Let’s Come at this From a Different Angle
December 4, 2009
Related topics: Genesis |
"Science and the Sacred" is pleased to feature essays from various guest voices in the science-and-religion dialogue. Please note the views expressed here are those of the author, not necessarily of The BioLogos Foundation. For more on what BioLogos believes, click here.
Today's entry was written by
Pete Enns.
Pete Enns is Senior Fellow of Biblical Studies for The BioLogos Foundation and author of several books and commentaries, including the popular Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, which looks at three questions raised by biblical scholars that seem to threaten traditional views of Scripture.
This is the fourth of Enns' multi-part series on an incarnational model of Scripture.
Much of the concern surrounding the Christian faith and the acceptance of evolution and modern cosmology and geology centers on how to read the opening chapters of Genesis. Very often, and rightly so, that discussion turns to such issues as how modern data, such as extra biblical texts and scientific developments affect how we read Genesis.
That is all fine and well, but let's come at this from a different angle.
There is a factor that rarely enters the discussion among conservative readers of Scripture. It is only one factor, but it is very important.
If we want a clue as to how to read the opening chapters of the Christian Bible, we should go to the closing chapters.
At the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation, in the very last chapter of the last book, we read the following:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever (Revelation 22:1-5, NIV).
The book of Revelation is an apocalyptic book, which means it is a figurative, symbolic description of what the "end" will look like. Much of Revelation is concerned with showing God's ultimate rule over history, and how he is bringing that history to its consummation in Christ.
And note how history will end: in a garden, with a river, a tree of life, and the removal of the curse. I hope bells are going off right about now.
In a manner of speaking, the point of the entire story of redemption laid out in the Christian Bible is to get us "back into the garden," to regain what was lost, for the obedient Second Adam to undo the disobedience of the first Adam.
The book of Revelation, however, is not a literal description of events in time and space. To be sure, God will bring history to its consummation, but the description of that consummation in Revelation is figurative or symbolic. That is the nature of apocalyptic literature in the ancient world, and Revelation participates in that literary convention.
Although it has occasionally been tried, a "literal" (meaning time-space, historical) reading of Revelation does not work at all. The message behind Revelation is something God will do in history, but the description of those events are figurative. This is especially clear beginning in Chapter 21, where we read of a "New Jerusalem" descending from the sky. Its description is a symbolic amalgamation of Jerusalem, temple, and Garden of Eden imagery. It is not a literal city crashing down on the Earth, but a theologically potent, concrete, ancient description of what God will eventually do in time and space.
The use of such imagery was a powerful communicator of theological truth to ancient peoples--and it should be to us, as well. And here is my point to ponder: the symbolic, non-literal nature of the renewed Garden in Revelation 22 should suggest to us, quite strongly in fact, that the Garden of Genesis 2-4 likewise, although communicating theological truth, is also symbolic and non-literal. Both are "true," deeply so, but neither are literal, historical, or physical.
Discuss amongst yourselves, but try to keep it nice.
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January 3rd 2010
This seems to be very clear in Enoch’s writings at the end of the Dream visions and the Ten weeks.
Heb 4:1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
There is a lot that roused my interest in your book and no less were your wise words of wisdom in your concluding sections in how to deal with these issues within our present church culture. This is a problem that those who delve deeper into these subjects must face practically within the confines of what appears to be some major misunderstandings within the body of Christ His church.
Blessings
Norm Voss
Sorry about having to break this post up like this but I had already written it before attempting to post it and ran into the character limitation. You will have to follow through to get the flow of my response.
Reply to this commentMarch 12th 2010
Why do so many try to complicate the simplicity of God’s Word. It so simple a child can get it.
I would love to see how you folks would write and teach kindergarten curriculum to children. What would you do to explain the first few chapters of Genesis? Maybe something like this: “Well Johnny, in the Beginning God created, but he used a special method called the “Big Bang” and it actually took 4.5 million years before life started to walk out of the water. Eventually a monkey turned into what we call man. God called Him Adam and Eve, but that was God’s way of helping us understand a very complicated process called evolution.” There really was no man and women hiding from God and God really did not walk in the cool of the day, but that is best way to tell a very old and complicated process.”
The Problem with the Old Testament is people’s lack of simplicity of faith. I must ask how much time do folks spend in prayer with the author of the Word of God. KEEP IT SIMPLE! God He did it, God sustains it and He is coming back for those who extend faith in Him.
Reply to this commentAugust 7th 2010
@ Peter
I have been reading, actual read the entire forum thing at least for this particular post and have found it interesting and a bit faith shaking and I asked in my heart for God to guide me to the real conclusion and I came upon your post. Praise God!
Reply to this commentYes, all these non Biblical texts aren’t worthless, but to a degree unnecessary. God preserved His Word, how could he not??!?!?!!? We are to believe like Children and I am not suggesting start being overly submissive and don’t question. Scripture interprets scripture! The NT refers to the OT all the time, Jesus always quoted it. And the OT predicts the coming of the NT. If we stop reading the Bible then we are lost. It’s so huge it has the answers you are looking for. By that I don’t mean, “Hmm…I wonder if there is a thing smaller than a quark? , lets look at Habakkuk!” But if you let the Holy Ghost guide you, you have nothing to worry. I was reading Revelation unveiled, and I fail to see how we come up with it as a allegory, when theologians from 200-1000 AD took it literally because they understood meanings in that also from like Daniel. God will deal with Israel still, he still has a plan Romans 11.