Is Genesis all literal, all allegory, or somewhere between?

I would like to mention that some recent genetic research indicates that all humans descend from a single male ancestor who lived roughly 4,500 years ago. That dovetails timewise with the account of the flood and of Noah.

 

Not true.

 

For me what matters and prevails is the Truth. I work with the Word of GOD, my GOD. As I have said, my point is the Word of GOD, the Word is from everslasting to everlasting, the Word is GOD, is self-executing and was made flesh in the fourth Day or around 4000 years after Adam, actually He really came in the 4th Day and appeared as the Greater Light, and presented Himself by the name of JESUS, whose name He chose for Himself, around 2000 years ago, understand?

What matters and prevails is the Word of GOD. GOD is the Truth, so what matters for me is to search Truth. JESUS said, I am the way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father -the Word- , but by me, so I placed myself side by side with JESUS to preach the same things He preached.

That said, regarding the words of your post #312 above, saying that
"the fact that the creation/flood accounts in the Enuma Elish and the Epic of Gilgamesh predate those of Genesis by at least a millennium if not more", no date accuracy, and is roughly 2100 BCE,
so I must say by the Word of GOD, yes, by the Word of GOD, that the flood occurred 1656 years after Adam, so 2344 years BC, who revealed this to Moses was the Own GOD, take a look in His Chronology.

JESUS said: John 12: 49-50
49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father (the Word, the Word is GOD) which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

50 And I know that His commandment is life everlasting (the life was/is the light of men): whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

I do the same, what I received from Him, so I speak.

 

GOD is in control of history, nothing random happens

Based in the Word of God, the source of the truth, on GOD's six Days of creation and one Day of rest (a total of seven days) plus the Scriptures that teach that one Day is with the Lord as a thousand years (2Pet.3:v.8), so MANKIND would go through six GOD Days of 1,000 years each (a total of 6,000 years) plus a Millennium of 1,000 years rest (now a total of 7,000 years).

According biblical Chronology, we can number our days and the flood starting by Genesis 5, as follow:

Adam lived …........................................................130 yrs and begat Seth
Seth lived ………………………………………………….....105 yrs and begat Enosh;
Enosh lived ............................................................90 yrs and begat Kenan;
Kenan lived.............................................................70 yrs and begat Mahalalel;
Mahalalel lived .......................................................65 yrs and begat Jared;
Jared lived ............................................................162 yrs and begat Enoch;
Enoch lived .............................................................65 yrs and begat Methuselah;
Methuselah lived...................................................187 yrs and begat Lamech;
Lamech lived ........................................................182 yrs and begat Noah;
From Noah´s birth until the Flood......................600 yrs.
Total of years from Adam to the Flood =.............1656 yrs.

I work with the Word of God. Notice that the table above is proved by the Word of GOD, it is not of human theories or human speculations. Let us study the times until our days not by human theories and speculations, but by the Word of GOD - the Word is GOD

 

Let’s assume Moses was an actual historical figure, and that he wrote Genesis, in its entirety. He almost certainly didn’t, but let’s assume for the moment that he did. Let us also assume that Moses could read biblical Hebrew, even though the Hebrew alphabet didn’t exist in the 2nd millennium BCE. Finally, let’s assume that an autograph manuscript of Genesis exists. We don’t have any such manuscript, but let’s assume it’s out there somewhere, waiting to be unearthed. Even granting the most extreme fundamentalist assumptions, that would put the oldest possible date for the text of Genesis somewhere in the 1400s or 1300s BCE (when Moses is said to have lived), some 700-800 years after the Epic of Gilgamesh.

 

Here’s the problem with those genealogies (aside from the fact that it’s medically impossible for a human to live 900 years): the Septuagint (LXX) and the Masoretic Text (MT) don’t give the same set of years for the antediluvian patriarchs’ lifespans. The base Hebrew text for the LXX is older than that for the MT on which modern Bibles in the West are based (the Eastern Orthodox use the LXX rather than the MT), so who’s right, and how can anyone be sure which, if either, represents the authentic original? Absent an autograph, which we don’t have, there is no way to answer that question with certainty. So this notion that a prehistoric event like a primeval Flood could be dated to the exact year is nonsense. We don’t even know what precise year Jesus was born (or died). How could we possibly know what year Abraham migrated from Ur? History doesn’t work that simply.

