During the Intertestamental period the term prince began to be used (sometimes) to denote spiritual powers. Apocryphal books cited many demon powers, whom the Jews blamed for their captivity under the various earthly rulers. They were wrong. The Jews went into captivity by the hand of God because of their sin, as the Old Testament plainly states (Is 50:1). This aspect of human nature, blaming the devil for human behaviour, is common.
The Pharisees said Jesus cast out demons by the power of a demon prince called Beelzebub (Matt 12:24). Jesus called Satan the prince of this world (John 12:31). Paul in his epistles refers to principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness and spiritual wickedness. These are metaphors for spiritual opposition, not descriptions of a spiritual hierarchy (Eph 3:10, 6:12).
These are metaphors because Satan does not have rule over man. It is man’s own sin and the law of sin and death that rules him. Satan can tempt man, but it is man’s own sin that holds him captive to his own desires.
Paul also said these princes were coming to nought (1 Cor 2:6-9). Some of these references are to human rulers and some to spiritual powers (Titus 3:1). The New Testament did not present these powers as rulers of nations, or as successfully hindering the salvation of souls. God allows them to deceive where men’s hearts are not right with Him (2 Thes 2:11).
The New Testament shows God as sovereign and the gospel as God’s power, which no demon can hinder (Rom 1:16). It shows the enemy as opposing the gospel and our faith. God allows this opposition so we might learn to be soldiers (Eph 6:10, 2 Tim 2:3). He calls us not to fight the enemy, but to have faith and obey the gospel.
Soldier is a metaphor for preparedness and steadfastness (1 Cor 15:58). We are therefore encouraged not to fight Satan, but to resist (James 4:7), be vigilant (1 Pet 5:8), to watch (Matt 26:41), to stand in faith and the power of God’s might (Eph 6:11) and to give him no place (Eph 4:27) and call upon the Lord (Eph 6:18), all the while being absolutely assured of our victory in Christ (1 Cor 15:57).
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Friday, 17 September 2010
Princes
The idea that a prince of a kingdom refers to a spirit power was popularised by Scofield and others. Texts such as Dan 10:13 referring to “the prince of Persia” are used to depict demons fighting angels in the heavenlies.
The KJV Bible uses the word prince(s) hundreds of times in the Old Testament, but not once does it use the word to refer to a spirit ruler of an earthly nation. It is used for the angel Michael and for Christ. Every other time prince is used for a ruler of a nation it is always a human ruler.
Daniel 10 was written after Cyrus king of Persia ordered the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. When Daniel 10 was written, Cambyses was ruler of Persia and opposing the work in Jerusalem. Because books are separated into historical, poetic and prophetic sections in the Old Testament, we may read a prophetic book without connecting it to the correct historical book and the related time period.
Daniel 10 was written during the time of Zerubbabel, when the Jews were opposed while rebuilding the temple. Daniel was prophesying at that time, but so too was Haggai and Zechariah. The prophets were helping the Jews by encouraging them with the word of the Lord. The angel Gabriel was standing with them and helping them, just as he had come to stand by Daniel in Daniel 10.
We agree with John Wesley, that the prince of Persia was the human ruler of Persia named Cambyses who was opposing Israel. Gabriel went to stand with the Jews and was delayed in coming to Daniel. God permitted the delay. Daniel 10 is not about a demonic prince of Persia, or of the angel Gabriel fighting a demon power in the heavenlies. It is not teaching that Satan can delay God’s purposes. Wesley’s commentary on Dan 10:13 states:
Withstood me - God suffered (allowed) the wicked counsels of Cambyses to take place a while; but Daniel by his prayers and the angel by his power, overcame him at last: and this very thing laid a foundation of the ruin for the Persian monarchies…(Gabriel) remained to counterwork their designs against the people of God.
Gabriel stated that the prince of Greece was coming (Dan 10:20). This was referring to the human ruler of Greece. In Dan 11:3 he is called a mighty king and we know this was Alexander the Great. In Dan 9:26 Gabriel said “the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” and we know this was the human ruler of Rome, who destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70AD.
