Dear Brother ___________,
Thank you for getting back in touch. "Enmity" means hostility, hatred, antagonism, that kind of thing. The words were spoken to Satan. God said He would put enmity between Satan and the woman. It wasn't there yet at the time, for she had gone over to Satan's side quite entirely. But God said He would put it there, and it would continue down through the ages. I take it to mean that God has not left us entirely in Satan's snare and control. He has given us a desire for something better, and the ability to hate evil as we let God into our lives. Jesus, of course, would be the Seed of the woman who would deal the death blow to Satan's head, though He Himself would suffer.
I hope this helps. Thank you for writing, and God bless!
William Fagal
Associate Director
Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: 301 680-6550
FAX: 301 680-6559
E-mail: mail@WhiteEstate.org
Web: www.WhiteEstate.org
Dear Mr. Fagal,Thank-you for answering my request about the human race,it was very helpful to me,I'm going to impose once more if I may.Could you explain to me what God was saying in Genesis chap.3 verses 14&15 and especially verse 15 where he says I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.What does the word enmity imply? Thank-you ___________,
Thank you for contacting the Ellen G. White Estate. Mrs. White wrote the following statement, which appeared originally in the Review and Herald but now may also be found in several compilations:
All heaven took a deep and joyful interest in the creation of the world and of man. Human beings were a new and distinct order. They were made "in the image of God," and it was the Creator's design that they should populate the earth. They were to live in close communion with heaven, receiving power from the Source of all power. Upheld by God, they were to live sinless lives. {RH, February 11, 1902 par. 1}
Unfortunately, Mrs. White did not amplify on this. I am not certain that being made "in the image of God" is what made them "a new and distinct order." The two statements may not be related to each other in this way, that is, human beings may have been a new and distinct order and also been made in the image of God. Without that information, I do not know whether other beings may also have been created in the image of God, but are different from the "new and distinct order" called human beings. So I do not know how to answer your question with any certainty. As far as I know, we simply don't have enough information on this point.
Sorry I can't answer your question better than that. Thank you for writing, and God bless!
William Fagal
Associate Director
Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: 301 680-6550
FAX: 301 680-6559
E-mail: mail@WhiteEstate.org
Web: www.WhiteEstate.org
Question: The way I understand creation is that God created the human being in his image,does this mean that we are the only beings created in his image or are the other worlds he has created, beings in his image also? Thank-you ___________
