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The Temptation and Fall
[This chapter is based on Genesis 3.]
No longer free to stir up rebellion in heaven, Satan's enmity against God found a new field in
plotting the ruin of the human race. In the happiness and peace of the holy pair in Eden he beheld
a vision of the bliss that to him was forever lost. Moved by envy, he determined to incite them to
disobedience, and bring upon them the guilt and penalty of sin. He would change their love to
distrust and their songs of praise to reproaches against their Maker. Thus he would not only
plunge these innocent beings into the same misery which he was himself enduring, but would
cast dishonor upon God, and cause grief in heaven.
Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them. Heavenly
messengers opened to them the history of Satan's fall and his plots for their destruction,
unfolding more fully the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to
overthrow. It was by disobedience to the just commands of God that Satan and his host had
fallen. How important, then, that Adam and Eve should honor that law by which alone it was
possible for order and equity to be maintained.
The law of God is as sacred as God Himself. It is a revelation of His will, a transcript of His
character, the expression of divine love and wisdom. The harmony of creation depends upon the
perfect conformity of all beings, of everything, animate and inanimate, to the law of the Creator.
God has ordained laws for the government, not only of living beings, but of all the operations of
nature. Everything is under fixed laws, which cannot be disregarded. But while everything in

nature is governed by natural laws, man alone, of all that inhabits the earth, is amenable to moral
law. To man, the crowning work of creation, God has given power to understand His
requirements, to comprehend the justice and beneficence of His law, and its sacred claims upon
him; and of man unswerving obedience is required.
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Like the angels, the dwellers in Eden had been placed upon probation; their happy estate could
be retained only on condition of fidelity to the Creator's law. They could obey and live, or
disobey and perish. God had made them the recipients of rich blessings; but should they
disregard His will, He who spared not the angels that sinned, could not spare them; transgression
would forfeit His gifts and bring upon them misery and ruin.
The angels warned them to be on their guard against the devices of Satan, for his efforts to
ensnare them would be unwearied. While they were obedient to God the evil one could not harm
them; for, if need be, every angel in heaven would be sent to their help. If they steadfastly
repelled his first insinuations, they would be as secure as the heavenly messengers. But should
they once yield to temptation, their nature would become so depraved that in themselves they
would have no power and no disposition to resist Satan.
The tree of knowledge had been made a test of their obedience and their love to God. The Lord
had seen fit to lay upon them but one prohibition as to the use of all that was in the garden; but if
they should disregard His will in this particular, they would incur the guilt of transgression. Satan
was not to follow them with continual temptations; he could have access to them only at the
forbidden tree. Should they attempt to investigate its nature, they would be exposed to his wiles.

They were admonished to give careful heed to the warning which God had sent them and to be
content with the instruction which He had seen fit to impart.
In order to accomplish his work unperceived, Satan chose to employ as his medium the serpent-a disguise well adapted for his purpose of deception. The serpent was then one of the wisest and
most beautiful creatures on the earth. It had wings, and while flying through the air presented an
appearance of dazzling brightness, having the color and brilliancy of burnished gold. Resting in
the rich-laden branches of the forbidden tree and regaling itself with the delicious fruit, it was an
object to arrest the attention and delight the eye of the beholder. Thus in the garden of peace
lurked the destroyer, watching for his prey.
The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied
in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if
she were alone. But absorbed in her pleasing task, she
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unconsciously wandered from his side. On perceiving that she was alone, she felt an
apprehension of danger, but dismissed her fears, deciding that she had sufficient wisdom and
strength to discern evil and to withstand it. Unmindful of the angels' caution, she soon found
herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was very
beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from them. Now was the
tempter's opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her:
"Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" Eve was surprised and startled
as she thus seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts. But the serpent continued, in a musical

voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his words were not displeasing. Instead
of fleeing from the spot she lingered wonderingly to hear a serpent speak. Had she been
addressed by a being like the angels, her fears would have been excited; but she had no thought
that the fascinating serpent could become the medium of the fallen foe.
To the tempter's ensnaring question she replied: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the
garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not
eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not
surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and
ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
By partaking of this tree, he declared, they would attain to a more exalted sphere of existence
and enter a broader field of knowledge. He himself had eaten of the forbidden fruit, and as a
result had acquired the power of speech. And he insinuated that the Lord jealously desired to
withhold it from them, lest they should be exalted to equality with Himself. It was because of its
wonderful properties, imparting wisdom and power, that He had prohibited them from tasting or
even touching it. The tempter intimated that the divine warning was not to be actually fulfilled; it
was designed merely to intimidate them. How could it be possible for them to die? Had they not
eaten of the tree of life? God had been seeking to prevent them from reaching a nobler
development and finding greater happiness.
Such has been Satan's work from the days of Adam to the present, and he has pursued it with
great success. He tempts men to distrust God's love and to doubt His wisdom. He is constantly
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seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to penetrate the
secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to
withhold, multitudes overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to
salvation. Satan tempts men to disobedience by leading them to believe they are entering a
wonderful field of knowledge. But this is all a deception. Elated with their ideas of progression,
they are, by trampling on God's requirements, setting their feet in the path that leads to
degradation and death.
Satan represented to the holy pair that they would be gainers by breaking the law of God. Do we
not today hear similar reasoning? Many talk of the narrowness of those who obey God's
commandments, while they themselves claim to have broader ideas and to enjoy greater liberty.
What is this but an echo of the voice from Eden, "In the day ye eat thereof"--transgress the divine
requirement--"ye shall be as gods"? Satan claimed to have received great good by eating of the
forbidden fruit, but he did not let it appear that by transgression he had become an outcast from
heaven. Though he had found sin to result in infinite loss, he concealed his own misery in order
to draw others into the same position. So now the transgressor seeks to disguise his true
character; he may claim to be holy; but his exalted profession only makes him the more
dangerous as a deceiver. He is on the side of Satan, trampling upon the law of God, and leading
others to do the same, to their eternal ruin.
Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin.
She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall. In the judgment men will not
be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the
truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth. Notwithstanding the

sophistry of Satan to the contrary, it is always disastrous to disobey God. We must set our hearts
to know what is truth. All the lessons which God has caused to be placed on record in His word
are for our warning and instruction. They are given to save us from deception. Their neglect will
result in ruin to ourselves. Whatever contradicts God's word, we may be sure proceeds from
Satan.
The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant
Eve. Then he reminded her
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of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. She would receive no
more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it. Perceiving no evil results
from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. When she "saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit
thereof, and did eat." It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying
power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Without a fear she plucked
and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin
of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the
forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred.
An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To
the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by
the divine sentence she must die. In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the
serpent, that they should not surely die. She reasoned that this must be true, for she felt no

evidence of God's displeasure, but on the contrary realized a delicious, exhilarating influence,
thrilling every faculty with new life, such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers.
Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the
only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle
in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed
was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it
thus? Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the
glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they
remain faithful to God. Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift
which in his eyes outvalued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator--all were
overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself, and he could not endure the thought of
separation. He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth
created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her
place. He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he
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reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and
apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than
before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized
the fruit and quickly ate.
After his transgression Adam at first imagined himself entering upon a higher state of existence.
But soon the thought of his sin filled him with terror. The air, which had hitherto been of a mild

and uniform temperature, seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been
theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of
soul. The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place
they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet
the eye of God and holy angels.
They now began to see the true character of their sin. Adam reproached his companion for her
folly in leaving his side and permitting herself to be deceived by the serpent; but they both
flattered themselves that He who had given them so many evidences of His love, would pardon
this one transgression, or that they would not be subjected to so dire a punishment as they had
feared.
Satan exulted in his success. He had tempted the woman to distrust God's love, to doubt His
wisdom, and to transgress His law, and through her he had caused the overthrow of Adam.
But the great Lawgiver was about to make known to Adam and Eve the consequences of their
transgression. The divine presence was manifested in the garden. In their innocence and holiness
they had joyfully welcomed the approach of their Creator; but now they fled in terror, and sought
to hide in the deepest recesses of the garden. But "the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto
him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I
was naked; and I hid myself. And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten
of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"
Adam could neither deny nor excuse his sin; but instead of manifesting penitence, he endeavored
to cast the blame upon his wife, and thus upon God Himself: "The woman whom Thou gavestto