If Persia was ruled by a demon prince and not by God, why did king Cyrus of Persia command Jerusalem to be rebuilt? The concept that nations have different gods that strive for dominance is a pagan concept. All the Greek leaders thought in this way. It leads to people giving their attention to devils rather than to God. An incorrect understanding of these passages leads to several problems:
1. It causes us to focus on Satan rather than on Jesus Christ.
2. It causes us to see Satan as the evil one and not man and his own sin. There is no difference in evil between Satan and the heart of fallen man. The issue is man’s own sin and responsibility, not Satan’s. This is why Jesus came. When John said Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, he meant He came to deliver us from the law of sin and death and the curse God had spoken because of sin (1John 3:8).
3. It causes us to have an unbiblical approach to revival and prayer.
The KJV Bible uses the word prince(s) hundreds of times in the Old Testament, but not once does it use the word to refer to a spirit ruler of an earthly nation. It is used for the angel Michael and for Christ. Every other time prince is used for a ruler of a nation it is always a human ruler.
Daniel 10 was written after Cyrus king of Persia ordered the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem. When Daniel 10 was written, Cambyses was ruler of Persia and opposing the work in Jerusalem. Because books are separated into historical, poetic and prophetic sections in the Old Testament, we may read a prophetic book without connecting it to the correct historical book and the related time period.
Daniel 10 was written during the time of Zerubbabel, when the Jews were opposed while rebuilding the temple. Daniel was prophesying at that time, but so too was Haggai and Zechariah. The prophets were helping the Jews by encouraging them with the word of the Lord. The angel Gabriel was standing with them and helping them, just as he had come to stand by Daniel in Daniel 10.
We agree with John Wesley, that the prince of Persia was the human ruler of Persia named Cambyses who was opposing Israel. Gabriel went to stand with the Jews and was delayed in coming to Daniel. God permitted the delay. Daniel 10 is not about a demonic prince of Persia, or of the angel Gabriel fighting a demon power in the heavenlies. It is not teaching that Satan can delay God’s purposes. Wesley’s commentary on Dan 10:13 states:
Withstood me - God suffered (allowed) the wicked counsels of Cambyses to take place a while; but Daniel by his prayers and the angel by his power, overcame him at last: and this very thing laid a foundation of the ruin for the Persian monarchies…(Gabriel) remained to counterwork their designs against the people of God.
Gabriel stated that the prince of Greece was coming (Dan 10:20). This was referring to the human ruler of Greece. In Dan 11:3 he is called a mighty king and we know this was Alexander the Great. In Dan 9:26 Gabriel said “the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” and we know this was the human ruler of Rome, who destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70AD.
If Persia was ruled by a demon prince and not by God, why did king Cyrus of Persia command Jerusalem to be rebuilt? The concept that nations have different gods that strive for dominance is a pagan concept. All the Greek leaders thought in this way. It leads to people giving their attention to devils rather than to God. An incorrect understanding of these passages leads to several problems:
1. It causes us to focus on Satan rather than on Jesus Christ.
2. It causes us to see Satan as the evil one and not man and his own sin. There is no difference in evil between Satan and the heart of fallen man. The issue is man’s own sin and responsibility, not Satan’s. This is why Jesus came. When John said Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, he meant He came to deliver us from the law of sin and death and the curse God had spoken because of sin (1John 3:8).
3. It causes us to have an unbiblical approach to revival and prayer.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Satan’s Fall
The Bible does not speak in detail about Satan’s fall and apostasy. We can only infer it from the character of his temptations of others. He tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God and take the ambition of ascending to be God.
It has been said that Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 refer to Satan’s fall. We have some problems with this view. First, nowhere in the Bible does it say that we should interpret these passages in this way. We interpret some passages as referring to Christ, because the New Testament authors do so. But neither Jesus nor any of the apostles interpreted Old Testament scripture in this way with regard to Satan.
Secondly, we cannot see why we should interpret Isaiah 14 as referring to Satan when the passage specifically states it is referring to the king of Babylon (vs. 4) and to a man (vs. 16). The passage describes all the king of Babylon did in laying waste to the nations. It describes his defeat, as was fulfilled after the prophecy.
