The Curse Undone

Many Christians believe the curse that God pronounced after Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit (sinned) is still in force. After all, Adam’s judgment included “thorns and thistles [weeds] in the field,” which still occurs; and Eve’s judgment included “pain in childbirth,” which still happens (Gen. 3:16–19). As long as these things are a reality, we are told, that means the curse is still active.

I disagree with that for one simple reason: Scripture teaches the curse was undone in the first century!

The curse happened because of sin. And the Mosaic law (the Old Covenant) increased the offense (Rom. 5:19–20); it made man’s situation before God even worse! However, Paul said Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13, italics mine). In other words, the curse has been undone because Jesus has dealt with sin (Heb. 9:26–28).

Here’s another way to show the curse has ended. Revelation’s description of the new heaven and earth includes such things as “the New Jerusalem” (21:2), “no more death” (21:4), “a pure river of water of life” (22:1) and “no more curse” (22:3, italics mine). Yet Revelation itself says that the fulfillment of this prophecy was at hand when this book was written (Rev. 22:10). Therefore, these things must have happened in the first century.

In fact, the other New Testament books specifically say that each one of these items listed in Revelation happened in the first century. Regarding the New Jerusalem, the writer of Hebrews said in approximately AD 60, “You [Christians] have come to Mt. Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22; see also Rev. 21:2). Regarding the removal of death, Jesus said he overcame death in the first century: “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:26). Paul likewise said Jesus “abolished death” (2 Tim. 1:10). Keep in mind, this is referring to spiritual death, aka separation from God, not physical death. Moreover, Jesus overcame death only for God’s people, not everyone. Regarding the river of life, Jesus said: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). And regarding the curse, Paul said Jesus redeemed us from the curse by dying on the cross (Gal. 3:13, see above).

All these events in Revelation—including “no more curse”—happened in the first century, per the New Testament.

Possible objection: As stated above, the curse included things such as “increased pain in childbirth” (Gen. 3:16) and “thorns and thistles” in our gardens” (v 18)—which still occur!

Response: These descriptions symbolize what life is like—what life feels like—while in a state of separation from God (without Christ). Everything just seems harder to do. Nevertheless, these descriptions were meant no more literally than the descriptions about what life would be like after the curse has been undone, such as Revelation’s description of the new heaven and earth with “streets of pure gold” (Rev. 21:21)…which was fulfilled soon after Revelation was written, per John (vv. 1:1–3; 22:6–10).

Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus has redeemed us from the curse! As the popular Christmas carol “Joy to the World” proclaims: “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he [Jesus] comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found.”

By Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled, 11/28/24

For more information about the topics discussed in this article, get my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled.