God's Gift of Eternal Life Blog

The purpose of this blog is two fold: 1) to accurately describe how one may receive the free gift of eternal life--Jesus Himself said in John 6:47 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life." NKJV and 2) to explore the Word of God in such a way that it will be supplementally edifying to what you're learning from your local church as well as contribute to the spiritual growth of believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Weekly Bible Study – March 30, 2020; Study: The Angelic Conflict. Part 3. How and When the Angelic Conflict began.

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that https://twitter.com/Ticket2Heaven/status/1221699816784154625/analytics whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

The Angelic Conflict. Part 3. How and When the Angelic Conflict began. Gen 1:1-2; Job 38:4-6; Isa 24:1 Jer 4:23-26

We are on point 3 in our study of the doctrine of the angelic conflict which is: When and How the Angelic Conflict Began. The angelic conflict began before the creation of the human race. It begins during the dateless period between the creation of the heavens and the earth in their perfect form in which they first appeared in Gen 1:1, and the desolating judgments which ended that period, when earth became waste and empty in Gen 1:2. Gen 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is not the beginning of God, because God has no beginning; He is eternal; nor is this the beginning of the angels, because we know the angels were already around before God created the heavens and the earth, Job 38:4-7, where the Lord said, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars [angels] sang together, And all the sons of God [the angels] shouted for joy?”

No one in the human race can ever really understand, in depth, the principle of omniscience, and the fact that God knows all things and He has everything under control. The apostle Paul said in Rom 11:33, Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and incomprehensible are His ways!

Remember that it is God’s intention that every believer come to understand everything in the Bible, and that is in time. Anything which God did not intend for us to know was not included in the canon of Scripture. Deut 29:29, The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may observe all the words of this doctrine. This is not done all at once, but knowledge of Bible doctrine is built line upon line, precept upon precept, knowledge is accumulated over time, and if you stay with it long enough, it can be done. Every book in the Bible was written by a human author who understood what he was recording; therefore, humans can understand each book if they desire to and follow God’s line of command.

Job is about to learn from God that some of the greatest blessings you can have in this life come through suffering, not through prosperity. So the Lord says in Job 38:4-6, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars [the angels with authority] sang together, And all the sons of God [beni ha Elohim, the angels] shouted for joy?”

The angels were there when God laid the foundation of the earth! Gen 1 is not a record of the creation of the earth; rather it is a record of the restoration of the earth. So, these were angels that were around before Gen 1:1. At some time in eternity past, before the creation of the earth, God created the angelic host. Notice in Job 38:7, when God laid the foundation of the earth all the sons of God, not some, but all the angels shouted for joy, because they were undivided at that time. Satan, and all of the angels, had not yet rebelled in arrogance; therefore, all the angels shouted for joy. So in Gen 1:1 the universe, the heavens and the earth, were originally created as the domain of the angels. Here they ruled and performed whatever responsibilities and tasks God had for them. It was between Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2 that Satan rebelled against God and enticed the angels to follow him. Along with sin and evil, Satan’s rebellion brought chaos upon the earth. As part of God’s judgment against these angels, the planet was enshrouded in darkness. Without light or heat, the raging waters of the deep froze into an ice pack, and before the earth could be inhabited again, restoration was necessary.

Gen 1:2, And the earth became [not was] formless and void, The phrase formless and void in the Hebrew is tohuw waabohuw, and it comes up in another passage that’s important to our subject. Isaiah tells us about a time like this in Isa 24:1, Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants. Look at Jer 4:23-26, I looked on the earth, and behold, {it was} formless and void [tohuw waabohuw, same as Gen 1:2]; And to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger.

What made the Lord angry and caused Him to do this to planet earth was the angelic rebellion that took place, and this is when God covered the entire earth with ice. After this Gen 1:2 tells us, and the Spirit of God began to move over the surface of the waters. This was actually the beginning of God granting Satan, and the angels who followed him, their appeal. So the earth had to be restored for man’s occupancy that came long after the creation of the earth. However, man’s occupancy on planet earth didn’t last too long before Adam and the woman fell, and Satan became the ruler of the world again, and Satan always considers this one of his greatest victories.

We have already noted Eze 28, where we met Satan in all of his glamour, beauty, and glory to understand what the angelic conflict is all about; however, we still need some principles from it as a part of this doctrine. Doctrine needs to be repeated, remember Phil 3:1, Finally, my brethren, keep on having inner happiness in the Lord. On the one hand, to be writing the same doctrines to you is not troublesome to me, while on the other hand, it is a safeguard or a basis of security for you. It is for our safeguard and protection to have doctrines repeated over and over again. So the alert pastor repeats doctrine. Look at Peter’s advice in the last days of his life, 2Pe 1:12, Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. Peter is now seventy years old, and he is about to die, and Peter has this advice, “I shall always be ready” because he was a prepared communicator of doctrine. No matter how bored the congregation gets, or how annoyed someone might be, a pastor who truly loves the Lord Jesus Christ and who truly loves his congregation will go against the grain and will repeat, repeat, and repeat. This is how inculcation and doctrinal impartation takes place. Repetition of doctrine is the only way of teaching an entire congregation of believers who are at different levels of spiritual growth. Repetition of doctrine is also necessary for converting gnosis (knowledge) into epignosis (wisdom). Peter considers it his solemn duty to repeat to the Royal Family of God. As long as you have positive volition toward doctrine, and you listen carefully and concentrate under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, something new always breaks through. Only the arrogant person says I’ve heard that before, as if hearing something before is all that matters. What matters is the inculcation of Bible Doctrine.

2Pe 1:13-15, And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind. Whatever we have cultivated in our conscious and subconscious mind, and nourished with repetition, will one day become a reality. It’s the repetition of that which we truly believe that leads to assurance and conviction. Once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen; you learn by building the muscle through repetition.