be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." He who, from love to Eve, had deliberately
chosen to forfeit the
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approval of God, his home in Paradise, and an eternal life of joy, could now, after his fall,
endeavor to make his companion, and even the Creator Himself, responsible for the
transgression. So terrible is the power of sin.
When the woman was asked, "What is this that thou hast done?" she answered, "The serpent
beguiled me, and I did eat." "Why didst Thou create the serpent? Why didst Thou suffer him to
enter Eden?"--these were the questions implied in her excuse for her sin. Thus, like Adam, she
charged God with the responsibility of their fall. The spirit of self-justification originated in the
father of lies; it was indulged by our first parents as soon as they yielded to the influence of
Satan, and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Instead of humbly
confessing their sins, they try to shield themselves by casting the blame upon others, upon
circumstances, or upon God--making even His blessings an occasion of murmuring against Him.
The Lord then passed sentence upon the serpent: "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed
above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life." Since it had been employed as Satan's medium, the serpent was
to share the visitation of divine judgment. From the most beautiful and admired of the creatures
of the field, it was to become the most groveling and detested of them all, feared and hated by
both man and beast. The words next addressed to the serpent applied directly to Satan himself,
pointing forward to his ultimate defeat and destruction: "I will put enmity between thee and the

woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel."
Eve was told of the sorrow and pain that must henceforth be her portion. And the Lord said, "Thy
desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." In the creation God had made her the
equal of Adam. Had they remained obedient to God--in harmony with His great law of love--they
would ever have been in harmony with each other; but sin had brought discord, and now their
union could be maintained and harmony preserved only by submission on the part of the one or
the other. Eve had been the first in transgression; and she had fallen into temptation by separating
from her companion, contrary to the divine direction. It was by her solicitation that Adam sinned,
and she was now placed in subjection to her husband. Had the principles
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joined in the law of God been cherished by the fallen race, this sentence, though growing out of
the results of sin, would have proved a blessing to them; but man's abuse of the supremacy thus
given him has too often rendered the lot of woman very bitter and made her life a burden.
Eve had been perfectly happy by her husband's side in her Eden home; but, like restless modern
Eves, she was flattered with the hope of entering a higher sphere than that which God had
assigned her. In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it. A similar
result will be reached by all who are unwilling to take up cheerfully their life duties in
accordance with God's plan. In their efforts to reach positions for which He has not fitted them,
many are leaving vacant the place where they might be a blessing. In their desire for a higher

sphere, many have sacrificed true womanly dignity and nobility of character, and have left
undone the very work that Heaven appointed them.
To Adam the Lord declared: "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast
eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles
shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and
unto dust shalt thou return."
It was not the will of God that the sinless pair should know aught of evil. He had freely given
them the good, and had withheld the evil. But, contrary to His command, they had eaten of the
forbidden tree, and now they would continue to eat of it--they would have the knowledge of
evil--all the days of their life. From that time the race would be afflicted by Satan's temptations.
Instead of the happy labor heretofore appointed them, anxiety and toil were to be their lot. They
would be subject to disappointment, grief, and pain, and finally to death.
Under the curse of sin all nature was to witness to man of the character and results of rebellion
against God. When God made man He made him rule over the earth and all living creatures. So
long as Adam remained loyal to Heaven, all nature was in subjection to him. But when he
rebelled against the divine law, the inferior creatures were in rebellion against his rule. Thus the
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Lord, in His great mercy, would show men the sacredness of His law, and lead them, by their
own experience, to see the danger of setting it aside, even in the slightest degree.

