Leaves Of Gold

A Call To Return To Biblical Teaching

"...to contend earnestly for the faith..."

Year two, Number 1                                 JANUARY                                                      2007                                 

 

                                      MASTER OUTLINE NUMBER TWELVE                      \

Satan

Satan is a person. Yes, there is a personal devil. In this study you will see him appear before God and talk with Him. Only a person can take part in an intelligent dialogue (Job 1: 6-12, page 479). He reasoned with Eve in the Garden; only a personal, intelligent being can reason (Gen. 3:1-7, page 5). He quoted Scripture when he tempted Jesus (Matt. 4: 1-11, page 934). He accuses the brethren before God (Rev. 12:9, 10, page 1305). He performs miracles-signs (2 Thess. 2:9, page 1215). He tempts both saved and unsaved to commit sin. He makes war (Rev. 20:7-9, page 1313).

He has been given many names and titles in the Scriptures. Some of them are:

(1) Satan-" Adversary:' He does not have the capacity to love or to show mercy. He is called Satan

fifty times in the Bible.

(2) Devil-"Slanderer:' This title is used over a hundred times in the New Testament.

 (3) Abaddon-"Destruction:'

(4) Apollyon-"Destroyer" (Rev. 9:11, page 1303).

(5) Beelzebub-"Lord of Flies:' He is the god of all the demons (Matt. 12:24, page 953).

(6) The anointed cherub-An angel (Ezek. 28:14, page 806).

(7) "Day Star" or "Morning Star" (Is. 14:12, page 657). He can transform himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14, page 1174).

He is called "the god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4, page 1167), "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2, page 1187), "the great dragon" (Rev. 12:9, page 1305), and "that serpent of old" (Rev. 20:2, page 1313). Jesus called him "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31, page 1072). He is not the ruler of crea­tion; he is the ruler of this world system. Therefore, God warns us, "Do not love the world [world system] or the things in the world .... For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father" (1 John 2:15-17, page 1279). Satan desires that all be caught up in his system and be lost. God desires that all accept Jesus Christ and be saved. /"

 

12-A. Satan: His Origin (Ezekiel 28:11-19)-"You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created" (v. 15). Like everything God creates, Satan was perfect until iniquity was discovered in him. Verses 11-19 give us a glimpse of Satan's past (what he was), his present state (what he is), and his future (what he will be). In this portion of Scripture, Ezekiel addresses the king of Tyre, who was a self-proclaimed god. By no stretch of the imagination does the king of Tyre fit the description of this created supernatural person.

Thus, if we are to understand verses 11-19, it must be interpreted in the same manner as some of the messianic psalms. Following this method of interpretation, there is only one created supernatural person who fits this Scripture in Ezekiel 28-that person is Satan.

 

(1) He was God's masterpiece. There are three things said about Satan in his origin. He was

(a) "The seal of perfection" (v. 12). He was the sum of God's creation, one-of-a-kind, without peer in the angelic realm.

(b) "Full of wisdom" (v. 12). The Scriptures indicate that God endowed Satan with supernatural wisdom, but not complete wisdom. His wisdom is seen in the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan chose to tempt Eve, perhaps sensing that Adam would not be tricked. Paul suggests that "Adam was not deceived" (1 Tim. 2:14, page 1219). Satan knew that Eve could be deceived and that Adam would fall because of his great love for her. So Satan, full of cunning, used the serpent to tempt Eve, and Eve to tempt Adam-who would eat the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God, rather than be eternally separated from the one he loved (Gen. 3:1-24, page 5).

(c) "Perfect in beauty" (v. 12). Satan was the most beautiful creature that God had ever created. His beauty filled him with pride (v. 17). Beauty can be a blessing or a curse. Satan had physical beauty, supernatural wisdom, and the seal of perfection, but he wanted more. He fell when God found him full of iniquity (v. 15).

(2) He was God's "anointed cherub who covers" (v. 14). A cherub is an angel. One of his duties was to cover the throne of God (Ex. 25:20, page 85). Satan was not just a cherub, he was "the anointed cherub who covers" (v. 14). God anoints for three offices: prophet, priest, and king. Satan could have been anointed for one or all three offices. He is the only known angel the Lord anointed for any office.

(3) He was in "Eden, the garden of God" (v. 13). A careful reading tells us that this Eden was not the same Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. When Satan was in the Eden of Genesis 3, he was already a fallen angel. But, in this Eden, he was the sum of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. And "every precious stone was your covering" (v. 13). This covering is similar to the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:15-20, page 87). So perhaps Satan had indeed been anointed as high priest of Eden. The Scriptures also tell us that this covering was prepared for him "on the day you were created" (v. 13). This means that Satan had access into the very presence of God. In the Old Testament we find that only the high priest had this privilege (lev. 16:2-4,17, page 123). So in the first Eden, Satan was without sin-he was perfect. He fell when iniquity was found in him. God said, "I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God." However, he still has access to the throne of God (Job 1:6, page 479). "And I destroyed you" (v. 16). God's future judgments are so certain that they are often written in past tense (Rev. 20:10, page 1313).

See Isaiah 14:12-15, page 657, for Point 12-8: Satan: His Fall.