So, in Eze 28, we meet the devil, and see him as he was, and now is, Eze 28:11-12, Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre [The king of Tyre was one the few individuals in human history who was possessed by Satan, just like the serpent in the garden and Judas Iscariot who betrayed our Lord] and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

This is the Lord speaking to Satan inside the king of Tyre, and the phrase “You had the seal of perfection” means Satan was the most beautiful, the wisest, the most personable creature ever created. This also reveals that angels have form, they appear to be made of light and can travel through space, and their bodies are not visible to the human race for the obvious reason of the danger of worshipping angels, as Col 2:18 warns us against. Col 2:18, Let no one keep defrauding you or robbing you of your prize [escrow blessings] by delighting in self-abasement [false humility] and the worship of the angels [or the type of worship that the fallen angels promote] taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause [arrogant] by his carnal and fleshly system of thinking,

Satan is a super-genius, and he has the greatest mind that any creature has ever had; in fact, only one mind is more intelligent than his which is made available to creatures and that is the mind of Christ (1Co 2:16, Phil 2:5). Satan is the master of deception, the master deceiver, and he loves to cause division and blind God’s people especially from what he is doing behind the scenes. No true man or woman of consistent doctrine and prayer ever questioned the existence of the devil and his kingdom of evil spirits. The problem many have is that Satan succeeds in wearing out the saints of the Most High, Dan 7:25, And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, Satan does not do it all at once, but gradually, and continually, so that little by little the saints are worn down. Maybe he’ll use someone of the opposite sex as he did against Samson in Jdg 16:16 where Delilah wore down Samson. If we could see in the invisible realm, we would be shocked at the satanic plot to cause Christians not to concentrate. Satan creates discord, breaks up unity, destroys patterns, tears the mind apart, destroys the emotions, attacks the body, and brings in false concepts as truth. Satan tells people to live by those false concepts and to be free, and as they begin to live by these concepts, they actually lose their freedom to live. Anything that causes confusion and division and splits your thinking, is cosmos diabolicus, of the devil’s world system.

So, Satan is very aggressive and tries to wear down the saints. God offers us the mind of Christ, which is much greater than the mind of Satan, and the average believer says “NO THANKS.” Is it any wonder why Rev 12:9 says, And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

In Rev 13:14, he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform.

In Rev 18:23, he deceives the world by using a very popular church in Rome.

In Rev 19:20, he deceives those who had received the mark of the beast.

Just before the Millennial reign begins, a seraph angel is said to throw Satan into the abyss in Rev 20:3, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Satan was the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. By the way, his outward appearance hasn’t changed. Throw away your concepts of a gruesome creature. Satan was smart enough to know that he was the most beautiful creature that ever came along, and he was smart enough to try to use his beauty and his genius to his own advantage. But, if there’s anything that destroys genius, talent, and beauty, it is arrogance. First, there is the thought of arrogance, then the decision of arrogance, and then there is the action of arrogance. As with Satan, first he thought it, then he decided it, and then he did it! Satan led the first great revolt in the universe, started the first conspiracy in the universe, and this is the pre-historic angelic conflict. The original sin among angelic creatures is like the original sin among human creatures; it occurred as a decision in perfect environment!

There are three things that you can do without, as far as happiness in life is concerned:

1) You don’t have to be a genius to be happy; in fact, it’s very hard to be a genius and be happy.

2) You don’t have to be beautiful to be happy.

3) You don’t need a perfect environment to be happy. People associate happiness with these three things, and yet they are the least important things in life as far as happiness is concerned. The point is that these three factors cannot, and do not, bring happiness to the one who has them. Happiness comes from truth and is a state of mind. Most importantly, happiness is something that all members of the human race are born without. Satan was created an adult with perfect beauty, with the greatest genius of any creature God ever made, and with perfect environment. He didn’t have to acquire these; he had them from the start of his life. With self-consciousness, he had perfect beauty, perfect brains, in a perfect environment, as Eze 28:12 says, he was the sum total of perfection. He had everything that people ordinarily think would give them happiness. But these things never bring happiness, because people who have all of these things always want something else. They’re not happy, something’s missing: They want power, approbation, and they want to be recognized.

Satan had beauty and brains from the start of his life, and he also had authority being the anointed cherub or the Messiah’s angel, but he got tired of being second in charge. He became bored; he had everything except God’s power and that’s what he wanted most. Arrogance promotes inordinate ambition; this is why the first sin mentioned in God’s top seven is arrogance, the sin of Satan. Arrogance is satanic, and it is found in tremendous measure among born again believers. Many of them are so busy cleaning up the devil’s world, they don’t know a thing about the angelic conflict and why they are here. They are fanatical, arrogant fools who want to straighten everything out. They ignore the principle of separation of church and state, a basic concept of freedom. They want everyone to get involved in whitewashing the devil’s world.

The lust for power has its roots in arrogance, and the lust for power is simply much more than having the ability to manipulate people. The lust doesn’t begin with trying to exercise authority or influence over people; it starts with pre-occupation with self. Arrogance is a desire for recognition. Eze 28:13, “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared.”

The adorning with jewels suggests his great importance and the glory of his appearance. Even in the Garden of Eden, his title nahash, means the shining one. The Apostle Paul states that he is even now transformed into an angel of light, 2Co 11:12-15, But what I am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.

The precious stones mentioned in Eze 28:13 are displayed three times as recorded in the Bible:

1) In the high priest’s breastplate as a manifestation of divine grace.

2) In the New Jerusalem, which reflects the glory of God.

3) As the covering of this great angel, which signalizes the highest of all creation.
No distinction could be imposed on any creature more exalting than is imposed by these covering stones. In Eze 28:13, the phrase the workmanship of your settings and sockets refers to the fact that he did not need an instrument to praise and glorify God, he was an instrument of praise. Notice the last phrase in Eze 28:13, On the day that you were created They were prepared. He is still a creature created by God. In the next verse we seem to pass from the royalty of Satan to his priestly dignity. He is said to have been the Anointed Cherub that covers by God’s appointment. Eze 28:14, You were the anointed cherub [the highest rank of angelic creatures] who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God [third heaven]; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.

The word anointed means the Messiah’s angel. Satan was in the throne room of God. He is also said to have been upon the Holy Mountain of God and to have walked up and down in the midst of the Stones of Fire. The holy mountain of God is the place of His presence in visible glory, where His High Priest would stand before Him to minister (Exo 4:27, Psa 2:6). Satan’s presence on the holy mountain would indicate his enjoyment of the full Cherubic privilege of nearness to the throne of God. Remember that the cherubim were the group of angels related to the throne of God as protectors and defenders of His holiness. Therefore, we can conclude that this great angel was created above all angels to be a protector and defender of the throne of God. So, do not be surprised when you run into someone who is supposed to protect and defend the authority over them but instead attacks it and discredits it; it started with their father the devil.

