DIFFERENT SATANS AND DEVILS Part 1

DIFFERENT SATANS AND DEVILS

Part 1

“Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light”

(2 Cor. 11:14).

What does it mean that “Satan is transformed into an angel of light”?

Light = revelation of God.  Light shines in darkness (John 1:5). This the “truth”. The word of God. Jesus Christ is the LIGHT (John 1:4; 8:12). He is the light of the Heavenly city (Rev. 21:23).

Satan transforms himself as an angel of light, as a fake angel of light. For the truth is Jesus Christ is the LIGHT and his messengers are angels or messengers of Jesus the light.

2 Cor. 11: 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Paul was talking about “false apostles” - counterfeit apostles, fake apostles. We know that “apostles” means “messengers” [those who bring the message]. And it is similar with the word “angel” which means “messenger”. Compare it with “Satan” and “his angels” (Rev. 12:9); “the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41); “Satan” and “his ministers” ( 2 Cor. 11:14,15).

What Satan is Not.

The word “Satan” here does not mean a “supernatural being” who was once perfect in beauty archangel “Lucifer” and then rebelled against God and cast out of heaven with his rebellious angels who became Satan and devils. No! Such teaching of “Satan” is a myth or a “cunningly devised fable” that came from pagan mythologies.

What Satan Means.

Satan means “enemy” and whenever it is used as a name such as this name “Satan” it pertains to a person, a group of people, a system or “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5). Depending on the context, Satan may mean the lust of the flesh, the apostate “Jewish high priest” , the apostate “Judaism” or “Jews religion” , the apostate “Jewish nation” and the Roman Empire. It may also be a personification of law, sin and death.

The Enemies of the Cross of Christ.

Here in 2 Corinthians “Satan” and “his ministers” were the “enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18) whose God is their belly, who mind earthly things, who teach false doctrines, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom. 16:17,18), who “bewitched” believers to not believe in the truth (Gal. 3:1), teaching “Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth” (Titus 1:14). Titus called them “alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies” (Titus 1:12).  Peter called them “false teachers” (2 Pet. 2:1), “as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption” (2 Pet. 2:12). These are similar to the serpent in the garden of Eden who was more subtil than any beast of the field (Gen. 3:1) who beguiled Eve through his subtilty (2 Cor. 11:3) “For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts” (2 Timothy 3:6).

These enemies [Satan] of the cross of Christ were identified by Paul as “the Jews: who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.” (1 Thes. 2:15-16).

The Jewish Priesthood and the Sanhedrin.

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

Paul exhorted the saints that they wrestle not against flesh and blood. It means the warfare is not physical, but it is spiritual.  That they wrestle against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. And Satan was the leader of these rulers. He was called by Paul as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2).

The warfare, as I said was “spiritual” and not “physical”. The enemies were described as in “high places” [high position].  Spiritual wickedness in “high places”. And they were led by “the prince of the power of the air”. His realm of influence was “the air”. Where is the air? Is it somewhere up there in the atmosphere? It may be. Yes. When the Bible uses the word “air”, it was used to describe the birds and fowls of the air that fly there up there in the sky or higher level over the ground. The idea is that “Satan” was compared to the birds in the air who are up there flying. So some Bible believers have come up to the conclusion that Satan is a prince or ruler over the air. And that he and his angels are having their sphere of influence in the outer space and in the atmosphere over this planet. So they came up with the idea of U.F.O’s as Satan and his angels riding there ready to wage war against God and his people on earth. That’s why they believe that when the Church of Jesus Christ gets “raptured”, they will cast down Satan and his angels from the air and he will come down to earth with his wrath.

