, luxurious and delightful place of good times, satisfaction and contentment), and her desert (‘arabah — dry and dark wilderness) to be like the enclosed Garden (gan — the protected, surrounded, sheltered, and defended shield of deliverance) of Yahuweh.” (Isaiah 51:2-3)

There was also a great and multiplicitous result derived from Abraham’s Covenant and Yahushua’s redemptive sacrifice. As a result of the Messiyah’s suffering, many souls have been reborn spiritually and restored. That is the reason the actual text recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls says “I multiplied him and made him productive” as opposed to the Masoretic version: “I blessed him.” Along these lines, the name Yahceph, corrupted to become Joseph, means “Yahweh adds, increases, and multiplies.” It’s a perfect moniker for someone cast in the metaphorical role of the Savior.

It is instructive to know that ‘edon and ‘eden are differentiated in the Hebrew text solely by the initial letter, which is silent. ‘Edon, meaning the foundation of the Tabernacle, the upright pillar, and the golden legs of the Messiyah in the Song of Solomon, begins with an Aleph, while ‘Eden starts with an Ayin. Eventually, they will become one, existing as the foundation of the New Jerusalem, the eternal Tabernacle of Yahuweh, and ‘Eden, the place and time of joyous, satisfied living, will become one. This will occur in stages. Yahweh will allow men to virtually destroy the planet and most all life on it before He wipes all wickedness and evil, desolate lifelessness, from the face of the earth, reconstituting the Garden of Eden, creating a paradise on earth where Yahushua shall rule for a thousand years during mankind’s final Sabbath. Then, the heavens and the earth will be destroyed and replaced with a new creation devoid of deceit and desolation. In this regard, the story of Eden is prophetic of the Millennial Sabbath, and in so doing, it sheds considerable light on the purpose of Tabernacles.

Along these lines, gan, speaks more about the Set-Apart Spirit’s protective garment of deliverance, and Yahweh being our protector than it does of an actual “garden.” Eden is established as the model for eternal life in heaven. To that end, the passage reveals, “Joy and gladness (sasown wa simchah — rejoicing, exultation, gaiety, and pleasure with a focus on the state of happiness which results from sensory input which is entertaining) shall be found there (matsa’ - discovered, attained, encountered, and experienced), songs of praise and confessions of thanksgiving (towdah), the sound and audible voice of music and melody.” (Isaiah 51:3) To this, the Dead Sea Scrolls add: “Sorrow and mourning will flee away.”

While there is joy in the midst of sorrow, and joy is more than the absence of sorrow, perfect joy requires an abolition of sorrow. This is the reason Yah must abolish the existing universe at the end of the Millennial Sabbath and replace it with a new one. In our current realm, our curiosity might cause us to explore our past and thereby witness many of man’s worst deeds, a sorrowful experience to be sure. But in a new universe, one without our painful past, there would be no limits to our curiosity and exploration.

This sounds like a nice place. And fortunately, we have a confirmed reservation. While I can’t prove it, knowing Yahuweh, I suspect that our eternity is going to be exciting, a time of great adventure, discovery, entertainment, and joy. I think, and these words seem to confirm, that we will be able to sense and see more than we can now. When we are elevated from three dimensions to a minimum of four and perhaps to as many as seven, I think Yahweh is going to provide us with the ability to discover and discern things which we can’t even imagine—even if they were explained to us.

Returning to the first Eden, the “joyous enclosure” was more than a metaphor; it was a real place: “...from (min) the east (qedem — the former or earlier time and pertaining to eternity)...” While we are given many more specific clues, Eden was east of Yisra’el. And figuratively, qedem tells us that ‘Eden is indicative of eternity in the Promised Land.

“...and relationally (‘asher) He placed (sym — established) the man (‘Adam) He formed (yasar — planned, fashioned, and created) there (sam — in that position and place).” (Genesis 2:8) All of creation, like the joyous shelter, was established for man. From God’s perspective, we exist in the center of the universe.

There is something else worth pondering here. By using sym/placed, God is inferring that mankind was created outside of the garden, and that this man, Adam, was placed there after receiving the nesamah.

“Yahuweh, God, made sprout up (samah — caused a living thing to grow up and increase in stature) from (min — out of) the ground (‘adamah — soil or earth) all kinds of (kol — many) trees (‘es) which were desirable (hamad — pleasing, delightful, and pleasurable) in appearance (mar’eh — visually) and good (towb — beautiful and beneficial, agreeable and pleasant) to eat (ma’akal — as food to be consumed). The Tree (‘es — upright timber) of Lives (chayym — renewals and restorations, revivals and nurturing, homes and dwelling places where lives are preserved and flourish) was in (ba) the midst (tawek — middle or center) of the protective enclosure (gar — sheltered garden, covered and defended place)...” (Genesis 2:9)

First, let’s begin at the beginning with samah/grow up. That which doesn’t grow, dies. Even Yahweh grows to live. And that is the purpose of man. Just as our children complete us, fulfilling our lives, and making us richer with each experience, entertaining us, God gains something from His relationships with humankind. Each added member of His eternal family, each unique camping experience, each loving and grateful conversation, each meaningful question, and each profound insight grasped, adds to Yah’s happiness and satisfaction. Our Heavenly Father is not so big that He doesn’t grow a little bigger each time one of His children calls out His name and spends a little quality time with Him.

An infinite entity, by definition, must continually grow. The souls created independent from Yahweh, who choose to love and exist with God, make Him more than He was. While it is completely inconsistent with the religious concepts of God being omniscient and omnipresent, the idea of God growing through loving familial relationships is the only rational explanation for creation.

Another amazing detail we discover when pondering Yahweh’s Word, is that samah, a term which embodies “abundant life growing up and increasing in stature,” is the root of nesamah—the unique gift given Adam which not only made him like God, but more importantly, made Adam capable of liking God. Our nesamah is our conscience, the seat of judgment and discernment, which enables us to know Yah, choose Yah, trust Yah, and love Yah. It is the unique human quality which makes it possible for us to transcend our own mortality and live forever with God, growing up with Him while living life abundantly.

Therefore, you may not be surprised that as a feminine noun, samah is “an ornamental covering” and thus it is symbolic of our Spiritual Mother’s Garment of Light. As a masculine noun, semah is “the Branch,” as in “the Messiyah.” As a verb, in addition to meaning “causing life to grow and increase abundantly,” samah conveys the result of the Covering and Branch: “to complete life and thereby achieve a successful result.” And that is why in Yahuchanan/John 10:10 we find the Mesiyah Yahushua saying: “I came that they might have life, and might have it more abundantly.”

The second insight gleaned from the Genesis 2:9 passage is that God is the architect of beauty, the ultimate designer. His creation, from sunrises to waterfalls, and from spring flowers as they reach up to heaven to falling leaves as they carpet the earth, are “visually pleasing to the eye.” The Creator is not only inventive, He is a maestro. The universe is beautiful. And that is because Yahweh is beautiful.

Third, trees which produce fruit are deciduous. That means that their leaves die as part of the cycle of life. The fallen leaf rises again as nutrients for spring’s blossoms. Those who say that there was no death and decay prior to the fall are ignoring the obvious.

Fourth, in its singular form, chay is the word Yah used as an adjective to define animal consciousness in Genesis 1:24: “the earth will bring forth living (chay) souls (nepesh) after their kind, animals (bahemah)” who are “moving organisms and established (remes) life forms (chayah).” Then in Genesis 2:7 we read: “And Yahuweh, God, formed ‘Adam (ha ‘adam — the man) of the dust (‘aphar — ground, earth, small particles of loose matter) and breathed (naphach — blew) into his nostrils the nesamah/conscience of living/existence (chayah/hayah); and ‘Adam existed as (hayah) a living (chay) soul (nepesh).”

