Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
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STUDY TITLE:
The Angelic Conflict. Part 15. Operation footstool-the ultimate triumph of the angelic conflict. Psa 110:1-7; Matt 22:41-46; Mar 12:35-37
Our final point in the doctrine of the angelic conflict is Point 15, Operation footstool-the ultimate triumph of the angelic conflict.
In Psa 110:1 we find the first mention of operation footstool, (A Psalm of David.) The Lord [God the Father] says to my Lord [TLJC = The Lord Jesus Christ]: “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies [Satan and the fallen angels] a footstool for Thy feet.”
Psa 110 is about the Messiah’s reign and rulership when He returns to the earth to set up His kingdom. This prophecy is so important that it is quoted six times in the N.T., four times under a rebuttal concept to settle a Jewish controversy regarding Christ as the Messiah to Israel, and the dispute about the Hypostatic-union. In Matt 22:41- 46, when questioned by the Pharisees who were denying the fact that TLJC was the Messiah and a member of the human race at the same time, Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ [not Himself but the Messiah that they expected], whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet? If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his son?” And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.
In Mark 12:35-37, Psa 110:1 is quoted by Jesus in the temple answering a dispute with the scribes, And Jesus answering {began} to say, as He taught in the temple, “How {is it that} the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet.” ‘David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; and {so} in what sense is He his son?” And the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
In Luk 20:41-44, Psa 110:1 is quoted by Jesus when questioned by the Sadducees in Luk 20:27, Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection). So in Luk 20:41-44, And He said to them, “How {is it that} they say the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.”‘ David therefore calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”
In Acts 2:24-36, Peter’s message on resurrection on the day of Pentecost, he quoted Psa 110:1. It is quoted in Heb 1:13, 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?”
In Heb 10:12-13, but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.
The occasion for this prophecy is the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session of the humanity of Christ in the Hypostatic-union, so it was fulfilled at the end of the dispensation of the Hypostatic-union.
The deity of Christ is omnipresent (everywhere present); this is why He could say in Matt 28:20 to His disciples “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” On the other hand, the humanity of Christ is limited to one spot. Only the humanity of Christ could sit down; deity is omnipresent and does not sit. That’s an important principle in operation footstool and the angelic conflict because seated at the right hand of God the Father, the highest place of authority in the universe, is not an angel, but a member of the human race. The session of Christ was the occasion for receiving His third royal title based on the dispensation of the Hypostatic-union and the resultant strategic victory in the historical angelic conflict. Operation footstool is the ultimate triumph of TLJC when He comes back a second time, and sets up His kingdom on earth. It is a triumph over Satan and the fallen angels, and is a very important part of the historical extension of the angelic conflict.
Operation footstool has two phases, one at each end of the Millennium. At the Second Advent of Christ, following the Tribulation, the time of great demon activity, TLJC comes back, and His enemies are put under His feet as He will throw Satan and all fallen angels off the earth and incarcerate them for 1000 years. Rev 20:1-3, And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 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.
Zec 13:2, And it will come about in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols [demons] from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.
All fallen angels will be placed in Hades until they are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14).
At the Second Advent, all unbelievers are taken off the earth as a part of operation footstool. The unbelievers who survived the Tribulation are collected into two groups for their judgment, called the baptism of fire (Matt 3:11-12). The two groups are the Jews and Gentiles. The distinction is made because the Tribulation is a part of the dispensation of Israel. Jewish unbelievers of the Tribulation are removed from the earth and cast into torments, the compartment of Hades for all unbelievers since the beginning of time. All unbelievers remain in torments until Hades delivers up its dead, Rev 20:13, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Then they are cast into the lake of fire, Rev 20:14, And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Eze 20:33-28; Mal 4:1 teach about this phase of judgment for the Jewish unbelievers of the Tribulation. Gentile unbelievers of the Tribulation are also cast into the fire of torments, Matt 25:31-46, But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations [the Gentiles] will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me {something} to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.’ 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; for I was hungry, and you gave Me {nothing} to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The pattern for the removal of unbelievers of the Tribulation is found in Matt 24:36-44, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women {will be} grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think {He will.}”
In this verse, the one who is left is the believer going into the Millennium which starts with believers only. The one taken is the Jewish unbeliever put into torments. At the end of the Millennium, they will be resurrected, judged, and cast into Gehenna or the lake of fire.