 

Obviously, you don't know the research of which I speak, and neither did the authors of the linked article, because that article is obsolete (having been written 22 years ago).

 

In fact, Genesis is not myth and legend. GOD don't work with things like that, only the old Serpent.

Of course ARE NOT contemporaneous with the origin of the universe. It's a ridiculous interpretation made by ordinary men which have not the Spirit of GOD. It has nothing to do with creation of Universe, this creation GOD has not revealed to anyone, unfortunatelly common men try to find out how, and they invent their theories.
The description of Genesis was made by the Spirit of GOD exclusively about the restoration or restitution of all things as they were before in Eden, in Eden there was not death, the inhabitants lived an eternity in Eden, understand? How many years do you count in an eternity? Billions? it's actually countless.
By the way, now, with the restoration of all things, there will be a future eternity - Luke 20:35-36 - as JESUS said:
35 - They which shall be accounted WORTHY to obtain that world -the next world-the Kingdom of GOD- , and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of GOD, being the children of the resurrection.

No, the myths you have mentioned have nothing to do with the Word of GOD.
GOD said: For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

In fact, the Book become the EXPRESS and revealed Word. The Word, i.e. GOD, is Spirit. The Word is GOD, GOD the Father. Great Mystery. John 4:24- JESUS said: GOD is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in Truth. It's exactly how i do it.

My Lord JESUS said more: Matthew 11:27 - No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.

 

That might be cogent if the past 20+ years of research had significantly moved the goalposts, which they haven’t. Each subsequent study has dated ‘Y Chromosomal Adam’ at least 1,000 centuries ago. Our species, Homo sapiens, goes back 300,000 years. Recorded history barely scratches the surface of that. If that amount of time were compressed into a single day, the whole of recorded history would have only taken up about the last 29 minutes till midnight.

 

Oh please, Imaginations and opinions they mean nothing and are good for nothing, that's exactly the way the old Serpent likes, your thinking is from a human perspective, a stumblingblock, not from God's perspective.

GOD is in control of history, nothing random happens
Based in the Word of God, the source of the truth, on GOD's six Days of creation and one Day of rest (a total of seven days) plus the Scriptures that teach that one Day is with the Lord as a thousand years (2Pet.3:v.8), so MANKIND would go through six GOD Days of 1,000 years each (a total of 6,000 years) plus a Millennium of 1,000 years rest (now a total of 7,000 years).
According biblical Chronology, we can number our days starting by Genesis 5, as follow:
Adam lived …..........................................................130 yrs and begat Seth
Seth lived ………………………………………………….......105 yrs and begat Enosh;
Enosh lived ..............................................................90 yrs and begat Kenan;
Kenan lived...............................................................70 yrs and begat Mahalalel;
Mahalalel lived .........................................................65 yrs and begat Jared;
Jared lived ..............................................................162 yrs and begat Enoch;
Enoch lived ..............................................................65 yrs and begat Methuselah;
Methuselah lived.....................................................187 yrs and begat Lamech;
Lamech lived ..........................................................182 yrs and begat Noah;
From Noah´s birth until the Flood........................600 yrs.
Total of years from Adam to the Flood =...............1656 yrs.

