Theodicy: The Three Divine Rebellions, Their Fallout And How Jesus Is The Solution to All Three

Why is humanity so depraved? Why is the world so wicked?

Traditional Christianity

If you asked the average modern Christian (or for that matter the average Pastor or Bible teacher) why the world is in the mess that it is, why so many people are so messed up – mentally, emotionally and spiritually - you would likely get a single answer – the Fall (Gen 3)

The Biblical Period

That is not the answer you would get from a biblically literate first-century, Second Temple Jew (or for that matter any of the early Christians)

The first-century Jew would say that there are three (3) reasons why the world is in the shape it is in:

The Fall (Gen 3) - the origination of both the heavenly and earthly rebellion into this world

The Fallen Sons of God (Gen 6:1-4, 5). The Sons of God event has either been ignored or demythologized. Remove this and you leave a HUGE gap in the Second Temple worldview that bleeds over into the NT (194x). To miss this, is to result in significantly misunderstanding much of the OT and much of the NT as well.

The Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9; Deut 32:8-9; 4:19; cp. Psa 82; 89:5-6). Babel is a well-known Sunday school story that almost no one rightly understands. Many translations obscure the plain meaning of the text due to not utilizing the DSS to get at what the OT text says. This is important because Paul and other NT writers often cite or allude to Deut 32:8-9. If you misunderstand what the OT says here it is difficult to avoid misunderstanding the significance of the NT quotations. Especially spiritual warfare. (Acts 17:26-31)

All three of these would be the common Israelite and early Christian understanding and worldview for why the world is in the shape it is

The Fallout of the Three Rebellions

The Fall (Gen 3; Rom 5:12)

Fallout: Death, Estranged

Note: death passed upon all men, not guilt (a misunderstanding that originated with the Reformers)

The Sons of God (Gen 6:1-4, 5)

Fallout: The proliferation (acceleration) of human depravity

Lethal threat; the origination of demons; human depravity

Babel (Gen 11:1-9; Deut 32:8-9; 4:19; cp. Psa 82; 89:5-6)

Fallout: Abandonment; Idolatry; Misery

Abandonment from God and separation from all the other nations.

A Second Temple Jew would not only point to all three of these as the source of mankind’s problems, they would also emphatically point out that when the Messiah came, He would necessarily solve all three of them – not just one.

That is exactly what you get in the NT.

Jesus As the Solution to the Three Rebellions

The Fall (Gen 3; Rom 5:12)

Mankind is separated from God, destined for death

The Promise of the Seed - the Messiah - to take care of the “death problem” (Gen 3:15; John 3:16))

The Cross

Jesus’ death and resurrection takes care of the death problem, as Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection and we will inherit the resurrection and will be raised with Him in the eschaton to eternal life.

The Cross /Resurrection brings the believer back into the family of God

The Sons of God (Gen 6:1-4, 5)

The Ascension and the Pouring Out of the Holy Spirit

When Jesus ascended He then sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:1-4, 8; 4:31; 8:17-18; 10:44-48; 11:15-16; 19:1-6))-- the spirit of holiness (Rom 1:4)- to live in the believer to answer the problem of the defilement from the fallen Sons of God by empowering the believer to live a life of righteousness by the presence, and power of the Holy Spirit.

Babel (Gen 11:1-9; Deut 32:8-9; 4:19; cp. Psa 82; 89:5-6)

God’s plan was always for Israel to be the conduit for the redemption of separated humanity (Gen 12:1-3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Jer 4:2; Acts 3:25; Gal 3:8)

The Great Commission - the mandate to disciple the divorced nations so they can be brought back into covenant with YHWH (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)