Origin of Humankind: The Explanation, #5

Proprietorship

ORIGIN OF HUMANKIND

First edition. June 13, 2020.

Written by Sam Kneller.

Copyright © 2020 Sam Kneller.

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Biblical Hebrew

Think about this:

Can you understand a document in a translated language?

If you haven’t experienced the pleasure or hassle of learning and speaking a second language, you might not be able to do justice to the answer to that question.

My native language is English. I’ve now lived in France for the better part of my life, the last 40 years, since 1978. My French is pretty good, but I would in no way say I’m a French speaker. When it comes to colloquialisms, jokes, plays-on-words, and slang, leave me out. I don’t know when to laugh, and I don’t know what to answer. The simple evidence is that I don’t understand what people are saying. Yes, I speak French, but to say I master the language like a French-person would be a gross exaggeration.

There’s a lot of Bible-arguing going on based on one’s native language. It’s like fighting over bricks and forgetting about the house of which each one is a part.

Let me give you one example here. The original Biblical Hebrew word commandment, as in the Ten Commandments, is translated with over 50 (that’s right, fifty) different English words by the translators of the King James Bible version. That’s amazing when you think about it. I’ll add that in Hebrew, this word commandment has only three letters: dbr. How can you get 50 different English translations out of that?

I won’t get into a detailed explanation here of why this is so, but it should make you stop and think: How can this be?

If you start learning the Hebrew alphabet and vocabulary today, it’ll take you forever to learn how to read and study the original language, and you’ll still never be able to grasp the nuances of all those 50 shades of commandment.

That’s why the Annex is devoted to 7 Keys to Master Biblical Hebrew–A Study Method to Unlock Bible Meaning, with no fuss. There you’ll find a summary of the free, acclaimed online course including all the freely accessible online Bible tools at UnlockBibleMeaning.com for your study – even if you don’t possess a Bible.

Let me say openly. You’ve never seen a method like this that will help you unlock Bible meaning so quickly and easily.

Hundreds of students have followed this course. Here are just a few reviews:

The instructor was precise in his delivery and how to check the meaning. It was really helpful to learn the power of the Hebrew behind the words. Phyllis C.

It’s a SHAME!.. after many Bible translations, most people still have a blurred understanding of what Sam Kneller, so elegantly clarifies in this course. See it for yourself. This is a MUST TAKE COURSE for everyone, no matter their beliefs (or non-beliefs) are. Hey!, if you can’t really comprehend the CLIMAX in ‘the first story’...forget PhDs. Thanks! Jesse C.

He explains in a very slow and concise manner. Allowing a student to keep up with the lesson. JoAnne J.

A good lesson on words meaning and how to study them. It is not always what we think or what we have been taught. We need to understand what the authors meant when they wrote this, knowing that the entire was inspired by God for teaching us, correcting us, etc. (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Marcel R.

I think it is well organized and very informative. I thought the instructor could be a little more enthusiastic but I think that might just be because everyone who teaches now acts as they have just won the lottery. Overall, I think it was great. Myrna P.

For someone so old willing to take his time to share his knowledge with the world, he deserves 5 stars. If the video you find it too long, doesn’t matter, pay attention to the materials he has to share. In fact, the aim of this course is for him to enable you to self-learn independently. Shung J.

C’est concis, bien documenté, bien présenté verbalement. C’est vraiment superbe à tous points de vue. Bravo Viviane L.

I found this course to give a clear and useful example of using the website and tools mentioned. Need to be open-minded and willing to explore the Bible, rather than dogmatic, to get the most from this course. Thanks, Sam, for introducing me to these tools. I look forward to further explorations. Robin S.

Housekeeping Issues

Some links in this e-book connect you to websites on the Internet. Hence the need for an internet connection as you read. That said, the subject is understandable without navigating to those links. All links were correct at the time of publication. If you find an issue, let me know at sam@theexplanation.com Thanks in advance.

