Because man fell, the Principle of Creation was left unfulfilled. Ever since the fall, God has been working to restore man to his true state. This is called the dispensation of restoration. In this chapter and throughout Part II we will examine God's work in the history of restoration.

Since God began His work through the chosen people of Israel, the history of the Old Testament forms the record of the dispensation of restoration from Adam to Jesus. After the time of Jesus, the chosen people were the Christians, whom Paul called the "spiritual Israel." Christianity became God's direct instrument for the fulfillment of His dispensation. Therefore, the history of the Christian Church must be examined in order to understand the history of restoration after Jesus.

A. Adam

Both men and angels are spiritual beings created for eternity. Therefore, as their Creator, God could never desert them or leave them forever in a fallen state, even though they were responsible for their own downfall. Hence, in accordance with the Principle, God must restore men and angels to their original state.

Adam and Eve, who had been created only good, became a blend of good and evil as a result of their bond with Satan. Because of this neither God nor Satan could claim them completely. Adam and Eve were thus placed in a neutral position, resembling a buffer zone between God and Satan.

Man was created to serve one God; he cannot serve two. Because of the unprincipled relationship between Lucifer and Eve, Satan had a basis for claiming man, and thereby dominated him. Satan's domination is contrary to the Principle. Nevertheless, God cannot claim man unless man initiates his return to Him. God wanted man himself to set the conditions for his return by demonstrating his faith in God. Thereby a foundation for restoration could be established. By offering sacrifices to God, man could demonstrate his renewed faith in God and his rejection of Satan. If the offering was a true demonstration of man's faith, God could accept him, and Satan could be separated from him.

Man was created to serve only God; and should therefore bring offerings to Him alone. There were elements of both good and evil in Adam. Therefore, Adam belonged wholly neither to God nor to Satan. To offer sacrifices to two lords, God and Satan, was against the Principle. Because of the evil in Adam, Satan could claim him. For this reason, Adam did not qualify to offer sacrifices as a condition for his return to God.

In order to separate evil from good in Adam, God gave him two sons, Cain and Abel, who were allowed to bring sacrifices. God placed them in opposing positions, representing evil and good, and exemplifying the elements of evil and good in Adam. Thus Cain and Abel were to bring offerings to God from opposing positions. It had to be decided, however, who should represent good and who should represent evil. Both Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve, and therefore both were the fruit of Eve's fall. There were two basic factors which determined their positions.

The first factor was the fall of Eve, the mother of these two sons. Eve had been depraved through two unprincipled acts of love. Eve's first relationship contrary to the Principle was with Lucifer. This was evil. The second relationship was with Adam, who, with God's blessing, was to be her spouse upon their perfection. Any sexual relationship between Adam and Eve before maturity was a violation of God's law. Even though both relationships were evil, Eve's motivation in the latter differed somewhat from that in the former. Eve had repented in her heart for her first transgression and wished to return to God by joining with Adam, whom God still loved. Hence, Eve's second transgression warranted sympathy, and though it was still sin, it was less evil than her first. Being the first son, Cain represented Eve's first act of love, her relationship with Lucifer -- evil. As the second son, Abel represented Eve's second act of love, her relationship with Adam-relative good. There was another reason that Abel was placed in the position of good. Cain, who was the firstborn, should have been claimed by God. But Satan, having already occupied man, now claimed the first son. This left Abel, the second son, to God. For these two reasons Cain represented the position of evil, that of Lucifer, and Abel the position of good, that of Adam. Hence, Abel was in a position closer to God, whereas Cain was in a position closer to Satan.

From these two opposing positions of evil and good, Cain and Abel brought offerings to God. Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer. (Gen. 4:2) Abel offered of the firstborn of his flock, and Cain brought his harvest. God accepted Abel's offering, but He rejected Cain's. Why did God not accept Cain's offering? Because of his position, which represented that of Lucifer, Cain had to establish a condition of indemnity to be accepted by God. He had to make restitution by reversing the process of the fall of Lucifer. Lucifer, jealous of Adam, had abandoned his original position in order to dominate Adam. Cain, in reverse, had to show love for Abel in a situation where he could be equally jealous. Cain also had to subject himself to Abel by waiving his position as elder brother and receiving God's favor through Abel. In this way Cain could make restitution for Lucifer's act. Had he been successful, he would have rid himself of his fallen nature, with the result that all Adam's family would have been freed from that nature. Then God could have accepted Cain's offering. It was an absolute requirement that Cain come to God through a mediator, Abel. Knowing what he should have done, Cain nevertheless repeated the fallen act of Lucifer and killed Abel.

