The Adversary and the Promise
..... In our previous posting we introduced the early history of the Old Testament including the creation of mankind, our limited dominion over the earth and our fall into sin. But we also mentioned that man was tempted by the devil, which led to this sinful fall. So let’s take a moment to talk about the devil, who is also called Satan (which literally means ‘adversary’). .... "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit."
(Isaiah 14:12-15)
.... Satan and his demons are powerful, but it is important to understand that they simply cannot be compared to the far, far greater power of God Himself, who is the Almighty. Nevertheless, Satan would love to deceive you into thinking otherwise.
.... For example, many Christians today have been told that when man fell into sin in the garden, he was tricked into surrendering his earthly dominion to Satan, who now controls the earth in our stead. Thus, they believe that Satan is now in charge, and even God has been reduced to a sort of ‘Guerilla warfare’ in which He is constantly constrained to operate through a system of ‘legal rights’, which greatly hinders Him. But this is completely unsupported by the Scriptures. God has always remained sovereign, and does whatever pleases Him, while Satan is the one who operates through lawlessness (2 Thessalonian 2:8-9). But doesn’t that sound like something the devil would love for you to believe? .... "Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.".(Psalm 135:6)
also make a Way for us to be restored to Him. For at the same time that mankind fell, God spoke of the Messiah, or Christ, whom He would send into the world, and of the judgment that would come through Him upon the serpent:.... "So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
(Genesis 3:14-15)
posted by loren at 2:05 AM
11 Comments:
It is erroneously taught in some Christian circles that demons are the souls of an earlier race of man, meaning a pre-Adamic race. According to this teaching, God was displeased with them and destroyed them, and replaced them with Adam and his descendants. The only Scripture I’ve heard in support is Genesis 1:28 from the King James Version:
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
As the argument goes, the word ‘replenish’ means that the world had once been full, had since become depleted, and was now being ‘re-filled’. But I checked the Hebrew meaning and it really doesn’t mean to ‘re’-fill, it only mean to ‘fill’. (It is now translated that way in most other modern Bible translations.)
Even if there was a pre-adamic race, God would not have destroyed them utterly. That would be the same as saying, that He admits to making a mistake in creating them. Instead, if that ‘pre-adamic race’ had gone too far astray, He would have destroyed the majority, yet worked through a remnant in order to save the race itself - just as He did in destroying mankind through the flood, though He saved the race itself through Noah (see Rom 11:2-5). In that episode, He even saved the animals. Why not a whole race of mankind? This is consistent with His character and would therefore be the truth of the matter (see Mal 3:6).
We see something similar in Numbers 14:12, “Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."
Another point of similarity is in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “If I can find there ten righteous, I will spare it for the sake of ten.” Less than ten righteous were found in the city, but God still saved the ones that He did find (see 2 Peter 2:5-9).
Finally, we’ll see something similar in the end times: "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.” (Mark 13:20)
By
loren, at 4/07/2005 2:15 AM
I do have two more points about the so-called ‘pre-Adamic race’, that are based on implications. When God created mankind, He called the first man ‘Adam’, which simply means ‘Man’. This seems to imply that Adam was unique, totally distinct from any sort of being that existed, or had existed before him. In fact, 1 Corinthians 15:45 calls Adam ‘the first man’.
My second point goes along with the one I just mentioned. When Jesus came, He was called ‘the second Adam’, or ‘the second man’ (1 Cor 15:45-48). Adam was first, and Jesus was second. But if a pre-adamic race existed, wouldn’t Adam have been the second man, and Jesus the third?
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loren, at 4/07/2005 2:16 AM
Some Christians hold the mistaken notion that Satan received the dominion of this world after the fall of man. This is based on a statement by Satan himself, who is the father of lies, (Luke 4:6; John 8:44) and it is unsubstantiated elsewhere in Scripture – especially on this side of the cross (see Jer 27:5; Dan 4:25; Col 1:15,16; 2:10, in response). This, in turn, produces the flawed concept of 'legal rights' and 'jurisdictions', which even God ‘must’ submit to (see Job 9:12,19; 9:32,33; 36:23 in response).
Since this premise is flawed, the points derived from it are easily cast adrift. In this particular case however, it is a question of degree. If 'jurisdiction', 'authority', and 'legal rights' are replaced by the less powerful concepts of 'influence' or 'sway' (Eph 2:2; 1 John 5:19), and the results are adjusted accordingly, the concept becomes much truer.
Also bear in mind that spiritual principalities (demons and angels) rule over countries in ways that their human governments do not necessarily follow. For example, Michael has always been the prince of Israel, but sometimes there were good kings and sometimes bad. Regardless, Jesus Himself is the head of all principality and power, and reigns over all (Col 2:10).
By
loren, at 4/07/2005 2:18 AM
Some Christians are of the opinion that man's dominion of the world was lost to Satan through Adam's fall. The argument contains an important contradiction when it notes that the world, lost by Adam, could only be reclaimed by a second Adam (meaning Jesus). How, then, could Satan have gained control at any point? For only another Adam could do so.
Furthermore, the fall of man took place on essentially the same terms as Satan's: "Ye shall be as gods",. So how could this mean that man lost the dominion, but Satan gained it?
God's judgment on the serpent was a curse, to make him lower than all the cattle, and to go on his belly in the dust; and also that the serpent and mankind should thereafter be at war. In no sense was a 'new dominion' announced, except that the man should have dominion over the woman (Gen 3:16). Since the original dominion was awarded pro-rex, if authority were lost, it would have reverted to God alone (Ps 24:1; Zech 4:14; Luke 16:3). But actually, there is no Scripture to suggests man’s dominion ever was lost. It was only made tougher (Ps 115:16; Gen 3:17-19).