While considering the application of chay/life to man and animals, please note that Yahweh did not use it in reference to plants in Genesis 1:11. Plants simply “grow (dasha) and sprout vegetation and reproduce after their kind by way of seeds (zara’).” Therefore, there must be a reason chayym, the plural of chay, has now been applied to a singular tree.

To appreciate the reason, consider the fact that chay and chayah are based upon hayah, as is Yahweh’s name. This infers that restoration and eternal life are based upon His name and existence. Along these lines, as a verb, chayah means: “to revive from sickness, discouragement, and death.” To chayah is “to preserve and restore to life.” Chayah even “implies nurturing and affection.”

In this regard, chayah also serves as the basis of Chawah’s name, meaning “Life-Giver.” And as such, our earthly mother serves as a metaphor for the work of the Set-Apart Spirit, our Spiritual Mother. Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that to be chayah is “to be healed, to flourish, and to rise.” These are all things Yahuweh enables through His Spirit, as they comprise His gifts of salvation and the resurrection to eternal life.

In the context of choice, the Tree of Lives therefore provides us with the potential to know God, to choose Him, and to love Him. We were given the breath of chayah/life so that we might choose hayah/eternal existence. But to do that, to make a reasoned decision, to properly exercise freewill, and be judgmental, we not only require a nesamah/conscience, but also two different options—one which leads to life as well as one which leads to death. The Tree of Lives yields the better result.

Fifth, it is the “Tree of Lives,” plural. God had a plan for restoring that which had not yet fallen. He knew that Adam would marry, that he would rebel, and that he and his wife would have children, so He conceived a plan to restore many lives, which is why chayym is plural. In the opening stanza of the Old Covenant we have been given a glimpse into the Renewed Covenant.

And sixth, the tree is indicative of the upright pillar upon which Yahushua would be hung, making the “tree of restored lives, of nurturing and protection” the fulcrum upon which life and death will be determined. It is the lone gate back into fellowship and thus into paradise. It is in the center of the garden enclosure because the upright pillar is central to Yahweh’s plan of salvation. It represents the source of eternal life—the better of the two choices.

And so there would be another option: “...and the Tree of the Knowledge (da’at — acquisition of information with a focus on discernment, judgment, moral application, and understanding) of Good (towb — that which is prosperous, beneficial, and proper, favorable, desirable, and agreeable, even joyful) and Bad (ra’ — evil, harmful, morally inappropriate, malignant, and disagreeable, of no value, morally depraved, displeasing, and sad).” (Genesis 2:9) Da’at is a derivative of yada’, meaning “to know in a relational sense, to be acquainted with, to consider, perceive, discriminate, distinguish, recognize, and acknowledge.” When it comes to God, in most cases, the more one da’at / knows the more likely they will come to yada’ Yahweh.

However, knowledge without the proper perspective and associations, devoid of conscience and judgment, can lead to arrogance and self-reliance. Alone, unconnected to the source of life, knowledge has caused many men to believe that they are all that matters, that they have all the answers. Some even come to think that they are responsible for life and death, and a few even consider themselves as gods. As a consideration, Satan da’at/has knowledge of God’s existence and yet he does not yada’/know and recognize Him in a relational sense.

Da’at/knowledge, and nesamah/conscience (the ability to be discerning, discriminating, judgmental, and moral), are collaborative. One without the other has limited value. They are prerequisites of meaningful choice, of justice, of morality and wisdom, even of logic and reason. To make an informed choice, to render a wise decision, to issue a moral judgment, to deliver a just verdict, or to reach a reasoned conclusion, one must first know the facts. Then they must be able to process that information in a reasonable and rational way; being discriminating and judgmental. It is through making connections and understanding the relationships between things that we arrive at reasoned conclusions regarding the evidence. This is the very essence of yada’ Yahweh—of Scripture.

I only know one person with whom what I’m about to share resonates. Hoping that there will be more, let’s ponder something which I think is profound. The reason that there is no longer any hope for the world as a whole (only a limited number of individuals will be saved) is because egocentric and greedy, conscienceless religious and political, men and women have deliberately corrupted both sides of this da’at/knowledge and nesamah/conscience equation. In totalitarian societies, like those found in fascist, socialist, and Islamic nations, access to information is constrained and that which is provided is inaccurate. Without access to good data, reason is useless, and thus wise choices are impossible. In so-called “free and democratic” countries, information is so abundant we nearly drown in it. So as to rob people of their ability to choose wisely between man and God, good and evil, right and wrong, life and death, man created the immoral code known as “Political Correctness.” Based upon the irrational notion of “being intolerant of intolerance,” it makes being judgmental, and thus discerning and discriminating, a sin. No matter how prevalent or accurate the facts are, without the ability to process them judgmentally, wise conclusions, and thus good choices, are impossible. As a result, men and women have abrogated their freewill as most everyone on the planet has been rendered unable to rationally process truth based upon one of these two human schemes.

Political Correctness has become the moral code of most all Western universities, of the media, of politics, and for society in general. It lies at the heart of our national religion: Socialist Secular Humanism—the doctrine of man. And make no mistake; it is a control mechanism, one designed to condition the masses so that they are easier to control, indoctrinate, and fleece.  

In this regard, I can provide a mountain of evidence which proves conclusively that the religions of man, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are wrong, but it makes no difference to those who are unable to process the evidence rationally. I can provide overwhelming proof that Yahweh exists and that He revealed His plan of salvation to man in these Scriptures, but it seldom resonates with those who have been poisoned by man’s schemes. I can reveal the fate that awaits mankind over the next 25 years, without motivating people to change, because their consciences are no longer exercised.

As a result, all of man’s political and religious schemes oppress and fleece the masses by controlling access to information and by criminalizing thoughtfulness. For example, during the millennial-long political/religious domination of Catholicism, the union of Church and State kept the population ignorant and enslaved. The same can be said of Communism during the last century. And throughout most of these periods, anyone who challenged the edicts of a Catholic or Orthodox Christian cleric, a Communist or Fascist dictator, or Islamic caliph, was tortured and killed. Discernment was not allowed, because reason is the enemy of all political and religious schemes. Today in the West, the universal application of political correctness assures that anyone in the public arena who is judgmental will be condemned, humiliated, and silenced.

Having traveled in nearly 150 countries and having studied history, I can tell you that man’s legacy is abysmal. For nearly six-thousand years across the face of this planet, a malignant concoction of politics and religion has served to enslave the masses for the benefit of cleric and king. And even that was not enough for these ruthless, egocentric leaders. They always coveted more. So with revolting regularity they would send their subjects off to war to confiscate more power, tribute, and territory for themselves. On a global scale, man’s history, both ancient and modern, is very, very bad, with only occasional (outside of family and friends) moments of good brightening an otherwise hideous tapestry. Given the choice between good and evil, leaders with a choice have almost universally chosen evil. Throughout time, the overwhelming preponderance of people have had their freedoms decimated through a mix of slavery and fear. Choosing to live outside the religious and political constructs of man enjoins such severe consequences, most people abrogate whatever freedom they may otherwise have enjoyed.

For those who read the whole of Yada Yahweh, you will discover that God told us this would happen. He prophetically predicted that the consciences of the world’s hypocritical political and religious leaders (those who say one thing and do another) would be seared beyond recovery. He warned us that while knowledge would increase, man would become increasingly foolish; listening only to those who would tickle their ears—telling them what they wanted to hear. To this end, George W. Bush announced that “central to making good decisions was being positive.” Information and reason had given way to false hope. But the crowning achievement in hypocrisy goes to the Nazi Pope Pius XII and his army of armed priests who brutally slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians and Jews, and then danced around their corpses.

