It won’t always be this way ∙

It won’t always be this way ∙

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.- John 16:20-21

Philippians 4:11-13

 11 I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

This, too, shall pass. When things are bad, remember: It won’t always be this way. When things are good, remember: It won’t always be this way. Take one day at a time. Enjoy every great moment (Doe Zantamata).

The Jewish people living from the time of David to New Testament times had a tripartite conception of time: the past, the present, and the future. The past was the age of the Fathers: Noah through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. The present was the time of the Prophets. The prophets recalled the past but focused mainly on the present. They also looked forward to the future, near and far. They spoke prophetically concerning what the Father would accomplish, often in specific details. The future was the time of the coming Kingdom of God on earth. This is when the long-awaited Messiah would reign seated upon the throne of David, ushering in a time of peace and well-being.

The present was a mixture of good and bad. The future age to come would be a golden age. The kingdom would come when the prophesied Messiah would finally arrive and usher it in. Until He comes, the Jewish people languished in a problematic waiting period. The Jewish people referred to that difficult “between-time” as “the birth travail of the days of the Messiah” (Barclay).

John 16:20-21 You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.

With this understanding and background, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to his disciples, “I am leaving you; but I am coming back; the day will come when my reign will begin, and my kingdom will come; but before that, you will have to go through terrible things, with pain like birth-pangs upon you. But, if you faithfully endure, the blessings will be very precious” (Barclay). Difficult times proceed wonderful times. Today we might say, “The darkest hour is just before the dawn” (Thomas Fuller, 1650).

The Father offers us insight into the way He deals with His children. “The principle is simply this: God brings joy to our lives, not by substitution, but by transformation. His illustration of the woman giving birth makes this clear. The same baby that caused the pain also caused the joy. In birth, God does not substitute something else to relieve the mother’s pain. Instead, He uses what is there already but transforms it” (Wiersbe).

REFLECT & PRAY

“Prosperity has done more damage to believers than has adversity” (Wiersbe).

Father thank You for being willing to teach me the art and skill of contentment. When You bring difficult circumstances and people into my life, I have learned to ask, “What would you have me learn from this?” I no longer ask why. Thank You for taking me this far. My life is Yours. What would You have Your servant do?

INSIGHT

Contentedness is not something built into the DNA of the human race. On the other hand, it seems as though complaining, negativity, and discontentment come quite naturally. True contentment is not something that comes easily to anyone. The urge to learn and discover, take chances and risks, provides a tremendous adrenaline rush for many. For others, not so much. They are reticent and hold back, seeking solitude rather than contentment.

Job 5:7 For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward.

Somehow, we believe that if we could change our circumstances for the better, contentment would be the result. Not only is this shallow thinking, but it is callow as well. Paul is quite clear.

Philippians 4:11-12

 11 I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

A more precise and literal translation of Philippians 4:11 provides a clear sense of the contrast he presents, “I know both how to be humbled, and I know how to prosper” (Hansen).

You might say that Paul, on the one hand, had it all, and on the other hand, he had nothing, nada. Notice that he says that he “learned” how to be content. Life was his classroom, and the Father was his schoolmaster. He had to learn repeatedly how to deal with whatever the Father brought into his life: both good and bad, encouraging and discouraging, angelic and hellish. Some things were tremendous and wonderful, while others were terrible and painful. Many times they brought him close to death.

What ultimately made the difference? His reactions were transformed. He went from depending upon himself, his human strength, intellect, experience, and determination. Instead, he learned to depend upon the Father, and the Father alone, for superior outcomes and the serenity which accompanied him.

When Paul had learned the lessons that the Father was teaching him, he had to take and pass his midterms and finals along the way. Eventually, contentment became a way of life. The “quality of contentment eventually became an essential attribute of his character” (Constable).

Contentment had nothing to do with his physical circumstances or well-being. He discovered a tremendous, life-changing source of peace, contentment, power, and strength. It grew out of his personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He summed it up in one sentence.

Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Paul can be content in all the situations of his life – in poverty and in prosperity, when well fed and when hungry. He has the power to endure all these extreme situations, all these ups and downs, without anxiety, with the peace of God guarding his heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7) (Hansen).

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© Dr. H 2022

Fully alive

Fully alive

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. – Philippians 1:21

Philippians 3:8-11

 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

 11 I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

In his best-seller Fully Human Fully Alive, John Powell shows the way to a new beginning of living life the way the Father intended it to be.