 

(1) He was God's masterpiece. There are three things said about Satan in his origin. He was

(a) "The seal of perfection" (v. 12). He was the sum of God's creation, one-of-a-kind, without peer in the angelic realm.

(b) "Full of wisdom" (v. 12). The Scriptures indicate that God endowed Satan with supernatural wisdom, but not complete wisdom. His wisdom is seen in the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan chose to tempt Eve, perhaps sensing that Adam would not be tricked. Paul suggests that "Adam was not deceived" (1 Tim. 2:14, page 1219). Satan knew that Eve could be deceived and that Adam would fall because of his great love for her. So Satan, full of cunning, used the serpent to tempt Eve, and Eve to tempt Adam-who would eat the forbidden fruit in disobedience to God, rather than be eternally separated from the one he loved (Gen. 3:1-24, page 5).

(c) "Perfect in beauty" (v. 12). Satan was the most beautiful creature that God had ever created. His beauty filled him with pride (v. 17). Beauty can be a blessing or a curse. Satan had physical beauty, supernatural wisdom, and the seal of perfection, but he wanted more. He fell when God found him full of iniquity (v. 15).

(2) He was God's "anointed cherub who covers" (v. 14). A cherub is an angel. One of his duties was to cover the throne of God (Ex. 25:20, page 85). Satan was not just a cherub, he was "the anointed cherub who covers" (v. 14). God anoints for three offices: prophet, priest, and king. Satan could have been anointed for one or all three offices. He is the only known angel the Lord anointed for any office.

(3) He was in "Eden, the garden of God" (v. 13). A careful reading tells us that this Eden was not the same Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. When Satan was in the Eden of Genesis 3, he was already a fallen angel. But, in this Eden, he was the sum of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. And "every precious stone was your covering" (v. 13). This covering is similar to the breastplate of the high priest (Ex. 28:15-20, page 87). So perhaps Satan had indeed been anointed as high priest of Eden. The Scriptures also tell us that this covering was prepared for him "on the day you were created" (v. 13). This means that Satan had access into the very presence of God. In the Old Testament we find that only the high priest had this privilege (lev. 16:2-4,17, page 123). So in the first Eden, Satan was without sin-he was perfect. He fell when iniquity was found in him. God said, "I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God." However, he still has access to the throne of God (Job 1:6, page 479). "And I destroyed you" (v. 16). God's future judgments are so certain that they are often written in past tense (Rev. 20:10, page 1313).

 

                                                        

2-B. Satan: His Fall (Isaiah 14:12-15) -lf we are to understand this portion of Scripture, it must be interpreted in the same manner as the messianic psalms (Ezek. 28:11-19, page 805; also Point 12-A, "Satan: His Origin," page 805). When the king of Babylon had been snared and taken captive "by him [Satan] to do his will" (2 Tim. 2:26, page 1227), Isaiah prophesied that the enslaved would take up a taunting chant against the king (vv. 3-11). This Babylonian monarch, filled with satanic splendor, power, and pride, was a visible symbol of the invisible "prince of the power of the air," who controlled and perhaps dwelled in him (Eph. 2:2, page 1187).

"How you are fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning!" (v. 12). Jesus said, "I saw Satan [the morning star] fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18, page 1026). Verses. 12-14 mark the fall of Satan, lithe anointed cherub" (Ezek. 28:14, page 806). This could have been the original sin; however, we cannot be certain.

Satan fell from his original exalted office when he desired to put his self-will above God's perfect will.

Five times he said, "I will."

(1) "I will ascend into heaven" (v. 13). It is possible that Satan was God's exalted ruler of this planet before his fall. The planet earth could have been the first Eden (Gen. 1:1, page 2). In this verse we see the original creation of the earth: "[God] did not create it in vain" (Is. 45:18, page 686). In Genesis 1:1 (page 2) the earth may not have been "without form, and void" as it clearly was in verse 2. There may have been a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1 :2. The events in verses 1 and 2 may have happened eons apart.

(2) "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (v. 13). Satan was not satisfied to rule only the angels under his delegated authority; he tried to will himself into authority over all of God's creatures.

(3) "I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north" (v. 13). Satan desired to sit on the mountain of God where the host of heaven assembled to worship God. He tried to will that he would receive worship along with God.

(4) "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds" (v. 14). His throne was beneath the clouds. Thus it could have been a spiritual world, or it could have been this planet earth in its original, created state. (5) "I will be like the Most High" (v. 14). Satan did not will to overthrow God and rule the universe; he wanted equality with God.

11-C. Satan: The God of This World (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4)- Many people underestimate the power of Satan, "'the god of this age" (v. 4). God, in His sovereign will, has allowed Satan to exercise limited power over this world. We do not know why. This is one of God's secrets (Deut. 29:29, page 208). God has allowed him to loam about on this earth (Job 1:7, page 479), seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8, page 1269).

('I) Satan has great power, but not all power. Only God is omnipotent (Matt. 28:18, page 982). God has ,III authority over His universe at all times.

(2) Satan has access to the presence of God, and he can roam this earth, but he is not omnipresent. He ,an only be in one place at one time. Only God is present in all places of the universe at all times (Ps. U9:7-10, page 590).

      (3) Satan has great knowledge, but not all knowledge. Only God is omniscient (Ps. 147:5, page 594).