By way of our schools and media, an entire generation has been raised to view Political Correctness as an appropriate moral code. They have been taught that man can solve his problems and that science has the answers—even to the conception of life itself. Knowledge, apart from the source of our very existence, has led to the death and decay of humankind on an unprecedented scale. The more we know, the more foolish and lethal we have become.

Turning our attention back to the text of Genesis 2:9, and: “the Tree of the Knowledge (da’at — acquisition of information with a focus on discernment, judgment, moral application, and understanding) of Good (towb — that which is prosperous, beneficial, and proper, favorable, desirable, and agreeable, even joyful) and Bad (ra’ — evil, harmful, morally inappropriate, malignant, and disagreeable, of no value, morally depraved, displeasing, and sad),” we discover that towb and ra’ are opposites. They are: prosperous and valueless, favorable and harmful, moral and inappropriate, beneficial and malignant, joyous and sad. Behaviors and attitudes, ambitions and deeds, doctrines and teachings, even foods, can be judged as such, and be placed in one or the other of these categories. And that is the purpose of the nesamah—the seat of judgment. 

Before we consider why there would be such a tree in the enclosure, be aware that there was nothing even remotely unique about its towb/good nature. Earlier in the same verse we read: “Yahuweh, God, made sprout up (caused to grow) from the earth every (kol) tree which is desirable (pleasing, delightful, and pleasurable) in appearance and good (towb — beautiful and beneficial, agreeable and pleasant) to eat.” Towb/good was kol, “ubiquitous and unlimited, completely and totally, collectively and entirely” present within the garden

Likewise, there has been no limitation on da’at/knowledge. Yahweh has already provided us with more information regarding the purpose and nature of creation than we can process, and there is no reason to suspect He was any different with Adam. So the only thing that was unique regarding the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad” was evil—the one thing that is always expunged from God’s presence and paradise. Evil, harmful, morally inappropriate, malignant, disagreeable, valueless, morally depraved, displeasing, and sad is the antithesis of God—meaning they are not God.

Yet without access to evil, without a way to reject God, deprived of the opportunity to choose that which He is not, there would be no way to love Yahweh. Love requires choice. It is the only thing that cannot be made, compelled, or purchased, making love the most valuable and powerful thing in the universe.

Freewill is the primary, but not only, prerequisite for a loving relationship. One must come to da’at/know the object of their affection and they must be able to judge whether they are worthy of being loved. And this again, is the purpose of our nesamah.

Lastly, there are two additional insights related to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad, especially with regard to knowing things which are “evil, harmful, morally inappropriate, malignant, and disagreeable, of no value, morally depraved, displeasing, and sad.” Man brought these things upon himself. It is therefore inappropriate to blame God for pain and suffering, for crippling diseases, for disabilities and death. Rather than saying “a loving God wouldn’t allow suffering to occur,” we should recognize that love requires the choice we humans made to become acquainted with them. Pain and suffering are a direct derivative of the poor choice Adam and Chawah made in the Garden, and of the subsequent choices we humans have rendered after them.

For those who don’t comprehend the purpose of freewill, and who continue to lament about a God who would allow any or all of the many atrocities and misfortunes to occur on our planet, please consider what you are asking of Him. If Yahweh was to intervene and stop all bad things from happening, the result would be to remove consequence from choice. Doing so would completely undermine the benefit of freewill, which would in turn make love impossible, and therefore, our very existence would be pointless. There would be no reason for the universe to exist, because Yahweh would no longer be able to grow through the loving relationships we form with Him.

The idea of God allowing people to choose to be bad rather than follow His instructions is fairly easy to understand. However, when it comes to a child suffering or dying prematurely, it is difficult for us to appreciate how even the most trivial decisions we make can change our futures and those of others.

A deviation in a person’s life as small as scratching one’s head can eventually effect the future for everyone on the planet. Such an event can cause the person to make a phone call a couple of seconds later than they would have, or change the exact moment they get on the road to drive somewhere. This means that every person on the road with them has been affected, which will cause every person with whom those people interact to have their lives change, which will cause a change in the lives with every person those people interact, ... It therefore becomes statistically inevitable that this cascading series of deviations will lead to significant events happening that would not have if not for that itch.

If you find yourself not able to see how something so trivial can have such huge repercussions, then simply consider less subtle examples. For instance, someone can drive one mile-per-hour slower or faster, get distracted behind the wheel, or consume one too many cocktails before getting in the car. Any of these can lead to something as tragic as a child being struck by the vehicle. How does this affect the parents, their friends, their coworkers, their neighbors? Even the driver’s life and lives of those around him will be changed forever.

As horrible as the death of the child might seem, what if he or one of his offspring would have become the founder of a company whose factories dumped pollutants into the air, ground, and water around the world. These toxins might have then lead to hundreds or even thousands of people and babies to become debilitated or die from cancer or other illnesses.

And this works the other way as well. There may have been an Austrian with a great affinity for paintings of landscapes, who for some reason, turned down a position on the admissions board at the Vienna Academy of Art. The person who was instead hired, rejected an 18-year-old boy’s application. In his opinion, the lad’s work “lacked an appreciation of the human form.” How much different would the world be if Adolph Hitler had spent a few years in art school?

Every decision has a ripple effect, and on and on the consequences go. So, who knows what confluence of events brings us to a situation where something horrible happens to an innocent person. Even if it was possible, at what point should God stop these almost infinite variables from causing a seemingly senseless tragedy to occur? What repercussions would His intervention have?

What should also be considered, is that if Yahweh does prevent certain bad things from happening, at what point should He stop? If God intervenes in terminal illnesses for newborns, at what age does He stop intervening? And if God cures all diseases (ignoring the obvious enormous ramifications), then should He stop all fatal accidents? And if He stops all fatal accidents, should He then stop all random acts of brutality? It’s a slippery slope that can easily result in an existence where there are no bad consequences for any actions, making choice irrelevant, and love impossible.

All this said, other than the option to choose them, “bad, evil, and pain” don’t exist in Yah’s paradise, nor will they be knowable in heaven. By definition, to exist as a part of a perfect being, we must also be perfect, making the ability for us to make bad choices impossible. When we arrive in heaven, we will have successfully avoided the last possibility to make a wrong choice.

In Revelation, God specifically tells us that there will be no pain or suffering during our eternal existence with Him. And since the remembrance of evil and displeasing things would surely bring anguish, all things bad must be banished from heaven. This is why Yahweh obliterates our record of wrongdoing, pronouncing us innocent when we accept the Redeemer’s gift. He even goes so far as to say that there will be no remembrance of our transgressions—not by Him, nor by us.

In the next passage, God reveals the location of the Garden of Eden. There is a reason. He wants us to know where it was located so that we will understand the story which follows. Without this context religious myths are born and thinking people are turned away from their Creator. “A river (nahar — stream) flowed out (yasa’ — extended and descended) from (min) Eden (‘eden — great joy, delight, ultimate pleasure, extreme satisfaction and luxury, and a favorable state of great gladness) with water (saqah — that which quenches thirst) of the protective enclosure (gar — sheltered garden, covered and defended place), and from (min) there (sam — that place and relative position) it separated (parad — parted and divided) becoming (hayah — coming to exist as) four (‘arba’ — from raba’ meaning square, four-sided, place to stretch out, rest and relax) headwater sources (ro’s — beginning points). The name (shem — proper designation) of the first (‘echad) is the Pishon (pyshown — from puwsh, meaning to spring up, act proudly, and scatter). It winds its way through (sabab — meanders, constantly changing course through and encompassing) all of (kol) the region (‘erets — land or realm) of Havilah (hawylah — from huwl, to twist and encircle, bringing fear, pain, and anguish) where relationally there is (sam ‘asher) gold (zahab — considerable wealth, money, and splendor).” (Genesis 2:10-11)

In Genesis 25:18, speaking of “Havilah,” Yahweh tells us that Ishmael, the father of today’s Arab Muslims, “settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria in defiance of all of his relatives [today’s Jews].” Assyria was located between the Tigris and Euphrates in what is today northern Iran and Iraq. If you were to travel from Egypt to Assyria, you would pass through southeastern Turkey, near its borders with Syria, northern Arabia, Iraq, and Iran. But, more on this later.