The name Lucifer (KJV vs. 12) is not a name for Satan. Lucifer was first used by Jerome in the 4th Century Latin Vulgate, but in the original language the word means morning star (Venus). This word (from the Septuagint OT) is used in 2 Pet 1:19 to refer to Christ. In Babylon they worshipped the stars. The king was also the priest of the gods and carried their names. Isaiah 14 is speaking about the fall of Babylon and its king.
The verses on self-exaltation refer to the king’s pride (vs. 13-14). The Ziggurats and the Tower of Babel were high (Gen 11). The priests and king would ascend upon them to “heaven”. His pride is clearly seen in Daniel 4 in the story of Nebuchadnezzar. He was worshipped. If the ambition to be God represents anything else in scripture apart from the king of Babylon then it is mankind in general. This was the ambition of Eve and Adam in the garden.
Ezekiel 28 is a similar passage about the judgement upon the kingdom of Tyre. The passage is about the king of Tyre (vs. 2 and 12). It specifically says he is a man (vs. 2 lit. Adam). In Hebrew, Adam means man. It says he is wiser than Daniel. This is referring to his self-estimation, pride. He has become rich due to his trade. God said He will bring an army against him. This exactly describes Tyre and its fate.
Ezek 28:11 refers to the glory and riches of the kingdom. “You seal up the sum” means the king had everything. He was in Eden, from a Hebrew word for paradise, with music and all that was beautiful. His wealth in terms of the precious stones of his palace and temple are mentioned.
The “anointed cherub” and “holy mountain” refer to the king’s role as high priest and to his presumption in spiritual things. His “perfection” refers to the splendour of his kingdom and “the day that he was created” (made) refers to his inauguration as king. This is what it means in Ps 2. “This day I have begotten Thee” refers to Christ’s exaltation to the throne. This is poetic language describing the king’s pride.
The king of Tyre’s main sin was the “iniquity of your traffic”, meaning dishonest trade (NIV). Satan did not trade. The passage concludes by saying the kings of the earth and all the people shall be astonished when they see him brought to ashes upon the earth. This is speaking about the destruction of Tyre. If the passage alludes to anyone else it is to the pride of Adam and Eve (man in general) in our fall.
Many have said that Ezekiel 28 teaches that Satan was the worship leader in heaven before his fall. The passage does not state this. To interpret scripture in this way makes the whole of the prophets arbitrary. We study context and history for the meaning and intention of the words. If we study commentaries on these matters we must go back to those written before Dispensationalism (or modern works that avoid it).
It has been said that Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 refer to Satan’s fall. We have some problems with this view. First, nowhere in the Bible does it say that we should interpret these passages in this way. We interpret some passages as referring to Christ, because the New Testament authors do so. But neither Jesus nor any of the apostles interpreted Old Testament scripture in this way with regard to Satan.
Secondly, we cannot see why we should interpret Isaiah 14 as referring to Satan when the passage specifically states it is referring to the king of Babylon (vs. 4) and to a man (vs. 16). The passage describes all the king of Babylon did in laying waste to the nations. It describes his defeat, as was fulfilled after the prophecy.
The name Lucifer (KJV vs. 12) is not a name for Satan. Lucifer was first used by Jerome in the 4th Century Latin Vulgate, but in the original language the word means morning star (Venus). This word (from the Septuagint OT) is used in 2 Pet 1:19 to refer to Christ. In Babylon they worshipped the stars. The king was also the priest of the gods and carried their names. Isaiah 14 is speaking about the fall of Babylon and its king.
The verses on self-exaltation refer to the king’s pride (vs. 13-14). The Ziggurats and the Tower of Babel were high (Gen 11). The priests and king would ascend upon them to “heaven”. His pride is clearly seen in Daniel 4 in the story of Nebuchadnezzar. He was worshipped. If the ambition to be God represents anything else in scripture apart from the king of Babylon then it is mankind in general. This was the ambition of Eve and Adam in the garden.
