The Generations of Heaven and Earth: Adam, the Ancient World, and Biblical Theology

307 Pages·2020·5.177 MB·English

by  Jon Garvey

T G
he eneraTions
h e
of eaven and arTh

The GeneraTions of
heaven and earTh
Adam, the Ancient World, and Biblical Theology
JON GARVEY
!!
CASCADE Books • Eugene, Oregon
THE GENERATIONS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
Adam, the Ancient World, and Biblical Theology
Copyright © 2020 Jon Garvey. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in
critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any
manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions,
Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
Cascade Books
An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
www.wipfandstock.com
paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-8165-3
hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-8166-0
ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-8167-7
Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Names: Garvey, Jon, author.
Title: The generations of heaven and earth : Adam, the ancient world, and biblical theol-
ogy / Jon Garvey.
Description: Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references
and index.
Identifiers: isbn 978-1-5326-8165-3 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-5326-8166-0 (hardcover)
| isbn 978-1-5326-8167-7 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Adam (Biblical figure). | Theological anthropology—Christianity. | Hu-
man beings—Origin.
Classification: BT701.3 .G50 2020 (paperback) | call number (ebook)
Manufactured in the U.S.A. 01/13/20
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The
Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
To Edie, Emma, Isabel, Martha, and Skye,
Daughters of Eve,
and perhaps one day universal genealogical ancestors.

CONTENTS
List of Figures and Tables • xi
Preface • xiii
Acknowledgments • xvii
Introduction • 1
§1: Generations of Heaven (Time)
1. Genre and Metaphor • 13
Literal or Metaphorical? • 13
Metaphorical Elements in the Eden Account • 16
Is the Whole Garden Metaphorical? • 26
2. Biblical Signs of People beyond Eden • 30
Where Are All the People in Genesis? • 30
The Longevity of Tradition • 40
3. The Lord Is Not Slow • 46
The Problem of Time • 46
How Genealogical Adam Helps • 50
§2: Generations of Earth (Place)
4. Clues from the Ancient Near East • 57
Adam and Adapa, Priest-Sages • 57
Adam, the Ewe, and the Wheat • 62
Curses for All • 64
5. Culture and Geography • 67
Cultural Pointers • 67
Eden in Israel • 68
Northern Eden • 70
Southern Eden • 73
6. The Table of Nations • 81
Language • 81
Culture • 84
People • 86
§3: Generations of Adam (Humanity)
7. What Is Man: What’s in a Name? • 93
Three Meanings of Adam • 93
Generic Adam: Who Is in the Genus? • 97
More on Adam as a Generalized Tribal Designation • 104
8. What Is Man: What’s in an Image? • 107
Image, Creation, and Election • 107
Imago Dei and Non-Adamic Man • 111
Soul, Image, and Bestiality • 115
9. The Special Creation of Adam? • 119
When Is Transformation Creation? • 119
The Nature of Adam and Eve’s Creation • 123
Command, Relationship, and Freedom • 126
Special Creation and Deception • 128
10. Religion before Adam • 133
Primitive Religions of the World • 133
Primitive Religions Before Adam • 141
Primitive Religion and a Good Creation • 145
11. The Importance of Genealogy • 147
Genealogies and Adam • 147
Genealogy, Adoption, and Culture • 155
§4: Generations of Glory (New Creation)
12. Original Sin • 163
Preserving the Family Inheritance • 163
Is Another Will Hidden Somewhere? • 170
13. The Transmission of Sin • 177
Is Inherited Sin Really Implausible? • 177
Tentative Thoughts on Culture and Sin • 180
14. Adam and the New Creation • 187
History and the Bible’s Metanarrative • 187
Adam as the New Creation • 191
A Word From the Westminster Confession • 197
The New Creation through Christ • 198
New Creation Narrative Constituents • 201
15. A Tale of Three Testaments • 206
Third Time Lucky • 206
The Non-Story of Genesis 1 • 211
Metanarrative and Missio Dei • 216
16. A Tale of Two Temples • 219
The Cosmic Temple of Genesis 1 • 219
A Phenomenological Temple Account • 222
The Garden as a Temple • 227
Temples of the Old and New Creations • 231
17. The Devil and All His Works • 238
Revisiting the Ransom Theory • 238
The Psychology of Satan • 241
Satan and Humanity Before Adam • 244
The Devil as a Personal Being • 246