      (4) As "the god of this age" (v. 4), Satan is worshiped. "So they worshiped the dragon" (Rev. 13:4, page 1306); the Dragon is Satan (Rev. 12:9, page 1305). Satan offered Jesus "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory ... if You will fall down and worship me." And Jesus answered, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve" (Matt. 4:8-11, page 934). Only God is to be worshiped (Ex. 20:1-5, page 79).

(5) Satan has limited power to obstruct the gospel:

(a) He has power to hide (hinder, obscure) the gospel from "those who are perishing" (v. 3). If you are a child of God and you are not sharing the gospel with the lost, you are hiding it from them. To know the gospel and not tell it is to hide it. To hide the gospel from the lost is to assist Satan.

(b) He has power to blind the minds of those "who do not believe." But "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (v. 4) has the power to illuminate their minds and set them free from spiritual darkness and eternal damnation. We must go with the gospel, and share it in the unlimited power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We must always remember: "He [God the Holy Spirit] who is in you is greater than he [Satan, a supernatural, fallen angel] who is in the world" (1 John 4:4, page 1280).

(c) Satan has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear, but do not understand the gospel (Matt. 13:19, page 956). Therefore, we must take time to make very clear the Good News of salvation, because we are sharing with the "natural man" who does not have the spiritual capacity to understand the gospel (1 Cor. 2:14, page 1149).

(6) Satan has limited power over this world system:

(a) Three times in the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus Christ called Satan "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31, page 1072; 14:30, page 1076; 16:11, page 1077).

(b) Paul tells us that Satan is "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:1, 2, page 1187). "The air" is the abode of the disembodied evil spirits, which are called demons. Believers are not completely immune to the power of Satan or the demons of the air (Acts 5:3, page 1093).

(c) Satan is also "the ruler of the demons" (Matt. 12:24, page 953). Satan is the chief devil, and all the disembodied evil spirits do his will.

(7) Satan has at least limited access to the presence of God, to accuse believers (Job 1 :6-12, page 479; 2:1-8, page 480). He will be cast out of heaven permanently, however, by Michael the archangel (Rev. 12:7-9, page 1305).

 

12-D. Satan: The Original Manslayer and Father of Lies (John 8:44)  -Jesus called Satan "a murderer from the beginning" (v. 44). He is the original manslayer.

                God created Adam and Eve and placed them in Eden, in a perfect environment. They were sinless, but untested, until God warned them: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:16, 17, page 5). But Eve was deceived by Satan and gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, who "was not deceived" (1 Tim. 2:13, 14, page 1219); he ate knowing that the penalty was death.

                At that instant, when Satan instigated the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he murdered the whole human race (Gen. 3:1-19, page 5). "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin [both spiritual and physical death], and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Rom. 5:12, page 1133). That is, all humanity sinned in the person of Adam, the head of our race. We are all born in sin (Ps. 51 :5, page 541), corrupted in our natures by Adam's initial sin; and consequently we live under a sentence of death (Rom. 5:12, page 1133).

                Satan knows how much God loves mankind (John 3:16, page 1052), how He is longsuffering toward us, wanting no one to be lost in sin, longing for us all to repent and be saved (2 Pet. 3:9, page 1275). Satan knows that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 33:11, page 811). Therefore, he works tirelessly to keep lost souls from believing in Christ as their personal Savior (John 3:36, page 1053).

Satan is not only the original manslayer, he is also the father of lies. He is the great deceiver (Rev. 12:9, page 1305), aiming high to bring God's people down to his low, fallen level. Therefore, believers must always be on guard against his enticing power, for he has caused

(1) Angels to fall in heaven. They will be cast out of heaven with him in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 12:9, page 1305);

(2) Adam and Eve to fall in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-7, page 5);

(3) King David to fall into sin, even though he was God's anointed king of Israel (2 Sam. 12:1-15, page

308);

(4) Peter to fall into sin, even though he was an apostle (Matt. 26:69-75, page 979); (5) Judas to fall from the ministry and apostleship (Acts 1 :25, page 1087);

(6) Ananias and Sapphira to fall from the fellowship of the church. They dropped dead in the assembly, because the early church was so pure and strong that their lie could not live within its fellowship (Acts 5:1-11, page 1093).

Remember that Satan, the original manslayer and father of lies, is powerful. Temptation is real, sin is attractive, and the flesh is weak; "therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12, page 1155). Satan is thus the exact opposite of Jesus Christ, who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6, page 1074).

 

12-E Satan: The  Tempter, Matthew 4-11.  The word "tempt" has a duel meaning: (1) to test, to search out, to try, to put to the proof; (2) to entice to commit evil.  If God is the tempter, as He was when he "tempted" Abraham, Genesis 22:1, or if He Himself is tempted, as He was in the wilderness by the children of Israel, Exodus 17:2, then in such cases the word means to test, or to put to the proof.  God never entices peoples or angels to commit evil, nor can He be enticed to sin, James 1:12-15.  But Satan or demons, and fallen humanity can entice others to commit evil, because they are evil within.  Before we examine the encounter between the God-Man and Satan, "the god of this age", 2 Cor. 4:4 we must keep in mind certain biblical facts:

(1) Jesus is God. God can be tested (Mal. 3:10, page 925), but He cannot be enticed to commit evil  James 1:13, page 1256).