So, the first phase of operation footstool is the Second Advent and includes two categories of judgment: 1) The judgment of pre-historic, rational, super-creatures (angels). Satan and fallen angels are judged, removed from the earth, and incarcerated for 1000 years (Rev 20:1 3). 2) The judgment of historical, rational creatures (unbelieving mankind). Therefore, sitting at the right hand of the Father, our Lord is waiting for His Royal Family to be completely formed at which time He comes to meet us in the air. Then He owes Israel seven more years, the Tribulation period, at the end of which He touches the earth at the Second Advent where operation footstool begins. The second phase of operation footstool takes place after the Gog revolution at the end of the Millennium when Satan is released from prison and enacts his last revolt. The Gog revolution is described for us in Rev 20:7-8, And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison [Satan immediately starts an international conspiracy called the Gog and Magog revolution where the conspirators are the unbelievers of the Millennium], and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. In the siege of Jerusalem, the Gog and Magog revolutionists are destroyed by God, Rev 20:9-15, And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. [Then follows the last judgment of all unbelievers of the human race]. And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This fulfills the principle of judgment found in John 3:18, He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
And in John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
So, operation footstool begins at the Second Advent and terminates at the end of the Millennium. The relationship between the two phases of operation footstool is presented in 1Co 15:22-25, For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end [the end of the Tribulation, when the Second Advent takes place], when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, [At this time Jesus Christ supersedes Satan as ruler of the world, and delivers the kingdom to the Father, who in turn gives the rulership of the world to Jesus Christ for the last dispensation as His prize for the strategic victory of the angelic conflict] when He [Jesus Christ in Hypostatic-union] has abolished all rule [Satan as the ruler of this world] and all authority [dictatorships of Tribulation] and all power [removal of all demons, corrupting human power, and the influence of Satan’s cosmic system]. For He must reign [1,000 years] until He has put all His enemies under His feet [termination of operation footstool].
There are three important principles when it comes to interpreting the word of God: 1) The pastor must understand isagogics, the historical setting of a passage. 2) Categories: the systematic theology developed from combining Scripture with Scripture. 3) Exegesis: the grammatical and syntactical analysis of the passage from the original languages. These three principles are extremely important for the interpretation of a passage, especially in light of our subject, the angelic conflict and our passage in Col 2:13-15, And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed the rulers [demon archons or rulers] and the authorities [demon commissioned officers] He [Jesus Christ at the Second Advent] made a public display of them, having celebrated a triumphal procession over them [Satan and all fallen angels] by means of it [strategic victory of the cross] (corrected translation).
According to the isagogics, an analogy is made here between operation footstool and a Roman Triumphal Procession. The fallen angels are a part of this procession. They are incarcerated in the abyss until the last judgment when they will come out, be judged, and cast into the lake of fire.
The phrase He made a public display is the Greek word deigmatizo meaning to display or exhibit the captives or the demons He disarmed. The phrase having triumphed is the Greek verb thriambeuo, which actually means to lead a Triumphal Procession, make some kind of a special exhibition, or to celebrate a triumph. A custom in the ancient world after winning a war was to bring the captives back and to have a Triumphal Procession or a march through the city of Rome. In the Roman army, Field grade officers were called tribunes; General officers were called praetor or imperium. When an imperium was victorious, the highest honor that could be given was a Triumph (Triumphus), which included a procession or a parade. The victorious imperator or general assembled his troops outside the gate and delivered a speech commending his army on their victory. When TLJC was resurrected three days after the cross, after He was on the earth for 40 days, He ascended to the right hand of the Father. That’s when He heard from God the Father the phrase, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies A footstool for Thy feet!” When TLJC arrived in the presence of the Father, He arrived as the conquering general, and in front of Him during the ascension were Satan and all demons in the Triumphal Procession as captives. So there was a moment on the earth when things were pretty quiet because all the demons were paraded by TLJC as He sat upon that throne.
The analogies between the Roman Triumphal Procession and the Spiritual Triumphal Procession which will take place at the Second Advent are fantastic to note! As the army of the imperium lined up to salute him with the shout,“ Ave imperator”, so TLJC will be honored as the King of kings and the Lord of lords at the Second Advent. As thetriumphus was the highest honor that could be given to an imperator, the highest honor which can be given to TLJC is to sit down at the right hand of God as the “King of kings, Lord of lords, the bright morning star.” The ultimate decoration is the order of the morning star. For our Lord, the first part of the triumphal procession took place in the spiritual realm, while the second part will take place in the temporal realm and will be seen by all. REV 11:15-17 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” And the twenty four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign”
In the Roman Triumphal Procession, the senate had to approve the triumph. By analogy, God the Father will support His Son Jesus Christ and at the Second Advent there will be a victorious procession to celebrate our Lord’s victory. On the day appointed for the Triumphal Procession, the senate declared a holiday and the entire population of Rome came out of their homes and stationed themselves along the streets. In Rev 1:7, Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.