But that’s not really what the Bible wants us to understand about Satan and his angels. The air is a literal air which means “some exalted place over the ground” and it is the same with “high places”. They were not literally ruling in the air, but it simply means that Satan and his in angels were “ruling” and in “high position of authority”. They were called “principalities” and “powers”. Paul used the words “principalities and powers” in Titus 3:1 talking about the rulers of their governments during their time. They are equivalent to the present presidents and prime ministers of the countries, the governors, the mayors, the Supreme Court, the senators, congressmen and all government officials. If the “principalities” and “powers” were the immortal super enemy called Satan and his demons, why would Paul tell Titus to be “subject” to them?

The answer is because whenever Paul was using the words “principalities and powers”, he was talking about “people who are in high positions of authority”.  Paul was talking about their “rulers” and “leaders” in their government and religion. Who were the ruling bodies in their time as a nation?  They were the merging powers of the Sanhedrin and the Priesthood. Religious leadership was a very powerful. Saul of Tarsus [who later became Paul the apostle] was granted the license to arrest and kill by the high priest (Acts 9:1,2). The high priest was a very powerful religious and political icon during their time as the Pope and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church are today.

So the “spiritual wickedness” or “wicked spirits” in high places spoken by Paul were the “religious leaders” of Judaism with the high priest(s) as Satan, the prince. They are “Satan and his angels”.

But isn’t the warfare not against flesh and blood? Yes, indeed. It simply means, it is not physical wrestling, but wrestling spiritually with these rulers. Paul said “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”. These rulers were in high places of authority waging war against God through their “doctrines”. These doctrines or “thoughts” were “exalting” themselves against “THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD” and rebelling against God’s authority. That’s why the warfare is not carnal or physical, but spiritual. It is the “BATTLE OF THE MIND”. It is the “BATTLE OF KNOWLEDGE”. And the weapon Paul was using was “mighty through God” to the PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS, CASTING DOWN “IMAGINATIONS”. And this weapon is “THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, THE WORD OF GOD” with the whole ARMOUR of God as described by Paul in Eph. 6:11-18. Paul suffered a lot from this “Satan” and “his angels” and all the church of God. 

John the Beloved used an imagery of the great red dragon and a serpent. This serpent was not the serpent of Genesis 3. Others

believe that the serpent of Revelation is the same as the serpent of Genesis, thus creating an immortal fallen angel called Satan. But that is not true. Remember, John was using codes, symbols, figures and numbers. Yes, both serpents were “enemies” but they are not one. Jesus called the Pharisees and Scribes [religious leaders] of Israel as “serpents” and “generation of vipers” (Matt. 23:29,33). Of course they were not literal serpents but they were “serpent-like” just like the serpent of Genesis who was “subtil” and “wise”. So in Revelation 12, John the Beloved uses the imagery of a serpent for Satan. He used these descriptions:  “the great dragon…that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). He was “in heaven” which means that he was in a “high position”. He was cast out from heaven into the earth. He was humiliated. He was demoted from high position into the “dust”. Jesus said that “whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased” (Luke 14:11). Satan in his high position was exalting himself against the knowledge of God. And so God abased him and his angels. Do you know who was this “Satan”?

The dragon was deceiving the whole world. And it was not the globe or planet earth but the whole world of Judaism. How was he deceiving that world? By his false teachings against Christ.

He was the accuser of the brethren who was accusing before God day and night. Who had access to God through the temple and who can accuse the brethren before God day and night? It was the high priest of Judaism.

This “Satan” and “his angels” were all defeated and destroyed by Christ (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 20:10). According to Paul in the context of doctrine and false teachers, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” (Rom. 16:20).

Every High Thing That Exalted Itself.

Now, that the Satan(s) described by the Bible was/were already judged and destroyed by God, is/are there still “Satan(s)” today?

We are not in the same situation as Paul and the church in the first century having warfare against “the apostate Jewish Satan government” and “apostate Jewish nation”.  Yes, that kind of Satan was already destroyed. But the battle still continues. it is not against that defeated Satan. Law was abolished. Sin was put away. Death was abolished. Judaism was put to an end. The temple of Jerusalem, the Jewish “heaven on earth” was destroyed already by God.