If Abel had subjugated Cain in love and helped him to make his offering successfully, they themselves would have become the foundation in reality. Then it would have been possible for Adam to be separated from Satan. Based on these conditions, a foundation for the Messiah could have been laid with Adam's family. However, by the failure of Cain's offering and his murder of Abel, God's dispensation for Adam's family was nullified. A foundation of faith could not be laid in Adam's family, and 1600 years elapsed before another family could be chosen.

Throughout the history of Israel second sons were chosen by God and were blessed rather than first sons. For example, the first sons of Egypt were stricken by death prior to the Exodus of Israel. God loved Jacob and "hated" Esau while they were yet in their mother's womb. When Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, for blessing, Jacob crossed his hands and laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh, the elder. (Gen. 48:14) In all these instances, the position of the first son represented that of Cain, whereas the position of the second son represented that of Abel. The same type of opposing relationship has existed between not only individuals, but also families, churches, nations, and the two ideological blocs, Communism and Democracy. The reflection of Cain, who represents all degrees of evil, must be subjected to the reflection of Abel, who represents all degrees of good. Cain-like factions must approach God through their Abel-like mediators.

A. Noah

Noah was a descendant of Seth, the third son of Adam. Seth was placed in the position of Abel on the basis of Abel's faith and offering which God had accepted. From Adam to Noah, ten generations (1600 years) elapsed. The ten generations and the 1600² years carry much spiritual significance.

What do these ten generations signify? The number ten here represents the total of nine and one. The period of man's growth toward Perfection is represented by the number nine, because each of the three stages of growth, Formation, Growth, and Perfection, consists of three degrees. Only after progressing through these nine degrees can one reach union with God. Hence, the number ten signifies the return to the ONE.

Sixteen hundred years has the same significance as sixteen. Sixteen is a multiple of the number four, which symbolizes the base of four positions, whose establishment is the primary goal of restoration. Thus, both ten generations and 1600 years signify a full cycle of separation from Satan, which was required as a condition of indemnity.

After this cycle elapsed, a condition was made and God could begin His work. For this God chose Noah, who demonstrated his faithful dedication by building an ark for 120 years. Noah fully obeyed God by carrying out this exceedingly difficult task in a corrupt and faithless age. Noah's great faith enabled him to undertake the fulfillment of God's dispensation. By constructing the ark, Noah laid the foundation of faith.

The ark was the symbol of the new cosmos, and its three decks represented the three stages of creation. Within the ark, Noah was in the position of God toward his family, who represented mankind, and toward all the animals, who represented the creation. By constructing the ark, Noah made a condition of indemnity for the restoration of the cosmos lost through Adam's fall. On this basis Noah was placed in Adam's position and thus became the father of mankind.

To bring flood judgment to the adulterous age of Noah, God sent torrential rains which lasted 40 days. Forty here is derived from the four positions Noah was to restore and the cycle of ten generations between Adam and Noah.

The primary goal of creation was to establish the base of four positions, consisting of God, Adam, Eve, and their children. In order to restore the four positions, the number 40 has been used in the time intervals of separation from Satan. Some examples of such periods are: the 40-day flood; the 1600 years from Adam to Noah; the 400 years from Noah to Abraham; the 400 years of slavery in Egypt; Moses' 40 years in an-Egyptian palace; Moses' 40 years in Midian and his 40 years in the wilderness; the 40-day fast on Mt. Sinai; the 40 days of spying on Canaan; the 400 years of judges; the 40-year reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon; Elijah's 40-day fast; Jesus' 40-day fast; 4,000 years from Adam to Jesus; 40 generations from Abraham to Jesus; etc.