“Fully alive people are always thoughtful and reflective. They are capable of asking the right questions of life and flexible enough to let life question them. They do not live an unreflected life in an unexamined world. Most of all, perhaps, these people are alive and well in heart. . .. Their general disposition towards all is one of concern and love.”

“Fully alive individuals have activated imaginations and cultivated senses of humor. They are alive, too, and their emotions. They are able to experience the full gamut and galaxy of human feelings – wonder, awe, tenderness, compassion, both agony, and ecstasy.”

“Fully alive people are those who are using all of their human faculties, powers, and talents. They are using them to the full. These individuals are fully functioning in their external and internal sources. They are comfortable with/and open to the full experience and expression of all human emotions. Such people are vibrantly alive in mind, heart, and will. There is an instinctive fear in most of us, I think, to travel with our engines at full throttle. We prefer, for the sake of safety, to take life in small and dainty doses.’”

Of all of the characters in the Scriptures, perhaps one stands above the rest as being fully alive: the Apostle Paul. He shows us the way.

“His life was one of ongoing bravery and determination. The list of Paul’s sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11 is mind-boggling. If anyone questioned the apostle’s sincerity, he could point to the scar tissue on his face and back. He was willing to suffer for Christ and for others because he loved them.”

“Regarding his people, the Jews, he said, ‘For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers’ (Romans 9:3). To some of his converts he wrote, ‘ . . . my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown’ (Philippians 4:1). He loved deeply and royally.”

“Permeating all was his supreme passion for the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul put everything he had into living (and dying) for Christ. He was alive for Christ!”(Hughes).

REFLECT & PRAY

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done” (Thomas Jefferson).

Father I long to be fully alive in Christ and say from my heart, “To live Christ.” Help me establish and maintain a commitment to Him using all of my human faculties, powers, and talents. Strengthen me to experience the full color and sound of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

INSIGHT

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

“Paul was not afraid of life or death! Either way, he wanted to magnify Christ in his body. No wonder he had joy!” (Wiersbe). Paul had thought through and contemplated the meaning and purpose of life. Paul tells us what both living and dying meant to him. It all boiled down to one simple sentence, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” While Paul lives, he serves and helps others. But when he dies, he gets to be face-to-face with the Lord Jesus Christ. Which, for Paul, is far better. It is a delightful gain. He is actually somewhat ambivalent and torn between the two.

In the original Greek, the phrase is very terse, lacking verbs. The words do not lend themselves to an English translation that captures their forceful significance: to live Christ, to die gain. The literal Greek phrases and translations are below.

to zen Christos – to live Christ, to apothaneins kerdos – to die gain

No doubt, this was the maxim by which Paul lived. But there’s more

“The telescope brings distant things closer, and the microscope makes tiny things look big. To the unbeliever, Jesus is not very big. Other people and other things are far more important. But as the unbeliever watches the Christian go through a crisis experience, he ought to be able to see how big Jesus Christ really is. The believer’s body is a ‘lens’ that makes a ‘little Christ’ look very big, and a ‘distant Christ’ come very close” (Wiersbe).

“Paul’s only reason for existence is that he may spend his life in that glad service, and death for that cause will be the crowning service” (Ralph P. Martin).

“For such people, life has the color and sound of celebration. Their lives are not a perennial funeral procession. Each tomorrow is a new opportunity. There is a reason to live and a reason to die. And with such people come to die, their hearts will be filled with gratitude for all that has been, for ‘the way we were,’ for a beautiful and full experience. A smile was spread throughout their whole being as our lives pass review. And the world will always be a better place, a happier place, and a more human place because they have lived and laughed and loved here” (John Powell).

Paul’s words in Philippians 3:10 “are as forceful an expression of love as any in the Scriptures. This was the driving force of Paul’s noble life” (Hughes).

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© Dr. H 2022

Hunted ∙

Hunted ∙

For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. – Proverbs 3:12

Lamentations 3:52-53

 52 For no good reason, my enemies hunted me down like a bird.

 53 They shut me up in a pit and threw stones at me.

The history of Christianity is marred and tarnished by outrageous, vicious persecution of others within the Christian faith that held to different beliefs. Such disgraceful activity sullies the faith and ultimately dishonors the Lord Jesus Christ. For many, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is discredited as a viable option.

