The Sacrificial System in the Garden of Eden: A Prehistoric Prophetic Sign

From the very first chapter of The Bible, the theme of sacrifice and redemption is woven into the fabric of human existence. In the Genesis narrative, God's provision of coats of skins (despite millions of years of natural deaths) for Adam and Eve after their fall is more than a mere act of empathy; it is a profound prophetic sign pointing to the ultimate sacrificial system to come.

Genesis: A Timeline of Sacrifice

Genesis 3:21, King James Version, states, 'Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them.' At this point, the events have taken place after:

The creation of the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3) The creation of a helpmate for Adam (Genesis 2:18-25) The declaration of what not to eat (Genesis 2:16-17) The commission to repopulate the Earth (Genesis 1:28) The infiltration of the enemy (snake, representing Satan) into the human world (Genesis 3:1) The declaration of the consequences of disobedience (Genesis 3:14-24)

The unconditional love of Father and Son then clothes humanity with creation itself, laying the foundation for the sacrificial system, which begins 2000 years before the appearance of Judaism. This is evident from John 1:29, where John the Baptist declares, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29).

Provisions for Deliverance and Sacrifice

From the very beginning, provisions were made for deliverance. This is exemplified in Genesis 4:5-7, where God's response to Cain's offering is profoundly instructive. God's rejection of Cain's offering was not mere grudging, but a prophetic sign:

Genesis 4:5-7, King James Version: 'But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

In this passage, God demands purity of motives and faith. Cain's attempt to atone for humanity's transgressions through death, rather than life, foreshadows the necessity of a perfect sacrifice.

The Lamb of God: A Prophetic Fulfillment

The ultimate fulfillment of this prophetic sign is prophesied in Ephesians 1:4, which states, 'According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:' and 1 Peter 1:20, which states, 'Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.'

The sacrificial system, originating in the Garden of Eden, points to a specific date in history—soon after God created the first human beings. The path to redemption was established long before humanity's existence, and the lamb serves as a tangible symbol of the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

In essence, the act of God providing skins for Adam and Eve served as the first foreshadowing of a broader and more profound theology of sacrifice. It is a reminder that the relationship between humanity and God is one of trust, love, and redemptive action. The eternal story of human redemption begins with the Garden of Eden and finds its perfect end in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.