Before & After

A Biblical Observation

As my Bible teacher Dr. Ruckman pointed out: bad always comes before good in the Scriptures, negative before positive. For example: there was Cain before Abel, Ishmael before Isaac, Esau before Jacob, Reuben before Judah (or you could say Reuben before Joseph), there’s an “evil world” (Gal. 1:4) before a world “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13), we are told in Romans 12:2 to “be not conformed to this world” [NEGATIVE] before we read “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” [POSITIVE]. The Holy Bible consists of two Testaments: the Old Covenant (which condemns) before the New Covenant (which justifies). Finally (though I have not exhausted all the examples of this phenomena), we see this played out again in the Book of Psalms. In Psalm 109 we read about “Satan”, but then in the next Psalm (110) we read about “Melchizedek”—a type of Jesus Christ our Mediator and High Priest (see Hebrews Chapter 7)—if that’s not a contrast between bad and good then there is none! That’s the accuser (see Rev. 12:10) and then the Advocate (see 1 John 2:1). That’s the greatest and much drastic contrast there is; kind of like comparing the misery and torment of hell with the ecstasy and happiness of heaven.

“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” (1 Cor. 15:45-47)

Also, in Galatians Chapter 5 you read about “the works of the flesh” (v. 19) then “the fruit of the spirit” (v. 22).