“And the gold (zahab — considerable wealth, money, and splendor) of that land (‘erets — region or realm), the bdellium resin (badolah — translucent, odoriferous, amber gum from an Arabian tree; from badal, to divide, separate, and exclude) and precious (soham — reddish onyx, lapis lazuli, malachite, and beryl) stones (‘eben — rocks and gems) are beautiful (towb).” (Genesis 2:12) While the reference to “gold, great wealth, money, and splendor,” as well as “gem stones” could be a reference to mines which exist in this region, I think Yahweh was referring to the opulence of Nineveh, the capitol of the first Babylon, and later the principle city of the Assyrian Empire. Man’s first known religious and political schemes were conceived and perpetrated there. It was the birthplace of the sun-god religion practiced today as Catholicism. It is a religion of “considerable wealth, money, and splendor” which “separates” the masses from God.

“The name (shem — proper designation) of the second (seni — from shanah, to change) is the Gihon (Gychown — to burst forth). It winds its way through (sabab) the whole (kol) land (‘erets — region) of Kuwsh (kuwsh).” (Genesis 2:13)

Kuwsh, more often rendered Cush, was the son of Ham in addition to Mizraiym, Put and Canaan. Biblical scholars want Cush to represent Ethiopia because its root means “black,” but what is today Ethiopia was often part of Egypt at the time, and Egypt is listed under Mizraiym. And while there is plenty of Scriptural evidence to connect Kuwsh with ancient Egypt, that nation’s genesis was still a thousand years hence, meaning that Yahweh wasn’t describing an emerging culture in northern Africa. Further, the Nile flows north from central Africa, not south from eastern Turkey.

But here’s a clue: Nimrod, the patriarch of religion, and the king of Nineveh, which was in Assyria (then called Babylon), was a descendant of Cush, and was known to have been a black man. So, we might surmise that Kuwsh, at least at this time, represents what is today northern Iran and Iraq. It is a region America has recently (and foolishly) unified under Shia Islam. It is the area which will one day soon serve as the headquarters of the all-Islamic Magog Federation—something the scriptural genealogies will also confirm.

As evidence of this theory, the Iranians call the twelve-thousand-foot range which towers above the modern city of Tabriz, “Kusheh Dagh,” or “Mountains of Kush.” Located in the upper, northwestern finger of Iran, near Lake Urmia, the Kush range is fewer than two-hundred miles from the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates, the next two rivers on this list.

“The name of the third (salisi — to stretch out, to send out and away) river is the Tigris (Hiddekel — from hadar, to rapidly surround, to close in and besiege bringing impending doom) which travels (halak) east (qidmah) of ‘Asshur (‘ashuwr — Assyria, named after the goddess Ashur, who became Ishtar and Easter over time). And the fourth river is the Euphrates (parat — known as “the great river”).” (Genesis 2:14) Hiddekel is the Akkadian (ancient Assyrian and Babylonian language) pronunciation of what was renamed Tigris in Greek following Alexander’s conquests. Likewise, Parat, or Great River, was the Hebrew term for the waterway the Greeks renamed the “Euphrates” in the third century BCE.

Both tributaries of the Tigris begin their 1,300-mile trek to the Persian Gulf in the mountains west and southwest of Lake Van in Eastern Turkey. The east branch begins its journey to the sea 20 miles south of Lake Van, and the western source emerges 100 miles due west of Turkey’s largest lake.

Moving on to the Euphrates, its twin tributaries emerge 100 miles northwest and 50 miles due north of Lake Van; the later not far from the mountains of Ararat. From here the waterway travels a great 1,700-mile arc west, east, south, and then southeast to the Persian Gulf.

Walled in by volcanic mountains, Lake Van, like its neighbor Lake Urmia (150 miles southeast of Lake Van), has no natural outlet and is thus saline (as are the Black and Caspian Seas). Lake Van is considered to be the largest and deepest lake in the Middle East. Satellite photos depict it as a deep, royal blue oasis surrounded by inhospitable rugged and desolate terrain.

Turning our attention to the Gihon/Gychown, I have every confidence that it is the Aras (shown on some maps as the Araxes). This mighty river’s tributaries emerge northeast of Lake Van. During the century-long Islamic invasion which followed Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, the river’s name was changed from the Gaihun, making the original moniker quite similar to that found in Genesis. Today, the Aras, formally Gaihun, flows eastward from Turkey into the Caspian Sea.  

Ignoring the fact that God said that the headwaters of these four rivers, two of which are the Tigris and Euphrates, flowed from the same place and same source, renowned religious scholars continue to postulate claims that the Pishon is the Ganges, Indus, or Nile. Others place Eden at the delta of the Tigris and Euphrates as if they don’t understand the difference between the beginning and the end of a stream. I share this with you for two reasons. First, don’t trust religious scholars. Second, the Garden of Eden and the location of Noah’s Flood are relatively coterminous—the latter just east of the former. The mountains of Ararat are located two-hundred miles east by northeast of headwaters of the Tigris and are within a stone’s throw of the Euphrates’ beginnings. This area is in eastern Turkey, between the Black and Caspian Seas, near the border of Iran and Armenia.

Identifying the Pishon is more challenging. But having identified the river which flows to the east-Gihon/Gaihun/Aras, to the southwest-Parat/Great River/Euphrates, and to the southeast-Hiddekel/Tigris, symmetry would suggest that we would be wise to look for one which flows north or northwest of Lake Van. In this regard, I think the most likely candidate for the Pishon is the Red River, known today as the Kizilirmak. Red is important, since Yahweh told us that it would be known for its red stones. More important, the original name of Turkey’s longest river was the Phasianus, confirming that it is a worthy candidate. Most all etymological tools connect ancient names to their modern equivalents by comparing the consonant root before vocalization and conjugation. Phasianus and Pishon share the same p-s-n root.

The Red River’s source is less than 100 miles west by northwest from Lake Van. Unlike the other three rivers, it flows west and then north before draining into the Black Sea. Neolithic civilizations along the Kizilimak River date back to 4000 BCE, with Assyrian, Phrygian, and Hittite colonies emerging in 1900 BCE. Control of this volcanic region passed to the Tubals, Persians, then Greeks under Alexander, before falling to the Romans, Byzantines, and Seljuks (Muslims who invaded the Christian capital, forming the Ottoman Empire). It was on the Red River’s shores that the Turks annihilated over a million Armenian Christians in the aftermath of World War One—turning the waters red.

David Rohl, a superb antiquities scholar, speculated that the Pishon is the Uizhun. Its tributaries descend from the volcanic ridges east of Lake Urmia, 200 miles southeast of Lake Van, eventually emptying out into the Caspian Sea. While there is no initial “p” sound, the remainder of the name is similar. And the Uizhun is known as the Kezel Uzun, or Long Gold River, and as such, it fits the Genesis depiction of this waterway meandering through the land of gold. And I suppose it is possible that a volcanic eruption in the area truncated the original source, moving it further southeastward. (While Rohl and I disagree regarding the Pishon, his work on establishing a valid Egyptian chronology which synchronizes with Scripture in A Test of Time is an essential read for those who love archeology.)