You will find all the Bible tools to follow along with this e-book at http://UnlockBibleMeaning.com

• The entire King James Bible online. Search by book, chapter, verse or word or phrase

• The Interlinear Bible with Biblical Hebrew, English, phonetics, Strong’s numbers and link to his annotation and list of KJV translations

• Strong’s Bible Concordance for each Hebrew and Greek word with its annotation and list of KJV translations

• The Hebrew-Greek Concordance. Also called Englishman’s concordance. It gathers together all the Bible verses with the same original Biblical Hebrew and Greek words so you can study the various usages of each word in context.

At the end of each chapter of this e-book, there are ideas for Further Study. These are suggested exercises for your enrichment to dig for Bible Study gems to enhance your understanding. You can skip these and move on. I do suggest you peruse the content. Some comments complement the information in the chapter.

If you’ve come across this e-book for the first time, then please know that it is part of a much larger work: The Explanation series. See all the books.

www.TheExplanation.com

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Preface

This book, the fifth in The Explanation series, is controversial. In more ways than one. Read and study it at your own risk.

The Explanation is based on the concept of coherent completeness. That means that everything in the Universe is like a giant puzzle with a million pieces. All these puzzle pieces, when assembled, reveal one story about the purpose of Humankind.

To help seekers of answers to the big questions in life, I wrote three books to establish a balanced and complete worldview of the puzzle we’re going to assemble. They are Inventory of the Universe, Audit of the Universe, and Humankind. These books also serve as an introduction to why you should consider the Bible a viable alternative description of all the pieces of this tightly woven story.

Inventory of the Universe reveals just how interdependent, every single cog, all aspects of the Universe are. Space, atmosphere, water, land, flora, fauna, and humankind, unique from animals, are the oh so complex but oh so interconnected actors of our play. This book brings readers down to earth, away from consumerism and the daily hustle and bustle, back to our real roots. Focus on the big picture, the essentials.

Audit of the Universe and Audit of Humankind present an overview of how humankind has and is managing our planet. Is the half-full glass of peace and prosperity getting fuller or emptier? They focus on humankind’s role in this equation. How humans are at the pinnacle of dominion over Earth. Audit of Humankind also focuses on you, what does it mean to be human? To answer that question, this third book details the Singularities of Humankind, How Humans Function, Socialize, Govern, and Reason. What is the outcome of human rulership?

Origin of the Universe is the fourth volume of The Explanation series. It unpacks popular ideas and shared beliefs in the light of Biblical Hebrew. For those not familiar with the Bible or Genesis, it includes preparatory material that answers fundamental questions: Why look for answers in Sacred Books, and in particular, the Bible? How to interpret the Bible, and what is real Theology? It then jumps right into the thick of Genesis 1:1 and is a commentary on chapter 1. Most readers will have some background to the subject, even if it's cursory or considered a myth.

This book, Origin of Humankind, is the fifth book of The Explanation series. It is a commentary on the end of Genesis 1 through Genesis 2:7 based on Biblical Hebrew. Be prepared to dust off some of your certitudes. Risk having traditional beliefs shaken up and challenged.

Fake news, social media, shoddy research, and conspiracy concepts, are part of the bombardment of cacophonic confusion that assail us day in, day out. Origin of Humankind brings benchmarks and coherent completeness about the human mind and its central role in life on Earth. It will equip you with an understanding of yourself and your innermost workings. You’ll grasp the components of a human being which will lead you to comprehend the responsibilities humankind alone, is designed to accomplish on Earth. These new pieces of the puzzle will give you a more focused and precise picture of the world in which we live.

Join Sam for this gripping and thrilling story for seekers of answers to the big questions in life. This is not just information; it’s a fundamental understanding of how to assemble human beings in relation to their terrestrial surroundings. What on Earth are humans doing? Get the beginning right to unravel the puzzle of why Humankind is on Earth.

1. Creation of Human Beings

Were Humans Created, or did Humans Originate?