After the rain Noah sent forth a raven which flew about until the waters were dried up from the earth. (Gen. 8:6-13) The raven represented Satan, who was seeking a chance to invade Noah's family as he had Adam's family. Then Noah sent forth a dove every seven days for three weeks. The third time, the dove did not return, and Noah knew that the water had subsided. The three flights of the dove represented the three stages of restoration.

Noah and his family left the ark and began a new life. The eight members of Noah's family-Noah and his wife and their three sons and their wives-were equivalent to the eight in Adam's basic family-Adam and Eve and their three sons and their wives. Adam's family of eight was lost by Cain's failure. The eight members of Noah's family were a new family with whom a new creation would begin. Thus, the number eight signifies a new start. For example, after the seven days of creation, another cycle started on the eighth day. Noah and his family were now separated from Satan. Noah's faith was fully manifested in the work of his ark.

Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard. One day he fell asleep naked in his tent. Ham, his second son, saw the nakedness of Noah and felt shame. Ham told his brothers, Shem and Japheth, who then took a garment and walked backward to cover their father's nakedness. (Gen. 9:20-25) When Noah awoke and learned what Ham had done, he cursed Ham's son, Canaan, to be a slave to his brothers.

The fact that this Satanic sense of shame appeared in Noah's family-specifically in Ham-is of much significance. Through Ham's act, Satan invaded Noah's family. The 40-day separation from Satan through flood judgment now became void; God's dispensation for Noah's family was unfulfilled. When Adam and Eve were innocent, they felt no shame at their nakedness. Such feeling of shame is not the natural feeling of innocent man, but a result of the fall. When Ham felt shame and conveyed it to his brothers, Satan could claim him. Thus he was rejected by God.

Noah's family was in the position of Adam's family and had to make restitution for the failure of Adam's family. Noah's family had to restore the innocent state which had existed prior to Adam's fall. By responding innocently to Noah's nakedness, Ham could have reversed Adam's shame and thus restored the original innocence. However, by feeling and expressing shame, Ham failed. Because Noah was absolutely faithful to God, Ham should have had complete trust in his father. Ham's deep reverence and love would then have left no room in his mind for shame. Through Ham, God wanted once again to feel the beauty of innocence. For this reason, Ham was shown Noah's nakedness. By this Ham could have become one with God in heart, and thus one with Noah, on whose foundation of faith Ham could have become the foundation in reality. Thus, Abel's position would be restored in Ham. Ham's feeling of shame showed that he was still related to Satan. Satan thus took over Noah's family. Any person or family of God's choosing for the fulfillment of His dispensation must be completely separated from Satan.

Because of the failure of Ham the following conditions were claimed by Satan and lost to God: the 40-day flood judgment; the ten generations from Adam to Noah; Noah's great faith; and lastly, Ham, whom God had favored because of his important role as the second son. Until these four conditions were recovered, God could not start His work again.

A. Abraham's Call

It was not until the appearance of Abraham that all the necessary conditions were met. Four hundred years or ten generations after Noah, God chose Abraham to lay the foundation of faith. The number 40 and the ten generations lost through Ham's failure were thus simultaneously regained. Abraham, like Noah, was a man of great faith. The loss of Ham's position, that of chosen second son, was also regained in Abraham, even though Abraham was himself a first son. Since the time of Cain and Abel, God had esteemed second sons and Satan had loved first sons, who were in Cain's position. However, Satan had taken Ham, God's beloved second son. God, in retribution, now took Abraham, whom Satan loved as a first son, and placed him in the chosen position of second son. Thus, through Abraham, God restored the positions of Ham and Noah, and also Abel and Adam. Because these four conditions were regained in Abraham, he was placed in the same position as Adam and Noah. It was thus necessary for Abraham to make restitution for the loss of Adam's family.

God called Abraham from Ur of Chaldea and commanded him to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house and to make his way to a land which God would reveal to him. With unquestioning faith and obedience, Abraham left his homeland, which represented the Satanic world, and went to Canaan with his wife Sarah, and Lot, his nephew. Together with God they thus formed four positions.