Notice the phrase in Eze 28:14, You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. It’s interesting that God placed Satan there knowing that he eventually was going to rebel and start a conspiracy against God.

In Eze 28:14-15, “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways [not innocent, blameless] From the day you were created, Until unrighteousness was found in you.”

The first sinner of all creatures was Satan; he had everything to make him happy but he lusted for power, and the unrighteousness found within him is told to us in Eze 28:17-19, “Your heart [right lobe] was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom [distorted it] by reason of your splendor [your breathtaking beauty]. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you [this is future]. By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade [your dishonest transactions, a reference to Satan’s entering into conspiracy], You profaned your sanctuaries [that’s Satan’s first fall; his second fall is mentioned next which will come in the Tribulation period]. Therefore, I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified, And you will be no more. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.

This passage brings out the fact that God did not create Satan as such, He created an angel who was perfect in all his ways, and that angel sinned by opposing the will of God.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Internet Church Service – March 29, 2020; Our LORD created the greatest relationship between man and GOD.

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD – NOTES
Our LORD created the greatest relationship between man and GOD.

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name, and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word or participating in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry, also called the convincing ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher and the pastor’s message is the vehicle the Holy Spirit uses to convince you what you are learning is true or not.

1 John 1:9, says—“If we confess [simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life and you will be saved the very second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Terms used by RMBM

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to
teaching the Word of God from the original languages and
making it available at no charge throughout the world.

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references” (some websites may require to left click the link, if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

John 15 = “Vine and the Branches” — some of the “Most Unique Principles” that our Lord and His disciples celebrated as they did, the night before His death .

In the middle of the Passover, our Lord would celebrate the blessings that God the Father planned — God the Holy Spirit reveals — God the Son to execute the Father’s plan.

Our Lord had spent and prepared His disciples to celebrate the greatest event that was about to take place at the “Last Passover” until the Lord was ready to come back and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Our Lord began to reveal some of the most interesting doctrinal principles that come our way, as it did His, the night before the Cross.

Our Lord prepared for His disciples for one of the greatest relationships that ever existed between God and man.

The “Word of God” teaches us the importance of being accurate, especially when we are told that the Lord loves to see the respect that His people have for Him and for His ways.

John 15:1, The vinedresser metaphor refers to God the Father as the author of the predesigned plan from God, as well as your personal sense of destiny.

Vine metaphor = the humanity of Jesus Christ during the dispensation of the Hypostatic union where undiminished deity and true humanity now resides in one person forever.

God the Holy Spirit is in control of the life of God which is found in the souls of men; (that is either the man or the woman).

It is the ministry of fruit-bearing which is at work when the filling of the Spirit is alive within the believer resulting in the production of the divine good of the Spirit as Gal 5:22-23, teaches.

God’s Word;
God’s Power;
God’s Spirit!

All waiting for the will of God to be taught and to be applied by every member of the Church-age or the Royal Family.

Notice how the apostle Paul begins this section by reminding the believers in Galatia about the importance of the freedom and the liberty that our Lord wants His bride to function or to live by.

Freedom and liberty is a reflection of our Lord’s life and His word as he prepares himself for “Divine Blessings from above — that is the Power and the Spirit.

The main principle here is the key to “WHY” you and I can live the great spiritual life that God the father designed or created as we grow in God’s Word and God’s power.

For those of you who have studied with me the doctrine of the Angelic Conflict, this passage gives us all the knowledge and power that we need to function under.
Knowledge is power, and the power comes from the Word above, and like many other great passages these things are happening all around us.

James 1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from God the Father while the “Cosmic Christian” is unstable in all their ways; Jas 1:8; 4:8.

The apostle Paul said that “the whole Law or the fulfillment of God’s plan is fulfilled in one word, in the statement [that is in the doctrine that “You and I shall love others as we love ourselves.

There must NOT be any gossip or speaking evil because if we do so we will end up in spiritual cannibalism as Gal 5:15 warns us about “biting and devouring one another as we all do if we do not take care of our tongue.

Jas 1:19 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak [sins of the mental attitude and sins of the tongue] and slow to anger;”

This passage just gives us the power we need to serve and honor one another rather than speaking evil of one another.

The apostle Paul continues with the importance of Gal 5:16 where Paul tells us; “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

The battle goes on in Gal 5:17 were we are told that the flesh
[OSN=Old Sin Nature) sets its desire against the Spirit [Gal 5:22, 2Co 5:17] while the Spirit is against the flesh;

Paul gives us some guidance and directions we all need to “live by” and “grow by” as in Gal 5:18, the divine answers we need, we are told that “It we are led by the Spirit, we will not be slaves to the Law.

The battle really begins as Gal 5:19 which says “The deeds of the OSN [OSN=Old Sin Nature) are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions.

In Gal 5:21, more of the deeds of the flesh or the deeds of the OSN [OSN=Old Sin Nature) is also revealed by the sins of envying, drunkenness, carousing, and many more things like these.

The apostle Paul says that he forewarned us about the fact that those who practice or live by these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
‎
kleronomeo = nothing to do with inheriting salvation but it has to do with inheriting your very own inheritance of divine blessings.

The apostle Paul says that we should have the fruits or the productions of the Spirit.

The word fruit is the Greek noun karpos in the singular not the plural because it is theologically one fruit with nine different manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit.

Nine different manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit — it is not the fruits of the Spirit but the fruit (singular) which is called love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control.

“True vine” = our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ”

“Vinedresser = God the Father who clothes all believers.

“Branch” = Every believer in union with our Lord.

Fruit through the branch is a metaphor for the Church-age believer.

No fruit or production can be any better than the vine which produces it.

1Jo 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.

Because of positional sanctification plus the grace provision of the three spiritual skills, it is possible for the believer to manufacture productive righteousness.

