Angelic Conflict part 96: Human history – Gen 3:14-15; 1Jo 2:18-22Title: Angelic Conflict part 96: Human history – Gen 3:14-15; 1Jo 2:18-22; .
Provisions of the Adamic Covenant are in 4 categories: the serpent, satan, the woman, and the man.
Gen 3:14 And the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly shall you go, And dust shall you eat All the days of your life;
Verse 14 is the curse of the literal serpent. The serpent was used by satan to hurt mankind and so it was once the king of God’s animal creation [craftier than all beasts] and now it will be the most cursed.
Verse 15 is the Adamic Covenant in regard to satan. Its provisions are fourfold.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."
First: I will put enmity between you and the woman.
First provision: There will be a special animosity between satan and womanhood and womankind, put by God. The reason – the woman’s redemptive role as Seed bearer.
When God says “I will put,” it means that animosity will be put there by God.
The second provision states that the animosity will persist: between her seed and satan’s seed.
Second provision: The animosity will persist in human history through her seed (independent mankind) and Seed (TLJC) and his seed (religion and the antichrist).
The religion of the antichrist is embodied in the false teachers who attempt to proselytize others, 1Jo 2:18-22; 4:1-3; 2Co 11:15.
1Jo 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.
1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us.
1Jo 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
1Jo 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
1Jo 2:22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
The antichrists will deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh or that the man Jesus is the Christ or the promised Messiah who would die for the sins of the world.
2Co 11:3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
So we gain great insight here as from what satan desires to lead the believer astray.
satan desires to lead the believer astray from “simplicity” – singleness of purpose and from “purity of devotion” – being set apart unto God in life.
Basically, Satan is an imitator he copies what God does and then tries to convince us that his offer is better than God's. How does he do this? By using counterfeit ministers who pretend to serve God, but who are really the servants of satan. Positive believers are not ignorant of his schemes.
2Co 11:4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached [not Savior], or you receive a different spirit which you have not received [ecstatics, emotionalism], or a different gospel which you have not accepted [faith plus the Law, circumcision, works, repentance, etc.], you bear this beautifully.
The CA doctrines that are attacked in this manner are the person of Christ, second, the Spirit of Christ, and third, the gospel or good news concerning Christ.
2Co 11:12 But what I am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off [circumcision] opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting [that they have the truth and Paul doesn’t].
2Co 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
He didn’t approach Eve in angelic form, but possessed God’s greatest creature from the animal kingdom.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.
His servants are false teachers of religion, satan’s seed, and are labeled as “many antichrists” by John.
Again: The animosity will persist in human history through her seed (independent mankind) and Seed (TLJC) and his seed (religion and the antichrist).
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."
The word antichrist [antichristos] is only used by the apostle John in 1Jo and 2Jo. Anti can mean against or instead of and both are in view.
“antichrist” = against Christ or instead of Christ (“one who, assuming the guise of Christ, opposes Christ” Westcott.)
Yet we can glean from other passages that this antichrist has always been the antagonist to Christ, the woman’s Seed, and will ultimately appear as the world conqueror in Rev.
As in the OT the doctrine concerning Christ was given without great detail, so is it with the doctrine of the antichrist.
That the Messiah should be the divine Logos, the only adequate expression of God, was given in shadow and He was the object of faith. The antichrist is also given in shadow as the opponent of God rather than of His anointed. The detail of prophecy and fulfillment of prophecy increases with time as more scripture is written.
In the historical books of the OT "Belial" is used as of a personal opponent of the Lord.
“Belial” – lu^Y^l!B=[beliya`al] = wickedness, destruction, worthless, wicked, and death. Those influenced perform rebellion, idolatry, rape, and murder.
It is used 27 times in the OT and always in strict opposition to God’s plan for Israel. Of these 16 references are of “sons of” “daughters of” or “children of” or “men of.”
The most telling contexts of this word that suggest Belial as a word that represents satanic activity and its one use in the NT suggests that it is a name for satan.
Deu 13:13 Certain men, the children of Belial [worthless men; NASB], are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; (KJV)
Jud 19:22 Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial [worthless men; NASB], beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. (KJV)
This gives a little more insight into this strange event, for if these people were influenced by satan, and there’s no question that they were, his great hatred for elect angels would have motivated this.