And the life of toil and care which was henceforth to be man's lot was appointed in love. It was a
discipline rendered needful by his sin, to place a check upon the indulgence of appetite and
passion, to develop habits of self-control. It was a part of God's great plan of man's recovery
from the ruin and degradation of sin.
The warning given to our first parents--"In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die"
(Genesis 2:17)--did not imply that they were to die on the very day when they partook of the
forbidden fruit. But on the day the irrevocable sentence would be pronounced. Immortality was
promised them on condition of obedience; by transgression they would forfeit eternal life. That
very day would be doomed to death.
In order to possess an endless existence, man must continue to partake of the tree of life.
Deprived of this, his vitality would gradually diminish until life should become extinct. It was
Satan's plan that Adam and Eve should by disobedience incur God's displeasure; and then, if they
failed to obtain forgiveness, he hoped that they would eat of the tree of life, and thus perpetuate
an existence of sin and misery. But after man's fall, holy angels were immediately commissioned
to guard the tree of life. Around these angels flashed beams of light having the appearance of a
glittering sword. None of the family of Adam were permitted to pass the barrier to partake of the
life-giving fruit; hence there is not an immortal sinner.
The tide of woe that flowed from the transgression of our first parents is regarded by many as too
awful a consequence for so small a sin, and they impeach the wisdom and justice of God in His
dealings with man. But if they would look more deeply into this question, they might discern
their error. God created man after His own likeness, free from sin. The earth was to be peopled
with beings only a little lower than the angels; but their obedience must be tested; for God would

not permit the world to be filled with those who would disregard His law. Yet, in His great
mercy, He appointed Adam no severe test. And the very lightness of the prohibition made the sin
exceedingly great. If Adam could not bear the smallest of tests, he could not have
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endured a greater trial had he been entrusted with higher responsibilities.
Had some great test been appointed Adam, then those whose hearts incline to evil would have
excused themselves by saying, "This is a trivial matter, and God is not so particular about little
things." And there would be continual transgression in things looked upon as small, and which
pass unrebuked among men. But the Lord has made it evident that sin in any degree is offensive
to Him.
To Eve it seemed a small thing to disobey God by tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree, and to
tempt her husband also to transgress; but their sin opened the floodgates of woe upon the world.
Who can know, in the moment of temptation, the terrible consequences that will result from one
wrong step?
Many who teach that the law of God is not binding upon man, urge that it is impossible for him
to obey its precepts. But if this were true, why did Adam suffer the penalty of transgression? The
sin of our first parents brought guilt and sorrow upon the world, and had it not been for the
goodness and mercy of God, would have plunged the race into hopeless despair. Let none
deceive themselves. "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. The law of God can no more be
transgressed with impunity now than when sentence was pronounced upon the father of
mankind.

After their sin Adam and Eve were no longer to dwell in Eden. They earnestly entreated that they
might remain in the home of their innocence and joy. They confessed that they had forfeited all
right to that happy abode, but pledged themselves for the future to yield strict obedience to God.
But they were told that their nature had become depraved by sin; they had lessened their strength
to resist evil and had opened the way for Satan to gain more ready access to them. In their
innocence they had yielded to temptation; and now, in a state of conscious guilt, they would have
less power to maintain their integrity.
In humility and unutterable sadness they bade farewell to their beautiful home and went forth to
dwell upon the earth, where rested the curse of sin. The atmosphere, once so mild and uniform in
temperature, was now subject to marked changes, and the Lord mercifully provided them with a
garment of skins as a protection from the extremes of heat and cold.
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As they witnessed in drooping flower and falling leaf the first signs of decay, Adam and his
companion mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead. The death of the frail,
delicate flowers was indeed a cause of sorrow; but when the goodly trees cast off their leaves, the
scene brought vividly to mind the stern fact that death is the portion of every living thing.
The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its
pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their
entrance barred only by the watching angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the
divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God. Here they renewed
their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished them from Eden.