In the Roman Triumphal Procession, the victorious imperator assembled his troops outside the gate of triumph and delivered a speech commending his army on their victory, and decorated the heroes. By analogy, before our Lord comes back in the Second Coming, He will deliver a speech to the church at the bema seat judgment commending and decorating those who were victorious by becoming invisible heroes. Rev 3:5 Thus the winner shall be clothed in white garments and I will never blot out his title [the winner is knighted at the judgment seat of Christ] out of the book of life. In fact, I will acknowledge his title in the presence of My Father and before His angels [a formal presentation].
In the Roman Triumphal Procession, the highest honor was the corona [Latin for crown]. By analogy, we have the crown of righteousness, awarded to invisible heroes for executing the PPOG [predesigned plan of God]and for bearing fruit in it, 2Ti 4:7-8, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. The crown of live, for handling suffering for blessing, James 1:12 Happy is that person who perseveres under testing, for once he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.
The crown of glory is awarded to pastors who faithfully study and communicate Bible doctrine; their motivation is occupation with the Lord and not with people. 1Pe 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears [Rapture], you [faithful pastors] will receive the unfading crown of glory. The ultimate decoration is the order of the morning star, awarded for the ultimate in Christian service, invisible impact. Rev 2:26, 28 Furthermore, the winner, even he who keeps my assignments [the fulfillment of the PPOG] until the end [of his life], to him I will give authority over the nations. Furthermore, I will give to him the order of the morning star.
Not all winners will receive the order of the morning star, but many will be rewarded the different crowns and awards given for faithfulness and dedication to the Lord in time. The general also mounted his chariot with four horses and commanded his army to fall in, present arms, and move to the gate. By analogy, TLJC will give orders to the Church to mount their horses as she returns with Christ (Rev 19:11-14). Then, at the gate, the imperator was met by the Roman senators and magistrates of the city. They welcomed him in the name of the senate and people of Rome. By analogy, every eye will see him and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Rev 1:7-8, Phil 2:10-11).
In the Roman Triumphal Procession there was a very definite order. The senators, magistrates, and counsels walked ahead first, followed by several bands of trumpeters playing the martial music of the day. Then came a long train of carriages displaying pictures of the country that had been conquered, and all the plunder of the campaign. Next came the white bulls destined to become sacrifices and the priests carrying sacrificial knives. By analogy, when TLJC comes back, all of the O.T. saints will be raised from the dead and everyone will be in their own order. The first resurrection is pictured as a battalion pass-in-review, divided into four ranks: 1Co 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, Next came the enemy’s arms, their captured standards and weapons, followed by the leaders of the enemy country and army and members of their family. They were followed by all the prisoners of war in chains. By analogy, first comes the Triumphal Procession when demons are disarmed by Jesus Christ and publicly displayed (Col 2:15). Secondly, Satan is imprisoned for 1,000 years (Rev 20:1 3). Then Church-age believers cast demons into prison (Zec 13:2; 1Co 15:24-25; Col 2:15).
In the Roman Triumphal Procession, behind the captured enemies marched the lictors of the imperator. Then came the victorious general or imperator himself in his chariot. At the Second Advent, TLJC will present those winners to the entire world as He sets up His Millennial kingdom. The imperator had a wreath of laurel on his head, and he was holding in his left hand a very beautiful scepter made of gold, topped with an eagle. In his right hand he carried a laurel branch. By analogy, in Rev 14:14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. Just like the imperator wore a purple toga, little did Pilate and his soldiers understand the significance of decorating TLJC with a purple robe (JJohn 19:2). The procession then ascended the Capitoline hill and the leaders of the conquered army were taken to the Mamertime dungeon. At the Second Advent, demons are disarmed and displayed by Jesus Christ, Satan is imprisoned for 1,000 years, and Church-age believers cast demons into prison. Finally, in the Roman Procession, a public banquet was held in honor of the imperator, just as TLJC is honored at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:7, 17). During this banquet, the imperator was given a Triumphalis Domas, a beautiful mansion, the “House of Triumph;” and a lifetime pension, just as the Second Advent introduces the Millennium and perfect environment on the earth.
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.
