[ol]
[li]Abel was a shepherd. (Genesis 4:2)[/li][li]It was as a shepherd that he presented his offering unto God. (Genesis 4:4)[/li][li]Though giving no cause for it, Abel was hated by his brother. (Genesis 4:8)[/li][li]Cain was jealous of his brother Abel and it was out of envy the Cain slew Abel. (Genesis 4:7)[/li][li]Abel did not die a natural death. (Genesis 4:8)[/li][li]Abel met a violent end at the hand of his brother. (Genesis 4:8)[/li][li]Punishment was meted out upon his murderer. (Genesis 4:11,12)[/li][li]The offering Abel presented was an offering ‘unto God.’ (Hebrews 11:4)[/li][li]The offering which Abel presented was ‘the firstlings of his flock’, a ‘lamb.’ (Genesis 4:4)[/li][li]In bringing his offering ‘by faith’ he demonstrated that he believed the Word of God. (Hebrews 11:4)[/li][li]The offering which Abel presented is described as an ‘excellent’ one. (Hebrews 11:4)[/li][li]God had ‘respect unto Abel and to his offering’. God accepted the offering of Abel. (Hebrews 11:4)[/li][li]In the presentation of his offering, Abel ‘obtained witness that he was righteous.’ (Hebrews 11:4) Abel was already saved and made righteous.[/li][li]After Abel’s presentation of his offering, God publicly ‘testified’ of His acceptance of it. (Hebrews 11:4)[/li][li]Abel’s offering still ‘speaks’ to God. By it Abel ‘being dead yet speaketh.’ (Hebrews 11:4)[/li][/ol]
Christ was pictured by the life of Abel
[ol]
[li]Our Lord is a Shepherd: ‘the Good Shepherd.’ (John 10:11)[/li][li]It was as a Shepherd that Jesus Christ presented His offering to God. (John 10:11)[/li][li]Jesus, though giving no cause for it, Jesus was hated by His brethren according to the flesh the Jews. (John 15:25)[/li][li]It was through ‘envy’ that Jesus was delivered up to be crucified. (Matthew 27:18)[/li][li]Our Lord did not die a natural death. He was slain by ‘wicked hands.’ (Acts 2:23)[/li][li]Jesus was crucified by ‘the house of Israel’, His brethren according to the flesh. (Romans 9:5)[/li][li]After His death, our Lord’s murderers were punished by God. (Mark 12:9)[/li][li]The Lord Jesus was presented an offering ‘to God.’ (Ephesians 5:2)[/li][li]The offering He presented was Himself; a ‘lamb.’ (II Peter 1:19)[/li][li]In presenting Himself as an offering He was obedient to ‘the Word of God.’ (Hebrews 10:7-9)[/li][li]The offering Christ offered was an ‘excellent’ one. It was ‘a sweet smelling savor.’ (Ephesians 5:2)[/li][li]God accepted His offering: the proof being that He is now ‘seated at the right hand of God.’ (Hebrews 10:12)[/li][li]While presenting Himself on the Cross as an offering to God, ‘He obtained witness that He was righteous’ The centurion saying, ’This is a righteous man.’ (Luke 23:47)[/li][li]God publicly testified His acceptance of the offering by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 2:36)[/li][li]Christ’s offering now ‘speaks’ to God. (Hebrews 12:24)[/li][/ol]
Why, though, is the NT filled with so much anti-Jewish rhetoric? Even going as far as calling them the children of the devil? Can you blame Jews for resenting Christianity? Anyway, I know this is a ridiculous suggestion, but is it possible all theses parallels between Jesus and Abel, Joseph, Moses etc conveniently exist because some details about Jesus’ life were carefully invented? I mean, it’s possible isn’t it? For example, it is said the gospel of Mark is the first to be written because it references the destruction of the 2nd Temple around 70AD. Yet in the gospel, Jesus is predicting the destruction of the temple. Does that mean even NT scholars doubted that Jesus actually predicted the destruction of the temple and thought that the author of Mark simply recorded an event that already happened and backdated the prophecy to Jesus?
Believe it or not, satan is a copy cat of the worst kind. He’s a jealous competitor. When God chose the nation Israel for Himself, Satan went to the same country in order to lay claim of some Jews that he could use to oppose God’s plans. Look at Ishmael and Isaac. God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah regarding Isaac, but here comes satan again who inserts doubt into Sarah’s mind such that she offered her maid Hagar to Abraham and together they sired Ishmael. That’s how we got Islam, the antithesis of Christianity.
This is what satan does.
Matthew 13:24. Then Jesus taught them another parable: “Heaven’s kingdom can be compared to a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat and ran away.
Sounds like Satan is a real nuisance! So why has he been allowed to continue his evil-doing when Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the evil-doers in the time of Noah, were swiftly destroyed? Remember Satan has gone as far as tempting Jesus (even though he knew he is God and impossible to tempt but still went ahead anyway) and even entered Judas and made him betray Jesus who was eventually illegally killed. Why is Satan, time and again, literally getting away with murder? Why is God unwilling to destroy him?
Satan levelled some accusations on God, Holy Government and Jesus
He has to be allowed time to prove his theory.
Adam and Eve were given Earth’s title deed by God, but they willfully forfeited it by their disobedience. Now this earth belongs to satan but it’s only for a short time because the redemption work is done. Satan is not getting away with anything . Actually no one is getting away with anything. Every word ever uttered, every thought, every action will be accounted for.