The vine metaphor emphasizes the fact that all precedence and all productive righteousness in the Church-age comes from the vine – our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 15:2 “Every branch [once again every believer]

“In Me” is a reference to the believer in union with Christ.

1. Dead branches representing dead works or the production skills minus spiritual skills;

2. “Live branches” representing productive righteousness, or spiritual skills as the basis for production skills.

John 15:2; The branch in Christ that does not bear fruit refers to the believer who does not reveal the righteousness of God.

Dead works is not fruit-bearing and is punishable.

God the Father removes and takes away all dead wood, dead branches, branches which produce dead works.

God the Father takes away or removes the dead works through suffering in two categories:

1. The law of volitional responsibility which produces a tremendous amount of self-induced misery.

2. Divine Discipline.

Matt 7:17-19 = A true analogy, “Every healthy tree produces good fruit. And every diseased tree produces worthless [degenerate, or evil] fruit.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Pruning is necessary to redistribute where the energy for the Divine Production we should all desire to live by.

The branch that does bear fruit has to be pruned occasionally so that the spiritual skills will increase and maximize.
This is suffering for blessing.

Just as God provides divine discipline and punitive action for the non-fruit bearer, so God provides suffering for blessing for the fruit bearer.

Look once again at John 15:3-4 which are the cleansing of the branches for production.

Verse three is salvation cleansing of the branches.

Nothing in your life before salvation should be a hindrance to your production of the righteousness of God which should be alive in you.

Isa 43:25 “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.”

Isa 44:22 “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

In Phil 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

Phil 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Now, back in John 15:4; this verse four refers to post-salvation cleansing of the branches, which is the rebound technique.

This is for any believer who desires to go forward in the plan that God has provided for those who desire to be cleansed naturally, mentally or spiritually.

John 15:4 “Abide in Me [fellowship], and I in you [cognition of Bible doctrine]. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit from itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

“Abide” is a command means that it is an experience after salvation for others to have and it is not a reference to positional sanctification which refers to the Baptism of the Spirit and being in union experientially with our Lord and Savior.

We know that this interpretation is correct because we are never commanded to be in union with Christ.

This is a command to remain in fellowship with God through the use of 1Jo 1:9, so that experientially you will be able to produce Divine Good.”

The believer can only produce productive righteousness when filled with God the Holy Spirit.

The branch in Christ of John 15:2 is positional sanctification, but the branch commanded to abide in Christ is the believer commanded to experiential sanctification through the filling of the Holy Spirit.

We are going to note the phrase “I in you” which is the command for the believer to learn and metabolize Bible doctrine.

The vine, TLJC [The Lord Jesus Christ], has provided for us the precedent, the pattern, and the information necessary to produce divine righteousness rather than a self-righteousness.

Abiding in Christ is the filling of the Spirit.

Christ in us is cognition of Bible doctrine.

These spiritual skills are required before we can produce “much fruit.”

The phrase “do nothing” is dead works, the function of production skills without spiritual skills.

The production of divine righteousness is a grace provision from God which meets God’s perfect standards.

God provides the means for fruit-bearing through the filling of the Holy Spirit, cognition of Bible doctrine, and through the attainment of spiritual adulthood.

Production skills minus spiritual skills result in dead works.

The believer who does not abide in Christ is out of fellowship, and therefore, minus the first spiritual skill, the filling of the Spirit

All dead works are judged and burned immediately after the Rapture of the Church, Rom 14:10; 2Co 5:10.

The drying up of the branch means that the believer minus spiritual skills dries up with the production of dead works.

Production skills minus spiritual skills equals dead works.

Whenever we get into a dead works syndrome, we will inevitably hurt other people and cause a lot of trouble, which means we will end up being hurt ourselves.

a. The believer in fellowship.
b. The believer in doctrine.
c. The believer in prayer.

Abiding or remaining in Christ is reference to the Church Age believer in fellowship with God.

It is called “abiding” because the filling of the Holy Spirit only occurs in the PPOG [The Predesigned Plan of God].

When we reside in the PPOG [The Predesigned Plan of God], we reside in the place of the filling of the Holy Spirit.

The believer has fellowship with God on the basis of the fact that the Holy Spirit
controls the soul of the believer.
The filling of the Holy Spirit produces productive righteousness.

The Filling of the Holy Spirit is the first spiritual skill.

Hymn #3

The following link is to a good-news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about of their eternal future.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Weekly Bible Study – March 23, 2020; Study: The Angelic Conflict. Part 2. The existence of Rational creatures.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

The Angelic Conflict. Part 2. The existence of Rational creatures. Isa 6:1-7; Eze 10:9-13; Dan 7:4-6

We have been noting seven reasons for the world's hostility and hatred toward the We continue with our study on the Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict. Point 1 was our Definition: The angelic conflict is the result of the fall of all angelic creatures, with one third ending up in opposition to God. This began with the fall of Satan and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God. We use the term all angelic creatures because of what the word of God teaches us: the elect angels are “elect” or “chosen.” 1Ti 5:21, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.

In angelic history, God had provided a decision making process by which angels could express non-meritorious positive volition. This is why we have both elect and fallen angels! The Bible seems to reveal some sort of reconciliation for angels (Col 1:20, Phil 2:10). Likewise, God provided salvation for all mankind, so man can express non-meritorious positive volition through faith in Christ (John 3:16).
Angelic creatures are divided into two categories: Elect and Fallen angels (Rev 12:7, 1Ti 5:21, Matt 25:41, Mark 8:38). Mankind is divided into two categories: Believers and Unbelievers (John 3:36). The fall of man duplicates the fall of Satan in the Garden of God; both falls occurred during perfect environment. God created man as a rational creature lower than angels, duplicating, at a reduced scale, the conditions of the pre-historic angelic conflict. Man was given the opportunity to choose for or against God with one command, Gen 2:16-17, And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it dying spiritually you will die physically.”

Point 2. The Existence of Rational Creatures.

The scripture teaches that there are only two categories of rational creatures: first, the superior category called angels, which were created in eternity past, before the creation of the human race (Psa 8:4; Heb 2:7). The second category of rational creatures is mankind, with a complete soul essence, although they may not always be rational. Angels are superior to man by creation, but the structure of our souls is similar to theirs. Satan is the most brilliant of all creatures, the most attractive, and most personable, he is the son of the morning, the anointed cherub, Eze 28:14, You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there.