(2) Jesus is more than mere man; He is not God and man separately, He is the God-Man (see Point 7­I). "Jesus Is the Father's Gift to Us," page 651; also Point 6-B, "He Was Unique in His Birth," page 1010). His God nature and His human nature were joined together, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, in such a way that the two natures were manifested in one person.

(3) "In Him there is no sin" (1 John 3:5, page 1280). Because He was not born of the seed of fallen Adam,  His conception was a biological miracle (Luke 1:35, page 1010). Hence He is free of every sin.

(4) "Who committed no sin". (1 Pet. 2:22, page 1266). He never sinned in thought, word, or deed. "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-17, page 1279) were never a part of His humanity. He did only the will of His Father. God sent His only begotten Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh". (Rom. 8:3, page 1136).

(5) "Who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21, page 1169). He never experienced sin; He never desired to sin. He "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15, page 1239).

(6) "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (v. 1). Satan did 110t plan this encounter with Jesus; it was according to the will of God and the work of the Holy Spirit (John 6:38, page 1059). Satan sought to corrupt the first Adam, tempting him through Eve. Adam fell. The last Adam, Jesus (1 Cor. 15:45, page 1162) sought Satan. In His humanity, in the wilderness, Jesus defeated the Devil. Satan is a defeated foe, and we know that "He [Jesus] who is in you [every believer] is greater than he [Satan] who is in the world" (1 John 4:4, page 1280).

(7) The purpose of His coming into the world was "that He might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John \:8, page 1280). However, the judgment of Satan and his works will be final only at the end of the kingdom age (Rev. 20:7-10, page 1313). Then all of creation will be eternally free of Satan, his demons, and his evil works.

The three points on which Jesus was tested were:

(1) "The lust of the flesh" (1 John 2:16, page 1279). Satan said to Jesus, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" (v. 3). He tempted Jesus to act independently of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, to satisfy a natural hunger in an unnatural way. Though Satan wanted Jesus to do the right thing in the wrong way, Jesus had no desire or inclination to obey the tempter and turn stones into bread.

Armed with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God". (Eph. 6:17, page 1192), Jesus met Satan and defeated him. Let this great lesson edify you: when tempted by Satan, demons, or man, don't be afraid to use the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,". to resist the Devil (James 4:7, page 1259)! The Scripture that Jesus quoted in resisting the Devil is Deuteronomy 8:3 (page 189).

(2) "The pride of life" (1 John 2:16, page 1279). The Devil took Jesus up into Jerusalem, placing Him on the pinnacle of the temple and saying, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down" (v. 6). Then Satan quoted from a prophetic psalm. In effect, he was saying:

(a) "Cast Yourself down and the people will know that You are the Messiah";

(b) "Prove to me that You trust the Father to deliver You. After all, 'in their hands they [the angels] shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone''' (d. Ps. 91:11, 12, page 565).

Again, Jesus used the "sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17, page 1192): "You shall not tempt the LORD your God" (Deut. 6:16, page 187).

(3) "The lust of the eyes" (1 John 2:16, page 1279)-the desire for what can be seen. The Devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him "the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (v. 8). Satan was offering a shortcut to the kingdom apart from the Cross. Jesus would not have to wait; it would be His now, "if You will fall down and worship me" (v. 9). But Jesus said, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve' " (v. 10). The Scripture Jesus quoted to resist the Devil is Deuteronomy 6:13 (page 187). This sums up God's program for the believer: Come and worship God, then go and serve Him.

12-F. Satan: His Work (1 Peter 5:8)-Satan is an untiring, cruel, and crafty worker, and he is a powerful adversary of the human race. He began his work on earth against God and man in the Garden of Eden, and will continue "seeking whom he may devour" (v. 8) until he is cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10, page 1313). So, to withstand the "wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11, page 1192), you must put on the whole armor of God:

(1) the girdle of truth (John 14:6, page 1074)

(2) the breastplate of righteousness (Rom. 10:1-4, page 1140)

(3) the gospel sandals (1 Cor. 15:3,4, page 1161)

(4) the shield of faith (Heb. 11:5, 6, page 1247)

(5) the helmet of salvation (Heb. 5:9, page 1240)

(6) the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12, page 1239) (7) praying always (1 Thess. 5:17, page 1213)

This armor is found in Ephesians 6:10-18 (page 1192), and without it you will live a defeated Christian life.

You need to be aware of some of Satan's works:

(1) He snares the unbeliever and takes him captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2:26, page 1227; d. Eph. 2:1-3,

page 1187).

(2) He entices men to commit evil (1 Thess. 3:5, page 1211).

(3) He has the power of death (Heb. 2:14, page 1237). He is the slayer of men (John 8:44, page 1063). (4) He motivates professing believers to betray Christ (John 13:2, page 1073).

(5) He inspires believers to lie to God in the church (Acts 5:1-11, page 1093).

(6) He enters into people and causes them to do his will (John 13:21-27, page 1073).

(7) He has the power to steal the Word of God from the hearts of those who hear the Word of God, but do not understand it (Matt. 13:19, page 956). 

(8) He blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from being saved (2 Cor. 4:4, page 1167).