But Paul states in 2 Cor. 10:5 that our warfare is against “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”.  That is a “knowledge” battle. Battle of doctrines. There are still “religions” of this world and “doctrines” of men around that are in opposition to the knowledge of God.  They are “thoughts” and “doctrines” of men in “high places” [high positions] in religious empires.

The problem is in the hearts of men. In their hearts, men are in rebellion against God. For what can be more wicked than the heart of man?

Jeremiah 17: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

                          

Satan, God’s Obedient Servant.

Now does it mean that Satan can only mean “the high priest”, false religious teachers and “personification of law, sin and death”?  Can’t Satan be a “spirit” or an “angel”?

I did not say that Satan cannot be an “angel” or a “spirit”. But what I said is that Satan is not an immortal or ethereal spirit that is against God or is a little lower than God, the personal eternal enemy of God and men (as taught us by tradition).  We have seen in various accounts of “Satan” and “devil” in the Bible that one kind of a Satan and devil which the Bible also calls “the devil” and/or “satan” is a servant or messenger sent by God to fulfill his purposes.

Look at the account of “Satan” in Job. The Satan in Job is a creature that has an access with God and consults God, having been given a job to put Job in trials. Is that Satan God’s enemy? No. But he was called a Satan or an adversary of Job. If God uses a person to test you in a hard way, you may have hated this person and consider him as your enemy. But let us remember the Bible’s wisdom that says

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

That Satan in Job may be used by God to test Job, to “sharpen” him. And we see the results in Job’s life at the end of the book.

In the presenting of the sons of God before the Lord, a being called Satan was present with them. And the Lord asked him. (The sons of God may be “the righteous people” doing their services to the Lord in worship gathering or the “angels of God” in a heavenly gathering. Bible teachers differ on their opinions about it.)

Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Satan’s reply to the Lord’s question of “Where have you been recently?” may sound like this: “I just came recently from around the world tour from walking up and down in it”. So it seems that only an angel of the Lord can do this adventurous act of walking up and down in the earth. It seems going up to heaven and going down to earth. A mere man can’t do it.

This Satan was under the Lord’s command and never was doing a thing outside of God’s will. What Satan did to Job was God’s approval.

Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

The tragedies that happened to Job and his family cannot be done by a mere man. Only an angel or a spirit sent by God can do them.

Satan under God’s approval smote Job with sore boils:

Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

If we follow Job’s story until the end of the book, after this incident, Satan was no more mentioned. And there was no record that Satan was punished by God at the end of the book. Why? because that Satan was not God’s enemy but God’s servant sent to Job to be Job’s adversary to test Job’s faith in God.

The Evil Angels, Members of God’s Host

That’s how I want you to understand that one kind of Satan in the Bible is God’s servant or messenger, as members of the heavenly court. Read these verses to show what I mean.

2 Chronicles 18: 18 Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

 19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

 20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?

 21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.

 22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.

In that scene, the Lord was sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. It seems like what we can see in kingdom movies – the king with his council, the ministers and rulers, department heads on his right and left discussing matters.

That’s the same with the heavenly kingdom. God was sitting on his throne with his ministers on the right and left. The HOST of heaven are his ANGELS.

Psalms 148:2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

God was discussing matters with his host. An angel suggested to God, “I will go out and become a lying spirit in all the mouth of Ahab’s prophets”.  That’s what happened. An angel of the host of heaven got out and became a lying spirit in the prophets of Ahab.

Psalms 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

God was responsible in sending angels to fulfill his purposes, whether these things look evil in the eyes of men. God was using angels even to kill and destroy peoples. (2 Chronicles 32:21)

Therefore these “angels” or “spirits” are God’s servants or ministers even labeled “evil angels”. But they were just doing the king’s orders.

Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

These “evil angels”, the angel who presented himself to be a “lying spirit” and the Satan of Job are God’s ministers sent to fulfill his purposes. They are not God’s enemies but his servants, but may be enemies or Satans to certain men to whom God sent them.