Satan, at one time, held the highest rank of all creatures. The cherub at that time was the highest form of angel, and the most superior form of angelic life; today the seraphim are the highest ranking angels, and are above the cherubs.

Because of the character and nature of God, He is righteous and just and immutable, we are forced to the conclusion that just as members of the human race are rewarded for their faithfulness to TLJC, so the angels were given rewards for living in something similar to our PPOG [Predesigned Plan of God]. So, we have a difference among the angels, just as among humans. 1Co 15:40-42, There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for stars differ from stars in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.

Angels were apparently created out of light, are able to move through space at will, and are invisible to the empirical investigation of mankind. This is very important to understand because of questions such as: Is there life on other planets or in the universe? The answer is yes, there are angelic creatures. There are creatures in the stellar space, fallen creatures, who enter into the supreme court of heaven under certain situations and circumstances; the atmosphere is filled with these invisible, superior rational creatures. These angels have observed Adam, Job, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, TLJC [The Lord Jesus Christ], the apostle Paul, they have seen them all, and they know more about you than you know about yourself!

So, as a result of the pre-historic angelic conflict, certain elect angels received blessings and rewards which are comparative to our escrow blessings in time, so some elect angels have wings and others do not. As with humans, there are also degrees of rank and privilege among elect angels. TLJC has under Him high elect angels; the highest ranking ones are called Seraphim, angels with 6 wings. These angels guard the throne of God (Isa 6:1-7). Next are the Cherub ranked angels who have four wings, and then the Cherub angels who have two wings (Exo 25:1-40).

However, not all angels have wings; in fact, very few angels have wings. The cherub was the highest ranked angel (Satan was the highest of these), but a new rank, called Seraphim, was given as a reward for certain angels. One of the Seraph angels is used to bring special messages and announcements (Isa 6:7). In Rev 5:2, he is known as the strong or powerful angel, “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”

Rev 10:1 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; He is clothed with a cloud which represented the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Seraphim angel has a rainbow over his head representing the faithfulness and the integrity of God in protecting and perpetuating the human race, Gen 9:13, I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. His face was like the sun, representing God’s grace provision for disaster. His feet like pillars of fire represent the believer’s wall of fire.

In Rev 14:18, he has authority over fire. In Rev 14:15, the Seraph serves as a messenger between God the Father and God the Son in the administration of certain historical events such as the seven last plagues.

In Rev 18:1, one Seraph is called the angel with great authority, After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.

In Rev 20:1-3, there is a Seraphim with a key to the abyss or bottomless pit.

It is important to understand that wings represent power, speed, and purpose. Eze 10:9-13, Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels {was} like the gleam of a Tarshish stone. And as for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. When they moved, they went in {any of} their four directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which they faced, without turning as they went. And their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them. The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.

In Dan 7:4, wings represent power, authority, and swiftness, “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 or the ability to perceive what was taking place in the human realm] also was given to it.

In Dan 7:6, wings represent being a general in the military, After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

In Isa 6, the Hebrew term seraphim means burning ones, and their title speaks of their consuming devotion to God. Seraphim were noted for their priestly type service to God. Isa 6:1-3, In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Note that the seraphim were above both sides of Jehovah on His throne proclaiming the glory of God. In Isa 6:4, the force of their voices was such that the supports of the throne room shook, And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.
In Isa 6:5-7, the seraphim express the holiness of God in rejecting any service performed without cleansing, Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth {with it} and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.”

The Seraphim appear to be that group of angels who became winners by understanding the righteousness and justice of God (the integrity of God) and the importance of proper motivation or a right thing being done in a right way. The cherub rank is lower than the seraph rank. Satan was the anointed cherub in Eze 28:14, and he was court-martialed, Eze 28:15-19; Isa 14:12-15. Eze 1:4-14, 10:9-10 describe the cherubs as the vehicle of divine judgment in the O.T. In the great chariot of fire found in Ezekiel, one cherub was found at each of the wheels (2Sa 22:11; Psa 18:10; Eze 1;10). Cherubs guard the gates of Eden (Gen 3:22-24).

In Rev 7:1-2, a cherub commands 4 other wingless angels who control the weather of the earth, After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads.”

In Rev 14:6-7, there is a cherub who is in charge of crisis evangelism. In Rev 14:8, a cherub announces the fall of religion during the Tribulation, And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

In Rev 14:9, a cherub warns the human race about the consequences of being converted to the ecumenical religious system, And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand,”
There are different ranks among the angels, and wings represent power, rank, and authority. Unlike seraphim, most cherubim are not messengers; their main purpose and activity is to proclaim and protect God’s presence, sovereignty, and His holiness. In one sense, they proclaim to men the transcendent and unapproachable God, as in forbidding entrance into paradise and protecting and shading the ark. In another sense they speak of the revelation of God’s glory to man since they are associated with the visible form of the glory of God (Eze 1:4-28). From the vision of Eze 1, the cherubim indicate the intervention of sovereign God in the affairs of men. Throughout Ezekiel we see the glory of God associated with the cherubim disciplining Israel for sin and rebellion and judging ungodly nations, as well as cherubs intervening on behalf of Israel to bring about the accomplishments of God’s promises to Israel.

So, cherubim deal with the holiness of God outraged by sin and rebellion, whereas seraphim deal with the uncleanness of man as related to God. They emphasize God’s presence and holiness in their symbolic form upon the mercy seat which is above the lid of the ark of the covenant. These things were kept in the inner most sanctuary of the tabernacle where God’s Shekinah glory was pleased to dwell with His people. There God met sinful man on the basis of blood sacrifice, and through a God-given priesthood. In the ark were kept three articles which are the testimony to man’s sin. First, the tables of the Law, the Ten commandments, which the Jews disobeyed. Secondly, Aaron’s rod that budded, a testimony to all the sins that come from rejecting authority. Aaron’s rod was used for miraculous powers during the plagues of Egypt, but the Jews ended up rejecting its authority. Thirdly, a golden pot of manna representing the wonderful principle of logistical grace, and all of the sins that come from rejecting logistical grace support. So, in the box is that which represents sin categorically; all were reminders of God’s gracious provisions scorned and rejected by man. The cherubim would symbolically look down and see the sprinkled blood on the mercy seat covering the sins of the people symbolized by the three items under the lid of the ark. All of this pointed forward to TLJC who would shed His blood not just to cover sins, but to put them away by the sacrifice of Himself, Heb 9:6-26. In witnessing the sprinkling of the blood in Heb 9:5 the cherubim of glory were not only protectors of God’s glory but proclaimers of God’s grace, Heb 9:5, And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. God uses His creatures to reveal His glory, His truth, His character and nature, and especially His love.