Last but most important on Day 6: Humans were created. During Days 1 to 6, God reshaped the inanimate and created the animate through flora, birds, fish creepy-crawlies, and animals. The Creation of Humans, by God, closes the Creation story of physical beings, but it's only just beginning.

The Bible is the history, present, and future—the story—of humankind. Here’s the very first mention of humans; this puzzle piece is crucial to proper understanding. We must answer the question: Were humans created? To be point-blank, get this wrong, and you can forget the rest. You’ll never be able to assemble the Story of Humanity puzzle. Instead, you’ll be forcing pieces into dubious positions with an erroneous picture of who and what God is, and of who and what humans are. Frankly, that's the reason for all the conflict in sciences from anthropology to psychology, from archaeology to neuroscience.

Science, philosophy, and even religion don't have the coherent completeness of humankind. They deny or don't know whether a Power created humans and are certainly not aware of humanity's role on Earth. We are going to take this one step at a time. Genesis 1:26 to Genesis 2:25 unlocks the mystery of humanity and gives us the basis for understanding what they’re to do on Earth, and what their future holds.

The Bible says God created humans. The end of Genesis 1 and all of chapter 2 is the recital of WHY God created humans. Later, we shall see WHEN God created humans. This latter question is maybe secondary, but of interest to many.

In a nutshell, beyond Genesis 2, the rest of the Bible is the expansion, both historical (past), 21st century (present) and prophetic (future), of these few verses in Genesis, that we’re about to examine regarding the purpose for which God created humans. That’s why we want to take the time to understand it completely. We are going to look at each keyword and see what the Biblical Hebrew is teaching us.

You have to go beyond the English translation because it is a feeble reflection, and puts readers into a deep stupor. Translations leading to miscomprehension have opened the door to ample jeering about the value of the Bible. If you want to grasp what's here, I have to ask you to set aside your prejudices, your I know what that means outlook. Start considering that mastering the keys of Biblical Hebrew can unlock deeper Bible meaning.

Genesis 1

26 And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

First of all, let’s concentrate on God making man in His own image, His own likeness, this is emphasized by verse 27 where image is repeated two more times for a rapid-firing four times. Why so much highlighting of this comparative of God and humans?

Sam’s Reflections

The grammatical use of pronouns has evolved over the last generations. He, she, him, her, their, our, even singular and plural use of pronouns has changed. We no longer use he to refer to a situation where it could be either a man or a woman. Instead, we use the plural they even when it could be referring to a singular. They sat at the table could be plural or referring to either gender; it depends on the context.

In the same way, we don't use man to refer to humans in general anymore. And I'm trying my best to respect that. I use the term humans and reserve man and woman when it specifically refers to a male or female individual.

The King James Bible translation dating back to the 1800s does not do this. In Genesis 1, verses 26 and 27, the English word man refers to humans in general; this is clear in verse 27 because it includes both males and females. I want to point this out as it comes up repeatedly both in the Bible and my writing.

Why this emphasis on humans created with the same image and likeness as God?

After his kind

To understand this context, we need to step back a second and make a point regarding the previous verses referring to fruit, herb seed, fish, birds, creeping things, and beasts. There is an identical 3-word clause describing each of these reproductive creations. You might’ve been surprised that I didn’t comment on it. After all, between Genesis 1:11 and 1:25, it is repeated no less than ten times: after his kind, or after their kind. I highly suggest you reread these verses to refresh your mind. You can quickly click here and go over to UnlockBibleMeaning.com to read this online. The frequent repetition of these words indicates there's a reason the author wants you to grasp.

It doesn't take rocket science to understand what after his kind, or after their kind means. Orange trees give oranges. Pepper vines give peppers. Salmon breed salmon. Parrots produce parrots. Scorpions give scorpions. Rhinoceros reproduce rhinoceros; this refers to the inviolability of one species giving birth to an entirely different species. We are not talking about the variety withIN a particular species, that comes from cross-pollination, or cross-breeding, or environmental adaptation. Yes, there’s variety, but no, there’s not, never has been and never will be a transformation of one species into another one. No new species.