1Sa 30:22 – “men of Belial” refused to share the spoils of battle with exhausted soldiers who couldn’t follow David. [greed]
“I will be like the Most High”
2Sa 20:1 – “man of Belial” encouraged his fellow Israelites to rebel against the rule of David.
I will raise my throne above the stars of God”
2Sa 23:6 – “sons of Belial” were disloyal to the throne of David and were to be cast away like thorns.
“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol”
1Ki 21:10 – “sons of Belial” (two men) commissioned by Jezebel to bear false witness against a vineyard owner.
“You who have weakened the nations!”
Israel was the vineyard of the Lord and now the Church is Christ’s vineyard. Satan is after that vineyard.
Rev 12:10 for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
David wrote: Psa 101:3 I will set no worthless [Belial] thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.
Some people don’t have a TV in their house because of this verse, which I respect, but the word used here is depicting satanic things, or things that are in opposition to God and not everything that is in the world. There is nothing inherently evil in anything, but the perversion of the thing by satan makes it evil.
Pro 6:12 A worthless [Belial] person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a false mouth,
Who is the liar from the beginning in Joh 8:44? Satan.
Pro 16:27 A worthless [Belial] man digs up evil, While his words are as a scorching fire.
Liars, deceivers, false witnesses, rebellious men, murderers, etc. are all forerunners for the antichrist and under the influence of satan who will fully influence the beast in Rev 13.
Pro 19:28 A rascally [Belial] witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.
Notice how the three times it is used in Proverbs all deal with sins of the tongue.
Jam 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
Prophecy concerning the destruction of Nineveh. Jonah had warned Nineveh and they repented. 150 years later the city was completely destroyed in 612 BC, which is prophesied here by Nahum. Nineveh was so thoroughly ruined that it was lost to history until its ruins were discovered by archeologists in 1845.
Nah 1:9 Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice.
Nah 1:10 Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed As stubble completely withered.
Nah 1:11 From you has gone forth One who plotted evil against the Lord, A wicked [Belial] counselor.
Nah 1:12 Thus says the Lord, "Though they are at full strength and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer.
Nah 1:13 "So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you, And I will tear off your shackles."
Nah 1:14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you:"Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible."
Nah 1:15 Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one [Belial] pass through you; He is cut off completely.
In the period between the OT and NT [more than 400 years] Belial became a proper name for satan and some believe it is because of this passage, being translated wicked one.
2Co 6:14 Do not be bound together [Greek: unequally yoked; fellowship] with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2Co 6:15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
2Co 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said [to Israel],
"I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people [Lev 26:12; Jer 31:33; 32:38; Eze 37:27].
2Co 6:17 "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,"[Isa 52:11] says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you [Mic 2:10].
2Co 6:18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me, [Jer 31:9]" Says the Lord Almighty.
2Co 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved [they mean even more to RFOG], let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh [OSN corruption] and spirit [arrogant spirit filled with false doctrine], perfecting holiness [maturing in being set apart from the Belials] in the fear of God.
These Belials, and antichrists of 1Jo, are forerunners to the beast of the Tribulation who will bring the greatest enmity to the seed of the woman.
I decided to do this thoroughly from where he is first seen to where we see him in Paul’s epistle to where we see him in Revelation.
Dan 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon [553 BC] Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it.
Dan 7:2 Daniel said, "I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
Dan 7:3 "And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.
1st beast – Babylonian Empire. 2nd beast – MedoPersian Empire. 3rd beast – Greek Empire. 4th beast – Roman Empire (Tribulation).
Dan 7:4 "The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.
The first kingdom with characteristics of a lion and an eagle represent Babylon. This kingdom had regal splendor and the lion is king of the beasts and the eagle king of the birds. The plucked wings refer to its inability to keep conquering or even to hover over its kingdom, i.e. it will come to an end. That the beast became like a man is no doubt a reference to Nebuchadnezzar’s lycanthropy experience. The human mind refers to Nebuchadnezzar would became a believer in the authority of the Most High God after his recovery. |