There were four people in the Garden of Eden; Adam and Eve, the Lord God and … Satan, but how did Satan appear? As a ‘serpent’, or as ‘an angel of light’ as Paul describes him in 2 Corinthians 11:14.
As the Hebrew language has no vowels, some words can take on different meanings depending on which vowels are inserted. The Hebrew ‘nchsh’ can therefore either mean ‘serpent’ {nachesh) or ‘shining one’ (nachash). So was Eve deceived by Satan appearing as a serpent or as the angel of light? This book explores that second possibility and so …
- · What was it like in the Garden of Eden?
- · What was it like to walk and talk with God?
- · What was it like to live in a perfect world, where nothing ever went wrong?
- · Then one day … in a moment of time … what was it like when … EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR EVER?
This is the story of Adam and Eve in the beginning.
It is the story of life and death, good and evil, suffering and redemption.
It is the story of where we all came from, and why it all went wrong.
And ultimately it is a story about our future hope and destiny.
REVIEW
A novel insight into Genesis
By David Hall in the October 2023 issue of the Christian Resources Exhibition eNewsletter
What was it like in the Garden of Eden, in a perfect world where nothing went wrong? That was one of a number of questions which intrigued Sylvia Penny – so much so that she decided to write a novel with Genesis as a theme. Eve and the Angel of Light is the result, published this month by the Open Bible Trust.
‘I have always been interested in Genesis and how it was in the beginning of the world,’ she said. ‘What was it like to walk and talk with God as Adam and Eve did? And what if you did not understand what “wrong” meant? I wanted to write a book like this for many years but the pandemic gave me more time to think about it. It is the story of Adam and Eve in the beginning: the story of life and death, good and evil, suffering and redemption.’
‘It tells of where we all came from, and why it all went wrong. Ultimately it is about our future hope and destiny.’
Eve and the Angel of Light is Sylvia’s first novel, although she has previously written many theological books and booklets. A biblical scholar and theologian, she wants the book to give Christians a broader understanding of the faith and answer some of their questions, but also hopes it may be accessible to young people and ‘an introduction to how everything started.’ At 67, she brings a wealth of experience and theological knowledge to bear on a particularly difficult part of the Bible.
Husband Michael, the trust’s administrator, said: ‘Our trustees decided that this novel would introduce a different audience to scripture, in particular to Genesis and the start of the faith.’