This kind of Satan is very different from the Satan figure devised by religion.  The Satan in Job is God’s servant.  The Satan of religion is a monster ruling in the darkness of the underworld. It looks like the Hades god of the underworld of the Greeks who was against Zeus the chief of the Olympian gods, a.k.a. the God of heaven.

God Himself Played The Role Of Satan.

2 Samuel 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

1 Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

Look at these verses. Who stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel?   Read very carefully.  2 Samuel says it was the Lord. 1 Chronicles says it was Satan. How?  It may be confusing. And those who don’t believe in the Bible call these as one of the contradictions in Scriptures. But they just said it because of the traditional belief that God cannot be Satan.

Remember that Satan means “adversary” or “enemy”.  So here in these event, the Lord became an enemy against Israel. So Satan here was the Lord himself!

That’s why I’m telling you that there are many “Satan” in the Bible and not only one. Even the Lord himself became a Satan. It is not true that there is only one Satan who was an archangel Lucifer who became a Satan – a fallen angel and now became God’s personal enemy. That is not true!

The Serpent of Genesis 3 was not Satan.

The serpent in Genesis 3 is neither the Lucifer of Isaiah 14 nor the Satan in Job. Lucifer was not an angel but he was the King of Babylon during the time Isaiah was prophesying. That was just a human king of Babylon and not an angel, or a spirit.

The serpent of Genesis 3 is not the serpent of Revelation 12. They are two different creatures.  It is not true that the serpent of Genesis 3 was Satan or indwelt by Satan. They are just speculations. The serpent was merely a “beast” that was more subtil than any beast of the field that God made (Gen. 3:1; 1:25). The serpent was neither an angel or Satan. In a way, he can be a “Satan” or enemy to Adam and Eve but not to God.  The serpent was a responsible, thinking and talking being and therefore not an animal (snake). The word “beast” is sometimes used for “men” or to describe men. (See Titus 1:12 and 2 Peter 2:12). That serpent was an upright creature, and not a snake, an animal. He did have a casual ordinary conversation with Eve and with his natural craftiness and subtilty he beguiled Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.  None in the text provoked him or possessed him. He did it out of his nature.

I am not saying that there was no Satan that became the enemy of God’s people. There was and there were many Satans and not just one being. And that Satan is not an immortal, ethereal, supernatural god who is as powerful  or little less powerful than God.

God is the Only Immortal and Eternal Spirit.

You see there is no such thing as “immortal ethereal Satan” portrayed by religion and tradition. The teaching that there is an immortal spirit who is very powerful and more powerful than men and little less powerful than God is a myth. This belief is “dualism” believing in two gods: (1) the god of goodness [God] and (2) the god of evil [satan]. Just like the Greek mythology: (1) the good god, the god of heaven, Zeus and (2) the evil god, he god of the underworld, Hades.  That’s not what the Scriptures teach. The Scriptures teach rather:

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Yes, that’s it. THE LORD is the one doing “ALL THESE THINGS” –

(1)  he forms THE LIGHT and makes PEACE.

(2)  he  creates DARKNESS and creates EVIL.

GOD is the ONLY IMMORTAL, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT and OMNIPRESENT ONE.