By
loren, at 4/07/2005 2:20 AM
In suit with their belief in a system of ‘legal rights’, under which God Himself is constrained to operate, some argue that prayer provides 'the legal and moral justification for God to release His power' in the world. Thus, God is waiting for our ‘authoritative prayer’ but is otherwise limited. But that is an unbiblical concept as well: "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?" (Is 40:13; c.f. Job 9:12; 35:7, Is 45:9; Eph 1:11; Gal 3:3).
Nor do we pray to/at the devil in spiritual warfare, as so many seem to do! Satan has blinded the eyes of the unsaved to the gospel (2 Cor 4:4). Therefore the intention of prayer, in evangelism, is that the gospel might have free course (Eph 6:18,19). This prayer is not directed at the devil, but to God in the form of a petition (Rom 10:1).
By
loren, at 4/07/2005 2:21 AM
haha...blog post and 5 comments...and they are all yours...hahaha
By
MaryAnn Mease, at 4/07/2005 11:52 AM
Hi Maryann,
Yes, I'm trying something new. Eventually I'd like to turn this blog site into a basic discipleship course. The main postings are the main points; but if anyone wants further information on the same subject, some more is available in the comments. These are things that are not really basic in themselves, but they are very useful to know in rounding out that basic understanding; or else, if I anticipate an argument, I might use the comments to put a defense in place. This also allows the postings themselves to be more concise.
You'll be seeing more in future postings, but of course other comments are welcome. In fact, they're the part I'm really looking for because they show me where further development is needed.
By
loren, at 4/09/2005 11:37 PM
Loren,
I'm not terribly well versed in the doctrine of which you speak; however, there are a few Scriptures I would refer you to that seem to have a bearing on this subject. I'd like to hear your comments on them and how they might apply to the subject at hand, i.e. Satan gaining dominion of the kingdoms of the earth. (Luke 4:5-7)
In 2 Cor. 4:4 there is one who is called the “god (theos) of this world” and says that this one “has blinded the eyes of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ…”
In John 12:31; 14:30; and 16:11, Jesus refers to one who is the “ruler (archon -- prince) of the world” which seems to me to be referring to the same one as in 2 Cor. 4:4.
We’re reassured, however, in Eph. 2:2 that this “prince (archon) of the power of the air” is now working in the SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE because they are “dead in their trespasses and sins” but we Christians have been “made alive together with Christ” so we are no longer under the control of that prince. Col. 1:13-14 tells us further that “He (the Father) has rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Again the language in all of this is that of a prince, a ruler, a god, and of domains and kingdoms. The Greek word used for “domain” is (exousia) and refers to “power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege); or the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed) -- from the Online Bible Greek Lexicon.
My point in this is that I’m assuming, as most Bible students do, that Satan is the one referred to here and he is said to be the ruler and the god of this world or age, and he has power and authority over those who are unbelievers but that Jesus Christ has broken that power in the lives of those who have put their faith in the sacrifice Jesus made for us, thereby, freeing us from his (Satan’s) dominion. (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8-10).
Probably one of the clearest verses on this subject is found in 1 John 5:19: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
One last portion of Scripture that seems to have some bearing on this subject is Rev. 5. I have heard well-known and well-respected Bible teachers expound that this Scroll, which only the Lamb is able to break its seals and open, is the title deed to the earth. Of course, that is conjecture, but in light of the other verses I’ve given, it seems plausible.
One thing that I am absolutely NOT saying is that God lost His Sovereignty. Satan is ONLY a created being and is still under God’s restraining hand in all things. However, mankind in general is under Satan’s rule as is plain in 2 Tim. 2:26 where the devil is said to have mankind in a snare and holds them captive to do his will. In that way, the devil certainly seems to have dominion of this world.
But praise be to the Lord, He has set US free from that dominion and will one day set the entire world free when “his enemies will be made a footstool for his feet” (Heb. 10:13). Would you please comment?
By
Anonymous, at 10/13/2005 11:29 AM
A long way since October,
Greetings Brother...
"Our relationship with Him was greatly strained by this, to our sorrow, and God shared in that sorrow from the depths of His own heart."
Visiting this statement - how well do we truly understand how grieved God was?
Consider Genesis 3:21, "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them."
God loved His creation so much, and was so grieved, that He did two things in this verse. The first is implied. God Himself was the first to kill. Before Adam's fall - there was no death. However, the very first mention of the 'action' of death is at God's hands (where did He get the skin to make the tunics if not from animals?)
The second is clearly stated: God made the first clothes. Think about it, He made the first clothes and clothed His creation. Adam and Eve were running around in fig leaves (Ge. 3:7). God made them clothes - to hide their nakedness. How many tears did He cry over every stitch?
By
Unchained Slave, at 3/22/2006 5:17 PM
Hi David,
I like the things you shared about God's heart in your comments -- they're wonderful! In fact, I think that's the true sort of lesson every time.
Things like the story of the clothes are designed to make us search for His heart in what He's doing. And doesn't it go to the bottom of our own heart when that's what we find?
Thanks again for these insights. Please feel free to share more of them!
By
Cleopas, at 3/22/2006 8:06 PM
Loren,
When you wrote the following:
"God has always remained sovereign, and does whatever pleases Him, while Satan is the one who operates through lawlessness (2 Thes 2:8-9). But doesn’t that sound like something the devil would love for you to believe?"
it almost sounds like the question is reflecting the previous statement.
I really appreciate your insight into God's heart as well as David's comment reflecting your thought. This is very stirring.
By
Anonymous, at 7/19/2006 12:37 PM
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