This hope of redemption through the advent of the Son of God as Saviour and King, has never become extinct in the hearts of men. From the beginning there have been some whose faith has reached out beyond the shadows of the present to the realities of the future. Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-- 683 through these and other worthies the Lord has preserved the precious revealings of His will. And it was thus that to the children of Israel, the chosen people through whom was to be given to the world the promised Messiah, God imparted a knowledge of the requirements of His law, and of the salvation to be accomplished through the atoning sacrifice of His beloved Son.

Satan blev "denne verdens gud", fordi det lykkedes ham at få mennesket til at forlade lydighedens vej. 2Kor. 4,4. Det herredømme, som engang tilhørte Adam, overgik til magtraneren, men Guds Søn ville komme ned til denne jord for at betale syndens straf og derved både forløse mennesket og generobre det tabte herredømme. Mika profeterede herom, da han sagde: "Men du, o hyrdetårn, Zions datters høj, til dig skal det komme, det forrige herredømme tilfalde dig." Mika 4,8. Apostlen Paulus henviste hertil med disse ord: "Så hans ejendomsfolk kan blive forløst." Ef. 1,14. Salmisten tænkte også på den tid, da menneskets oprindelige arv ville blive givet tilbage, da han sagde: "De retfærdige arver landet og skal bo der til evig til." Sl. 37,29.