When the tide of iniquity overspread the world, and the wickedness of men determined their
destruction by a flood of waters, the hand that had planted Eden withdrew it from the earth. But
in the final restitution, when there shall be "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1), it
is to be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.
Then they that have kept God's commandments shall breathe in immortal vigor beneath the tree
of life; and through unending ages the inhabitants of sinless worlds shall behold, in that garden
of delight, a sample of the perfect work of God's creation, untouched by the curse of sin--a
sample of what the whole earth would have become, had man but fulfilled the Creator's glorious
plan.
Chapter 4
The Plan of Redemption
The fall of man filled all heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made was blighted with
the curse of sin and inhabited by beings doomed to misery and death. There appeared no escape
for those who had transgressed the law. Angels ceased their songs of praise. Throughout the
heavenly courts there was mourning for the ruin that sin had wrought.
The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His
heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But
divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God
demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of
man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with
God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from

the curse of the law and bring him again into harmony with Heaven. Christ would take upon
Himself the guilt and shame of sin--sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father
and His Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.
Before the Father He pleaded in the sinner's behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result
with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. Long continued was that mysterious
communing--"the counsel of peace" (Zechariah 6:13) for the fallen sons of men. The plan of
salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is "the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the
universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. But "God so loved the world, that He
gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John 3:16. Oh, the mystery of
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redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him! Who can know the depths of that
love which "passeth knowledge"? Through endless ages immortal minds, seeking to comprehend
the mystery of that incomprehensible love, will wonder and adore.
God was to be manifest in Christ, "reconciling the world unto Himself." 2 Corinthians 5:19. Man
had become so degraded by sin that it was impossible for him, in himself, to come into harmony
with Him whose nature is purity and goodness. But Christ, after having redeemed man from the
condemnation of the law, could impart divine power to unite with human effort. Thus by
repentance toward God and faith in Christ the fallen children of Adam might once more become
"sons of God." 1 John 3:2.

The plan by which alone man's salvation could be secured, involved all heaven in its infinite
sacrifice. The angels could not rejoice as Christ opened before them the plan of redemption, for
they saw that man's salvation must cost their loved Commander unutterable woe. In grief and
wonder they listened to His words as He told them how He must descend from heaven's purity
and peace, its joy and glory and immortal life, and come in contact with the degradation of earth,
to endure its sorrow, shame, and death. He was to stand between the sinner and the penalty of
sin; yet few would receive Him as the Son of God. He would leave His high position as the
Majesty of heaven, appear upon earth and humble Himself as a man, and by His own experience
become acquainted with the sorrows and temptations which man would have to endure. All this
would be necessary in order that He might be able to succor them that should be tempted.
Hebrews 2:18. When His mission as a teacher should be ended, He must be delivered into the
hands of wicked men and be subjected to every insult and torture that Satan could inspire them to
inflict. He must die the cruelest of deaths, lifted up between the heavens and the earth as a guilty
sinner. He must pass long hours of agony so terrible that angels could not look upon it, but would
veil their faces from the sight. He must endure anguish of soul, the hiding of His Father's face,
while the guilt of transgression --the weight of the sins of the whole world--should be upon Him.
The angels prostrated themselves at the feet of their Commander and offered to become a
sacrifice for man. But an angel's
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life could not pay the debt; only He who created man had power to redeem him. Yet the angels
were to have a part to act in the plan of redemption. Christ was to be made "a little lower than the
angels for the suffering of death." Hebrews 2:9. As He should take human nature upon Him, His

strength would not be equal to theirs, and they were to minister to Him, to strengthen and soothe
Him under His sufferings. They were also to be ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for
them who should be heirs of salvation. Hebrews 1:14. They would guard the subjects of grace
from the power of evil angels and from the darkness constantly thrown around them by Satan.
When the angels should witness the agony and humiliation of their Lord, they would be filled
with grief and indignation and would wish to deliver Him from His murderers; but they were not
to interpose in order to prevent anything which they should behold. It was a part of the plan of
redemption that Christ should suffer the scorn and abuse of wicked men, and He consented to all
this when He became the Redeemer of man.
Christ assured the angels that by His death He would ransom many, and would destroy him who
had the power of death. He would recover the kingdom which man had lost by transgression, and
the redeemed were to inherit it with Him, and dwell therein forever. Sin and sinners would be
blotted out, nevermore to disturb the peace of heaven or earth. He bade the angelic host to be in
accord with the plan that His Father had accepted, and rejoice that, through His death, fallen man
could be reconciled to God.
Then joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven. The glory and blessedness of a world redeemed,
outmeasured even the anguish and sacrifice of the Prince of life. Through the celestial courts
echoed the first strains of that song which was to ring out above the hills of Bethlehem--"Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14. With a deeper
gladness now than in the rapture of the new creation, "the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7.