Putting it all together, both tributaries of the Euphrates and Tigris, the headwaters of the Gihon/Aras and Kizilirmak/Red River/Phasianus/Pishon emerge within one hundred miles of each other, all with Lake Van at the epicenter. This blue oasis can be found southeast of the Black Sea and due west of the Caspian. That’s important because what appears to be mankind’s oldest civilization is buried beneath the shores of the Black Sea. And archeologists are beginning to discover that mankind first mixed religion and politics in this environ. We’ll consider what is known about their culture in the next chapter as it relates to the flood.

Before we move on, be aware that Yahweh referred to each of the specific places in which the rivers flowed as kol ‘erets, or “whole land, area, or region.” And yet, when He uses the exact same phrase with reference to the flood, it is errantly translated “the whole earth.” It’s little wonder people are confused.

“Yahuweh, God (‘elohym), grasped hold of (laqah — selected, received, and accepted) the man (‘Adam) and settled him restfully (nuwach — set him down) in (ba) the enclosed garden (gan — protected, defended, sheltered, and covered place of care and concern) of ‘Eden (‘eden — great joy, delight, and ultimate pleasure, of extreme satisfaction and luxury, in the favorable state of great gladness) to work it (‘abad hy — to labor and serve in it) and (wa) to (la) keep it (samar hy — pay attention to and observe it).” (Genesis 2:15)

One of the lessons we learn from this verse, is that while “joyous, delightful, pleasurable, satisfying, and restful,” paradise wasn’t about being idle. Adam had a job, a purpose, something to do that needed to be done. And that’s wonderful news. Lounging around for all eternity isn’t my idea of a good time. I want to learn and to explore the universe, to be productive and useful—something samar, “pay attention and observe,” used in harmony with ‘abad, “work and serve,” suggests will occur.

The passage also tells us that man could have been created anywhere on earth. All we know for sure is that Adam’s conception did not occur in the garden, because God “grasped hold of Adam and settled him down in the Garden of Eden.” With that in mind, I’d like to venture into the realm of speculation. Reading between the lines, here is what I have deduced. I think we are still living in the sixth day of creation and that there is more to this story. As we contemplate this thought, keep in mind that our time began with the creation of animals and was followed by the creation of the most godlike animal—a creature made unique by the addition of Yah’s blessing: “God said, ‘Let us produce (‘asah — make, effect, bring about, fashion, ordain, observe, and celebrate) man (‘adam) in our image (tselem — resemblance, pattern, and model), after our likeness (damuwth — comparable to us). So God created mankind (‘adam) in His image, in the image of God He created him. Male and female He created them. And God knelt down next to them, blessing them (barak — greeting and adoring them in love and lifting them up), saying to them, ‘Be fruitful (parah — flourish, be productive, increase) and multiply (rabah — become exceedingly great and numerous, being enlarged, reaching a very high point and status).’” (Genesis 1:26-28) In this passage, Yahweh didn’t reveal what caused Adam to be uniquely like Him, but as you know from the opening of this chapter, He did do so later: “Yahuweh, God, formed ‘Adam/man from the powdery dust (natural material particles) of the ground (‘adamah — soil) and blew (napah — breathed) into his nostrils the life-giving, restoring and sustaining (chayim) conscience (nesamah — seat of judgment, of recognizing the difference between right and wrong, discernment and discrimination), and ‘Adam came to exist as (hayah) a living (chay) soul (nepesh).” (Genesis 2:7)

The living creature known as man was the last animal God created on the sixth day. He fashioned the male and female human form, as with all other forms of life, from natural elements of the earth by manipulating their DNA code. But something was different about the species Homo sapiens. God designed a unique animal with a special capacity to think, to communicate, to be creative and productive, to walk upright, and to conceive and raise children in a loving and nurturing family, teaching and protecting them in a manner which would embrace the covenant He envisioned. Our very nature is symbolic of Yahweh’s character and purpose. We are the residue of God’s design; the living embodiment of His plan. 

In this regard, of the millions of animal forms on earth, man is unlike any other—a species made in the likeness of God. Simply stated, if you can envision a man and woman who are husband and wife, standing before the shelter of their home with a child between them, you understand Yahweh and His purpose.

After watching this new creature for a while, God took one specific human, He named him Adam, and He gave him a nesamah/conscience so that He could begin a relationship with this solitary, judgmental and discerning man. Yahweh designed and built a perfect paradise for him, and He placed Adam inside. This is the reason that the creation account of men and women and of Adam and Chawah is told twice, once generally of all humankind and once specifically of two very unique individuals.

This would make the humans inside and outside of Yah’s protection divergent only in that Adam and Chawah had both a nesamah/conscience and a personal relationship with God. This relationship, in my judgment, was perfect for seventy years. Then, using their nesamah, or seat of judgment, poorly Adam and Chawah were banished from the garden and exposed to the rest of the world—even to the rest of humanity. Including his time in paradise, Adam would live one-thousand years and thus come to symbolize mankind’s first millennium.  

These things considered, it matters not if my speculation is right or wrong. My purpose was to provide you with a scenario which was both plausible and completely consistent with Scripture and science. Humankind is a special animal and Adam and Chawah were an especially unique couple. Their ancestry is common, but not their conscience.

Returning to the known and certain, Yahweh provided Adam with some directions. He has done the same thing for us. “And Yahuweh, the Mighty one (‘elohym), provided direction (sawah — instructed, spoke loudly and clearly) near (‘al — beside and on behalf of) ‘Adam, the man (ha ‘adam), saying (‘amar — communicating), ‘Eat (‘akal) and consume food (‘akal) from (min) every one of (kol — all) the sheltered garden’s (gan — protected, defended, and covered enclosure’s) trees (‘es).’” (Genesis 2:16) For us, like Adam, the Creator’s prescriptions are contained in His Word. Today, we should think of Scripture as “The Owner’s Manual”—God’s dialog with us.

You’ll notice in this passage, that Yahweh didn’t cry out from above, from a distant heaven. He was “near,” even “beside,” Adam when He spoke.

Also, since Eden is a word picture of paradise, when we spend our eternity exploring the universe, this verse suggests that there will be a countless variety of good options to select from. It isn’t going to be boring.

As I have endeavored to make clear, for there to be love, there must be choice. So...“But (wa), from (min) the tree (‘es) of the knowledge (da’at — acquisition of information with a focus on discernment, judgment, moral application, and understanding) of good (towb — that which is prosperous, beneficial, and proper, favorable, desirable, and agreeable, even joyful) and bad (ra’ — evil, harmful, morally inappropriate, malignant, and disagreeable, of no value, morally depraved, displeasing, and sad) do not (lo’) eat (‘akal) from (min) it.” (Genesis 2:17)

The product of choice is consequence. If you choose God, you get to live with Him. That is the most beneficial option. If you opt to reject God, however, based upon whatever knowledge you obtain, you will die separated from Him. This is an inferior selection. “Indeed because (ky - surely), in (ba — near) the day (yowm) you (‘atah) eat (‘akal) from (min) it, you will become mortal (muwt) and die (muwt).” (Genesis 2:17)

This is the first time the consequence for rejecting Yahweh’s direction has been specified. It is death; the end of life. And that means that it is not eternal suffering in hell. Yet every mainstream Christian derivation, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical, officially teaches that those who reject God are tortured in hell forever. If they are right, their God is a sadistic liar. Only a demented deity would say: “Love me or I’ll torture you.” (As it turns out, hellish torture is a derivative of the Babylonian religion, as are the preponderance of Christian corruptions.)