I work with the Word of God. Notice that the table above is proved by the Word of GOD, it is not of human theories or human speculations. Let us study the times until our days not by human theories and speculations, but by the Word of GOD - the Word is GOD. So, see the table below:

SIX PERIODS OF BIBLICAL TIMES ----------------- DURATION
I - From Adam to the Flood- (Genesis 5)-----------------1,656 years
II - From the Flood to Abraham-(Genesis 11&12)---------427 years
III - From Abraham to Exodus-(Gal.3:17)-----------------430 years
IV - From Exodus to king Saul-(1Reis 6:1-480-84)-------396 years
V - From Saul to the fall of Jerusalem ---------------------508 years
VI - From the fall of Jerusalem to Jesus ------------------.587 years
Thus, from Adam to the 1st coming of Jesus -----------.4004 years

From Jesus to our days (Christian Calendar)-----------.2022 years
Total from Adam to our days -----------------------------6026 years

JESUS-the Greater Light,Genesis 1:v.16-came in the fourth Day or around 4,000 years after GOD has started His works of restitution of all things-Genesis 1 combined with Acts. 3:v.19-21. It still was the FOURTH DAY when JESUS said: MY FATHER WORKS HITHERTO, AND I WORK-John 5:v.17. From JESUS (FOURTH DAY) until our days, or until this current time, have already passed more TWO DAYS or 2,000 years (one Day with the Lord is as a thousand years), in fact 6 complete Days or six complete millenniums, or around 6.000 years, more precisely 6,026 years, according Christian Calendar pointing the year 2.022.

So, we have entered in the beginning of the FIRST CENTURY of the seventh and last millennium, or seventh and last Day, the Lord's Day, or THE TURN FROM THE SIXTH TO THE SEVENTH DAY, the Millennium of Christ, the Millennium of Truth, the Millennium of Judgment, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Millennium of Vengeance.

The world of Devil is already Judged and Condemned, and now, in this seventh and last millennium, it will be punished with strong punishments, the CHASTISEMENTS ALREADY STARTED, there will be only and only punishments in this last Day, the Day of the Lord, King of kings and LORD of lords.

And God Father has already entered in His rest, as He had planned in the beginning of His works, but He is not sleeping, of course, and JESUS takes over the RULE of the Universe, as JESUS said: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:v.18

JESUS is now sat on His Throne, the Judgment Seat of Christ, to Judge all nations, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not His gospel, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the Glory of His Power.

Revelation 11:v.15 to 18

15 - The kingdoms of THIS WORLD are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

18 - And the nations were (will be) angry, and thy wrath is come (GOD's wrath comes), and the time of the dead, that they should be Judged, and that GOD should give reward unto His servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear His name, small and great; and should DESTROY them which destroy the earth. It's it.

Revelation 2:v.25 to 29

25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

28 And I will give him the morning star.

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Jewish Calendar - How to explain the difference of exactly 240 years in the Jewish calendar? | Pure Bible Forum (and see www.sinaiticus.net )

 

Now you’re back to spouting nonsense that in no way even attempts to engage what I actually said. As I’ve said before, you would be better off if you simply unlearned everything you think you know about these subjects, and started over from scratch.

 

Before GOD your interpretations, and imaginations, and opinions, they mean nothing and are good for nothing, your thinking is from a human perspective, a stumblingblock, not from God's perspective. I do not eat of your fruit, who eat from your fruit surely die, as my GOD warned since the beginning.

 

It really isn't a pretty sight when someone presents himself as knowing all of the recent research in a field, just to disagree. Like I said, you're obviously not familiar with the discovery that human genetic "mutations" (essentially, copying errors) occur at a rate of 3 to 5 per generation. This is far more frequent (by an order of magnitude) than what was previously known or expected, and it means that all of the old calculations for estimating passage of time must be thrown out. But of course, no atheist will admit this, and there are atheists a-plenty in the field of genetics, so the truth is being downplayed.

 

Myth and Legend are stories handed down from one generation to another. Clearly, those accounts are part of the traditions of the people who traversed, as Genesis accounts, from Ur of the Chaldees to The Mountains in the Holy Land, the same Mountain that provides the setting for the highly charged and significant encounter which is described in John 4.

