The earnest seeker of God’s Truth learns early on that the statements His prophets and apostles make in the Bible are not designed to stand alone. Each must be confirmed by other “witnesses” that back up the original statement. With that fact in mind we join the Eve-serpent dialogue in mid-conversation where we hear the serpent asking Eve: “Did God say that you could not eat of every tree of the garden?” which is exactly what God had told her and Adam. Quoting the Lord is one of the techniques used by the “angel of light’s” (Satan’s) “ministers of righteousness” (false prophets) to convince their audiences that they (ministers) have been sent by God to teach them His ways (2 Cor. 11:4). Their use of this technique, combined with the church’s ignorance of the Holy Scriptures, enables them to “deceive many” (Mat. 24:14). As we will see, the devil’s false prophets “touch” the gospel with tainted tongues. Their followers, not knowing the true gospel, believe what they are told, do as they are told and thereby become false Christians trapped in a false church system believing in a false salvation.

In Genesis 3:1 we find Eve listening to the serpent as he quotes the Lord. Since the episode in Eden Satan has used this ploy to seduce billions of God seekers into joining his Catholic/Protestant holding company known throughout the world as “the church.” Eve had the dubious distinction of being Satan’s first human conquest/convert. As we pick up the conversation we find Eve making a statement that we hear for the first time. She tells the serpent that not only had God forbidden her and Adam to eat of the forbidden tree, they were not allowed to even “touch” it, lest they die. In the Lord’s instructions recorded in Genesis 2:16,17 we read nothing about “touching” the tree. We know from this and other passages that not everything spoken by people and the Lord is recorded in the Scriptures. But we know from Eve’s statement that He forbad their “touching” of the tree. This seems clear enough: they were to stay more than arm’s length away from it. Right? Yes, but that is not all that is involved in the act of “touching” as the Scriptures tell us. God has much more to say about the subject. Only those who hunger and thirst for His Truth will do what is necessary to search it out. It is of utmost importance that we have all of the information He has provided for us when studying His doctrines which must be obeyed in order to receive salvation. It is His will that every human being be saved. Because He wants us to join Him in His kingdom, He tells us how to qualify for citizenship. He tells us in Matthew 7:13,14 that only a few will earn the privilege of living in New Jerusalem in the presence of Father and Son. From there the Godhead and Their saints will rule the earth and its inhabitants for 1000 years. Then, following the second and third resurrections, they will rule the entire universe forever. See The Resurrections and God’s Very Elect: Future Rulers of the Universe. But first they must qualify for rulership by knowing, believing and obeying His Law–the Holy Bible. L.J.