Tuesday, 3/20/18 - Ephesians, Chapter 6:11-12, The Angelic Conflict, Pt. 30.  The Enemy, Pt. 27.  Demons, the gods of nations.  Lesson # 18-031

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKeTGIHCW18&t=234s

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

2. The Enemy, vs. 11-12

Eph 6:11-12; Gen 10; Deut 32; Psa 82; Luke 10:1-17.

Eph 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The Demons: the gods of the nations.

In regard to the fallen angelic race and their hierarchy of leadership under Satan’s authority, we see that God gave Israel insight as to their rulership over the nations to influence and rule the world, as part of Satan’s cosmic system. The following passages in this study show us that Israel had a world view that regarded the pagan gods of other nations as being demonically inspired, and in fact, the worship of those demons. As such, we can understand that the false gods of old, as well as the false gods of today, are all inspired by the fallen angelic race in the endeavor of garnering worship for themselves, while keeping people blinded to the one true and only God; God our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Israel’s world view, which is better called “Divine viewpoint,” goes back to what some call a “Deut 32 worldview,” which sees the nations after the Tower of Babel, Gen 10, being led and ruled by angelic authorities that are part of Satan’s cosmic System.

In Genesis 10, when God divided the peoples, He divided them into 70 nations at that time. The listings given are according to Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Regarding Japheth’s sons Gen 10:5 says, “From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.”

Regarding Ham’s sons Gen 10:20 says, “These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations.”

Regarding Shem’s sons Gen 10:31 says, “These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations.”

Then Gen 10:32 says, “These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.”

This division into the initial 70 nations finds its way back into various worship ceremonies God gave to Israel and in the actions of Jesus Christ. We will note them later in this study. But first we need to explore Deut 32 to see how these nations are led by the fallen angelic race.

In Moses’ song of Deut 32, the Lord is focusing the attention of the Israelites upon the sovereignty of God and His relationship with all the nations, including Israel.

In vs 8, in contrast to the name “Lord” (YAHWEH) as the God of Israel, the title “Most High” (ELYON) is used only here in Deuteronomy, (cf. Gen 14:18-22; Psa 83:18; 97:9), and expresses or emphasizes the sovereignty and authority of God over all nations, including the leaders of those nations both human and angelic.

Deut 32:8, “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel, (BEN, בֵּן, YISRAEL, יִשְׂרָאֵל).” Yet, it is interesting that the Dead Sea Scrolls text, (Qumran fragment, 4QDt), for Deut 32:8, reads “sons of God” (BEN ELOHHIM), and in the LXX it reads, “angels of God,” which in the Greek is AGGELOS THEOS.

Interestingly, the title, “sons of god,” BENE-HO’ELOHIM, is used of the fallen angels who cohabited with women in the pre-flood era, Gen 6:2-4, and generically for the angels of God, both fallen and elect, Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. In the NT, this title is only used for believers, John 1:12; Rom 8:14, etc.

Next, we see how the nations are aligned to various false gods. Yet, Israel was not.

Deut 32:12, “The LORD alone guided him, and there was no foreign god with him.”

Deut 32:16-17, “They (Israel) made Him jealous with strange gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. ¹⁷They sacrificed to demons (SHEDH) who were not God, to gods (ELOHIM) whom they have not known, new gods who came lately, whom your fathers did not dread.”

Deut 32:21, “They have made Me jealous with what is not God (EL); They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.”

Deut 32:33, “Their wine is the venom of serpents (TANNIN), and the deadly poison of cobras.”

TANNIN is a noun meaning, “sea monster, sea dragon, or serpent. These terms, names are also used for Satan with synonymous Hebrew and Greek words and relate the false gods of the nations to Satan and his demonic forces.

And we see in Deut 32:37-39, “And He will say, 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge? ³⁸Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you, let them be your hiding place! ³⁹See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand’.”

This also reminds us of Isa 43:10, “‘You are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me’.” Cf. Isa 44:6.

In comparing Gen 10 with Deut 32, we see that all the other nations, except for Israel, had a false religion that was in actuality demon worship. Behind these false gods lies a demon, most likely of the leadership ranks of Satan’s system as noted above; ARCHON, ARCHE, EXOUSIA, or KOSMOKRATOR. This is also seen in Daniel 10, where the nations have “princes,” SAR / SARIM equivalent to the Greek ARCHONTON or ARCHON, as Michael was the SAR of the chosen nation Israel.