Divergent interpretations of Scripture are at the core of much of the friction. In the 16th century, a significant point of contention was baptism. Most people who called themselves Christians, whether Catholic or Protestant, believed in infant baptism. Small minority groups, here and there, held that baptism should only occur after a person accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. This came to be called “believers baptism.”

The Anabaptists were one of those groups. Protestants and Catholics alike reviled them. They were persecuted, hunted, and massacred in large numbers. Anabaptist means “re-baptizers.” It was the name given to them by their enemies

In Zurich, on Jan 28, 1525, city authorities ordered two bible teachers, Conrad Grebel and Felix Manz, to stop teaching interpretations of the Scriptures that contradicted the officially approved doctrines of the city. They did not stop. So Manz was murdered by drowning. This method of execution was intended to mock and to show contempt for adult baptism. The Anabaptists fled to Moravia, where they were welcomed.

In Moravia, Jakob Hutter became their leader. Jakob Hutter and his wife Katherine Purst became hunted fugitives. Eventually, they too were found and killed. Surviving Hutterites emigrated to the United States. Presently, thousands live in Canada, the United States, and Paraguay.

In the Scriptures, King David was also hunted. Initially, David was welcomed by King Saul. Saul loved the sounds and melodies of his beautiful music. David’s harp playing brought great comfort to Saul. Soon things changed drastically. Saul became resentful and sought to kill David. He threw a spear at him twice. Finally, Saul sent assassins to kill David, but they failed (1 Samuel 19). David was stalked for the next 15 years.

What was the source of Saul’s hatred? Jealousy!

1 Samuel 18:7-8

 7 This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!”

 8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next, they’ll be making him their king!”

REFLECT & PRAY

It is easy to be foolish and rude, but it is never wise.

Father help me to learn from the examples of David and Abigail. David was obedient and followed Your word. Abigail was wise of a serpent and gentle as a dove.

INSIGHT

As the hunted, what did David do when he had the opportunity to kill Saul? David spared Saul’s life twice. The Father arranged circumstances in which Saul was very vulnerable, and David could have easily killed him. Why did the Father give David the opportunity to kill Saul? The Father was transforming David’s character. The opportunities that the Father gave David were actually tests to see how well his maturation process was going.

David passed the Father’s exams with flying colors. Perhaps no more excellent example of the practice of wisdom is found than in David’s response to Saul (Constable).

But there is more to the story. With a touch of irony, a two-sided object lesson plays out. No one was to harm the Lord’s anointed. “David proved that he was not trying to kill Saul because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. Furthermore, he showed that it was inappropriate for Saul to seek to kill him because he, too, was the Lord’s anointed, as Saul now knew (1 Samuel 24:20). David modeled for Saul what the king’s dealings with him should have been” (Constable).

The Father gave explicit commands regarding those who are His “anointed.”

1 Chronicles 16:22 “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”

The Scriptures are also clear regarding revenge and retribution. Sooner or later, the Father will take care of the matter. Just leave it in His hands.

Deuteronomy 32:35 ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them.’

David spared Saul’s life in a cave near the Rocks of the Wild Goats. (1 Samuel 24:3-7). In doing so, David followed both the letter and spirit of the Father’s law.

1 Samuel 24:6 He said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.”

David was a warrior with a temper. He was more than willing and able to kill his enemies. Remember the song sung by the women in cities throughout Israel, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” (1 Samuel 18:7-8)

David had learned a great lesson because of Nabal and Abigail. Nabal was cruel, harsh, rich, and selfish. That, in and of itself, is a terrible combination. Today’s news is replete with stories of how it plays out.

David and his men had guarded Nabal’s flocks and shepherds. They protected them from wild animals and thieves. The time came for fitting payment to be made for their services. David sent ten of his men, and they politely asked for appropriate compensation. Nabal rudely rejected their request. This may be an appropriate time to mention that Nabal’s name means fool.

When David hears what Nabal did, he is furious. He takes 400 of his men and heads off to totally wipe out Nabal and his men. As the Father would have it, Nabal’s wife Abigail was far wiser than Nabal. She was no fool. She gathers up various types of foods, wine, and sheep. She meets David and pleads with him for mercy. She takes personal responsibility for all of Nabal’s stupid behavior. She is very clever with her words.