So when the text says, Satan is transformed into an angel of light, as the context is in teaching and bringing of messages, Satan here was the leadership of this false teachers. The false doctrines of the false teachers were thought and received by people as “truth” and “light”. And they thought that these “teachers” were “messengers [angels] of light. Paul was using a code calling the enemies of the gospel by the name Satan. Even the apostle John in Revelation was using codes, symbols, figures and numbers. All these have meanings. It is the custom of Bible writers from the beginning. Every code, number, symbol and figure used is significant.  When Paul told the Thessalonians about the Wicked, the man of sin, he told them “you know what I’m talking about. You know who that one is”. Read 2 Thes. 2:5-6. He simply used a “codename” and by mentioning that codename  without mentioning the real name or identity of that person, group of people or system, the audience understood what he was talking about. In Revelation 11:8, John also used a code for a place, the great city: he called it as “Sodom” and “Egypt”. We know it was not the literal place called Sodom and Egypt. He described it as “where also our Lord was crucified”. So his audience or the original readers of his book understood clearly what he was talking about by using “codes”. He used the codes “dragon”, “serpent”, “beast”, “angels”, “spirits”, “Babylon”, “Alpha”, “Omega”, “trumpets”, “thunders”, “lightnings”, “earthquakes”, and many more. All these have meanings. They were codes. And our job is to unlock the codes by comparing Scriptures, and words and phrases, and by “counting” numbers. In Rev. 13:18 John said that to understand who or what the beast was, “count the number of the beast”. And he gave the clue: the number of a man.  You see, they are codes and not literal things. Mysteries that must be unlocked.

How about the Satan and devil that tempted Jesus?

Well, we can explore this subject in more depth and see more of these next time.

- To be continued –

Pliroma Revelation Bible Ministry

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THE SEVEN ONES of EPHESIANS (Part 1)

THE SEVEN “ONES”
Part 1

Ephesians 4: 4-6
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Authorized King James Version 1611

These are words of revelation written by the hand of our apostle Paul, written to the saints at Ephesus. Ephesians is one of the Prison epistles of Paul, where we can read about "THE MYSTERY" like what the Book of Colossians speak of. In the epistle to the Ephesians we can read the revelation of THE MYSTERY.

It is not an accident that here in this epistle Paul talks about the "ONE" or the UNIFIED TRUTH. That there is "ONE BODY", "ONE SPIRIT", "ONE HOPE", "ONE LORD", "ONE FAITH", "ONE BAPTISM", "ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL". Why did he put all these "ones" in one book or one chapter? Because they are essential truths we must understand. This is a progressive revelation. And in the Prison epistles such as Ephesians Paul is talking about "PURE GRACE" or about "Purified truth". These truths are purified and these are the last truths we must know about...that today in this “fellowship of the mystery-revealed” called by Paul as “the dispensation of the grace of God”.

THE LIST OF SEVEN ONES:

1. ONE BODY
2. ONE SPIRIT
3. ONE HOPE
4. ONE LORD
5. ONE FAITH
6. ONE BAPTISM
7. ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL

In this list Paul is not talking about all ages but he is talking about the present dispensation only. For example, here Paul says there is “One Baptism”. We all know that there are a lot of “baptisms” in the whole Bible and not only one. But here Paul says there is “ONE BAPTISM” which is a fact in today’s dispensation. And it is the last baptism. No more coming after it.

Notice in the list that that these are “seven” ONES. The number seven stands for “completion”, “perfection”, “fullness”, and “fulfillment”. Which simply means that these seven are the “full revelation” of the ONE truth. The number one stands for “unity”, “oneness”, “the beginning”, “the head”, “the first”, and “God the Father” himself”. In the beginning God. In the beginning was the Word. It simply means that these seven ones are the “unified” truths of Scriptures. Seven – full, complete. One – unified. The “COMPLETE and UNIFIED” truths of Scriptures. Add 7 to 1 and it becomes 8. Eight ( is the number of “new creature”, “new beginnings” and “infinity”. These SEVEN ONES are the “infinite” and “eternal” truths of God.

The book of Ephesians is the tenth book of the New Testament. The number ten (10) stands for “God’s law”, “the ten tribes”, “the Gentiles”, “the nations”, and “the kings”.

In the list of Pauline epistles in their canonical order, the book of Ephesians is the 5th letter of Paul. The number five (5) stands for “death” and “grace”. 

