The First Lie​—Removing Its Effects

NOT everyone followed Satan or accepted his religious innovations. Abraham, for example, continued to worship the true God. He believed that ultimately life depended on obedience to God. Hence, Jehovah blessed him, saying: “By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves.” (Genesis 22:18) What did this mean? Clearly, that the “seed” promised long before in Eden was to appear among the children of Abraham.​—Galatians 3:16.

Later, other details about the “seed” were revealed to faithful ones. He was to be born in the tribe of Judah, to be a descendant of King David. He would be born of a virgin, in the town of Bethlehem. (Genesis 49:10; 2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2) When the due time arrived, the promised “seed” was born in exactly the right place to exactly the right family. It was Jesus, who was later called the Christ.​—Luke 2:8-11.

Satan’s world at the time of Jesus’ birth was in deep religious darkness. Under the rule of Rome, the mightiest empire up to that time, many variants of Babylonish religion flourished. Many of faithful Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, had strayed from true worship. Their religious leaders were self-righteous and proud. Some had succumbed to Babylonish teachings. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Pharisees (a prominent religious sect) believed that “souls have an immortal vigour in them” and “that souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment.”

Jesus was able to restore many to pure worship. He taught his followers to be “no part” of Satan’s system of things, either religiously or politically. (John 15:19) He healed the sick, raised the dead and showed great compassion for the humble ones. These loved Jesus, but many of the priests hated him because he exposed their oppressive ways and false teachings. Hence, they finally had him killed.

Jesus’ death must have seemed like a triumph to Satan, but, if so, it was short-lived. God soon raised Jesus from the dead to spirit life. And by Jesus’ death and resurrection, God took a big step toward removing the worst effects of Satan’s lie. He made it possible for those who wished to follow the way of truth to regain the life that Adam, by his disobedience, had lost. “As in Adam all are dying,” said the apostle Paul, “so also in the Christ all will be made alive.”​—1 Corinthians 15:22-26.

Christianity and Apostasy

It was now possible for man to gain salvation from sin and death. Paradise would be restored by means of God’s kingdom, the ruler of which would be the resurrected Jesus Christ. Some humans would even have the privilege of sharing in that Kingdom rule. This dynamic message, proclaimed in the first century of our Common Era, stirred the hearts of many people. A congregation of followers of Christ​—later called Christians—​was formed in Jerusalem, and it quickly grew to number thousands.

Enraged, Satan attacked. Soon, Christians were dying in Jerusalem for their faith. Persecution drove many away from the city, but they carried the “good news” with them. Samaritans, and then Gentiles, were baptized as Christians. In a few decades the message had spread throughout the then-known world. Those were eventful times!​—Acts 17:6; Colossians 1:23.

Finally, in the days of the sadistic Emperor Nero, the might of the Roman Empire was unleashed against Christianity. Burning bodies of Christians served as torches at Roman feasts. Wild beasts were set upon them in the arenas. Nevertheless, Christianity continued to spread. But Satan had other tactics.

Corruption Within

The apostle Paul had warned the Colossian Christians: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.” (Colossians 2:8, New International Version) He had told Ephesian elders: “I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:29, 30) His warning now started to be fulfilled. Deceptive elements infiltrated the congregations and, with clever, specious arguments, slowly undermined the zeal of many members.

After a few centuries a popularized version of Christianity had developed that was thoroughly corrupted with unscriptural teachings. The Babylonish doctrine of the immortality of the soul was entrenched. A trinity was worshiped, similar to the triads of gods once worshiped in Babylon. The doctrines of hellfire and, later, purgatory were taught. Prayers were offered to the “Mother of God.” In the days of Roman Emperor Constantine, this apostatized form of Christianity, far from keeping separate from the world, became the state religion of the empire.

Jesus had prophesied that after the death of the apostles a seed of false Christianity would be introduced into the world, and that until the “harvest” false and true Christians would exist side by side. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) This was now happening. As the false Christianity became strong, it turned viciously against those who would not follow its way. Some professed Christians were burned alive for their faith, but this time their burning bodies illuminated the faces of onlooking monks and priests.

For centuries, light from the Bible shone only dimly. God’s Word was enshrined in Latin, a dying language, and translators of it into the common tongues were ruthlessly persecuted. But the Bible survived. And so did true Christianity, as Jesus said it would. They both still exist today.

Paradise Restored

That one lie told thousands of years ago in the garden of Eden was indeed calamitous for the human family. It led to untold suffering. Happily, mankind will not have to endure its bad consequences much longer.

The “seed” that was to bring Satan and his schemes to nothing appeared in the person of Jesus. After Jesus’ death he was raised to spirit life and ascended to heaven, “awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet.” (Hebrews 10:13) The evidence is that this waiting period is now over. Prophecies and Bible chronology point to the year 1914 as the time when Jesus ‘arrived in his glory’ to reign as a heavenly king.​—See Matthew 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 21.

This means that Satan, the inventor of the lie, has just a short time left. (Revelation 12:12) The worldwide convulsions that mankind has experienced since 1914 are evidence of his great anger over this fact. Soon he, along with the oppressive political and religious systems that developed from his lie, will be destroyed forever.​—Daniel 2:44; Revelation 18:4-8.

What a relief that will be for mankind! The peace, beauty and happiness of the original garden of God will finally be restored, and paradise will be expanded earth wide. (Revelation 21:3, 4) Would you like to see that? God’s will is “that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) Why not take advantage of Jehovah God’s kindness extended toward you? Shun Satan’s lies and seek the truth from God’s Word, the Bible. Then you will witness the final and complete reversal of the tragic consequences of that demonic first lie.