1 Samuel 25:27-28

 27 And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men.

 28 Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The LORD will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the LORD’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.

She looked to that future time when David would become king and replace Saul. Up until now, he had a spotless record. He was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). She cautioned him against tarnishing his reputation with one reckless act of rage.

1 Samuel 25:30-31

 30 When the LORD has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel,

 31 do not let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the LORD has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”

David stopped in his tracks. Her wisdom and grace had saved the day. She has prevented him from committing murder that could well have dogged him for the rest of his life. He praises her for her wisdom and the bountiful provision for his men. David recognized that the Father had sent Abigail to prevent him from seeking his own revenge.

1 Samuel 25:32-33

 32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today!

 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you, for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.

The Father Himself brought a rather swift end to the matter. Deuteronomy 32:35 “I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip . . ..” (Deuteronomy 32:35). About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal, and he died (1 Samuel 25:38).

Having passed his first test with flying colors regarding Saul, I imagine the second time around was a tad bit easier. He had seen the Father terminate Nabal for his audacious, rude, boorish, and foolish behavior. But it still was a test. Once again, the Father arranged circumstances where David could easily kill Saul. Saul is asleep at night in his camp (1 Samuel 26:5-11). Again, David spared his life.

1 Samuel 26:11 “The LORD forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!”

How are your exams going?

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© Dr. H 2022

The Fountain of Youth? ∙

The Fountain of Youth? ∙

But the centurion said, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” – Matthew 8:8-9

Luke 8:43-48

 43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure.

 44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”

 46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”

 47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed.

 48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring or pool that is said to restore the youth and health to those who partake. Tales of such a source of healing and vitality have been told for thousands of years worldwide. An early source was Herodotus (5th century B.C.). During the age of exploration (16th century A.D.), the tales and legends told by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean incorporated this story.

According to the legends, Bimini was a mythical land where the Fountain of Youth was located. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León was captivated by the tale. Purportedly, in 1513, Ponce de León went searching for the Fountain of Youth in what is now Florida.

Today in Saint Augustine, Florida, there is a tourist attraction called, The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park: “Where Legend Meets History.”

The Lord Jesus Christ was a supernatural source of health and life. During His time on earth, the Lord Jesus Christ routinely performed supernatural feats and miracles. He healed the lame, the dumb, the blind, all manner of diseases and raised the dead. He brought health and life where there was sickness and death (the centurion’s servant, Lazarus, etc.).

Luke 8:46 Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”

A woman came to the Lord Jesus Christ. She had suffered from constant bleeding for twelve years. She snuck out of the crowd, came up behind Him, and touched the fringe of His robe. The Lord Jesus Christ felt the release and transmission of His healing power pulse out from Him. Immediately she was healed.

Lord Jesus Christ had a brief conversation with her. He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48).

How did He do this? Perhaps the Lord Jesus Christ was like a modern-day battery. Instead of being charged with electrical energy, He was a repository of life and health. The Lord Jesus Christ discharged health in a fashion similar to the way a battery transfers energy to operate cell phones or tablets. A mere touch was all that was needed. Much like the way we receive shocks from static electricity today.

REFLECT & PRAY

As the Lord Jesus Christ depended upon the Holy Spirit to accomplish His tasks, so can we.

Father thank You that You have provided us, the children of the King, with the ultimate Power Source.

INSIGHT

As the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ was totally unique. He was undiminished deity and fully human. In theology, this is referred to as the hypostatic union. This term describes the union of Christ’s humanity and divinity in one person.

As a real man such as we are, yet without sin. As a man got hungry, tired, and thirsty. But He was able to refresh Himself through natural means: eating, sleeping, or drinking. He lived His life on earth as a man totally dependent upon the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

When the power of life and health flowed out from Him, in a manner unknown to us, He automatically recharged. He did not require an external power source to plug into. He was the Power Source.

John 5:19 I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

John 12:49 I don’t speak on my own initiative. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

John 5:26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.

Matthew 28:18 I have been given all authority in heaven.

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© Dr. H 2022

Cast down

Cast down

You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. – Ezekiel 28:15

Isaiah 14:12-14

 12 How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the world’s nations.

 13 For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north.

 14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.”