(9) He has access to the throne of God and accuses the brethren before God (Rev. 12:10, page 1305) (10) He sifts the believer to bring out the chaff in his life (Luke 22:31, 32, page 1043).

(11) He will work through the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation (2 Thess. 2:8-12, page 1215).

For thousands of years Satan did everything in his power to block the first coming of Christ and to keel' Him from fulfilling the Old Testament types and prophecies of His atoning death on Calvary (Is. 53:1-1J, page 693).

                    

11-G. Satan: His Present and Eternal Abodes (Job 1:6-12)- The Scriptures clearly teach that Satan, in his original creation, was "the anointed cherub" (Ezek. 28:14, page 806), a perfect angel; but he sinned, and God said, "I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God" (Ezek. 28:16, page 806). Again, God spoke to Satan, saying, "How you are fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground" (Is. 14:12, page 657). Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18, page 1026). These three Scriptures speak of Satan's spiritual fall. However, God, in His sovereign will, still allows this fallen angel some type of access, in person, into the very presence of God.

(1) His present abode is in the heavenly realm or on this earth (vv. 6-12). Satan seems to have the privilege and power to be on earth or in the heavens at will. He is not omnipresent; however-he cannot be in two places at the same time.

(2) He will reach his future, eternal abode in three stages:

(a) In the Great Tribulation, Satan and his angels (disembodied evil spirits) will be cast out of heaven and grounded upon the earth until the end of the Tribulation (Rev. 12:7-12, page 1305).

(b) At the end of the Great Tribulation and the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Satan will be bound and cast into "the bottomless pit" for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3, page 1313).

(c) At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the pit. He will go out to the nations and deceive those who have lived under the reign of Jesus and are not saved. The deceived will be as the sand of the sea and they will follow Satan to the "beloved city" (Rev. 20:9, page 1313). This is Satan's last great effort to conquer the holy city, and seat himself upon the kingdom throne as King of kings and Lord of lords. The fire of God will come down from heaven and consume his army, and he himself will be "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they [the beast, the false prophet, and Satan] will be tormented day and night forever and ever"-time without end. This is hell (Rev. 20:7-10, page 1313).

12-H. Satan and the Death of Christ (John 12:31)-Referring to His impending crucifixion, Jesus said, "Now is the ruler of this world will be cast out." This is the believer's Magna Carta of release: By His death Jesus, having defeated Satan, the believer's ancient foe, has released the believer from the bondage Satan had exercised since the time of Adam. Satan tempts and tries God's people, often discouraging them, just as, ­tormented job (Job 1:11, page 479), but the "wicked one does not touch him [the believer]" (1 john 5:11>, page 1283). Satan cannot destroy the believer or make the believer his slave (Job 42:10, page 507). AI Calvary all the chains that might have bound the believer were shattered, and the accusations of "the slanderer [the Devil]" were exposed as the lies they really are (1 John 3:8, page 1280).   (These studies will continue)

 

 

 

The "Mystery of Godliness" and the"Mystery of Iniquity"

From the book:  "Rightly Dividing The Truth" by Clarence Larkins

                                                                                                                                                                I                            I

Among the "Mysteries of God" revealed in the Scrip­tures there stand forth two great Personages, one called the "Mystery of Godliness," the other the "Mystery of Iniquity," or Christ and Antichrist.

1. THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS "And without controversy great is the 'MYSTERY OF GODLINESS': GOD was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen, of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, be­lieved on in the world, received up into glory." 1 Tim. 3: 16.

The study of the "Life and Work of Christ" is <;;Q.t1­fined by most Bible students to His "Earthly Life," that is to the "Days of His Flesh." But we must not forget that Jesus was the "ETERNAL CHRIST." His work of Atonement on the Cross was but one phase of His work, which began in the Creation of the Universe and will continue for all eternity. The "Greater Life and Work 'of Christ" is a circle of which the circumference is "Eternity" and the centre is "CAL VARY." Jesus said of Himself-"I am 'Alpha' and 'Omega,' the 'BEGINNING' and the 'ENDING, the 'FIRST and the, 'LAST,' which IS, and which WAS, and which. is TO COME, the ALMIGHTY." Rev. 1: 8, l4. See the Chart -"The Greater Life and Work of Christ," page 110. Jesus thus identifies Himself with God, and confirms His, earthly statement- "I and my Father are ONE." John 10: 30. John tells us that-"THE WORD was made, 'Flesh,' and dwelt among us, and we beheld His GLORY· (on the Mount of Transfiguration), the GLORY as of the QNLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER" John1:14.

And in His prayer in the "upper room" before going out to Gethsemane Jesus prayed "And now, 0 Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self with the GLORY which I had with Thee BEFORE THE WORLD WAS." John 17:5. Thus we see that Jesus existed before the World was and is the ETERNAL CHRIST.

THE SELF-EMPTYING OF CHRIST

While Jesus in Old Testament times clothed Himself in human flesh and appeared as a man to men, as He did to Abraham and Jacob (Gen. 18: 1-8,32:24-32), He did not divest Himself of His Deity, or empty Himself of His Glory. But when the time came to redeem men from the curse of sin it was necessary for Christ to lay aside His heavenly glory and become a MAN. Of that act the Apostle Paul says-"Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the 'FORM OF GOD,' counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but EMPTIED HIMSELF, taking the form of a servant, being made in the LIKENESS OF MEN." Phil. 2: 5-7 (R. V.).

