When Woody the cowboy doll toy from the movie “Toy Story” gets dumped into a arcade game bin full of stuffed animals that are ready to be grabbed by the mechanical arm controlled by the patron’s hand and he calls out to the animals “Who’s in charge here?”. Then all the animals in chant out in unison “The claw!” Then one spokes-animal elaborates “The claw decides who will stay and who will go”. I got a big chuckle out of that scene illustrating the limited understanding of those who can’t see outside of their circumstances. Consider that their limited “world view”.
We as Jesus and Bible believers have a huge advantage having access to the manual that brings the key information to understand what we need to know and to navigate through this complex world. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. We know that first of all that God the Father created the whole “game” in Genesis 1:1 and also that “…All power is given unto me (Jesus) on heaven and in earth.” from Matthew 28:18. Therefore any perceived power and authority here on earth is ultimately delegated or permitted by God through his Son Jesus.
We see many examples in scriptures of the Lord (from the OT) and Jesus (NT) delegating or permitting Satan or other angels (elohim) operate. In fact I’ve already covered a few in this teaching. You could say that everything that happens God permits by not preventing but here are a few expressed permissions:
- The Lord allowing Satan to afflict Job – Job 1 (section 3)
2. God releasing the son of perdition to reveal himself. – 2 Thes 2:8 (section 3 – i.e. marking the beginning of the “great tribulation of the last 3.5 years)
3. Satan asked to sift Peter like wheat Luke 22:31
There could be more examples or direct permission. Also, countless times God allowed nations and dictators do their ruthless deeds and God used it to fulfill his purposes. And don’t forget Pharaoh, the Assyrian kings, and of course Nebuchadnezzar.
One very interesting example of permission given to an evil entity that I believe relates to this teaching is found in Luke 4:5-8
“And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms(basilieia) of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this this power will I give to thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus said unto him, Get the behind me, Satan: for it it written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
What strikes me in this account is a phrase that is not in the Matthew or Mark accounts is the phrase “…that is delivered unto me…”. That is a bold statement but did Jesus dispute it? No he didn’t! I think that is significant and makes a lot of sense to me because it is consistent through out the new testament.
John and Paul both speak to Satan’s power in this world. We have in 1 John 5:19 we have a delineation of control. (KJV)
” And we now that we are of God(Theou) , and the whole world (kosmos) lieth in wickedness” (“…Power of the the evil one” – ESV)
Paul states it this way in 2 Cor 4:3-4 (KJV)
“3 But if our gospel be hid, is is hid to them that are lost. 4 In whom the God(Theou) of this world(kosmos) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not…”)
Now let’s bring in Jesus’ own testimony before Pilate in John 18:36
“Jesus answered, My kingdom(basilieia) is not of this world:(kosmos) if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews…”
Having established Satan has been permitted to run this world the next question is how. I believe his “modus operandi” or signature trait is revealed in what Jesus tells the Pharisees in John 8:44? (KJV)
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Why do people, or angels, speak lies? Do deceive who they are influencing of course. Paul gives us a revealing picture of how he does this in 2 Cor 11:14-15 (KJV)
“14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into and angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
I hope you are catching on that Satan and his ministers can two faces. One is dark and the other one that is apparently in opposition to it is false light. We know the real face is dark and we have God and his word to thank for the knowledge of it so we can identify that side but the other face can be significantly harder to recognize. They can wear one or both of the two faces.
There is a famous quote by Vladimir Lenin that seems to illustrate this.
“The best way to control the opposition is to lead it.”
The primary topic of Paul’s discourse in 2 Corinthians is Satan infiltrating the church and I think Lenin’s quote, whether or not the intended it for the church, really nails it regardless. If Satan’s ministers can lead Christians away from pure devotion to God he is gaining a win.
Going back to Luke 4 where Satan leads the kingdoms, wouldn’t it be convenient to put on both faces that appear in opposition to each other but really are not? Each face can be configured to act as a “straw man” for the other. Each side (or face) of the governmental ministers as well as party members are focusing on pulling the other down and it can be easy to be caught up in the theater. Is this not what it looks like in a two party government like in the United States? That concept of opposition can be extended to the whole world as well. As the different parties or nations tear each other apart, all the while, the net result is the growing mandate for and a gradual progression, sometimes faster and sometime slower, towards bigger government and stronger global control as described in Revelation chapter 13 and most don’t seem to notice.
Christians often say “This is not our home” and that is so true! We are sojourners as Peter affirms in 1 Pet 2:11 in the ESV “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles…” The Lord continues to call people out of the world. (cosmos) Abraham was called out looking for a better city whose builder was God (Heb 11:10)
From the last section I wanted to elaborate Psalm 82 and I don’t want to chop it up because I thinks its worth reading the whole thing because I think it will help you pull many things together from several of the previous sections of this teaching.
(A little side note: Jesus actually uses this scripture as a defense text when challenged of being the son of God in John 10:34-36. That section is a really good read. I find myself cheering for Jesus when I read it!)