A story has circulated on the Internet; as to its veracity, who can know for sure. But it’s helpful when we consider the issue of darkness and evil. A university professor loved to challenge his students with questions that were often non-sequiturs, which are logical fallacies that could not be deduced from the available information. This time one of his students turned the tables on him.

The student asked the professor, “Does darkness exist?”

The professor responded, “Of course it does.”

The student replied, “You are wrong, sir; darkness does not exist. Darkness is, in reality, the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness.”

“Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.”

According to the Internet, that student was Albert Einstein.

The point of the story is that darkness does not exist in itself alone. Darkness describes the absence of light. Darkness results from the subtraction of light. Complete darkness is the total absence of light. Light was the first thing that God created (Genesis 1:3).

When the Father created everything through the Lord Jesus Christ, everything created was very good.

Colossians 1:16 Through [Christ], God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

Genesis 1:31 God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

If everything was very good, where does evil come from? Evil does not exist in and of itself. In much the same way that darkness is the absence of light, evil does not exist in and of itself. Evil is the absence of goodness. When goodness is removed, evil is what is left. The existence of evil is not an addition. It is a subtraction.

The Scriptures do not explicitly address the origin of Satan or evil spirits. Instead, they are far more concerned about the fact of their existence rather than speculating about how or when they rebelled against God (E. F. Murphy, Handbook for Spiritual Warfare).

Both angels and humans were created with the ability to choose – Free Will. The Fall of Adam and Eve occurred when they decided to disobey God, rebel, and sin (Genesis 2:16,17; 3:1-7). Their innocence and goodness were lost. They became sinful, fallen creatures.

Ezekiel 28:12-18 and Isaiah 14:12-14 depict the Fall of Lucifer. The events in view transcend the earthly kings described at the beginning of each chapter. Lucifer’s rebellion and consequent punishment, ejection from heaven, are set forth. He no longer lives in heaven, but he still has access (Job 1:5-6).

Ezekiel provides a glimpse of Lucifer as an “anointed cherub” of great beauty. Lucifer was originally an angel of God, an archangel, an anointed cherub. He was perfect until sin was found in him. Then he became utterly corrupt [Observe, he had been in Eden].

When did Lucifer fall? The Scriptures do not say explicitly. When the enemy appears in Genesis 3, he is already a fallen, sinful creature. Thus we can conclude that he rebelled sometime between his creation and his visit to the garden.

REFLECT & PRAY

Prone to wander, Lord; I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

Father I am a fallen person prone to evil and darkness. Thank you for transferring me from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. Thank you for exchanging my evil for Your goodness.

INSIGHT

The Scriptures predict that there will be a time of terrible suffering and tribulation in the future. This period is also referred to as the 70th week of Daniel. But the 70th week of Daniel will be discussed another day. The critical thing to realize is that this event is future. It has not yet occurred. At that time, Satan will be ejected from heaven once and for all and cast down to the earth (Revelations 12:7-9).

Revelation 12:7-10

 7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.

 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven.

 9 This great dragon – the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

 10 For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth . . ..

A bit of clarity is needed. The Scriptures state that some of the Father’s holy angels aligned with Satan and switched their allegiance. The Scriptures did not explicitly say when the angels rebelled and aligned with Satan. Nor do they refer to them as “fallen angels.” The Scriptures do not expressly state that one-third of the holy angels rebelled and submitted to Satan’s authority.

Revelation 12:3-4 provides a modicum of support for the idea that Satan took one-third of the angels with him when he rebelled.

Revelation 12:3-4

 3 Then, I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.

 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.

The red dragon is identified as Lucifer.

Revelation 12:9 This great dragon – the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

The conclusion drawn is that the angels expelled from heaven are the same as a “third of the stars” swept from heaven by the red dragon’s tail (Revelation 12:4).

These angels came to be called fallen angels, also known as demons, evil spirits, or unclean spirits. This all sounds entirely plausible. However, there is one rather colossal drawback. If Revelation 12 refers to a future time, predicted events have not occurred.

Yet, children of the King routinely refer to fallen angels. Further, they assume that one-third of the holy angels became fallen angels. Why is this so?

These ideas are not overtly stated in the Scriptures themselves. Still, they have been enshrined in the Western Christian tradition through the magnificent epic poem Paradise Lost, written in 1667 by John Milton.

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© Dr. H 2022

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