However, since there was a famine in Canaan, they continued on to Egypt. Before entering Egypt, Abraham told Sarah to pretend to be his sister. In Egypt, Pharaoh took Sarah into his house because of her great beauty. God thereupon afflicted Pharaoh's household with a plague. In fear, Pharaoh asked Abraham to leave Egypt with Sarah.

While Adam and Eve were still as brother and sister, Lucifer took Eve. Abraham and Sarah had to face a situation having the same potential as that which Adam and Eve had encountered with Lucifer. Sarah had been sought by Pharaoh, but remained untaken and returned to Abraham safely. By taking back Sarah, their nephew Lot, and all their goods, Abraham restored symbolically the wife, children, and all things that Satan had taken from Adam. By coming victoriously out of Egypt, Abraham restored the position of Adam's family.

Having defeated Satan symbolically, Abraham made a condition, on which God gave him a promise of blessing. Showing him the stars of heaven, God said to Abraham:

"So shall your descendants be." And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" (Gen. 15:5c-8)

Abraham asked God how to obtain His blessing. God said to him: "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." (Gen. 15:9) This was the condition Abraham was to fulfill. By fulfilling it, he would have laid the foundation of restoration. In his offering he would have paid restitution for what had been lost by Adam and Noah. Thus, Abraham would have become the foundation of faith. The sacrifices which Abraham was to offer symbolized the three stages of restoration as well as the entire creation, including mankind. The turtle dove and the young pigeon represented the Formation Stage; the she-goat and the ram, the Growth Stage; and the heifer, the Perfection Stage.

With the coming of Jesus, the Old Testament dispensation was fulfilled, and the Formation Stage was completed. When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended upon him in the form of a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." (Matt. 3:17b) The dove represented the Formation Stage of restoration, which was fulfilled by the arrival of Jesus.

With Jesus' public ministry, the dispensation of the New Testament started. His mission began the Growth Stage of the restoration. John the Baptist pointed Jesus out, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29b) Jesus and the Growth Stage were symbolized by a lamb.

Samson put a riddle to some Philistines. When they could not discover the answer, they threatened Samson's wife, a Philistine woman. She then enticed Samson to reveal to her the answer. When the Philistines learned the answer from her and gave Samson a correct reply, Samson said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle." (Judges 14:18d) In this verse Samson compared his wife to a heifer. In the Perfection Stage, the Lord of the Second Advent will come in the capacity of a Bridegroom and receive mankind as his bride. Therefore, the Perfection Stage is symbolized by the heifer. In this stage mankind will be elevated to the direct union with God and men's hearts restored to Him. This is to be accomplished through the ministry of the Second Advent.

In making his important sacrifice, Abraham did not cut the birds in two, although he cut both the heifer and the lambs. After this, fowls descended on the offerings.

As the sun was going clown, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, "Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years." (Gen. 15:12-13)

Abraham's failure to cut the sacrificial birds in half made a base for Satan's intervention in his offering. Thus fowls came down on the birds which Abraham had failed to cut. Abraham should have cut each of his offerings in two, one half representing Cain's position, and the other half, Abel's. Because of his failure in this, Abraham's descendants were destined to undergo 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

In order to carry out the dispensation of restoration, a complete separation between good and evil had to be made. The good and evil in Adam's family were to be separated through Cain and Abel and their offerings. The flood of Noah's day had the same purpose. Through the flood-judgment Noah's family was separated from Satan.

Abraham's offering had an identical meaning. Cutting the sacrifices in two symbolized the separation of all things from Satan and their restoration to God. Secondly, restitution would thus be made for the failure of Cain and Abel. Thirdly, by cutting the sacrifices, Satan's blood would be symbolically removed. Man's blood became stained by his relationship to Satan in the fall. As a symbolic act of removing this stained blood, the sons of Israel were circumcised.

Representing the Formation Stage, the offering of the birds was the foundation of the whole sacrifice. Since the foundation became Satan's, the rest of the sacrifice also became his. Abraham failed in this important instance. Hence, the 400 years from Noah to Abraham were lost. In order to make restitution for the lost 400 years, the posterity of Abraham had to suffer in the Satanic world for an equal length of time. For this reason the Israelites were held in bondage 400 years in Egypt.

