What is narrated here happened at a later time, although it is placed at the beginning of the book. For it was a custom with the writers to narrate many things in an inverted order in their writings. We also find in the prophets some visions recorded in the past tense but which were fulfilled only later. Again, some are recorded as future events but have already been fulfilled. And this was done by the disposition of the Spirit so that the devil might not understand the things spoken in parables by the prophets and might not a second time lay his snares and ruin humanity.