Of what did Christ empty Himself when He became a man? He emptied Himself of the "FORM OF GOD." This "Form" consisted of the "GLORIOUS PERSONAL BODILY FORM" of the Godhead, revealed but for a moment on the Mount of Transfiguration. Matt. 17: 1-2. It was the restoration of this "Glory" that Christ prayed for in the "upper room" before going out to Gethsemane. John 17: 5. This emptying took place in Heaven in the presence of the angelic hosts. As a monarch Christ de­scended from the Throne, relinquished His Royal Power and Office, laid aside His crown and robes of state, and arrayed himself in the garment of a SERVANT, and by so doing He subjected Himself to the limitations of a servant.

That was one of the "Great Days" in the life of the Son of God. In fact it was the "Greatest Day," for with­out that "Day of Self-Emptying" the "Day of Crucifixion" and the "Day of Resurrection," and all the other "Great Days" could not have been possible.

From this it is clear that the Birth of Christ is not to be understood as an ordinary human birth; which is the birth of a being that had no previous existence, and that had no choice as to its being born. There were only two ways Christ could become "flesh" and dwell among us, one was to be born, as the Scriptures say He was born, of a virgin; the other was to incarnate Himself in some man, some grand character like Samuel or Daniel, but that would be to incarnate Himself in SINFUL HUMAN NATURE. For Christ to have made for Him­self a human body in which to dwell during His earthly life would not have fulfilled the Scriptures as to the Messiah being born of the "Seed of David," and of a Virgin (Isa. 7: 14), nor would He then have been subject to the limitations of humanity with all its frailties and weaknesses. The nature of the case demanded a "Virgin Birth."

If it be said that the Virgin Mary with an inherited taint of sin in her nature could not bring forth a pure offspring, it must not be forgotten that that which was conceived in her was of the Holy Ghost, and Mary was so informed by the Angel Gabriel.

"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of THE HIGHEST shall overshadow thee; therefore also that 'Holy Thing' which shall be born of thee shall be called the SON OF GOD." Luke 1:35.

From this we see that the embryo that was deposited in the womb of the Virgin by the Holy Ghost contained no taint of sin, and that Mary's womb was simply the vehicle for the formation of the human body of Christ into which the "Spirit of Christ" entered at birth and thus was formed the GOD-MAN.

Four times in his Gospel John calls Jesus the "Only Begotten Son of God." This does not refer to His Eternal origin, for He was co-existent with the Father, but refers to His Virgin Birth. God never begat another son as Jesus was begotten, so He was the only begotton "Son of God." The Apostle Paul in Co1. 1:14-15, speaks of Jesus as the "Image of the Invisible God, the FIRST­BORN OF EVERY CREATURE" This cannot mean that Jesus is only a "Creature," for in the next verse Jesus is described as the Creator of all things. The probable explanation is that as Jesus became by His human birth ---,"God Manifest in the FLESH," (1 Tim. 3: 16), thus becoming to men the "IMAGE of the Invisible God," that He thus became the "Firstborn" of the NEW CREA­TION of God, of which race the "Second" or "Last Adam" (Christ) is the HEAD. 1 Cor. 15: 45,2 Cor. 5: 17. It is noteworthy that Jesus is not called the "Son OF GOD, or the "Son OF MAN," in the Scriptures before His Incarnation with but two exceptions, and both of these occur in the Book of Daniel. and look forward to His redemptive work at the close of this Dispensation. Dan. 3: 25, Dan. 7: 13.

The claim that Joseph was the natural father of Jesus is disclaimed by Scripture, for we are told that when they were only espoused, "before they came together," and Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he proposed to "put her away" (divorce her), but being told in a dream that she was in that condition by the Holy Ghost, Joseph, to protect her character, married her, but "knew her not" until she had brought forth her firstborn son. Matt. I: 18-25. But the Scriptures go farther than that to safe­guard the Virgin Birth of Jesus. In Matthew's Gospel we have the genealogical table of Joseph's ancestry trac­ing him back to Abraham. In Luke's Gospel we have the genealogical ancestry of Mary tracing her back to Adam. See the Chart on the "Virgin Birth," page 1 14. That there are similar names in the two tables presents no difficulty as such a thing is common in tracing any long line of descent. The statement in Matthew that "Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary," and the statement in Luke that "Joseph was (as supposed) the Son of Heli" are easily reconciled, for Joseph could not be the son of both Jacob and Heli. The fact that the translators of the King James version use the word "supposed," and that the word "son" is in italics (which indicates that it is not in the original but is placed there to make sense) shows that some other word could be inserted that would make sense, and that word is "son-in-law," and so it should read, "Joseph which was the 'son-in-law' of Heli." This makes the genealogy of Luke that of Mary, for two genealogies so clearly unlike could not both be the gene­alogy of Joseph.

