My Brother’s Keeper
And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:4-7)
Abel was the keeper of sheep, but as his older brother, Cain was Abel’s keeper. Cain was his watchman, his Aaron, his ‘High Priest.’ In the first century, the High Priests were not faithful watchmen but spiritual Canaanites. Like Cain, their hypocritical sacrifices were rejected by God, but the firstborn of the Creation ascended to heaven in clouds. Satan was deposed from accusing at the gate (door) of the Temple in heaven and thrown down to the Land. “Cain” again failed to rule over him. Satan took up residence in Herod’s Temple, and the firstfruits church, as Abel, was massacred in the late 60’s. The Lord had said, “If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” The full arrival of the New Creation ended the mercy shown to the prophet-killers. Vengeance on them was seven-fold.
Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:31-36)