Abraham's failure to lay the foundation was the third such failure. After the failure of Adam's family the task was transferred to Noah's family. After Ham's failure, God chose Abraham to make a third attempt to lay a foundation of faith. This dispensation had twice been left unfulfilled; first through Adam's family and then through Noah's family. Three is the number of completion. Because Abraham was the third to be chosen, he absolutely had to establish the foundation.

Abraham was given a second chance to establish the foundation of faith. His second course had to be more difficult than the first, to make restitution for his failure. The way open to him was through Isaac, his son. Since Satan had taken two generations with Adam and Cain, God was free to take two generations, Abraham and Isaac. Also, Abraham could stand on the merit of Abel and Noah, who had demonstrated steadfast faith.

God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, in order to make restitution for his failure. Isaac was given to Abraham with God's promise to multiply his descendants to the number of the stars. Though Abraham was a man of faith, he could have felt that to offer the promised son as a burnt offering was inconsistent with God's promise. Nevertheless, having realized his grave mistake and the consequent enslavement of his descendants, Abraham resolved to obey God's command. God said to Abraham:

"Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. (Gen. 22:2, 4)

On the third day after Abraham's departure, God showed him a place to build an altar. Hence, a three-day term became the period of separation from Satan to precede certain significant courses of restoration. Abraham built the altar and bound Isaac, in preparation for the sacrifice. He then placed his son on the altar.

Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am L" He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." (Gen.22:10-12)

Having observed Abraham's great faith and obedience demonstrated in the offering of his son, God was content. Isaac was sanctified by Abraham's dedicated faith so that God could accept Isaac as a living offering. God then provided Abraham with a ram to burn on the altar. In his first offering, Abraham did not fully realize the significance of God's command. But in his second offering he reverently obeyed God, since he had realized his great error. The words, "Now I know that you fear God" are a profound expression of God's relief. By his wholehearted obedience and cooperation, Isaac became one with Abraham, succeeding his father's mission. Thus they were victorious in the second offering, and the foundation of faith was established.

A. Birthright

If Abraham had succeeded in his first offering, Ishmael, Abraham's first son by Hagar, and Isaac would have been in the positions of Cain and Abel. They could have made a condition of indemnity by Ishmael's subjugating himself to Isaac, thus overcoming their fallen nature. Since this was not accomplished, God gave Isaac twins, Esau and Jacob, to carry out the roles of Cain and Abel. Esau, the first son, was in Cain's position and represented Abraham's first offering. Jacob, the second son, was in Abel's position and represented Abraham's second offering, Isaac. Being in opposing positions, they fought in their mother's womb. (Gen. 25: 22) God loved Jacob as he had Abel, and hated Esau as he had Cain. (Rom. 9:13)

Because Lucifer unrighteously took dominion, he has been in Cain's position over the creation. Thus he stole man's birthright, which man must claim. God wanted to accomplish this through Esau and Jacob, who were in the positions of Cain and Abel. Accordingly, Jacob tricked Esau into giving up his birthright in exchange for bread and lentils. (Gen. 25:33-34) Thereupon Jacob went to his father, Isaac, and in deception received the blessing which was intended for Esau. Infuriated, Esau hated Jacob and wanted to kill him. Their mother, Rebecca, advised Jacob to flee, and sent him to her brother, Laban, in Haran. (Gen. 27:41-45) In Haran Jacob labored for twenty years, during which time he took wives, begat children, and acquired livestock. After twenty years, he returned to Canaan. In his returning journey, however, he still remembered the anger of Esau and sent many gifts ahead to placate him. (Gen. 32:13-20)

Jacob was indebted to his mother, Rebecca, who provided for his successful flight to Haran. Without her assistance, Jacob could not have accomplished his mission. This was also an act of restitution. The fall of Adam's family began with Eve and was completed by her son, Cain. Thus evil came into the world by way of a mother and son. Therefore, through the cooperation of another mother and son, the effects of evil in Adam's family were reversed.