Now Jesus was to be a "Son of David," and the chart traces the lineage of Joseph through Solomon back to David, and the lineage of Mary through Nathan back to David. Solomon, as we know, succeeded his father as king, but Nathan was older than Solomon and on that ground might have contested Solomon's right of succes­sion, though we are not told that he did. Nevertheless Solomon's title had the shadow of Nathan's claim upon it, and that there should be no cloud upon Jesus' title to the "Throne of David," God ordained that Mary, the mother of Jesus, should be a direct descendant of David through Nathan, the "legal heir" to the throne. But Jesus had no right to David's throne through Mary, for she was not in the "Kingly Line" of descent through Solomon. How then was Jesus' right to David's Throne to be brought about? Only by marriage. Here we see the wonderful way in which God safeguarded the "Virgin Birth" of Jesus. He saw to it that Mary married (after conception) a man who could not be the NATURAL father of Jesus because of a taint or defect in his an­cestry, for while Joseph was a lineal descendant of David through the "Royal Line" of Solomon, there was one Jechonias (Matt. 1: 11-12), called in Jer. 22: 24-30, Con­iah, of whom God had said that-"No man of his SEED shall prosper, sitting upon the 'Throne of David' and rul­ing any more in Judah." So we see that Joseph could not be the "natural" father of Jesus, for no descendant of his could sit on the throne of David and prosper. This for­ever sets at rest the claim that Joseph was the natural father of Jesus, and establishes the fact of His "Virgin Birth." The marriage of Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus made Him the adopted son and "legal heir" of Joseph. The title, unaffected by the curse pro­nounced upon Coniah, was thus conveyed to Jesus, in whom there centres through both Nathan and Solomon exc1usive right to the Throne of David.

When the time came for Jesus to be born God put it into the heart of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus to call for an enrollment. This made it necessary for Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem. They could not have been enrolled unless their names were on the Reg­ister, and that they were enrolled proves that they could at that time trace their ancestry back to King David. Luke 2: 1-5. It was doubtless from this register that Matthew and Luke got their genealogy. If the claim of Jesus to the "Throne of David" had not been known in Jerusalem to be absolutely without flaw, the Jews would have denounced Him as an imposter and pretender. Up to the time of Jesus' rejection as King all genealogical records were preserved in the Temple, but when Titus in A. D. 70 destroyed the city and the Temple, those records were destroyed, and the genealogical tables of Matthew and Luke alone remain to give us the lineal descent of Jesus from King David. Therefore the only living man who today can establish an unbroken gene­alogy directly and incontrovertibly from King David is the MAN CHRIST JESUS. 1 Tim. 2: 5.

The Scriptures not only clearly teach that Jesus was a MAN (John 8: 40, Acts 2: 22, 1 Tim. 2: 5), and also was GOD (John 1: 1, Titus 2: 13, Col. 2: 19), but that these "Two Natures" were united in a single Personality, and that in a VITAL and INSEPARABLE UNION. As a man Jesus Is possessed a material body with all its functions. He hungered, thirsted, slept, loved, feared, groaned, wept, prayed, had compassion, suffered, and as to His body died. As God Jesus performed the works of God.

                While the union of these two natures took place at the birth of Jesus that does not imply that there was a complete consciousness of that union in the mind of Jesus at the time of His birth, for we read that as a child He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2: 52. It was probably not until He was twelve years of age, on His first visit to the Temple, that the Holy Spirit revealed to Him that He must be about His Father's business. Luke 2: 49. At His bap­tism, when the Holy Spirit, like a dove, rested upon Him, He seems to have come to the full consciousness of His Deity, and yet there were limitations to his knowledge, the self-imposed limitations of a servant, for while a servant may know much he is not supposed to know as much as his master.

While the Divine nature in Jesus kept Him from sin­ning and preserved Him from intellectual errors, His human nature made Him susceptible to the weaknesses and limitations of the flesh. And as the spirit of man in its union with the body suffers with the body, so Jesus the "God-Man" suffered in the flesh, and the agonies of Gethsemane and Calvary were real and agonizing to Him.

When Jesus surrendered His Spirit to the Father on the Cross, the union between the "Divine" and "human" in Jesus was not dissolved. Jesus did not go back to heaven as He came to the earth bodiless. He took His resurrected HUMAN BODY with Him, and we now have in Heaven the MAN Christ Jesus. "For there is one God, and one 'Mediator' between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. 2: 5. A man can mediate between two men, but he cannot mediate between a man and a horse, because he has not the nature of both a man and a horse. So the Son of God could not mediate between God and man until He became the "GOD-MAN," that is, had the nature of both God and man, and this necessi­tated that He not only become a man, but that He take His human nature back with Him to Heaven.