Ezekiel 28 is a similar passage about the judgement upon the kingdom of Tyre. The passage is about the king of Tyre (vs. 2 and 12). It specifically says he is a man (vs. 2 lit. Adam). In Hebrew, Adam means man. It says he is wiser than Daniel. This is referring to his self-estimation, pride. He has become rich due to his trade. God said He will bring an army against him. This exactly describes Tyre and its fate.
Ezek 28:11 refers to the glory and riches of the kingdom. “You seal up the sum” means the king had everything. He was in Eden, from a Hebrew word for paradise, with music and all that was beautiful. His wealth in terms of the precious stones of his palace and temple are mentioned.
The “anointed cherub” and “holy mountain” refer to the king’s role as high priest and to his presumption in spiritual things. His “perfection” refers to the splendour of his kingdom and “the day that he was created” (made) refers to his inauguration as king. This is what it means in Ps 2. “This day I have begotten Thee” refers to Christ’s exaltation to the throne. This is poetic language describing the king’s pride.
The king of Tyre’s main sin was the “iniquity of your traffic”, meaning dishonest trade (NIV). Satan did not trade. The passage concludes by saying the kings of the earth and all the people shall be astonished when they see him brought to ashes upon the earth. This is speaking about the destruction of Tyre. If the passage alludes to anyone else it is to the pride of Adam and Eve (man in general) in our fall.
Many have said that Ezekiel 28 teaches that Satan was the worship leader in heaven before his fall. The passage does not state this. To interpret scripture in this way makes the whole of the prophets arbitrary. We study context and history for the meaning and intention of the words. If we study commentaries on these matters we must go back to those written before Dispensationalism (or modern works that avoid it).
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Satan
Whether we are talking about angels or demons one thing must be understood. Though the Bible makes some statements about these it does not describe a detailed theology of them. The main reason for this is that both angels and demons are under God’s rule and are His business, not ours.
Our task is to look to Jesus and give no place to the devil (Heb 12:2, Eph 4:27). Notice that God did not warn Adam of the serpent, but only told Adam to obey His word. Obedience is all that is required by us.
The scripture does not speak of the origin of Satan, or directly of his fall. It is also not stated in scripture what demons are. They could be the angels that fell, but the scripture says fallen angels are kept in chains, unless these chains just depict their defeat and torment (Jude 6). Demons are not disembodied spirits from a so-called pre-Adamic race. The Bible does not once mention a pre-Adamic race of men, but calls Adam the first man (1 Cor 15:45).
When Jesus said, “I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven” He was not speaking of the original fall of Satan but of His own victory (Luke 10:17-19). He was referring to the coming of the kingdom to set men free, to the victory of grace over the law and the casting out of the accuser because of the cross of Christ. When He went to the cross He said, “Now is the judgement. Now is the prince of this world cast out.” (John 12:31).
Similarly, Rev 12:7-10 (“there was war in heaven”) does not speak of the original fall and apostasy of Satan, but it depicts the victory of Christ on the cross and the New Covenant. It means “the accuser of the brethren has been cast out.” (Rev 12:10).
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Rev 12:7-10).
This passage is about the New Covenant: “Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ.”
Our task is to look to Jesus and give no place to the devil (Heb 12:2, Eph 4:27). Notice that God did not warn Adam of the serpent, but only told Adam to obey His word. Obedience is all that is required by us.
The scripture does not speak of the origin of Satan, or directly of his fall. It is also not stated in scripture what demons are. They could be the angels that fell, but the scripture says fallen angels are kept in chains, unless these chains just depict their defeat and torment (Jude 6). Demons are not disembodied spirits from a so-called pre-Adamic race. The Bible does not once mention a pre-Adamic race of men, but calls Adam the first man (1 Cor 15:45).
When Jesus said, “I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven” He was not speaking of the original fall of Satan but of His own victory (Luke 10:17-19). He was referring to the coming of the kingdom to set men free, to the victory of grace over the law and the casting out of the accuser because of the cross of Christ. When He went to the cross He said, “Now is the judgement. Now is the prince of this world cast out.” (John 12:31).
Similarly, Rev 12:7-10 (“there was war in heaven”) does not speak of the original fall and apostasy of Satan, but it depicts the victory of Christ on the cross and the New Covenant. It means “the accuser of the brethren has been cast out.” (Rev 12:10).
