Description:
The entire Bible is God’s story of
salvation. In the beginning, when God created the heavens
and the earth, everything was very good. This included
Satan. Then puffed up with pride, Satan sinned by coveting
the throne of God. Later, in the Garden of Eden, he was
ecstatic when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the
forbidden fruit. From that moment they became members of
Satan’s kingdom. Yet God was not taken by surprise. Before
creation the Triune God had already devised a plan of
salvation. He loves us so much! Therefore God promised Adam
and Eve that one would come who would destroy Satan’s power.
The
Old Testament describes God’s gradual preparation for the
coming of his Son. At first only a few believed and waited
for the promised Seed. Then God formed the nation of Israel
and set them apart as his special people. Through the
prophet Daniel, the Lord even gave the Jews the due date for
the arrival of Jesus. He expected his people to wait for the
birth of the Saviour. When God was silent for 400 years
between the Old and the New Testaments, people were not. The
Pseudepigrapha or false writings describe the heart attitude
of some of the Jews. These writers influenced many people.
Finally, the promised Seed was born exactly when God
planned.
Meanwhile, in the Old Testament, Satan actively tried to
prevent the birth of the promised Seed. Realizing that Jesus
was born did not prevent him from continuing to try to
thwart God’s plan. At Jesus’ death, Satan likely thought
that he had finally succeeded in his evil desires to usurp
God’s throne. His plan, however, backfired. At his resurrection
Jesus triumphed over Satan, once for all time. Now, until
the end of the world, God’s kingdom is rapidly expanding.
Satan is a defeated foe. One day Jesus will return to gather
believers into the eternal kingdom and to judge
nonbelievers.
Heather also includes her own testimony
throughout the book. The Points to Ponder at the end
of each chapter serve as devotional aids. A timeline, maps,
and index help in Bible study.