Sam’s Reflections

An axiom of Science is first, that experiments must work, and second, they must be reproducible in that they reproduce the same results.

Although scientists have their controversy regarding the exact definition of the term species, one of the critical precepts is to what extent one species can cross-breed with another. The consensus, in scientific circles, is they cannot. However, this runs amock of the evolutionary process, which indicates that man either descends from or has a common ancestor with apes. I don't want to get into such controversy.

However, the point is, whichever way you slice it, science has various species mutating into different species. There's no evidence, there's no reproducible experiment of this, and we never hear any talk of when mutating species each becomes a specific species. In other words, they can no longer reproduce between them, which is a fundamental precept of defining species. We do have an example of horses and donkeys (2 different species) producing mules, but they are sterile. Ligers (lions and tigers, also two separate species) are rare, and if you read the linked article, reproduction is nil. In this video, you can see other hybrid species. Notice the narration references to the necessity for human intervention to breed, and how the offspring are sick or infertile.

According to what we just read in Gen 1:25, And God made the beast of the earth after his kind... Apes can only give apes, in all their varieties granted, but all are always only apes. And this is emphasized ten times for all flora and all fauna. The Bible says apes cannot originate humans, only other apes. I saved this explanation for this point so we can understand the continuity of what God is stating.

Now reread a resume of Gen 1:26-27 with the concept of species in mind: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him...

Here’s the question: What species are humans?

If you’ve never heard it put this way before, I can understand that you’re conceivably having difficulty articulating an answer. God, in the above two verses, repeats the two words image and likeness four times to help the answer take root and sink in.

Humankind is of the kind of God. Why were humans created in the image of God? That is the question to ask. That is the question The Explanation will answer.

According to the Bible, we are not descendants of some ape, nor do we have a common ancestor. Our genes and chromosomes do have some resemblance. We discussed this in Inventory of the Universe in the chapter about Human Life and a comparison of genes. We know that just as we have chromosomes and genes similar to earthworms, scorpions, grass, and bacteria, the genome is typical of all life. But that does not mean we are their descendants.

In the same above verse, in Genesis 1:26, where God tells us humans have the image and likeness of God, He also tells us our relationship to apes and earthworms. "Let them (humans created with the image of God) have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

Even in King James English, this is clear. We will be getting into the Biblical Hebrew to sharpen the answer to this delicate but vital question, why humans were created in the image of God, with His likeness, after His kind.

So why haven’t you heard according to what model humans were created before? Excellent question. You’ll receive an answer shortly, but if you've been following The Explanation, you might’ve already figured it out.

Let me point out that I’ve used contextual corroboration (animals after their kind involves the identical principle as humans created after the image of God) to point out this fundamental Bible teaching. I will give you the Biblical Hebrew for these words and other contexts that confirm this Bible teaching. As you read the Bible now, just keeping this one puzzle piece in mind, will open up a lot of comprehension. And we’re only just beginning to garner some fundamentals in Gen 1 and 2.

Humans have the Likeness of God

In the likeness of God was humankind created. That's what the Bible says, but let's see what that means.  It has profound implications for you and me.

We saw that God made all living things to multiply after their own kind. A species reproduces according to its species. But when it came to humankind, there's a close relationship with the image and likeness of God. Let's continue our study.

Let’s focus on God making humans after our likeness.

Genesis 1:26 

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (H1823): and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

We shall see the meaning of image in the next chapter. Both these terms, image and likeness of God, reinforce humankind's special closeness to God their Creator. We shall see that this likeness of God includes much more than just letting the earth bring forth... as He did for the animals in Genesis 1:24. This direct association that humankind has with God is substantiated by many principles and verses, including the Biblical Hebrew meanings of likeness and image. Let’s take a closer look at the comprehension of after our likeness (H1823).

In the Likeness of God

Here is the Strong's concordance rendition of likeness.