Not only is the Hebrew word for death repeated twice in this passage, muwt is the antithesis of living forever. Therefore, if the Church is right, God is wrong. It is that simple, that obvious, that cut and dry. And yet, not one religious cleric in a million comprehends this divine mandate. It’s as if the fear they engender by errantly presenting hell serves their interests. Or else, why would most all of them promote the same lie?

As you read Yada Yahweh, you will discover overwhelming evidence that Yahweh lists three consequences related to choice, not just two. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that there must be three, not two, potential fates which await human souls. The most often-presented, and most common result, is death—the cessation of life, as is depicted here. Those who chose not to yada Yahweh, to trust and rely upon Yah, will live for a short while, but ultimately death will be the end of their brief existence. Upon their mortal death, their souls will be annihilated, ceasing to exist. God doesn’t know them and they don’t know God. For the overwhelming preponderance of people, there will be no eternal paradise nor hell. As Yahushua explained: “The way is broad, and many there are who find death and destruction.”

The two better-known consequences exist as well. There is a place of eternal anguish. While there is no fire in it, nor torture, there will be plenty of emotional suffering in this lightless place called the Abyss. The closest known allegory to it is a black hole, where nothing escapes but yet time is eternal. Only those who are actively engaged in leading people away from God (which would be most religious, political, media, academic, and societal leaders), will endure this fate. They will join Satan and his fellow false messengers, known as demons, there. If you go, you will have the opportunity to meet every pope. The Abyss will be a very religious place.

The consequence of heeding Yahweh’s advice is to live forever with Him in His paradise—a newly created universe. Those who rely on Yah become Yahuwdym, His children, and they inherit all that is His to give. After serving with Him during the Millennial Sabbath (starting on the Miqra’ of Shelters in 2033 (year 6000 on Yah’s calendar) and ending one-thousand years later), they will be equipped to camp out with God for all time. If you make this choice, look me up and we’ll go off and explore a galaxy together. 

The story presented in Eden is one of relationship set into the context of family, of companionship, of sharing, of love, of marriage, of children, and of parenting. This phase of the story begins with: “Yahuweh, God (‘elohym) said (‘amar), ‘It is not (lo’) good (towb — productive and beneficial) for the man, Adam (‘adam) to exist (hayah — to be) separated (bad — apart and alone). I will make (‘asah — fashion and prepare for) him a helper and supporter (‘ezer — one who assists and serves, a succor who rescues, aids, renews, and benefits), like (ka — in the manner of) his corresponding counterpart (neged).”  (Genesis 2:18)

This is brilliant. The opening sentence of the passage confirms the consequence of choosing to be separated from God. It’s not good. Then with the second sentence, Yah equates choosing Him with the epitome of love; which for a man in this temporal world is to be with the perfect woman. This is why God called paradise ‘eden: “great joy, delight, ultimate pleasure, and extreme satisfaction.” But more than this, Chawah (a name which will be revealed later in this story) is being presented as a metaphor for the Set-Apart Spirit. She is our “helper and supporter, the one who assists and serves us, our succor who rescues, aids and renews us,” providing the “benefit” of eternal life based upon a reestablished relationship with Yahweh. She is the “life-giver” and “tent shelter” which is what the name Chawah means.

Also interesting in this regard, neged means “correspond,” which is “to be in conformity and agreement.” The Spirit brings us into conformity with Yah’s instructions. Neged/correspond is “to compare closely, and to be equivalent to someone or something.” When we are born anew from above by our Spiritual Mother we become more like God, more equivalent to Him. Our resurrected bodies become like the risen Yahushua—God in human form. Neged/correspond even means: “to communicate with someone,” which is the reason Adam and Chawah were created and placed in the Garden.

Before we leave this verse, recognize that while Yah said that Chawah would be Adam’s “helper and supporter,” He routinely refers to Himself as our helper, so this is not a pejorative term. In truth, the one who serves, the one who rescues, renews, and restores, is greater than the beneficiary.

The next two verses speak of hayah nepesh, of living souls, or animals, that God created for man’s benefit and of their introduction to Adam. This passage culminates with the verdict that none of these qualified as “a helper and supporter (‘ezer — one who assists and serves, a succor who rescues, aids, renews, and benefits), like (ka — in the manner of) his corresponding counterpart (neged).”

So...“Yahweh, God (‘elohym), caused the man Adam to fall (napal) deeply asleep (tardemah), and while he slept (yasen), He grasped hold of (laqah — selected and took) one (‘echad) of his ribs (sela’ — bones and cartilage around the heart and lungs) from him and closed up (sagar) its place with flesh (basar — living soft tissues). And the rib Yahuweh, God, took (laqah) relationally (‘asher) from (min) the man Adam (‘adam), He built (banah — made and erected, constructed and established) a woman and wife (‘issah — female partner in marriage), and He came to (bow’) the man ‘Adam with her.” (Genesis 2:21-22) Just as the Set-Apart Spirit is a part of God, taken from God, and sent to us for the purpose of association and life, so it was with Chawah. And in a more plebeian sense, the rib was selected because it surrounded the heart, the seat of love, and the lungs, synonymous with the breath of life, known as the nepesh/soul.

The moral of the story is the value of fidelity and family, especially as they are manifest in a loving, productive, marriage relationship. “Then the man, Adam, said, ‘This is the foundation, the way to conduct one’s life (pa’am — the pattern of behavior to be followed), the substance of life (‘esem — the very essence of being human, an essential insight into something similar and related to vastness and might of life), out of (min — from) my (‘aniy) essence (‘esem — bones and substance), life (basar) from my life (basar — flesh, body, and humanity). She shall be called (qara — summoned) woman and wife (‘ishah — female) because (kiy) out of (min — from) man and husband (‘ish) she was taken (laqah — grasped and obtained, selected and received).” (Genesis 2:23) This is the story of life and how to conduct it.

The word for “Covenant,” beriyth, is a “marriage relationship.

It is based upon beiyth, meaning “home,” and thus is symbolic of family. So, in this passage Yahweh is disclosing the model upon which all of Scripture is based. Everything from Genesis to Revelation is predicated upon God wanting to develop a loving familial relationship with mankind based upon the marriage of a man and woman, and their coming together to conceive and nurture life in a loving home. 

“Accordingly, therefore (‘al ken — so based on this it is right) that a man (‘ish) shall leave (‘azab — abandon and reject, desert and forsake, be absent from) his (hu’) father (‘ab) and his mother (‘em) and cling to (dabaq — join fast to, cleave to, stay close to, be united in close association with) his wife (‘issah — woman and female partner in marriage). And they shall exist as (hayah — be) one (‘echad — a singular unity in the) flesh (basar — living being and body).” (Genesis 2:24) 

There are many softer, less jolting, Hebrew words Yahweh could have used in reference to a man “leaving” his father and mother. Of the 215 times ‘azab appears in the Old Covenant, it is translated “forsaken” on 130 occurrences. To forsake is to “reject, abandon, and damn.” I bring this to your attention because it sheds considerable light on the fifth commandment. Based upon this instruction, the “Father and Mother” we are to “hold in high regard” so as to “prolong our days in the land,” cannot be our earthly parents. Not only is it impossible to “reject and forsake” that which you “honor and glorify,” showing esteem for any mortal being bears no influence on our longevity. Therefore, to be consistent Yahweh could not tell us to ‘azab/“be absent from, reject, and forsake” our father and mother while at the same time say by way of a commandment to “honor and glorify” them.