On his way back from Haran, Jacob stayed alone one night at the ford of Jabbok where he wrestled through the night with an angel and prevailed over him. Jacob made indemnity for the restoration of man's dominion over the angels, which was lost with the fall. Thus, he received the new name, Israel. By winning that name, Jacob laid the foundation on which to form the chosen nation.

Forgetting his anger, Esau was pleased with Jacob's gifts and welcomed him with love. In this way Esau also obtained God's favor and his life in Canaan was blessed by God. Jacob, however, obtained the same blessing only after twenty years of labor in Haran. Being in the same positions as Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob paid indemnity by taking an attitude opposite to theirs. Thus, Esau helped Jacob to fulfill his role.

What was Jacob's role? Although Abel was the second son of Adam, God's blessing for the birthright went to him, because Cain, the first son, was allied with Satan. By slaying Abel, Cain took the heavenly birthright. Jacob had to take the birthright and the blessing of the firstborn by subjugating Esau. With the restoration of the heavenly birthright, Jacob brought God's blessing not only to himself but also to Esau.

In order to choose Abraham, ten generations had elapsed after Noah. But because of Abraham's mistake, the fulfillment was delayed for two more generations, Isaac and Jacob. Hence, twelve generations had been lost before God's will was at last fulfilled through Jacob. For the restoration of the twelve lost generations, God gave twelve sons to Jacob.

Jacob was the first person to subjugate Satan by restoring the heavenly birthright. To do this he won three battles. First, he took the birthright from Esau on the personal level, then expanded it to the family level through his struggle in Haran, and, finally, overcame the angel. Thus, the foundations of faith and reality which had been started by Abraham and Isaac were completed in Jacob. God's dispensation with Abraham, therefore, was fulfilled in three generations of his family. That is why, when the Israelites prayed, they called: "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob." Since God's will for Abraham was accomplished through Jacob, the Israelites called their nation the House of Jacob.

In Jacob the positions of Adam and Abel, Noah and Ham, and Abraham and Isaac were now all restored. Therefore, God's blessing for the father of mankind was given to Jacob. The blessing was originally intended for Adam: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it." (Gen. 1:28b)

Since Adam failed, the blessing was bestowed on Noah: "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, `Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.' " (Gen. 9:1)

Noah's family failed, and the blessing was transferred to Abraham: " `Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.' Then he said to him, `So shall your descendants be.' " (Gen. 15:5b)

Finally, God's blessing for Abraham was extended to Jacob:

And God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you." (Gen. 35:11-12)

Because of man's failure to fulfill God's dispensation, 2,000 years were required before there was established on earth a foundation of faith upon which God could undertake His work of restoration. By the time of Jacob the Israelites had expanded to a tribe. Although Jacob had succeeded in laying a foundation on the family level, the foundation for the Messiah now had to be a tribal one. Jacob's posterity, therefore, the Israelites, were chosen to carry on the restoration.

The new course was guided by Joseph, the first son of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob's beloved son Joseph was in Abel's position and his ten half-brothers were in Cain's position. They were jealous of Joseph, hated him, and tried to do away with him. Joseph was sold to Egypt by his brothers, but there he succeeded in winning the favor of Pharaoh, who made him ruler. When a severe famine befell Canaan, Joseph's brothers went to Egypt and humbled themselves before Joseph. Thus a condition of indemnity was made. As a result of this condition, they could bring their father Jacob and his family to Egypt and be reunited with Joseph. Thus seventy people of the house of Jacob, including his twelve sons, migrated to Egypt. Thereupon the 400-year sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt began. Thus, Jacob's family started the course of indemnity as a chosen tribe.

2 Since we shall use both the Old and New Testaments, we shall follow the chronology recorded in them. Some of the chronologies in Genesis may have been symbolic and not literally historical. But, by accepting other historical persons and events in the Old Testament as authentic, we cannot completely ignore the chronology therein. Revelations are often given in symbolic ways, and the chronology from Adam to Abraham may also have been symbolic. However, we shall follow it as well as the chronology after Abraham as written in the Old Testament.

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