H1823

דְּמוּת dᵉmûwth dem-ooth’; from H1819 (דָּמָה); resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, like:

KJV – fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.

H1819

דָּמָה dâmâh daw-maw’; a primitive root; to compare; by implication, to resemble, liken, consider:

KJV – compare, devise, (be) like(-n), mean, think, use similitudes.

Notice how H1823 is translated elsewhere; this is referring to similitude, as the translators rendered it. Of course, similitude doesn't mean exactitude. Humankind is not Godkind, but somewhere there's a likeness, a resemblance. Likening humankind to God is not irreverent.

Genesis 5:3 

And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness (H1823), after his image; and called his name Seth:

2 Kings 16:10 

And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion (H1823) of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

We see Adam’s son with the likeness of his father; this is a phenomenon with which we're familiar from a genetic point of view. God doesn't have genes! Nonetheless, He endowed humankind with a particular similitude to Him, which we are going to discover. As Adam's son had the likeness of his father, so humans have the likeness of their Creator God.

In another Bible episode, King Ahaz sees an altar in Syria and wants a copy made for himself in the Temple in Jerusalem. He sends a sketch to Urijah so the artisans can build something similar and recognizable. Putting the two alters side-by-side would reveal their likeness.

Ezekiel, a prophet of God, uses the same Biblical Hebrew word, demooth (H1823), numerous times in Ezekiel chapters 1, 8, 10, and 23. He was a man who, because of what God wanted him to convey, became privy to some incredible visions depicting God’s surroundings. He contemplated some beings around God’s throne and gave us their description. Ezekiel had never seen anything like this before and must've wondered how to describe what he’d seen. Here’s the description of one of these types of beings:

Ezekiel 1:10

As for the likeness (H1823) of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Here are spirit beings with four faces with the likeness of man, two animals, and a bird. Don’t ask me how this is possible. But an interesting point is that we see a likeness of a lion, an ox an eagle on spirit beings that have been around for a long, long time, way before human beings. So, it is not only that humans are in the likeness of God, but also that certain animals, even though the earth brought them forth, have counterparts in heaven.

I do realize that for practical down to earth people, what I’ve just written might be quite challenging to accept, and that is probably an understatement. Again, if this is the case, then consider it a story. You practically can’t go to a movie today without seeing some fantastic out-of-this-world character that an artist has conjured up, who is an essential part of the plot. That's all fiction, but is that the case with the Bible story? It's your call.

Let's go back to Genesis 1:26. When God said: Let us make man after our likeness, He did just that. From a descriptive point of view, God and humans have the same likeness, in that the Bible representation of God indicates He can manifest Himself with a head, hair, eyes, mouth, a chest, legs, feet as well as hands and voice (Revelation 1:13-17). Animals do not possess the two latter, that are so important to humans, as pointed out in Inventory of the Universe. God, of course, can take on any appearance He desires, or none at all, but in most instances, in the Bible narration, He takes on that of a male presenting a similar external appearance.

This likeness of God even goes so far as to encompass functions both God and humans perform. God speaks (Rev. 1:15), He stands (Rev. 5:6), He sits (Rev. 5:7), He breathes (Gen. 2:7), this is just a picture because, of course, He doesn't need oxygen to live. He also appreciates wine (Judges 9:13), and good food (Gen. 18:2, 8, 22), attributes ascribed exclusively to humans.

Sam’s Reflections

As I talk about what the Bible says regarding, for instance, God appreciating wine, I think, wow, what are readers, who hear this for the first time thinking? Here is where the comprehension of the term theology takes on full meaning. In an exchange with a friend about this, he said, when it comes to God being described with human traits, it's only so we humans can get a better understanding of God, but it has nothing to do with God possessing these traits.

When the Bible says God appreciates wine, it does sound somewhat ridiculous, especially since it is part of an allegory in Judges 9. Can we believe in stories given to show us a lesson? An All-Powerful Spirit Being taking a sip of wine into His mouth, and enjoying the smooth flavor and aroma of a