Come to Understanding

Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

May 1, 2013
Volume 12 Number 9

The Pulling Down of Strong Holds

(Part 1)

Whether we realize it or not, we live in two worlds. We can see the physical world, but the spiritual one remains unseen except by supernatural intervention. The physical world lasts only for a short time and is called temporal, or temporary. The spiritual world, on the other hand, lasts forever. It is eternal:

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. -2 Corinthians 4

The living God, whose name is Yahweh, is not seen. When He revealed Himself to Moses, He showed him no physical form. Instead, He only revealed evidence of His presence and power by speaking to him out of the midst of a fire:

12 And Yahweh spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire: you heard the voice of the words, but saw no likeness; only you heard a voice. -Deuteronomy 4

Yahweh did not appear in the likeness of flesh because He is not flesh. He is a Spirit:

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. -John 4

As a Spirit, He is eternal. He existed in the beginning and created all other things by the power of His Word:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. -John 1

God created man in His own image. Since we know that God is a Spirit, we can only conclude that He created man as a spirit also. He also made two different kinds of earthly physical bodies for the spirit of man to live in. One of them is male and the other is female:

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. -Genesis 1

Yahweh also created other spiritual beings, such as angels, to which He did not give earthly bodies. He made all of His creation for one purpose, which is for His pleasure:

11 You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created. -Revelation 4

One of His created angelic beings is especially noteworthy. Called the "anointed cherub," he had a particularly close relationship with God. He was "upon the holy mountain of God" and walked in the "midst of the stones of fire," which likely refers to the "stars of God," the angels:

14 You were the anointed cherub that covers; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. -Ezekiel 28

However, this "anointed cherub" was also present in the Garden of Eden, where the first man (male and female) lived (see Genesis 2:15 and Ezekiel 28:13). We also know that is where the Serpent deceived the mind of Eve by subtly questioning Yahweh’s Word:

1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made. And he said to the woman, Indeed, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? -Genesis 3

The ways of this "anointed cherub" were almost perfect. However, iniquity was found in him:

15 You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you. -Ezekiel 28

The "iniquity," which also means "wickedness," that was found in the "anointed cherub" was pride! Because of his beauty and brightness, his "heart was lifted up" and his wisdom was corrupted. Consequently, Yahweh said that He would cast him down to the earth (ground), where he would be presented and shown to kings:

17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. -Ezekiel 28

However, this "anointed cherub," also known as Satan and called by titles such as the Great Dragon, the Old Serpent, and the Devil, did not go quietly. He fought and lost a heavenly war against the Great Prince of the angels named Michael (see Daniel 12:1). As a result, Satan, along with the angels under his authority, was cast down to the earth. That is where he works to deceive the whole world:

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 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. -Revelation 12

Having lost his position of influence in heaven as the "anointed cherub," Satan was given earthly power. He reminded Yahshua (Jesus) that he had been given power over the kingdoms of the earth. He also said that he could give that power, and the glory that comes with it, to whomever he pleased, on the condition that they worship him:

5 And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said to him, All this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered to me; and to whomever I will I give it.

7 If you therefore will worship me, all shall be yours. -Luke 4:

In fact, Yahshua said that Satan was the "Prince of this World," who would continue to operate as such until the "judgment of this world," when he would be cast out:

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. -John 12

As the "Prince of this World," he could operate through kings, using their pride as a way to lift himself up as God. Working through the "Prince of Tyrus," for example, he lifted up his heart in pride declaring himself to be a God!

2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyrus, Thus says the Lord Yahweh; Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are a man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God: -Ezekiel 28

Operating through the King of Babylon, he is called "Lucifer." Even though he was cast down to the earth, he is determined to lift himself up in pride to be like God:

12 How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. -Isaiah 14

Likewise, Paul warns of an end-time ruler called the "man of sin" that will be revealed as the "Son of Perdition" during a time of falling away from the truth of God’s word. He will set himself up as God:

3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, unless there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. -2 Thessalonians 2

This "Son of Perdition" will be much like the end-time "Beast" who, powered by Satan, will be worshipped along with Satan as God by a deceived world!

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? -Revelation 13

Satan and "the Beast," along with a "False Prophet," will send deceiving demonic spirits (spirits of devils) that will operate through the kings of the earth to deceive the whole world into fighting against Yahweh:

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. -Revelation 16

Under the authority of Satan, these demonic spirits, which may be his fallen angels, operate through men by deceit:

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of the Messiah.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. -2 Corinthians 11

Satan uses these demonic spirits, employing the same proven technique that he, as the Serpent, used on Eve in the Garden of Eden. By sowing seeds of doubt about God’s Word, perhaps even teaching the coming of another Messiah, they work to corrupt the wisdom of prideful minds:

3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Messiah.

4 For if he that comes preaches another Yahshua, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him. -2 Corinthians 11

(To Be Continued)

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Scriptures are taken from the Proper Name Version of the King James Bible.