Genesis 3:15 means that the seed of the woman — whom Galatians identifies as Christ — will bruise the serpent's head, while the serpent bruises His heel, making it the first prophecy of the Redeemer.
God declares lasting enmity between the serpent and the woman and between their seeds. Les Feldick teaches that the woman's seed is Christ, that the head-bruise is Christ's defeat of Satan at the cross, and that the heel-bruise is the suffering Christ endured through the ordeal of the cross (Clips 1, 3).
Genesis 3:15 — The verse at the heart of the question — God's declaration of enmity and the prophecy of the head and heel bruises.
Galatians 3:16 — The New Testament cross-reference that identifies the promised singular Seed as Christ, which Les uses to name the seed of the woman.
Genesis 3:15 is God's declaration to the serpent after the fall: 'And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.' It follows God's curse on the serpent in Genesis 3:14: 'Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.' The verse announces hostility between the serpent and the woman and between their seeds: the woman's seed will bruise the serpent's head, and the serpent will bruise the heel of that seed. Scripture later identifies this promised seed. Galatians 3:16 states that the promises were made to Abraham's seed — not 'seeds' as of many, 'but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.' Galatians 4:4 shows that the Son was 'made of a woman,' and Genesis 4:1 records Eve's first words after Cain's birth: 'I have gotten a man from the LORD.'
Les Feldick teaches that Genesis 3:15 is 'the first prophecy... of the coming of the Redeemer' — the point where 'the Redeemer concept is begun,' spoken by God to the serpent right after the fall (Clip 2). It is, he says, 'where His promised coming is first voiced, right after Adam and Eve fell' (Clip 3). He calls the promised line of redemption 'that scarlet thread of salvation that starts with Genesis 3:15 and carries all the way through Scripture' (Clip 4). Les repeatedly identifies the seed of the woman as Christ, pointing his students to Galatians: 'Galatians tells us flat out, who is the seed of the woman? Christ' (Clip 3). He urges readers to prove it from Scripture itself: 'what I say doesn't really hold that much water. But if we can show that it's what the Word says' (Clip 7). On the two wounds, Les teaches that both took place at the cross. 'When did Christ bruise and defeat Satan? Well, at the cross. Now, how did Satan get in the last part when it says, "thou shalt bruise his heel," that is the seed's heel, and that was the suffering that Christ went through through the ordeal of the cross' (Clip 1). He explains the head-bruise language by noting that a serpent is killed only by destroying its head: 'Christ literally defeated Satan at the cross. He bruised the head of the serpent' (Clip 5). He also describes Genesis 3:15 as the beginning of 'a running battle between Satan and Jesus Christ,' noting that Satan immediately tried to disrupt God's program — including, after the Abrahamic covenant, a 4,000-year campaign to destroy Israel because everything would be fulfilled through that nation (Clip 6).
Les Feldick answers this with one word: Christ. 'Galatians tells us flat out, who is the seed of the woman? Christ' (Clip 3). He points to Galatians 3:16, which distinguishes the promised seed as one — not many — and identifies that Seed as Christ. In Genesis 3:15 God speaks of 'her seed,' and Les says this is where Christ's promised coming is 'first voiced' right after the fall (Clip 3). He urges readers to see it in Scripture for themselves: 'what I say doesn't really hold that much water. But if we can show that it's what the Word says' (Clip 7).
Les teaches that both wounds point to the cross. 'When did Christ bruise and defeat Satan? Well, at the cross. Now, how did Satan get in the last part when it says, "thou shalt bruise his heel," that is the seed's heel, and that was the suffering that Christ went through through the ordeal of the cross' (Clip 1). He explains why the head is specified: 'there's only one way you can really put a serpent to death, and that is you attack the head... Christ literally defeated Satan at the cross. He bruised the head of the serpent' (Clip 5).
Les calls this passage 'one of the primary verses of the book of Genesis' and 'the first prophecy... of the coming of the Redeemer,' where 'the Redeemer concept is begun right here in chapter 3, verse 15' (Clip 2). He also refers to it as 'that scarlet thread of salvation that starts with Genesis 3:15 and carries all the way through Scripture' (Clip 4). The seed of the woman was going to crush the serpent's head, setting in motion the promised line of redemption from the very beginning of Scripture (Clips 2, 4).
Les takes note of Eve's first recorded words after the birth of Cain in Genesis 4:1. He clarifies the text, saying, 'I have gotten a man-child... Now the King James says, from the Lord or from Jehovah' (Clip 0). Eve's declaration that she had received her child 'from the LORD' — and the fact that it comes immediately after the promise of the woman's seed — is part of how Les draws attention to the expected Redeemer (Clip 0).
Eve's Words in Genesis 4:1
Les highlights Eve's declaration after Cain's birth — 'I have gotten a man-child... from the Lord or from Jehovah' — emphasizing the KJV wording right after the promise of the woman's seed.
The Head and Heel at the Cross
Les identifies the seed of the woman as Christ and explains that the head-bruise (Satan's defeat) and the heel-bruise (Christ's suffering) both refer to the cross.
The First Prophecy of the Redeemer
Les calls Genesis 3:15 'the first prophecy of the coming of the Redeemer' and notes the Redeemer concept begins here, with God speaking to the serpent because the woman was tempted first.
Galatians Identifies the Seed
Les points to Galatians for the plain answer that the seed of the woman is Christ, and says this is where Christ's promised coming is first voiced after the fall.
Scarlet Thread of Salvation
Les calls the seed's crushing of the serpent's head 'that scarlet thread of salvation that starts with Genesis 3:15 and carries all the way through Scripture.'
Destroying the Serpent's Head
Les explains that a serpent must be destroyed by attacking its head, and that 'Christ literally defeated Satan at the cross. He bruised the head of the serpent.'
A Running Battle
Les sees Genesis 3:15 as the promise of a running battle between Satan and Christ, explaining how Satan then tried to destroy Israel after the Abrahamic covenant.
Prove It From Scripture
Les shows the enmity is between the forces of Satan and the woman's seed and urges readers to verify from Galatians who the seed is rather than take his word for it.
Genesis 3:14: And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
God's curse on the serpent immediately before the Redeemer promise, showing why the serpent is addressed.
Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The verse in question — the first prophecy of the Redeemer and the enmity between the two seeds.
Genesis 4:1: And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Eve's first recorded words after bearing Cain, with the KJV phrase 'from the LORD' that Les highlights.
Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Paul's explanation that the promised seed is singular — Christ — the verse Les uses to identify the seed of the woman.
Galatians 4:4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Shows the Son sent forth was 'made of a woman,' matching the promise of the woman's seed.
The seed of the woman is Christ. Les Feldick points to Galatians 3:16, which distinguishes the promised seed as one — not many — and identifies that Seed as Christ. He puts it plainly: 'Galatians tells us flat out, who is the seed of the woman? Christ.'
At the cross. Les teaches that Christ literally defeated Satan at the cross, which is the bruising of the serpent's head. He explains that a serpent can only be killed by destroying its head, which is why Genesis 3:15 uses that language.
Les teaches that the heel-bruise refers to the suffering Christ went through in the ordeal of the cross. The seed's bruising of the serpent's head was Satan's defeat, while the serpent's bruising of the heel was the cost Christ paid in suffering.
Because it is the first place God voices the coming of the One who would redeem. Les calls it 'the first prophecy... of the coming of the Redeemer' and says the Redeemer concept begins right there in chapter 3, verse 15. He calls this promise 'that scarlet thread of salvation' that carries through all of Scripture.
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