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Rev 12:7-10).
This passage is about the New Covenant: “Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ.”
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Angels
Angel means messenger. Angels serve the Lord. They also serve God’s people. We do not have charge over angels. We do not pray to them or send them on assignments because:
1. This would lead to angel worship and idolatry.
2. Jesus said we should ask the Father in His name (John 16:23). He did not say we should pray to angels.
3. The Bible says that God “gives His angels charge concerning us” (Ps 91:11). That is, God directs how angels minister on our behalf.
4. If we directed the angels’ ministry it would not work well. It would depend on us remembering to give the right instructions at the right time and upon us knowing everything that needed to be done. We do not have this knowledge, so if we forgot to give an angel charge in any matter, our lives would be in danger.
5. Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, that the ministry of the angels should be sufficient for our need (Heb 7:25). This ministry for us is part of the New Covenant, which God said He would undertake on our behalf (Heb 1:14, Ps 103:20).
Another aspect on which people sometimes speculate is the hierarchy of angels. It appears that Gabriel and Michael were angels to Israel during the Old Covenant, but the scripture does not give details on this. Some (John Wesley and others) have said that Michael was an Old Covenant term for Christ. A careful study would be required to say any more.
The Bible also mentions seraphim. However, the scriptures do not give a clear description of a hierarchy, nor of the roles of the various angels. We do not know the details on these matters and we are not supposed to know. The Lord is the one who directs their work.
There is also the “angel of the Lord” often mentioned in scripture. The identity of this angel could vary according to the text. Angel of the Lord just means messenger of the Lord, but the term could also mean a manifestation of the Son of God Himself in angelic form, sometimes called a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ.
It appears that the angel of the Lord often received worship, as was the case with the angel that Samson’s parents met (Judges 13:20), the angel that Abraham met and ate a meal with, the angel of God’s presence that was to follow Moses, the captain of the Lord’s hosts that Joshua met when crossing into the Promised Land and Melchizedek.
There is some mystery in these cases. The book of Hebrews says Melchizedek was greater than Abraham who had the promises (Heb 7:6). He is the only figure in Hebrews that is not said to be inferior to Christ.
Sons of God may sometimes refer to angels in various texts, such as Job 1. This refers to majesty or rulership duties in God’s kingdom. Angels are sometimes called elohim in Hebrew which means magistrate. God is the supreme El. Some of these angels are obedient to God and some rebellious, though they are all under His power (2 Pet 2:4).
The term “sons of God” does not always refer to angels. It can refer to men, to whom God gave dominion over the animals, under His will. In the Old Testament, it could also refer to men who walked with God. It can also mean magistrate, or mean one directly formed by God in His image, as Adam was. The Old Testament usage is never the same as the New Testament usage, meaning one born of the Spirit.
It may be that “the sons of God” who cohabited with the daughters of men in Genesis 6 were not angels but the descendants of the godly seed from Seth cohabiting with ungodly women. God did not want the godly seed and the ungodly to intermarry. He kept the lineage of Christ pure until the promised Seed came. Abraham was particular about who Isaac married (Gen 24:3).
Part of the reason for the Flood was to keep the lineage of Christ faithful and ensure the promise was fulfilled. Jesus said angels do not reproduce (Matt 22:30). Claims of some today that they have been impregnated by demons are not true.
The Hebrew for “giants” (KJV) in Genesis 6 can mean men of renown. These were ungodly and oppressive rulers like Nimrod and the kings of empires that followed later. They have no connection with Goliath. According to the text of Genesis 6 God judged men for their evil hearts, not demons or angels. Jude 6 (and 2 Pet 2:4) is likely a reference to the rebellion of angels and not to Genesis 6.
Tales that ascribe demons to Genesis 6 are built on Jewish pseudepigrapha books (books using a false name for the author), written during the Intertestamental period. The book of Enoch is one of these. It was not written by Enoch, but books like this are useful in describing Jewish thought before Jesus came. That Jude was inspired to use a phrase from the book of Enoch does not mean that the book of Enoch was inspired.
Enoch and other apocryphal writings were used by early Christian writers, supposedly assuming licence from Jude and following the asceticism of Judaism and this led to a lot of false theology being incorporated into early church history, which the Koran also adopted.
The Council of Laodicea (364 AD) rightly discredited the book of Enoch and it then passed out of general circulation until recent times. Some modern teachings are rebuilding on these Jewish ideas. (See www.jewishencyclopedia.com).
These Jewish ideas are harmful and we agree with Calvin’s commentary on 2 Pet 2:4:
But as Peter mentions here but briefly the fall of angels and as he has not named the time and the manner and other circumstances, it behooves us soberly to speak on the subject…
And indeed they who curiously inquire, do not regard edification, but seek to feed their souls with vain speculations. What is useful to us, God has made known, that is, that the devils were at first created, that they might serve and obey God, but that through their own fault they apostatized, because they would not submit to the authority of God; and that thus the wickedness found in them was accidental and not from nature, so that it could not be ascribed to God…
In all, we are instructed to accept what the scriptures say without speculating beyond what is revealed plainly. God said to Moses that the things that are revealed are for men, but the things that are not revealed are for God (Deut 29:29).
Occult means hidden. When we speculate on endless questions and build doctrines on things that are not of major importance in scripture we are outside of the will of God. Paul said do not do it:
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Tim 1:4).
1. This would lead to angel worship and idolatry.
2. Jesus said we should ask the Father in His name (John 16:23). He did not say we should pray to angels.
3. The Bible says that God “gives His angels charge concerning us” (Ps 91:11). That is, God directs how angels minister on our behalf.
4. If we directed the angels’ ministry it would not work well. It would depend on us remembering to give the right instructions at the right time and upon us knowing everything that needed to be done. We do not have this knowledge, so if we forgot to give an angel charge in any matter, our lives would be in danger.
5. Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, that the ministry of the angels should be sufficient for our need (Heb 7:25). This ministry for us is part of the New Covenant, which God said He would undertake on our behalf (Heb 1:14, Ps 103:20).
Another aspect on which people sometimes speculate is the hierarchy of angels. It appears that Gabriel and Michael were angels to Israel during the Old Covenant, but the scripture does not give details on this. Some (John Wesley and others) have said that Michael was an Old Covenant term for Christ. A careful study would be required to say any more.
The Bible also mentions seraphim. However, the scriptures do not give a clear description of a hierarchy, nor of the roles of the various angels. We do not know the details on these matters and we are not supposed to know. The Lord is the one who directs their work.
There is also the “angel of the Lord” often mentioned in scripture. The identity of this angel could vary according to the text. Angel of the Lord just means messenger of the Lord, but the term could also mean a manifestation of the Son of God Himself in angelic form, sometimes called a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ.
It appears that the angel of the Lord often received worship, as was the case with the angel that Samson’s parents met (Judges 13:20), the angel that Abraham met and ate a meal with, the angel of God’s presence that was to follow Moses, the captain of the Lord’s hosts that Joshua met when crossing into the Promised Land and Melchizedek.
There is some mystery in these cases. The book of Hebrews says Melchizedek was greater than Abraham who had the promises (Heb 7:6). He is the only figure in Hebrews that is not said to be inferior to Christ.
Sons of God may sometimes refer to angels in various texts, such as Job 1. This refers to majesty or rulership duties in God’s kingdom. Angels are sometimes called elohim in Hebrew which means magistrate. God is the supreme El. Some of these angels are obedient to God and some rebellious, though they are all under His power (2 Pet 2:4).
The term “sons of God” does not always refer to angels. It can refer to men, to whom God gave dominion over the animals, under His will. In the Old Testament, it could also refer to men who walked with God. It can also mean magistrate, or mean one directly formed by God in His image, as Adam was. The Old Testament usage is never the same as the New Testament usage, meaning one born of the Spirit.
It may be that “the sons of God” who cohabited with the daughters of men in Genesis 6 were not angels but the descendants of the godly seed from Seth cohabiting with ungodly women. God did not want the godly seed and the ungodly to intermarry. He kept the lineage of Christ pure until the promised Seed came. Abraham was particular about who Isaac married (Gen 24:3).