The second profound truth encapsulated in this message relates to God’s very nature. Scripture says: “Hear O Yisra’el, Yahuweh your God is one (‘echad).” Yah is a singular unity, manifesting Himself as Father, Mother, and Son. There is one God serving man through the Set-Apart Spirit and Messiyah Yahushua. There is no Trinity. God does not exist in three persons or in three personas. The Father manifests Himself in human and spiritual forms to serve us. Adam and Chawah were one being in marriage, just as we are one in the Covenant. Simply stated, the Covenant upon which all Scripture is based, begins with a casual association which includes a marriage, and it evolves into a close friendship, kinship, a nation, kingdom, marriage, divorce, and then reconciliation leading to the adoption of God’s eternal family. (More on this in a moment.)

Third, Yahweh, like the human family, has male and female characteristics, something made evident in: “So God created ‘Adam in His image (tselem — resemblance, pattern, and model), in the image of God He created him. Male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) To join God’s family, to become one with Yah, you must be born anew from above by way of the Set-Apart Spirit, our Spiritual Mother.

Fourth, the relationships embodied in marriage and family are synonymous with the beriyth/Covenant. Eden represents heaven and Adam and Chawah represent the kind of relationship Yahweh designed us to celebrate.

Fifth, while it’s a small point relative to the others, ‘issah, meaning “wife and woman,” is singular, not plural. Yahweh’s wants a monogamous relationship. That is the message inherent in the first three commandments. While there were individuals in the Old Covenant who had many wives, most notably, David and Solomon, the quality of their lives deteriorated with each addition to their harems. And with each new wife, they became a less vital part of Yah’s plans. David was forbidden from building the Temple and Solomon was left to call everything he touched “vain”—failed and useless as a direct result.

In this regard, this single verse also destroys Islam’s credibility. Allah repeatedly states that his Qur’an confirms the Torah, and yet the Qur’an says that a man can have four wives. By saying these things, Islam is rendered false, whether or not Yahweh’s revelation is true.

Properly cared for, the human body is beautiful, and in the right kind of relationship, it is something to be enjoyed and to bring pleasure. “The two (sanayim), the man (‘adam) and his wife (‘issah — woman), were (hayah — existed) naked (‘arowm — unclothed and bare-skinned with no barrier between them) and they were not (lo’) ashamed (bows).” (Genesis 2:25)

Most people consider sin to be bad behavior, and along those lines they would condemn nudity. But what God is saying here, is that physical things aren’t necessarily shameful. It’s our attitude which gets us into trouble. A bad attitude is the most disabling of all disabilities. And as a derivative of truth and judgment, the right attitude is the catalyst for a good relationship.

As we turn the page and move into the next chapter, be mindful of the shift in attitude which led to Chawah’s exodus from Eden. And contemplate how this change in perspective caused her to consider nakedness offensive. Was it her body, or her new attitude that caused her to be ashamed and want to hide?

As stated a moment ago, all of Scripture from beginning to end is based upon the simple notion that Yahweh wants to have a familial relationship with us and that He is willing to do everything necessary to facilitate it. This relationship is called a “covenant” and it is based upon the Hebrew word beriyth, meaning “relationship, partnership, and marriage vow.” Beriyth in turn is based upon bayith, meaning “household and home.” And while these are all directly related concepts, they evolve as we turn the pages.

First, while the relationship with Adam wasn’t well-defined, through it we see the first hints of marriage and child-rearing. The terms of the initial covenant agreement focused on a simple choice: do this and be happy and live, or do that and die. The Word was spoken, not written.

Second, with Noah, we still don’t have much substance, and nothing in writing. However, we know that the builder of the arc knew Yahweh and revered Him. As a result, Yah spared Noah and his family. And in this story we have the first formal covenant; one with God making promises to Noah, and through him to us.

Third, Abraham became Yahweh’s friend; one with whom God delineated a very specific agreement. He asked Abraham to leave the religious and political practices of Babylon, to walk with Him, to talk with Him, and to be honest with Him. If Abraham did these things, Yahweh agreed to bless him in countless ways, then and into immortality. The Covenant with Abraham, and through him with us, was affirmed when Abraham chose to trust Yahweh with that which was most dear to him—his only son.

Fourth, with Ya’acob, who became Yisra’el, the Covenant was enlarged and came to be based upon kinship. An individual relationship had grown to include twelve sons who in turn fathered many children. The friendly relationship had grown to be tribal.

By the time we reach Moses, the Chosen People became a liberated nation with a homeland to call their own. Based upon the Torah, the fifth evolution of the Covenant grew to include a substantial number of tenets—all of which were in writing.

David’s passionate love for Yahweh was very similar to Abraham’s, but it was manifest in very different circumstances. Yisra’el became a kingdom and the sixth expression of the covenant was now the law of the land. Through the judges, kings, and prophets, most everything Yahweh had to share with His people was written down. The Word had become many words. Yahweh considered it to be a marriage vow where Yisra’el would become His bride.

However, within a generation Yisra’el became unfaithful; they ignored and violated the written Covenant. As a direct result, Yahweh divorced Yisra’el and what was once a proud nation of people became the world’s most notorious and perpetual victim. Even though the consequence of infidelity, of sun-god worship, had been clearly delineated in the text of the Covenant, and the resulting hardships had all been predicted and properly recorded, Jews became resentful and removed Yahweh from their lips and lives. They even went so far as to create their own religion; one based on their traditions and words rather than Yahweh’s.

 And this brings us to the final and seventh iteration of the Covenant. It is about family and of God putting Himself inside of us so that we might come to know Him personally as His adopted children. It is a time when God and the Word become one. It is about spiritual rebirth based upon the promises contained in the Word.

But before we contemplate the introduction of this seventh and final iteration of the Covenant relationship, it’s important to understand how the marriage vow delineated previously came to naught. For that we turn to Hosea. There we discover the reasons behind this separation: “Let her therefore turn away from (sur - change direction, move on a different path, be removed from and remove, forsake, reject, and abolish) illicit relationships to false deities (zenuniym - fornication, prostitution, adultery, and idolatry,) away from (min - out of) her presence. And I will not love (raham - show affection for, have mercy on, demonstrate compassion or pity to) her children; for they are the children of fornication (zenuniym - prostitution, adultery, idolatry, and illicit relationships with false deities). For their mother wantonly committed adultery and idolatry (zanah - was a harlot and a whore). She who conceived them made a serious mistake (bowsh - did something wrong and lost hope by acting shamefully). She said, ‘I will go after my lovers that provide my bread, my water, my wool, my linen, my oil and my drink.’” (Hosea 2:2-5)

As a result, through the prophet Hosea, God said: “My people are destroyed (damah — are no loner engaged in the mission, are silenced, are ruined, wiped out, they will perish and cease to be effective) for lack of knowledge (da’at — understanding, wisdom, awareness, and information about our relationship); because you have rejected (maas — avoided association, despised, spurned, disdained, and been adverse to) understanding (da-at — knowledge), I will also reject (maas — avoid association with, despise, spurn, disdain, and be adverse to) you, so you shall not be My ministers (min kahan — shall be moved away from serving as My officials and priests). Seeing that you have become oblivious of (kasach — become crippled and lame with regard to, mislaid and forgotten) the Torah (towrah — prescriptions of what should be done, the law, instructions, information, and written code of conduct) of your God, I will also forget (kasach — mislay and become oblivious to) your children. As they became more numerous and influential, they sinned against Me. Therefore I will substitute (mur — exchange that which they possessed) glory (kabowd — splendor, honor, respect, status, wealth, value, abundance, power, reward, the special gift) for disgrace (qalown — shame, ignominy, confusion, reproach, dishonor, insult, and scorn).” (Hosea 4:6-7)

