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

June 14, 2013
Volume 12 Number 12

The Pulling Down of Strong Holds

(Part 4)

When we are not walking in the light of God’s Word, we are not wearing the "whole armor of God." Without the spiritual protection that God offers to us, we are vulnerable as prey to the "wiles of the devil:"

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. -Ephesians 6

Satan works against us through the "rulers of the darkness of this world." They operate from the "high places" of positions of power and authority from which they are able to use Satan’s weapons of "spiritual wickedness" against us:

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. -Ephesians 6

They are the "mighty men," much like the ones described during times of great wickedness before the flood. At that time, they were called "giants," which is a translation of the Hebrew word Mylpnh (hnplym) and is often pronounced as "nephilim:"

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. -Genesis 6

The interpretation of this Scripture has been hotly disputed for centuries. The word "nephilim" is based on the Hebrew word lpn (npl), which is pronounced as "naphal," which means to fail, fall, or fall away (see Strong’s Concordance). It was translated from Hebrew into the Greek Septuagint as gigantev (gigantes), meaning "sprung from the earth" (see Rowland Jones, The Origin of Language and Nations, Hieroglyfically, Etymologically, and Topografically Defined and Fixed, After the Method of an English, Celtic, Greek, and Latin English Lexicon, London: J. Huges, 1774, p. G O). Whether the Hebrew word "nephilim" is retained or whether it is translated from the Greek word "gigantes" into the English word "giants," its precise meaning is still often debated.

Some suggest that the above Scripture describes the literal procreation of a race of giants through the union of heavenly beings (sons of God) and earthly women (daughters of men). On the other hand, writing from his prison in the Tower of London a few years before his execution, Sir Walter Raleigh was of the opinion that the word "giants" refers to "oppressors and tyrants, and not to strength of body and eminent stature." They might be called "oppressors, because they were giants, and therefore had abilitie to oppresse" (see Walter Raleigh (Sir), The History of the World, London: Walter Burre, 1614, p. 70).

Such a view might support describing the union of the descendents of Adam through Seth, as the "sons of God," with the descendents of Cain, as the "daughters of men." This is supported by noting that the genealogy of Yahshua (Jesus) in the Gospel of Luke declares Adam to be "the son of God" and Seth, not Cain, as the son of Adam:

38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. -Luke 3

Cain, who killed his brother Abel, was omitted from the genealogy of Adam, "the son of God," and was "cursed from the earth:"

11 And now are you cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand; -Genesis 4

Having lost his position, Cain could no longer dwell in the presence of Yahweh:

16 And Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. -Genesis 4

Seth is the son that appears in the genealogy of Adam. After Seth had a son, Enos, the people began to "call upon the name of Yahweh!"

25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of Yahweh. -Genesis 4

However one interprets the union of the "sons of God" with the "daughters of men," the outcome was that the powerful and famous men became so exceedingly wicked that the "imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually!"

5 And Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. -Genesis 6

Their thoughts became corrupted into believing that they no longer needed to submit to the authority of Yahweh’s word. Consequently, Yahweh destroyed all but a small remnant of the people of the earth (see Genesis 6:6-7 and Genesis 7:13).

Prideful hearts yield high thoughts that imagine that they are no longer subject to Yahweh and His word. This was the outcome of King Solomon, who inherited the throne of David as a son of man (see Matthew 1:6-7) but lost the spiritual blessings passed through David from Adam as a "son of God" (see Luke 3:31, 38). After Solomon became the King of Israel, he eventually became the greatest of "all of the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom:"

23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. -1 Kings 10

Prideful seeds were planted into Solomon’s thoughts by other mighty men and women of renown, such as King Hiram of Tyre and the Queen of Sheba. They had given him an abundance of praise (see 1Kings 5:7; 1 Kings 10:6-7 and inordinate wealth (see 1 Kings 10:10-11). In addition to his riches and wisdom, Solomon also became extremely powerful by adding weapons of war, including chariots and horsemen (see 1 Kings 10:26).

That was when he became most vulnerable to "the wiles of the devil." At the height of his wealth, fame, and power, Solomon had become a "mighty man." As his heart was lifted up in pride, his thoughts became fertile ground for the working of the "anointed cherub," Satan, who had himself been corrupted through his own pride:

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

That was when Solomon, a son of David, who was a "son of God," joined himself with the "daughters of men:":

1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; -1 Kings 11

Once prideful seeds took root in Solomon, they overgrew the word of Yahweh in his thoughts. Consequently, Solomon "did evil in the sight of Yahweh:"

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of Yahweh, and went not fully after Yahweh, as did David his father. -1 Kings 11

Prideful thoughts eventually turn into vain "imaginations." Pauls says that those with such a condition become "fools," thereby allowing their "foolish hearts" to be darkened:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, -Romans 1

When we see ourselves as "mighty men" or as "men of renown," then we know that the "strong man," Satan, is building a house for his demonic spirits in the imaginations of our minds. Before we can clean that house by casting out the devils (demons),Yahshua says we must first bind the "strong man:"

28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come unto you.

29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. -Matthew 12

This requires the power of the Spirit of God operating within the spiritual armor with which we are equipped. When we exalt our thoughts against the knowledge of God, we give Satan an opening to build "strong holds" within our imagination. These, Paul says, must be pulled down and any thoughts we may have against the Messiah (Christ) must be brought into captivity, binding the "strong man:"

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Messiah; -2 Corinthians 10

As David stood before the physical giant, he knew his impending battle was spiritual. Therefore, the battle belonged to Yahweh and He would conquer the giant by His Spirit:

47 And all this assembly shall know that Yahweh saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahweh’s, and he will give you into our hands. -1 Samuel 17

There are still "giants in the earth." If we pull down our strong holds, Yahshua will also deliver them into our hands:

19 Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. -Luke 10

Come to Understanding is sent out twice per month free of charge. To add someone to our list of readers, please contact us at:

Institute for Biblical and Historical Studies

biblical@ibiblical.org

You may view this and past editions online at:

www.ibiblical.org

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