When I speak of Myth and Legend, I am in no way doubting the veracity of the account, nor am I questioning the account, simply acknowledging that History is only one of the ways that truth comes to us. That said, it must also be acknowledged that not all history is completely accurate in the way that is handed down to us, often because it is manipulated politically. This should be very obvious to all of us today, as we find that the history we were once taught is today being told in a different way, and with different connotations. The settlement of Australia is now told as the invasion of Australia, and this is but one example of what I am talking about.

In no sense have I suggested that the Epic of Gilgamesh is canonical scripture. To deny that there is any comparison between the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Genesis Account is patently silly. Equally silly would be to suggest that there are no differences, as clearly there are, not the least of which is that the Epic is polytheistic, and the Genesis account is primarily monotheistic. Part of the question you hint at revolves around our understanding of God as Universally Sovereign, as against a Tribal Deity.

In fairness, I don't really know how to respond to this. I am not sure I know or understand why you would want to claim Scripture to be the Express Word of God. This seems to be s step beyond inspiration, and far closer to an Islamic Understanding of the Koran, that a Christian Understanding of the Bible. I can however confirm that John 4:24 is a treasured verse from the 4th Gospel, and I am glad you embrace its veracity.

 

As I have always said, I work with the Word of GOD, I do not know word more powerful than the Word of GOD-the Word is GOD - , so Judging your words above written, by the Word of GOD, course, I must tell you as follow, and confirming 1 John 5:9 that says:
9 - If we receive the witness of men, the witness of GOD is greater.
I always highlight that the witness of GOD is greater, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, understand? So, what matters and prevails is the Word of GOD-the Word is GOD-John 1:1.

So, I repeat. As I have always said, I work with the Word of GOD, I do not know word more powerful than the Word of GOD-the Word is GOD - , so Judging your words above written through/ by the Word of GOD, course, I must tell you as follows, and confirming 1 John 5:9 that says:
9 - If we receive the witness of men, the witness of GOD is greater.
I always highlight that the witness of GOD is greater, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, understand? This is what matters and prevails.

Again, what matters and prevails is the Word of GOD. The Word is GOD. What does the Word of GOD say? 1Corinthians 2:14 and 11-
14 - The natural man receiveth not the things of the SPIRIT of GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the SPIRIT of man which is in him? even so the things of GOD knoweth no man, but the SPIRIT of GOD.
JESUS left very clear saying: 1 - Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE the Kingdom of GOD. 2 - Except a man be born of water and of the SPIRIT, he cannot ENTER into the Kingdom of GOD. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the SPIRIT is spirit. Ye must be born again-John 3:5-7.
JESUS said more: John 6:63 - It is the SPIRIT that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the WORDS that I speak unto you, they ARE SPIRIT, and they are LIFE. (So, what is Spirit? The Word is, the words are, or from GOD, or from the Evil one, it is necessary to discern the spirits). John wrote: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but TRY the spirits (THE WORDS) whether they (THE WORDS) are of GOD: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1John 4:1 combined with 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. Check it.

 

Yet another incoherent mess of a response that doesn’t even attempt to address the post it is purportedly written in reply to.

 

I'm done. I suggest reading Traced, by Dr. Nathaniel Jeanson. Or not. I don't really care any more.

 

What matters and prevails is the Word of GOD. The Word is GOD. What does the Word of GOD say? 1Corinthians 2:14 and 11-
14 - The natural man receiveth not the things of the SPIRIT of GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the SPIRIT of man which is in him? even so the things of GOD knoweth no man, but the SPIRIT of GOD.
JESUS left very clear saying: 1 - Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE the Kingdom of GOD. 2 - Except a man be born of water and of the SPIRIT, he cannot ENTER into the Kingdom of GOD. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the SPIRIT is spirit.

Ye must be born again-John 3:5-7.

 

The only thing prevailing in your comments is nonsense. You continually cite passages that don’t support what you’re saying, and are completely irrelevant to whatever topic is under discussion. You seem incapable of responding to straightforward arguments with any measure of coherence. And for some reason, you’re fixated on quoting the KJV, despite English not being your native language, and you refuse to say why. This is a complete waste of time.