Part of the reason for the Flood was to keep the lineage of Christ faithful and ensure the promise was fulfilled. Jesus said angels do not reproduce (Matt 22:30). Claims of some today that they have been impregnated by demons are not true.
The Hebrew for “giants” (KJV) in Genesis 6 can mean men of renown. These were ungodly and oppressive rulers like Nimrod and the kings of empires that followed later. They have no connection with Goliath. According to the text of Genesis 6 God judged men for their evil hearts, not demons or angels. Jude 6 (and 2 Pet 2:4) is likely a reference to the rebellion of angels and not to Genesis 6.
Tales that ascribe demons to Genesis 6 are built on Jewish pseudepigrapha books (books using a false name for the author), written during the Intertestamental period. The book of Enoch is one of these. It was not written by Enoch, but books like this are useful in describing Jewish thought before Jesus came. That Jude was inspired to use a phrase from the book of Enoch does not mean that the book of Enoch was inspired.
Enoch and other apocryphal writings were used by early Christian writers, supposedly assuming licence from Jude and following the asceticism of Judaism and this led to a lot of false theology being incorporated into early church history, which the Koran also adopted.
The Council of Laodicea (364 AD) rightly discredited the book of Enoch and it then passed out of general circulation until recent times. Some modern teachings are rebuilding on these Jewish ideas. (See www.jewishencyclopedia.com).
These Jewish ideas are harmful and we agree with Calvin’s commentary on 2 Pet 2:4:
But as Peter mentions here but briefly the fall of angels and as he has not named the time and the manner and other circumstances, it behooves us soberly to speak on the subject…
And indeed they who curiously inquire, do not regard edification, but seek to feed their souls with vain speculations. What is useful to us, God has made known, that is, that the devils were at first created, that they might serve and obey God, but that through their own fault they apostatized, because they would not submit to the authority of God; and that thus the wickedness found in them was accidental and not from nature, so that it could not be ascribed to God…
In all, we are instructed to accept what the scriptures say without speculating beyond what is revealed plainly. God said to Moses that the things that are revealed are for men, but the things that are not revealed are for God (Deut 29:29).
Occult means hidden. When we speculate on endless questions and build doctrines on things that are not of major importance in scripture we are outside of the will of God. Paul said do not do it:
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Tim 1:4).
Monday, 13 September 2010
Pentecostalism Defined
Pentecostalism can be defined as Spirit empowered witness to Christ. The Spirit works in us to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ. He is not representing Himself in His own ministry. His testimony and witness is of Christ and not of Himself.
Jesus Christ is the one who died for sin, who is the Saviour. The Spirit empowers the Christian, but is not the object of our attention. He points to Jesus Christ. We do not pray to the Spirit nor worship Him. He is God, but God has directed worship as follows:
The Spirit takes us through Jesus Christ to the Father. He enables true worship. Without Him we cannot see God or know Him and we cannot please God or worship Him. This entire ministry of the Spirit is not undertaken in His own name, but in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the person through whom the Spirit of God moves. The Father has willed that we honour the Son (John 5:23, 6:28-29, 1 John 4:3, 5:11-12).
In Acts, the early disciples were witnesses to the resurrection of Christ and “so too is the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 5:32). Where we see a spirit witnessing of himself, it is not the Holy Spirit. The emphasis of every sermon in the book of Acts is Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. (See Acts 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, for example.) The Spirit’s testimony is always, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to them that obey Him. (Acts 5:29-32).
In Acts 2, Peter spoke two or three verses from Joel when people asked what had happened. He said the Spirit was given through Christ and then for the rest of the chapter he preached Christ. The way to minister the Holy Spirit to people is to preach Christ, not to preach the Spirit. The Spirit is given through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Any ministry that purports to do miracles and does not have Jesus Christ at the centre of its message and His atonement for sin and His resurrection from the dead and His Lordship and His transforming power in the new birth to deliver people from the power of sin and make them holy and that does not lift up the word of God as truth by which He will judge men, is not of God.