Dan 10:12-13, “Then he (Gabriel, cf. Dan 8:16; 9:21) 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. ¹³But the prince (SAR - STRATEGOS) of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes (SAR - ARCHON), came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings (MELEKH - BASILEUS) of Persia.”

Note that the Hebrew utilizes the same word SAR for two of the three entities noted here, but when it was translated into Greek, the LXX, two different words are used. In all, there are three titles given here for angelic hierarchy. SAR – STRATEGO for a chief magistrate or highest civil officer, SAR – ARCHON, for primacy or top rulers, and MELEKH – BASILEUS, meaning a king, and in this case, it is in the plural for “kings.” All are speaking of the angelic realm. In fact, regarding the fallen angels, we see “a prince” and “kings” being in authority over the nation Persia.

Dan 10:20-21, “Then he said, ‘Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince (SAR - STRATEGOS) of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince (SAR - STRATEGOS) of Greece is about to come. ²¹However, 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, (SAR - AGGELOS).”

Here, we see that the future kingdom of Greece has an assigned fallen angel prince standing over it, and Michael, “one of the chief princes” of the elect angels having authority over Israel. Apparently, the elect Archangel Michael is the Prince of the nation of Israel under God’s Plan for His chosen race, Dan 10:21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7.

Rev 12:7, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war.”

In addition, the Psalmist of Psalm 82 spoke of the Divine viewpoint regarding the nations being under the evil control of Satan and his cosmic system. Note in vs. 1, “rulers” is the Hebrew word ELOHIM that is used for God in Scripture, but here it is used for fallen angelic rulers.

Psa 82:1, “God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers, (ELOHIM - gods).”

Psa 82:6-8, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High. ⁷Nevertheless you will die like men and fall like any one of the princes, (SAR).’ ⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations.”

In fact, in the Feast of SUKKOT on the 15^th to 21^st of Tishri (the 7^th month), Num 29:12-35, which we call “Tabernacles,” or better yet “Booths,” Lev 23:42-43; Deut 16:13, 16, it is interesting that the Israelites where commanded to sacrifice 70 bulls over the seven-day period.

The 70 bulls are sacrificed to give thanks to God in the celebration for the deliverance of Israel out from the other 70 nations, and their pagan gods. This feast was to be celebrated during and after the wandering in the wilderness. YHWH delivered them from every other god, which is represented in this festival. It celebrates YHWH’s victory over every other god; victory over all the fallen angels.

This feast is also called the “feast of Ingathering” in Ex 23:16; 34:22. This major autumn festival marked the ingathering of the grape and vine harvest. It speaks to when the Lord will return and establish His Millennial reign here upon the earth, cf. Rev 14:10; 19; 16:19; 19:15.

It signifies that the Lord will gather together all the people and the nations upon His Second Coming under His rule. The 70 nations that He separated at the Tower of Babel with their demonic rulers will be regathered under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Zech 14:9-16, we see that of all the feasts of Israel, this one will continue during the Millennial reign for all nations to celebrate.  It is a model of thanksgiving. Cf. Amos 9:11-12 with Acts 15:16.

Zech 14:16, “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

“The setting (Zech 14:1-13) is the final victory of Yahweh over the nations, a battle in which Jerusalem is set apart and protected from the general carnage. When it all ends, Jerusalem reigns supreme, living water flows from its midst, and Yahweh is "king over the whole earth." What follows is nothing less than the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 18:18-19): the blessing of all the nations. Those from all nations who survive the final apocalypse join in an annual pilgrimage, which now becomes the event by which every nation on earth participates in the worship of Israel's God and the celebration of his goodness. Tabernacles has become the feast to end all feasts and represents the full flowering of God's promises, through Israel, to all the nations.” (Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch)

The number 70 in Scripture stands for “perfect spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power and significance.” (E.W. Bullinger, Number in Scripture)

It is interesting that the Lord sent out 70 disciplines to pave the way for His personal evangelism, as He set out to reclaim all the nations through His work upon the Cross, Luke 10:1, 17.

Luke 10:1, “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.”

Luke 10:17, “The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

Therefore, the world in which Paul viewed, (consisting of many more gentile nations, as is today), was dominated by invisible divine powers with cosmic geographical rulership, which we also call, Satan’s cosmic system. This is the true enemy that the believer is up against, and which we are to “pin to the mat,” when we pick up and put on the “full armor of God.” In other words, we utilize God’s Divine power to defeat the fallen divine authorities’ power over our lives.