Psalm 82
God standeth in the congregation of the mighty, (divine council -ESV) he judgeth among the gods. 2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked. Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy 4 Deliver the poor and needy : rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 6 I have said, Ye are God’s;(elohim) and all of you are children of the most High.7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.(hasarim) 8 Arise , O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. “
Wow, this is chuck full of things to talk about! Let pull some things together.
For one, shalt or shall inherit is future tense. Remember in Deut 32:8 (section #14) where God put these gods (princes) over the 70 nations guide and judge them. These gods are still over the nations now. With this worldview you can see the gravity of what Paul exhorts us of in Ephesians 6:12 when he says (KJV)
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this world, against wickedness in high places.”
Two, God didn’t finish the job of transferring citizenship at the cross or at Pentecost but expanded it as he continues to “build his ekklesia” by calling spiritual Israel out of the nations throughout the old and new testaments to be his bride. (Remember section #5) When are saved, we are not just saved but our citizenship is transferred from earthy kingdom and placed into Spiritual Israel. Paul in Col 1:13 states it this way to the church at Colosse (KJV)
“Who hath delivered us from the powers of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son”
Three, at the 7th trumpet in Rev 11:15 ..The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord” (Rev 11:15 Section #8)
“But ye shall die like men” – If the recipients of this verse were just human judges, why would it be significant if they died like men? “Fall like one of the princes”. Remember angels being princes in Daniel? (Dan 10:13 – Section #14) In this case I believe God is referring to the angels (or princes) from Genesis 6 who left their appropriate heavenly realm. These angels came down on their own accord in rebellion. They were not the same ones judged here in Psalm 82. The Genesis 6 angels were already long put in Tartarus (reference 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6) and that why God used them as an example of what the Psalm 82 angels were going to get!
Remember section #11(9+2) when reading John 10:22-42- Jesus was the Elohim purposed by the Father (also of the Father) to be sent into the world.
So, these gods (elohim) addressed in Psalm 82 that govern over the kingdoms, of which they corrupted and ruled unjustly, God judges them and they will get their destruction possibly also at “the great day” when the Lord inherits all nations. Isaiah 24:21 speaks of that day (KJV)
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, (in heaven- ESV) and the kings of the earth upon the earth.”
While we are in the Psalms there is another notable section that I think does not get enough attention and that’s Psalm 2. Forgive me for including the whole chapter again. (KJV)
“Why do the heathen (nations – goy) rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen (nations) for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. 10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges (shaphat) of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, an ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they the put their trust in him.”
This Psalm echos Psalm 82 that Jesus (God) will inherit all nations. The ones who come to him willingly and “Kiss the Son” he takes and glorifies after death or at the 7th trumpet and the ones who don’t kiss the Son are destroyed.
A note on word usage: Hebrew word shaphat is nearly always translated as judging or judge. Not elohim.
While it is true that the meeting of the small band of followers who prayed the beginning of this Psalm right after Peter and John’s release from arrest had a focus on the events of the day but that was just the beginning of the heathen raging. It continues to this day and will come to a climax at (H)armegeddon. I don’t want to overlook the end time significance of this passage as you notice the heathen don’t rage against just the God-head but against the anointed. The anointed referred to in verse 3 must be plural due the use of “their bands” and “their cords”. I can’t imagine that any heathen would refer to the God-head in plural. “Their” must mean spirit filled believers who have influenced governments in a positive way yet the laws of civilized nations, though useful in maintaining order, actually miss the heart of what Jesus’s commandments are. What is the greatest commandment? “Thou shalt love the LORD your God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.” That’s a law no one can do without a surrender to the Lord and him writing that law in their hearts. To the unsaved that would be anathema or would need to be redefined or just be viewed as foolishness. No wonder the masses attempting to establish their own righteousness want to be loosed from divinely inspired laws. The most expedient plan is to just abolish those Christ followers who are a stumbling block to them.
Backing up one verse to verse 2 other translations render “take counsel” as “conspire”. Hmm… that sound like a conspiracy! God doesn’t work in just theories though. He’s a strait shooter and if he calls it a real conspiracy then I believe Him. I don’t care what the scoffers say.
Looking around the world today the works of Satan seem more manifest that the works of God. It’s not Jews or other minorities that are the most persecuted people group it’s uncompromising biblical Christians. Our mainstream media does not blink an eye at the world- wide slaughter of Christians in places like Nigeria. We have outcry for the Muslims in Gaza and outcry for the Jews in Israel, but where is the outcry for the Christians in Nigeria.
My personal thought of why does God let this wickedness continue is that God has started releasing the restraining hand on the leaders of lawlessness and will be finishing with the head dog. I believe God is letting evil run it’s full course thereby displaying it’s corruption and hypocrisy so that anyone who considers themselves a “free thinker” has no excuse to see it for what it is. Yet, the word of God and his true followers don’t just play church but stand and shine as a light in the darkness. Again to Daniel, this time to 12:10 which speaks to this point. (KJV)
“Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (remember the strong delusion)
To wrap up this section, in this very same chapter, Daniel gives his description of the resurrection/rapture event we call the parousia.
Daniel 12:1-4 “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time they people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
The last sentence sounds like it’s describing the times we live in. What do you think?