To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon
Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis
3:15. This sentence, uttered in the
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hearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. While it foretold war between man and
Satan, it declared that the power of the great adversary would finally be broken. Adam and Eve
stood as criminals before the righteous Judge, awaiting the sentence which transgression had
incurred; but before they heard of the life of toil and sorrow which must be their portion, or of
the decree that they must return to dust, they listened to words that could not fail to give them
hope. Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, they could look forward to
final victory.
When Satan heard that enmity should exist between himself and the woman, and between his
seed and her seed, he knew that his work of depraving human nature would be interrupted; that
by some means man would be enabled to resist his power. Yet as the plan of salvation was more
fully unfolded, Satan rejoiced with his angels that, having caused man's fall, he could bring down
the Son of God from His exalted position. He declared that his plans had thus far been successful
upon the earth, and that when Christ should take upon Himself human nature, He also might be
overcome, and thus the redemption of the fallen race might be prevented.
Heavenly angels more fully opened to our first parents the plan that had been devised for their
salvation. Adam and his companion were assured that notwithstanding their great sin, they were

not to be abandoned to the control of Satan. The Son of God had offered to atone, with His own
life, for their transgression. A period of probation would be granted them, and through
repentance and faith in Christ they might again become the children of God.
The sacrifice demanded by their transgression revealed to Adam and Eve the sacred character of
the law of God; and they saw, as they had never seen before, the guilt of sin and its dire results.
In their remorse and anguish they pleaded that the penalty might not fall upon Him whose love
had been the source of all their joy; rather let it descend upon them and their prosperity.
They were told that since the law of Jehovah is the foundation of His government in heaven as
well as upon the earth, even the life of an angel could not be accepted as a sacrifice for its
transgression. Not one of its precepts could be abrogated or changed to meet man in his fallen
condition; but the Son of God, who had created man, could make an atonement for him. As
Adam's
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transgression had brought wretchedness and death, so the sacrifice of Christ would bring life and
immortality.
Not only man but the earth had by sin come under the power of the wicked one, and was to be
restored by the plan of redemption. At his creation Adam was placed in dominion over the earth.
But by yielding to temptation, he was brought under the power of Satan. "Of whom a man is
overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." 2 Peter 2:19. When man became Satan's
captive, the dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became "the god of
this world." 2 Corinthians 4:4. He had usurped that dominion over the earth which had been

originally given to Adam. But Christ, by His sacrifice paying the penalty of sin, would not only
redeem man, but recover the dominion which he had forfeited. All that was lost by the first Adam
will be restored by the second. Says the prophet, "O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the
daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion." Micah 4:8. And the apostle
Paul points forward to the "redemption of the purchased possession." Ephesians 1:14. God
created the earth to be the abode of holy, happy beings. The Lord "formed the earth and made it;
He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18. That
purpose will be fulfilled, when, renewed by the power of God, and freed from sin and sorrow, it
shall become the eternal abode of the redeemed. "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell
therein forever." "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall
be in it; and His servants shall serve Him." Psalm 37:29; Revelation 22:3.
Adam, in his innocence, had enjoyed open communion with his Maker; but sin brought
separation between God and man, and the atonement of Christ alone could span the abyss and
make possible the communication of blessing or salvation from heaven to earth. Man was still
cut off from direct approach to his Creator, but God would communicate with him through Christ
and angels.
Thus were revealed to Adam important events in the history of mankind, from the time when the
divine sentence was pronounced in Eden, to the Flood, and onward to the first advent of the Son
of God. He was shown that while the sacrifice of Christ would be of sufficient value to save the
whole world, many would choose a life of sin rather than of repentance and obedience.
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Crime would increase through successive generations, and the curse of sin would rest more and
more heavily upon the human race, upon the beasts, and upon the earth. The days of man would
be shortened by his own course of sin; he would deteriorate in physical stature and endurance
and in moral and intellectual power, until the world would be filled with misery of every type.
Through the indulgence of appetite and passion men would become incapable of appreciating the
great truths of the plan of redemption. Yet Christ, true to the purpose for which He left heaven,
would continue His interest in men, and still invite them to hide their weakness and deficiencies
in Him. He would supply the needs of all who would come unto Him in faith. And there would
ever be a few who would preserve the knowledge of God and would remain unsullied amid the
prevailing iniquity.
The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual reminder and a
penitential acknowledgment of his sin and a confession of his faith in the promised Redeemer.
They were intended to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that caused
death. To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be
raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death,
and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast.
As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the
spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his
transgression, which nothing but the death of God's dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at
the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty. A star of hope illumined
the dark and terrible future and relieved it of its utter desolation.

