Fall of Man¶
Modern Christians tend to view the fall as a single act of rebellion -- but in Genesis there is not one but three distinct rebellions against God, each with dire consequences for man as well as the created order (the cosmos). These rebellions introduced the three great evils of mankind: death, sin, and the demonic (domination by dark powers).
Rebellions¶
The full interpretation of these rebellions has been lost in our modern view, but the ancient view echoes truthfully from orthodox tradition, from scripture, and can be interpreted through original and apocryphal texts. For example, we know there were Nephilim in scripture, but we can only know the story of the Nephilim from apocryphal sources (specifically in 1 Enoch).
Below is an attempt to outline this ancient view as best as it can be understood today.
Exile from Eden (death)¶
Ye shall be as gods
The entire cosmos changed. A serpent, most likely a seraphim (one of the highest of the heavenly hosts) rebelled against God along with man. Death entered the world, and thus began a striving for life in the face of death, a game of evolutionary fitness. And yet God still strove with man. There was a single language, the divine language. And man was subject only to God.
Genesis 3:4-5
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
This first rebellion shattered the harmony of creation. Man, created in God's image, now faced toil, pain, and mortality -- a cosmic wound that altered time itself, introducing decay and the relentless march toward dust. Yet, in mercy, God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins (protecting from death, by death), foreshadowing the ultimate covering through Christ's sacrifice.
The Hours of Pascha
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Cain (sin)¶
sin lieth at the door
Genesis 4:8
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Sin and death are now in the world, and it spread until nearly all of mankind was thoroughly corrupted. And near the end of this age the Lord withdrew His spirit such that it will no longer strive with man, who had grown wicked in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 6:3-8
And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
In this passage we are introduced to giants, the Nephilim, which are the hybrid offspring of the sons of God (the heavenly hosts) and the daughters of men. And note that this was not the cause of the flood. In fact it's indicated that the Nephilim still exist after the flood,
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that
The cause of the great flood was the continuous evil of man, the same evil in the hearts of men that produced and worshipped the Nephilim. The cause of the flood was the wickedness of man, the sin brought in by the firstborn man.
The sons of God -- in this case the watchers -- failed at their God-given duties and rebelled along with man against the Almighty. And to this day we are still engaged in this ongoing rebellion. In fact, the spirits of dead Nephilim were understood as demons, as unclean spirits. From this point forward, men no longer live for centuries, and demons entered the world.
This second rebellion deepened the fracture: sin, born from envy and violence, corrupted human relationships and society. Cain's murder marked the spread of iniquity, leading to a world where "every imagination was evil continually." The Nephilim's emergence amplified this chaos, blending heavenly rebellion with earthly corruption, birthing demonic forces that haunt humanity to this day.
Tower of Babel (dark powers)¶
the Lord scattered them abroad
This is the last of the three great rebellions and it left man in a truly depraved state. Man was scattered across the earth, losing the divine language of God, and placed under the rule of territorial spirits (pagan gods). Man was now subject to the domination of dark powers (the demonic).
Genesis 11:1-9
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
The descendants of Noah ignored the command from the Lord to be fruitful and multiply over the face of the earth. As such they lost the divine tongue, the original language spoken by Adam to God, a language so powerful that, "nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do".
The consequences of this rebellion further changed cosmology, splitting the world into nations, each with its own created spirits as overseers. Powers, Principalities and Dominions became roles fulfilled by the heavenly hosts, that is, the pagan gods of the old and new testament. Man has now fallen into depravity, placed as low as the animals, beneath the created spirits of this world. Mankind, originally created in the image and likeness of God, became nothing but the playthings of unclean spirits and pagan gods.
This third rebellion sealed humanity's subjugation: unified in pride, man sought godhood through a tower, defying God. God confounded languages, dividing nations under principalities -- which became dark powers masquerading as gods. This cosmic realignment entrenched demonic influence, veiling truth in idolatry.
Redemptions¶
Similar to the three great rebellions, there is not one but three stages of redemption, restoring man to do God's will. And just as the rebellions were continual and ongoing, so too is the path of redemption. And just as the rebellions led to dramatic changes in cosmology, so too does redemption. Ultimately, Christ overcomes each rebellion, reversing their curses through His incarnation, death, resurrection, and ongoing reign.
Overcoming Babel¶
The earth had been divided amongst the pagan gods, each with varying degrees of idolatry.
Sirach 17:17
For in the division of the nations of the whole earth he set a ruler over every people; but Israel is the Lord's own portion.
Yet the Lord of Spirits, the one true God, descended into the world to make a nation from His chosen people.
Psalm 82
God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
This is one of the most fascinating passages in the Bible. Our modern view has difficulty interpreting this and we often ignore it despite its obvious importance, but the ancient view had no issue interpreting passages like Psalm 82. There were many gods (heavenly hosts), each given a territory to rule over. These are the dominions and principalities. And then starting with Israel, the one true God placed himself directly into the world, making way for the messiah.
For thou shalt inherit all nations.
Christ fulfills this by reclaiming the nations from dark powers. As the Incarnate God, He establishes a new covenant that unites scattered peoples, unifying all while preserving differences. Through the Church, languages converge in worship, and principalities lose authority, as Christ inherits all nations, judging the "gods" and restoring cosmic order.
Overcoming Cain¶
Jeremiah prophesied a new covenant where God's law is written on hearts, overcoming sin's tyranny.
Jeremiah 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The harrowing of Hades: Christ overcomes death. And it is here that all of the Dominions and Principalities lose their authority. Demons are cast out by the disciples of Christ. Mankind is offered salvation.
He is risen
The Holy Spirit is now with man, pointing us to Christ, to salvation. Man is no longer beneath the demons and dark powers, but with Christ we rise towards theosis (a return to our original cosmology).
Christ's blood atones for sin, reversing Cain's fratricide. The New Covenant, sealed in His sacrifice, inscribes moral law inwardly, overcoming evil. Demons flee at His name, and salvation frees us from sin's bondage, restoring fraternity in the body of Christ.
Overcoming Adam¶
Revelation 19:11-16
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
In the end, death is defeated, man has dominion over all of creation, including the angels. The cosmic order is restored, such that man becomes very good in the sight of God. For God the Father sees Christ in us, and is well pleased.
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Christ, the Second Adam, reverses humanities rebellion and intimately connects God to man. By His obedience unto death, Christ crushes the serpent, defeating death and restoring access to the Tree of Life. In Him, we regain divine likeness, transcending evolutionary strife through resurrection. The cosmos renews: no more curse, eternal life in glorified humility, fulfilling our freedom through grace, not rebellion.