There is another order of rank among the angels: the archangel and the special messenger. Michael and Gabriel are mentioned as archangels in the Bible and special messengers. Archangels are a very high category of elect angels. Michael commanded the army of angels who defended Israel; he is called the prince of Israel in Dan 10:21. In Eph 6:12, there is a special group of fallen angels assigned to discrediting and attacking rulers of this world and believers. They attack any nation operating under the laws of establishment and any local assembly operating under the truth of Bible doctrine. One of the most interesting glimpses we get into that unseen world is in Dan 10, where Daniel is drawn into a time of fasting and prayer for 21 days. And at the end of those 21 days, he is visited by an elect angel, who tells Daniel that he has been trying to get through to Daniel for 21 days.

Dan 10:1-21, In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar; and the message was true and {one of} great conflict, but he understood the message and had an understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all, until the entire three weeks were completed. And on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was by the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris [another river in the Garden of Eden], I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with {a belt of} pure gold of U-phaz. His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult [or a great crowd]. Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding {this} and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. [Notice the phrase “kings of Persia,” in the plural because it refers to certain fallen angels who are rulers of the cosmos.] “Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet {future.}” And when he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. And behold, one who resembled a human being was touching my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, and said to him who was standing before me, “O my lord, as a result of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have retained no strength. “For how can such a servant of my lord talk with such as my lord? As for me, there remains just now no strength in me, nor has any breath been left in me.” Then {this} one with human appearance touched me again and strengthened me. And he said, “O man of high esteem, do not be afraid. Peace be with you; take courage and be courageous!” Now as soon as he spoke to me, I received strength and said, “May my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Then he said, “Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these {forces} except Michael your prince [that’s Michael the archangel].

Notice the phrases in Dan 10:20, the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece. He is not talking about the prince or the king of Persia or the prince or the king of Greece; he is talking about the spiritual demonic angelic beings behind those two empires. He is talking about the rulers of the cosmos, Satan’s demon ambassadors. These fallen angels were able to intrude upon this messenger to prevent him from coming to Daniel for 21 days. And so what this messenger says in effect is “I am going to give you these great new chapters, chapters 11 and 12, but as soon as I do that I have to go back and fight these guys again.” Then in verse 20, the prince of Greece will follow. Both Persia, made up of current day Iraq and Iran, and Greece had demon rulers over them. This is a reference to these nations being under demonic leadership. The point is that there is warfare in the heavens all of the time which includes the clash of soldier-type angels. That’s why we have the angelic order of battle. The angelic order of battle begins number one with our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the commander and chief of the army of elect angels, under the title of Adonai tseba’ah, translated generally, the Lord of Hosts. Often people fail to realize that the word hosts meant armies hundreds of years ago when the English translations were translated. So, His title is the Lord of the armies, as number one in the angelic order of battle.

Number two in the angelic order of battle are the archangels, or army commanders, and two of them are mentioned in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel. Michael commands the army of angels who defend Israel, so he has an additional title, he is called the prince of Israel in Dan 10:21. Michael will lead the elect angels into battle as they defend Israel during the Tribulation period according to several prophecies, Dan 12:1, Rev 12:7-12, And there was a battle in heaven, Michael and his army of elect angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven [they were kicked out]. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now deliverance [the Second Advent], and the power, [Jesus Christ in hypostatic union, undiminished deity, true humanity in one person forever] and the kingdom of our God [the Father’s plan for the Millennial reign] and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. Furthermore they overcame him [Satan], because of the blood of the lamb [the saving work of Christ on the cross], and because of the doctrine applied by means of their testimony. In fact they did not love their life to the point of death. For this reason, be celebrating you heavens, [elect angels and resurrected Church-age believers] and you, who live temporarily in them, [O. T. saints and Tribulational martyrs, who reside in heaven in the interim body] Woe to both land and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having and holding on to great wrath, or foaming with fury because he knows that his time is short.

In Dan 12:1 we read, Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands {guard} over the sons of your people, [the Jews and every generation of human history] will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time [Tribulation period]; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And that is by the Second Advent.

Gabriel is not only an archangel or army commander, but he is an officer of arms in the angelic college of Heralds. He was commissioned to explain to Daniel the vision of the Ram and He Goat in Daniel chapter 8, and Gabriel was sent to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist, so he has additional duties. He is a very unusual angelic creature in that he is in both the college of Heralds and the order of battle.

Gabriel is not only the army commander (possibly for Gentile client nations) in the angelic order of battle, but he also functions as one of the officers of arms in the angelic college of heralds. This implies that archangels are seraphs. You will recall that when an elect angel announced to the shepherds the birth of our Lord, he is joined by multitudes of heavenly armies praising God, according to Luke 2:8-13. And then we have ministering angels including in this group, according to Heb 1:13-14, But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies A footstool for Thy feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? Even though there are only four categories in the actual order of battle, this is quite an extensive group.

We have been noting seven reasons for the world’s hostility and hatred toward the believer:

1) Because the kosmos system hates Christ.

2) Because once a person is in the plan of God, as a believer priest, they no longer belong to the world.

3) Because of the principle: the slave is not greater than his master (John 15:20).

4) Because the kosmos is ignorant of the plan of God (John 15:21).

5) Because their (those in the kosmos) old sin nature is exposed.

6) Because the world hates God the Son and therefore they hate God the Father Who sent Him. By the way, the world does not hate God the Holy Spirit, because they really know nothing about Him. That’s why 1Co 2:14 says, But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Finally, in John 15:23-24, we read, “He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.” This leads us to the seventh reason the kosmos hates the believer found in John 15:25, “But {they have done this} in order that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.”

