GENESIS – An Expositional Overview of the Beginning of God’s Revelation: Introduction and Chapter One

Contributing commentaries by Sonny Islas and James Fire

Chapter One – by James Fire

INTRODUCTION:

Genesis means “beginnings” and in the case of this first book of the Bible, it means the beginning of creation, the beginning of mankind, and most importantly, the beginning of the revelation of God and His truth.

Genesis is the first of five books written by Moses, along with Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, together known by the Jewish people as the Torah and the Torah itself as the beginning of the TaNaKh (or as we call it, the Old Testament) – T = Torah (Teaching); N = Nev’im (Prophets); K = Ketuvim (Writings).

The first ten chapters of Genesis form the foundation of all the major doctrines of the Bible: theology – the study of God*; anthropology – the study of mankind; hamartiology – the study of sin; soteriology** – the study of salvation; angelology – the study of angels (holy and fallen); ecclesiology – the study of the church, represented in type by the first husband and wife, Adam and Eve symbolizing Christ and His bride, the church; eschatology – the study of last times or last things: these things are foreshadowed and foretold even in these ten chapters of this first book of the Scriptures!

TTUF STUDY on The REVELATION of JESUS CHRIST – AN INTRODUCTION

~ By James Fire

This is an extremely exciting opportunity for me because this is the first time ever, I will be embarking on a verse by verse, expositional study on the Book of Revelation. I’ve taught chapters, and portions of Scripture from this book over the years, but never in its entirety – until now!

Of all the books of the Bible, this seems to be the one most often neglected by the church. Many pastors claim that it’s too mysterious, hard to understand, etc. Others think a study of this book will ‘scare Christians’. 

I find it ironic however, that even the very word ‘revelation’ means “a disclosure” that is, to reveal something – not to make obscure or mysterious (and thus, “hard to understand”). Yet there is a reason why this book is hard for some to understand – and we’ll get into that briefly in just a moment. 

As for being ‘scary’, this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, and while there are truly terrifying events that will take place during this seven-year period, for the child of God, this should hold no fear. While this testimony declares the coming of the wicked one, the anti-Christ and his rule under the power of Satan over all the world, ultimately this book is about the coming of our LORD and Savior – our Blessed Hope!