Suffering the consequence of their ignorance, infidelity, and apathy, we find Yisra’el collectively saying: “Come, let us return to (shuwb — turn around, change, restore, and reestablish our relationship with) Yahuweh. For He has torn us (taraph — expelled us, chased us away, and banished us), but He will heal us (rapha — promote restoration, cure our diseased and injured state, thoroughly mend and completely repair us, make us whole). He has stricken us (nakah — smitten and inflicted us, subjugated and chastised us, sent judgment upon us to punish us), but He will wrap Himself around us (chabash — healing us and bandaging us, wrap clothing around us, bind us to Him and govern us, encourage us, speaking words which hearten and enliven our feelings and attitudes). After two days, He will revive us (chayah — restore us to life and keep us alive, save us, revive, spare, sustain, and preserve our lives, heal us so we can live forever). On the third day, He will raise us up (quwm - arise; it will be accomplished, confirmed and fulfilled) and we shall live (chayah — be restored to life, our lives saved, sustained, and preserved, heal us so we can live forever) in His presence.” (Hosea 6:1-2)

In this context, we are properly prepared to consider Yahweh’s introduction of the Covenant’s renewal as revealed through his prophet Jeremiah, properly known as Yirmayahu. While yari’ah means “shelter or dwelling place,” some Hebrew lexicons suggest that the prefix means “appointed by” in this case, Yahweh. Others infer that yirma is derived from ruwm, meaning that “Yah uplifts.”

As we ponder Yah’s prophetic prediction of the arrival of the Renewed Covenant, please note that God ties beriyth/covenant, or “marriage relationship,” to bayith, “home, family, and household.” In the passage, He distinguishes between those who “strive with God” and those who are “related to Yah.” Further, the word God selects to convey “create,” karat, literally means “to cut, especially in the sense of circumcision.” It is the outward sign prescribed by the Torah to set Yahweh’s chosen apart from all others—a procedure which severs and separates the part of the male anatomy at the place responsible for the conception of new life.

“Behold (hineh), days (yowmym — times) are coming (bow’ — will arrive), prophetically declares (na’um — foretells and predicts) Yahuweh (YHWH), when I will cut (karat — create and stipulate, make by way of separation) relationally with (‘et) the household (bayith — home and family) of Yisra’el (yisra’el — to strive with and be empowered by God), and the household (bayith — home and family) of Yahuwdah (yahuwday — those who are related to Yahweh), a Renewed (chadash — repaired and new) Covenant (beriyth —relationship). It will not be the same as (lo’ ka — will not be identical to) the (ha) Covenant relationship (beriyth — marriage vow and pledge) I cut (karat — created through separation) relationally (‘asher) with (‘et) their (hem) fathers (‘abotam) in (ba) the day (yowm) when I (‘aniy) firmly took them (hazaq — used my power and authority to repair and establish them, sustaining and supporting them and causing them to grow) by the hand (ba hem yad) to (la) bring them (yasa’) out of (min) the realm (‘erets — region and land) of Egypt (misrayim — the crucible).” (Yirmayahu/Jeremiah 31:31-32)

The Exodus isn’t just a historic event; it serves as a metaphor for Yahweh’s role in our salvation. And the central plank of His plan which brings us out of bondage, works, and death to freedom, grace, and life, is the Covenant relationship. Salvation is the work of God—the result of His power and authority to repair, sustain, support, and establish. It is His doing. We are merely the beneficiaries.

Thus far, we have seen that the Renewed Covenant is for both the nation of Yisra’el and for the household of Yahuwdah—symbolic of those who are related to Yah by way of adoption. And we have learned that the Old Covenant relationship established with Abraham and quantified through Moses was in some way different than the renewed version. How it will differ, and why it required renewing, is therefore the most relevant question.

This next line speaks of what was revealed through Hosea: “Relationally (‘asher), they (hemah) broke (parar — violated and nullified, frustrated, tore apart and shattered, annulled and voided) My (‘aniy) Covenant (beriyth — marriage relationship) though (wa) I (‘anoky) was a Husband (ba’al — married) to them (ba hem — near and with them), prophetically declares (na’um) Yahuweh (YHWH).” (Yirmayahu/Jeremiah 31:32)

Through the prophet Hosea, Yahweh told Ephraim and Benjamin (who represent the whole nation of Yisra’el apart from the tribe of Yahuwdah) that He was divorcing them for infidelity. Yirmayahu is confirming this sad reality. The marriage relationship which formed the basis of the Old Covenant had been severed, because Yisra’el had “violated and nullified it, annulled and voided it.” They were unfaithful, having chosen to incorporate many sun-god religious practices, symbols, rituals, festivals, and teachings into their culture, just as Christianity has done today. God was intolerant of it then, just as He is now.

And yet, Yahweh would not let mankind’s infidelity frustrate His purpose—that being to establish a familial relationship with humankind. So...“Indeed (kiy — surely and truly) wherein now this (zo’t — on these conditions and provisions herewith) is the Covenant (beriyth — relationship) I will cut (karat — create through separation) relationally (‘asher) with the House (bayith — household and home) of Yisra’el after (‘aharey — in the end and with the West following) that day (ha yowm — this time), prophetically declares (na’um — predicts) Yahuweh.” (Yirmayahu/ Jeremiah 31:33)

It should also be noted that in Hosea, as we have just read, Yahweh told us that He would also divorce Yahuwdah (after the Messiyah’s arrival), but in “two days” (read two-thousand years), He would “heal the relationship,” so that on the third day, by way of Yah’s grace they would be united again.

Here is how that will happen: “I will place by way of a gift (natan — give and bestow) accordingly (‘et) My Torah (towrah — prescriptions, instructions, teachings, law, and code of conduct) in (ba) their midst (qereb — inner core). I will write (katab — inscribe, record, and engrave by way of signals, symbolism, and letters) it on their minds and hearts. And will exist (hayah) to (la) them (them) as God (‘elohym) and they will exist (hayah — will be) as My (‘aniy) family (‘am — kin, relatives by way of a common father, related people).” (Yirmayahu/Jeremiah 31:33)

We have reached the conclusion. Yahweh’s gift of life, His Torah, exists so that we can exist as part of God’s family. The Covenant has grown, evolving from a casual association to a close friendship, maturing from kinship to a kingdom, transitioning from marriage to divorce, and ultimately to reconciliation and the creation of God’s family.

As a result, man’s traditions will no longer pollute the relationship, his justifications, concealments, corruptions, and counterfeits will no longer matter. The transition is from simply being aware, to actually knowing in a relational sense. So God says: “And no longer (lo’ ‘owd — cease to continually) will they teach (lamad — be trained and indoctrinate, instruct and respond to) mankind’s (‘iysh — man’s) vociferous communication (rea’ — roaring shouts, countryman’s thoughts and reasoning), and man’s (‘iysh — man’s) tale of woe (‘ach — howling jackal, brothers, and brethren) claiming (‘amar — saying, boasting, and declaring)  to (la) know (da’at — be aware of the evidence regarding) Yahweh, because (kiy) they will all (kol) know Me relationally (yada’ ‘otiy — recognize, be familiar with, repect, revere, and choose Me), from (min) the smallest, youngest, and least significant (qatan — unimportant) to (la) the biggest, oldest, and most powerful (gadowl — important), prophetically declares (na’um — predicts) Yahweh. For indeed (kiy — because) I will forgive (salah — pardon) their sin (‘awon — guilt) and (wa) remember (zakar — recall) it no (lo’) longer (‘owd — any more).” (Yirmayahu/Jeremiah 31:34)

We have reached mankind’s seventh millennium, the celebration of Sukah/Shelters known as the Millennial Sabbath. Everyone who lives has a close, personal, and familial relationship with Yahweh—so close, He exists within all of His children. The story of God’s love for us began with the first family, and ends with those who know and trust Him being adopted into Yahweh’s eternal family.