In spite of the seven reasons why the world hates us today in the intensified stage of the angelic conflict, God’s plan will continue on the earth. The plan now comes from two sources, in John 15:26, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and in verse 27, the ministry of every believer. Every believer is in full time Christian service. John 15:26-27 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, {that is} the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me, and you {will} bear witness also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

This is addressing God the Holy Spirit, as the first witness, who would begin the Church-age on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. One of His primary functions is the communication of doctrine, so that an edification structure, built from residual doctrine, will enable us to stand-up against the pressure and antagonism of the cosmos. The second witness is the believer himself (John 15:27) in his ambassadorship, which we have recently studied. Every believer is a witness for Christ. Verse 27 is a reference to the disciples. They have been with Him from the beginning of His earthly ministry, and when the Church-age begins, they will bear witness, and this witnessing principle will be perpetuated to all generations, right down to us today. These two witnesses counteract and counterattack the devil’s world.

John chapter 16 is a continuation of the Gethsemane discourse and an extension of the angelic conflict from the standpoint of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in verses 1-15, and the ministry of God the Son in verses 16-33. In this chapter, TLJC is anticipating the coming of the Church-age, the dispensation in which He is glorified at the right hand of God the Father. This dispensation is where the intensification of the angelic conflict begins. Therefore, we have begun a study of the doctrine of the Angelic Conflict.

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Point 1 is a definition:

The angelic conflict is the result of pre-historic creatures being in opposition to God, which began with the fall of Satan, and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God. It refers to two trials of Satan and the fallen angels, one in pre-historic times, the other during human history. Matt 25:41, "Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;" This verse is a reference to angels who are under a curse from eternity past. This is why 1Ti 5:21 calls certain angels His chosen or His elect angels. The angelic conflict is the result of the fall of all angelic creatures with more than one third ending up in opposition to God, which began with the fall of Satan and continued until all angelic creatures had made a decision for or against God.

The question which needs to be answered is: "Did more than one-third of the angels fall or did they ALL fall and nearly two-thirds came back to Christ through a salvation provided by Him, which is why they are said to be ELECT?" The information we have on the pre-historic past is very vague. However, this should not lead us into thinking that we cannot draw conclusions by comparing scripture with scripture. We can see the results of the restoration of planet earth, the creation of mankind, and the continuing angelic conflict, and we can see their causes. We know that before the creation of mankind Satan had fallen (Isa 14:12; Eze 28:15). We also know that there was a category of angelic creation that was fallen and a category that was called elect and holy angels.

Rev 12:3-4, And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon [Satan] having seven heads and ten horns [or control of seven heads and ten horns, which is the revived Roman empire of the Tribulation plus ecumenical religion], and on his heads were seven diadems or crowns. And his tail [Satan's power] swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and He [God] threw them to the earth [this will happen in the middle of the Tribulation]. And the dragon [Satan] stood or who had stood before the woman [the virgin Mary] who was about to give birth [This was what Satan tried so hard to stop, anticipating the virgin birth of Christ], so that when she gave birth he [Satan] might devour or destroy her child [destroy the humanity of Christ]. In Mark 8:38, and Luk 9:26, we read, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and {the glory} of the Father and of the holy angels."

In Rev 14:10, notice what it says for those who receive a mark upon their forehead, "he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." We may conclude that the only reason why the angels are called holy angels is because God made them holy by providing for them some non-meritorious way to receive His righteousness. This view is further strengthened by the Word of God which states that Jesus Christ ALONE is the holy One. Rev 15:4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed.

Rev 16:5, And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous art Thou, who art and who was, O Holy One, because Thou didst judge these things;

Since Jesus Christ is called the only Holy One, meaning that He alone is the only One who remains experientially holy, how can it be that the elect angels are called holy? This is a seeming contradiction unless the angels were made holy after they were found to be unholy. In Rev 7:10-12, resurrected believers praise the Lord for salvation, and the angels join in by twice saying Amen. Amen means that they concur, agree, and express that they believe it. That is, they personally believe and understand salvation. Rev 7:10-12, and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

In the Tribulation, while angels bring divine judgment upon the earth, no angel is allowed to execute this judgment apart from Jesus Christ because He alone is worthy, Rev 5:2-5, And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look into it. And I began to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

In Job we find the statement that God charges error against His angels and this is used to argue that no man can be just before God. The argument would lack logic if only some angels were charged with error. Job 4:17-18, Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker? He puts no trust even in His servants; And against His angels He charges error.

It is very interesting, and important to note, that at the fall Satan had offered man a counterfeit salvation (operation fig leaf) prior to God offering man the true salvation. True salvation looked ahead to Christ, Gen 3:21, And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. Satan's counterfeit was fig leaves, Gen 3:7, Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. A counterfeit pre-supposes understanding of the real. Therefore, Satan would have had to have some prior knowledge of salvation in order to offer a counterfeit plan for covering sinfulness and disobedience.

The key word in all of these passages is the word HOLY, hosios in the Greek, which is used to express the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word is used eight times in the Scriptures for TLJC, and only looks at the absolute uniqueness of Him. Hosios is used of His person in Acts 2:27 and Acts 13:35, as the grantor of blessings for the believer in Acts 13:34, and as His qualification to be High Priest in Heb 7:26. Hosios is also a pre-requisite for prayer in 1Ti 2:8. Hosios is that which should become a believer's testimony in 1Th 2:10. Hosios is the believer's goal in Luk 1:75, and a characteristic of the new self or new man in Eph 4:24. Therefore, only the Lord Jesus Christ remains experientially holy, and the four verses where this word is used as an adjective for angelic beings shows us that all angels were once unholy and those who accepted God's plan for salvation became holy.

There is a syllogism to this: A.) Christ is the ONLY Holy One. B.) Since men, angels, and things (animal sacrifices etc.) are called holy and His unique holiness is a perpetual holiness, the holiness of others is passed down as a gift and not inherent. C.) Angels are called holy and therefore must have been made holy from a status of not being holy, much like the Christian.

Another principle to consider is that no one is perfect but Jesus Christ. Psa 89:5-8, And the heavens will praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord, A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him? O Lord God of hosts, who is like Thee, O mighty Lord? Thy faithfulness also surrounds Thee.