But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It
was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this
little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the
character of God before the universe. To this result of His great sacrifice--its influence upon the
intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man--the Saviour looked forward when just before
His crucifixion He said: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world
be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto
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Me." John 12:31, 32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make
heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their
dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would establish the perpetuity of the law of God and would
reveal the nature and the results of sin.
From the first the great controversy had been upon the law of God. Satan had sought to prove
that God was unjust, that His law was faulty, and that the good of the universe required it to be
changed. In attacking the law he aimed to overthrow the authority of its Author. In the
controversy it was to be shown whether the divine statutes were defective and subject to change,
or perfect and immutable.
When Satan was thrust out of heaven, he determined to make the earth his kingdom. When he
tempted and overcame Adam and Eve, he thought that he had gained possession of this world;
"because," said he, "they have chosen me as their ruler." He claimed that it was impossible that
forgiveness should be granted to the sinner, and therefore the fallen race were his rightful

subjects, and the world was his. But God gave His own dear Son-- one equal with Himself--to
bear the penalty of transgression, and thus He provided a way by which they might be restored to
His favor, and brought back to their Eden home. Christ undertook to redeem man and to rescue
the world from the grasp of Satan. The great controversy begun in heaven was to be decided in
the very world, on the very same field, that Satan claimed as his.
It was the marvel of all the universe that Christ should humble Himself to save fallen man. That
He who had passed from star to star, from world to world, superintending all, by His providence
supplying the needs of every order of being in His vast creation--that He should consent to leave
His glory and take upon Himself human nature, was a mystery which the sinless intelligences of
other worlds desired to understand. When Christ came to our world in the form of humanity, all
were intensely interested in following Him as He traversed, step by step, the bloodstained path
from the manger to Calvary. Heaven marked the insult and mockery that He received, and knew
that it was at Satan's instigation. They marked the work of counteragencies going forward; Satan
constantly pressing darkness, sorrow, and suffering upon the race, and Christ counteracting it.
They watched the battle between light and darkness as it waxed stronger. And as Christ
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in His expiring agony upon the cross cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30), a shout of triumph
rang through every world and through heaven itself. The great contest that had been so long in
progress in this world was now decided, and Christ was conqueror. His death had answered the
question whether the Father and the Son had sufficient love for man to exercise self-denial and a
spirit of sacrifice. Satan had revealed his true character as a liar and a murderer. It was seen that
the very same spirit with which he had ruled the children of men who were under his power, he

would have manifested if permitted to control the intelligences of heaven. With one voice the
loyal universe united in extolling the divine administration.
If the law could be changed, man might have been saved without the sacrifice of Christ; but the
fact that it was necessary for Christ to give His life for the fallen race, proves that the law of God
will not release the sinner from its claims upon him. It is demonstrated that the wages of sin is
death. When Christ died, the destruction of Satan was made certain. But if the law was abolished
at the cross, as many claim, then the agony and death of God's dear Son were endured only to
give to Satan just what he asked; then the prince of evil triumphed, his charges against the divine
government were sustained. The very fact that Christ bore the penalty of man's transgression is a
mighty argument to all created intelligences that the law is changeless; that God is righteous,
merciful, and self-denying; and that infinite justice and mercy unite in the administration of His
government.