                While the only account we have of the "Virgin Birth" of Christ is found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, this does not militate against its truthfulness. Mark had no occasion to mention it as he confines himself to the public ministry of Christ. John's Gospel was written 60 years after Christ's death and resurrection, and the "Virgin Birth" of Jesus was then well known, and John simply alludes to it in the words-"He was made flesh, and dwelt among us." If, however, we translate the first three words of John 1: 13, which read-"Which were born" to "Who was born," as some of the Church Fathers claim they shou1d be rendered, the verse would read-  "Who (Jesus) was born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," which would be a clear statement of the Virgin Birth as it denies a human parentage, and declares that Jesus was born of God. As to the silence of Paul, like John, he takes it for granted that the fact of the "Virgin Birth" was then well known, and simply alluded to it in the words-"He took the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men." Phil. 2: 7. If we accept Luke's Gospel, as Paul's Gospel, and Luke was a companion of Paul, then Luke's account of the "Virgin Birth" is in a sense Paul's. In Gal. 4: 4, Paul says-"When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, MADE OF A WOMAN." Why did he say that if he had not reference to the prophetic statement the "Seed of The Woman" of Gen. 3: 15? If Joseph and Mary, who were sinners by nature and practice, could have given birth to a sinless being like Christ, then a greater miracle than the "Virgin Birth" took place. If Jesus was born as other human be­ings are born, He would not only have been a sinner, He would have been subject to death. But death had no claim on Him. He voluntarily surrendered His life on the Cross, and could not be "holden of death," but rose of His own power from the grave. When Jesus at the age of twelve said to His mother-"Wist ye not that I must be about MY Father's Business," was there not an allusion to His "Virgin Birth," implying that God, not Joseph, was His Father?

When the fact of the "Virgin Birth" of Christ first became publicly known we are not told. It was not made known during his lifetime. The secret was known only to Mary and Joseph, and probably Elizabeth. It would never have done to have told it before Christ's Ascension, as it would have reflected on Mary's chastity and on Jesus' legitimacy. So after the death of Joseph and Elizabeth, Mary "hid all those things in her heart." But when the Deity of Christ as He hung on the Cross was witnessed to by the darkness, and earthquake, and rent veil of the Temple, and the opening of tombs, and was further evidenced by His resurrection from the dead, such a supernatural going, demanded just such a supernatural coming as that of the "Virgin Birth." As Luke gives us the detailed description of the "Virgin Birth," and he was a physician, the probability is that Mary, feeling that the time had come to disclose the miraculous manner of Christ's birth, one day after Christ's Ascension told Luke all about it and he recorded it in his Gospel, and thus it became a part of the life story of Christ, from which Matthew got his account.

               As the "God-Man," Christ's mind was as lucid as the light. With Christ there never was any confusion nor hesitation in answering questions. He taught the pro­foundest truths in the simplest manner. He spake of things and events in which he was a participant before He came into the world, and prophesied of things that would take place after His departure and in which He would participate. He never took counsel of others. The wisdom of the ages seemed centered in Him. He ex­hausted every subject He touched with a single sentence, and His parables are beyond improvement. He never conjectured or supposed, and never asked questions for information but simply to fix attention on what He was about to do. He not only knew men, He knew their character and read their thoughts. Other Bible char­acters confess faults and sins, Jesus never. He uniformly expressed a distinct sense of faultlessness and perfection. He never once reproached Himself, or regretted anything He had ever done or said, or indicated that He had taken a wrong step or neglected an opportunity or that anything could have been done or said better than He had done or said it. He said-"I do always those things which please the Father." He never apologized or excused Himself. He asked the Disciples to watch with Him, but never to pray for Him. He never used plural per­sonal pronouns in His prayers. He always said "I" and "Me," and "these" and "them," never "We" and "Us."

He claimed equality with God, that He was the Mes­siah. that He had power to forgive sins, and that He could give rest. He demanded first place, and said that no one could come to the Father only through Him. He "aid "I am the 'Bread of Life';' " "I am the 'Light of the World;'" "I am the 'Way,' the 'Truth,' the 'Life;'" "I am the 'Water of Life;'" "I am the 'Resurrection and the Life;'" "before Abraham was I Am." If Jesus was not the Son of God He was the greatest "Egotist" the world has ever seen, aye! He was more, He was a bad man, an imposter, a perjurer, a blasphemer, and unworthy of ac­ceptance or belief.

He was not a Physician. He never employed a splint, tied an artery, used a knife, nor gave a prescription, yet he cured the sick, cleansed the lepers, caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear, and the dead could not remain dead in his presence. He was not an Author. He never wrote, as far as we know, but a single line and that in the sand that the wind obliterated; but the Gospel He preached made such an impression upon the minds of His disciples that they put it into written form in which it has survived down the centuries, and is to be found in the best literature of the world. He was not an Orator, as the world speaks of oratory, but He spake as never man spake, and the common people heard Him gladly. He was a master of every form of human speech, and His parabolic form of speech has never been excelled. He was not a Poet and yet His life has inspired the world's greatest poets and given us our sublimest hymns and anthems. He was not a Musician, but to Him the great musical composers of the world owe their inspira­tion. He was not an Artist, but without Him the great Masterpieces of Art would never have appeared on can­vas. He was not an Architect, only an humble Galilean carpenter, a maker of wooden ploughs and ox-yokes, but the most beautiful and artistic buildings in the world were designed to commemorate His memory and dedi­cated to His worship and service.

Who was this man? This man whose coming into the world changed the world's reckoning of the years, and gave to Christendom the festive seasons of Christmas and Easter? Was He a Fanatic? Was He a Lunatic? Was He a Dreamer? There never was another man like Him. No writer could ever invent such a character. Who was He then? He was a FOREIGNER. He was not of the type of men that this world produces. He came from some other realm. He came to make us a "Kinsman," and having done that He went back to His own country again taking our nature with Him. The supernatural manner of His coming demanded the supernatural manner of His going. He was what He claimed to be the "Mystery of Godliness"-GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH.      (These studies will continue)