In Col 1:19-20 Jesus Christ is said to reconcile all things to Himself, For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Reconciliation is the making of peace between those who are enemies. In these verses the Lord is said to accomplish this for things on earth and in heaven.

The condemnation against Satan in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 is very specifically against him and him alone. However, after his sin and fall, God allowed him to tempt all the other angels to follow him. God did not interfere with this evil scheme because in His omniscience He knew they would buy the lie and He had something far better for them, salvation. Suppose that all the angels fell and at that moment, God stepped in with judgment. Upon being judged, found guilty and condemned, Satan objected and accused God of not being a just God, of violating His essence, His love, His fairness, His omniscience, etc. As Satan stood condemned, all the angels stood condemned, but condemnation only sets up the divine provision of reconciliation. God offered to the angels a way for their sin to be forgiven in which His divine attributes would in no way be compromised. We only have one vague reference to angelic salvation in the Scripture, Heb 2:2-4, For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. This verse tell us that there is some kind of parallel being drawn between angelic salvation and human salvation.

We can see in the initial fall of man, the subsequent attempt at deception by Satan, and the subsequent salvation offered by God a possible parallel to angelic salvation. Satan fell due to his own initiative and then deceived other angels. In the same way Satan as the serpent deceived the woman (Gen 3:5). Adam, however, fell without deception; he chose to disobey God just as Satan did. At the fall then we have one who disobeyed out of his own initiative and one who was deceived. This pattern reflects what may have happened in the angelic realm. Satan disobeyed by his own initiative and the other angels were deceived.

There are also additional evidences that these things are true:

1) The Ark of the Covenant illustrates that angels benefit from the work of Christ.

2) The Veil of Exodus 26:31-35 in the Temple was a reminder of the humanity of Christ. Part of it was made of fine white linen which looks at experiential +R [=the righteousness of God]. This veil was to be made with cherubim on it. The curtain speaks of Christ and His work and the angels were on the curtain themselves, Exo 26:31, And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

3) The linen curtains of Exodus 26:1-6 were also of the same color scheme as the veil and looked ahead to the person and work of Christ in salvation. These also had angels embroidered on them. The angels partake of Christ's place of origin, heaven, and of his royalty, in the presence of God. They partake of His work in salvation, which is represented by the scarlet color.

4) Angels also are often pictured as wearing white garments. In Mark 16:5, the two angels at the tomb are said to be in white garments, And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. In Revelation 19:8 the church, the bride of Christ, is also clothed in white linen garments. This white garment represents the righteousness of God that He imputed to us and therefore represents the same for the angels who accepted angelic salvation.

SUMMARY:

1) Satan counterfeited salvation to Adam and the Woman prior to God's offer of salvation to them which would indicate a prior knowledge of salvation.

2) Any position regarding what happened in the fall of angels, their salvation, etc, is an argument from silence and with that, the only value of one argument over another is its consistency with the character of God and the parallel to other known events.

3) God is a God of mercy and the greatest expression of mercy is to offer peace or reconciliation to one's enemies.

4) God is absolutely just and fair and could not have offered salvation to man and not offered it to another creation, angels, who had also fallen.

5) Only Christ is forever holy and pure and blameless. For another creature to have these characteristics inherent in them and maintained in them by freewill would have meant that they could have died for the sins of creation. Therefore, no angel was qualified to go to the Cross.

6) Angels are very much a part of the tabernacle, the ark, the veil, the curtains which all look ahead to Christ and His salvation work.

7) Hebrews 2:9-10 indicate that Christ would taste death for all creation, But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone [pas-all] For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

8) The garments of angels are the same garments given to saved mankind in eternity. 9) In 1Ti 5:21 angels are called chosen or elect which would indicate that there was a time when they were not chosen and not elect.

10) Col 1:20 indicates that Christ reconciled all things to Himself, things on earth and things in heaven, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Therefore, the angelic conflict refers to the two trials of Satan and the fallen angels, one in pre-historic times, the other during human history. In our subject, the trial phase begins with the fall of man in the garden and continues until the beginning of the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union. Mankind was created and human history began in order to duplicate the conditions of the pre-historic angelic conflict. This provided both evidence and precedence for Satan's appeal trial during human history. The fall of man in the garden of Eden actually duplicates the fall of Satan in the garden of God. Both falls occurred during perfect environment.

The trial phase in the court of appeals is essentially Old Testament history. It began in Gen 3. God created man as a rational creature lower than angels, duplicating on a reduced scale, the conditions of the pre-historic angelic conflict. Man was given the opportunity to choose for or against God with one command from God, only one thing was forbidden. God entered His evidence by creating man just as the angels were created: innocent (or perfect) with the potential to love and worship God through right decisions and the potential to become imperfect by wrong decisions. Human history provides similar circumstances and options which belonged to angelic history before man's creation. For example, Satan had been created in perfect innocence; Adam was created in perfect innocence. The angels have free will; man has free will. Adam freely and deliberately chose to follow the pattern of arrogance which characterized Satan's original revolution, Isa 14:12-14. So the fall of Adam duplicates the fall of Satan.

In angelic history, God had provided a decision making process by which angels could express non-meritorious positive volition. Likewise, God provided salvation for all mankind so that man can express non-meritorious positive volition through faith in Christ (John 3:16). Here is another similarity: through the exercise of their free will, angelic creatures are divided into two categories: elect and fallen angels (Rev 12:7, 1Ti 5:21, Matt 25:41, Mark 8:38). Through the exercise of their free will mankind is divided into two categories, believers and unbelievers (John 3:36). Human history is not only coterminous with the appeal trial of Satan and his fallen angels, but human history is the actual courtroom for that trial, and mankind was created to be a part of that trial.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

God's Gift of Eternal Life Blog

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Weekly Bible Study – March 30, 2020; Study: The Angelic Conflict. Part 3. How and When the Angelic Conflict began.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Internet Church Service – March 29, 2020; Our LORD created the greatest relationship between man and GOD.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Weekly Bible Study – March 23, 2020; Study: The Angelic Conflict. Part 2. The existence of Rational creatures.

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