God allows these false ministries to have some miracles, or the appearance of miracles, to test men’s hearts, to show whether they have received the love of the truth and follow the truth, or whether they follow signs to their own destruction (2 Thes 2:10-12). “Test the spirits.” (Josh 5:13, 1 John 4:1).
Jesus Christ is the one who died for sin, who is the Saviour. The Spirit empowers the Christian, but is not the object of our attention. He points to Jesus Christ. We do not pray to the Spirit nor worship Him. He is God, but God has directed worship as follows:
The Spirit takes us through Jesus Christ to the Father. He enables true worship. Without Him we cannot see God or know Him and we cannot please God or worship Him. This entire ministry of the Spirit is not undertaken in His own name, but in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the person through whom the Spirit of God moves. The Father has willed that we honour the Son (John 5:23, 6:28-29, 1 John 4:3, 5:11-12).
In Acts, the early disciples were witnesses to the resurrection of Christ and “so too is the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 5:32). Where we see a spirit witnessing of himself, it is not the Holy Spirit. The emphasis of every sermon in the book of Acts is Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. (See Acts 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, for example.) The Spirit’s testimony is always, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to them that obey Him. (Acts 5:29-32).
In Acts 2, Peter spoke two or three verses from Joel when people asked what had happened. He said the Spirit was given through Christ and then for the rest of the chapter he preached Christ. The way to minister the Holy Spirit to people is to preach Christ, not to preach the Spirit. The Spirit is given through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Any ministry that purports to do miracles and does not have Jesus Christ at the centre of its message and His atonement for sin and His resurrection from the dead and His Lordship and His transforming power in the new birth to deliver people from the power of sin and make them holy and that does not lift up the word of God as truth by which He will judge men, is not of God.
God allows these false ministries to have some miracles, or the appearance of miracles, to test men’s hearts, to show whether they have received the love of the truth and follow the truth, or whether they follow signs to their own destruction (2 Thes 2:10-12). “Test the spirits.” (Josh 5:13, 1 John 4:1).
Sunday, 12 September 2010
The New Covenant
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has shed forth this, which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:33).
The Spirit was sent by Christ after His glorification at the Father’s right hand, to represent Christ as head of His body, the church. The Spirit comes in the name of Christ and speaks of Christ and ministers to the heirs of eternal life the blessings of Christ. Jesus said, “He will not speak of Himself…He will glorify Me…He will take that which is mine and show it to you.” (John 16:14).
The Spirit does this through the gospel. He is the voice of Christ, speaking the word of God into our heart, to bring us into new birth. He sustains our life daily, by dwelling within our flesh. The Spirit will never disagree with the scriptures. He is the author of them and the fulfiller of them according to the will of Christ and Christ according to the will of the Father.
The Spirit gives gifts to the church, such as healing or miracles, special faith or knowledge, to sustain us in the time of need. These are given for our good and the good of His body, by the will of the Spirit and not by our own timing, way or making.
He also gives ministry gifts to the church, for the establishment of the church in any generation. All these things are by His will and not according to method, which men can learn and pass on, so that people might live by the love and power of Christ within and not be corrupted by self-reliance.
The Spirit was sent by Christ after His glorification at the Father’s right hand, to represent Christ as head of His body, the church. The Spirit comes in the name of Christ and speaks of Christ and ministers to the heirs of eternal life the blessings of Christ. Jesus said, “He will not speak of Himself…He will glorify Me…He will take that which is mine and show it to you.” (John 16:14).
The Spirit does this through the gospel. He is the voice of Christ, speaking the word of God into our heart, to bring us into new birth. He sustains our life daily, by dwelling within our flesh. The Spirit will never disagree with the scriptures. He is the author of them and the fulfiller of them according to the will of Christ and Christ according to the will of the Father.
The Spirit gives gifts to the church, such as healing or miracles, special faith or knowledge, to sustain us in the time of need. These are given for our good and the good of His body, by the will of the Spirit and not by our own timing, way or making.
He also gives ministry gifts to the church, for the establishment of the church in any generation. All these things are by His will and not according to method, which men can learn and pass on, so that people might live by the love and power of Christ within and not be corrupted by self-reliance.
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