The book of Ephesians is the book of “Grace for the Gentiles” (Eph. 3:1,2). It is clearly spoken by Paul in Ephesians 3:6
“That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

The book of Ephesians is the forty ninth (49th) book of the Bible. Number four (4) stands for “the world” and “the earth”. The number nine (9) stands for “the Holy Spirit” and “the fruit of the Spirit”. The number forty (40) stands for “probation”, “passing of the test”, “purification” and “preparation for the work”. It also stands for “one generation”. 40 + 9 = 49. The “generation of the Holy Spirit”. 4 and 9 = 49. “The Holy Spirit for the world”.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

ONE BODY. There is ONE BODY...which is THE CHURCH OF GOD....as there is ONE HEAD OF THE BODY...and that is THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Ephesians 2:16 “in one body by the cross”
Colossians 1:18 “the head of the body, the church”.
Colossians 1:24 “his body's sake, which is the church”.

This ONE BODY is not about Israel in the past. But it is “the ONE NEW MAN”, the “NEW CREATURE” in Christ.

Ephesians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

There is no race exalted. No Jew, no Greek, no Gentile, or whatever. All are one in Christ and Christ is all. This ONE NEW BODY is not connected to Abraham, Moses or David, or with Israel, but ONLY WITH and IN CHRIST. 

It is not “the FLOCK” which was Israel. The One New man didn’t replace Israel. Israel was finished. Their end of the world did come. We are not the replacement of Israel. we are not plan B. We are not another option. Even before Israel was created, before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), we were “CHOSEN IN CHRIST”.

We are identified with CHRIST JESUS alone. That’s why in this NEW MAN, there are no more ordinances such as water baptism and Lord’s Supper. No more law of Moses. No circumcision. No priesthood. No temple. No sacrifices. No Sabbath observance. No food ban.

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

ONE SPIRIT. There is ONE SPIRIT...which is the SPIRIT OF THE LORD...and the Lord is that Spirit (2 Cor 3:17). So today there is only ONE SPIRIT. “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24).

The ONE SPIRIT is GOD or the LORD. There is no such thing as THREE SPIRITS - God the Father the First, God the Son the Second, God the Holy Spirit the Third. There is only ONE GOD WHO IS SPIRIT but limited himself in different manifestations of himself to humanity  especially as Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).

Revelation talks about “Seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6). But let us not literalize it for the book of Revelation is symbolic and prophetic. The number seven means “fullness”, “perfection”, “fulfillment” and “completion”. As God rested on the “seventh” day – which means “Everything done, complete”. That “seven Spirits” or “Complete Spirit” is the “One Spirit” of God. 

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

It says there is only ONE NAME of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and it is the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38), the Name that is above every name (Phil 2:9).

About evil spirits. There are no evil spirits wandering about the earth. The “evil spirits” described in the Bible were “evil thoughts” and “dispositions”. And during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, these “evil spirits” were the “sicknesses”.

Matthew 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick.

And if there are “evil angels”, they are still sent by the Lord. Look at these verses:

Psalms 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

1 Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

These “evil angels” and/or “evil spirits” are not “fallen angels”.

There is also no such thing as “an immortal” Satan figure, who was once an archangel named “Lucifer” that rebelled against God, and kicked out of heaven to earth and became “Satan” or “the devil”, the author of all evil and wickedness in this world and is the god of this planet earth. That is called the “Satan myth”. The “Lucifer myth”. Where in the Bible can we read that “Lucifer” was an archangel? The word “Lucifer” was mentioned only “once” in the entire Scriptures. Why create a doctrine out of that word that occurred only once? According to the context, “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14:12) was “the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 14:4). Therefore that being that Isaiah called “Lucifer” was a human king of Babylon. So if you want to know who that is, then know who the King of Babylon was during the prophet Isaiah’s time. Compare Scriptures with Scriptures to know that. That “Lucifer” was not an angelic being!


Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Babylon was a great city and God prophesied that this great city would be destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah. He would also judge the king of Babylon. That king would fall from heaven to hell. That’s a figurative language. Heaven stands for “glory”, “majesty” and “high position of authority”. Hell stands for “abasement” and “destruction” (Isa. 14:15).

There is no truth also in the belief that “the serpent” in Genesis 3 was “Lucifer” and an “archangel”. The serpent in Genesis 3 was a “beast of the field out of the ground” (Gen. 2:19). Beasts may be literal animals or they represent “evil men” such as what Paul called as “liars, evil beasts, slow bellies” (Titus 1:12). In my opinion, that serpent in Genesis 3 was neither an animal nor an angelic supernatural being but he was a man. Like Adam he came from the ground. That serpent-man was cursed: “upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:14,15). It means that “misery” and “abasement” and “destruction” shall he eat all the days of his life. There would be enmity between the woman’s seed and the serpent’s seed. We can see this in the stories following Genesis 3, about the righteous and the wicked.

The doctrine of “Satan” as an immortal supernatural evil spirit who is less powerful than God but more powerful than man is a “myth”. It is part of the “cunningly devised fables” (2 Pet. 1:16) that religions created to frighten men.

Satan is not the god of this world. You may say, "Hey! I have read in my Bible that satan is the god of this world!". Yes, you are right! And we can read it in 2 Cor 4:4 "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not..." Satan was the god of that world. The world in that verse means "age" and not the globe, not the whole wide world. When Paul wrote that epistle he was still in the Jewish world/age. So Satan was the god of that world/age. But God judged Satan at the end of that world/age. That world/age was called by Paul as “this present evil world” (Gal.1:4). And that Satan is not what is commonly known as “an immortal evil spirit god; the author of all evil in the world”.

The devil or Satan was “the enemy” or “enemies” of God, his people and his purposes. The Satan described in each scenario is different. Satan in Job is not the Satan in revelation. Satan may also be the personification of “sin”. The Satan in revelation was the Jewish high priest and priesthood. So now, today at this “fellowship of the mystery-revelation”, Satan is not the god....but THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE GOD OF THIS WORLD...OF THIS AGE, “throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3:21). HE IS THE KING OF HIS KINGDOM (Col 1:13). God has judged the prince of that world and he finished that world which was "THE FIRST HEAVEN AND EARTH" and NOW established THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH.

ONE HOPE. There is ONE HOPE... it is not that Israel will inherit the earth and the Body of Christ the heavens. No! Israel's hope and our hope is CHRIST. “Christ who is our life” (Col. 3:4).

Phil 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

We hope in Christ that he will give us immortal, incorruptible bodies. And that is our destiny...our immortality in Christ Jesus.

1 Cor 15:51-53
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP. The doctrine of SOUL SLEEP is Biblical as it is written in many Scriptures in the Old Testament such as Job, Psalms and Ecclesiastes.

Job 14:10-12
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6,10
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

The doctrine of soul sleep is Biblical but it applies only to believers since Adam up to Jesus Christ. There is no immortality without Christ.

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Jesus Christ abolished death and brought immortality to believers by believing in the gospel.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Paul expected that in his lifetime the Lord will come and change them from mortality to immortality.

But today during this present age believers when they die do no more sleep. Believers’ soul sleeping in Christ were the believers of the previous age. We are now in the so-called "AGES TO COME".

We are now in THE RESURRECTION.
When we die biologically, in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the Lord’s appearing with us (Col. 3:4), we WILL BE CHANGED FROM CORRUPTIBILITY TO INCORRUPTIBILITY...FROM MORTALITY TO IMMORTALITY. We will leave this mortal, corruptible natural body of flesh and blood and God will clothe us with INCORRUPTIBLE, IMMORTAL, SPIRITUAL BODY OF FLESH AND BONES. We will not all sleep BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED. That is our hope.

ONE LORD. THERE IS ONE LORD. There is only ONE LORD and this Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord God of Israel was called by the name Jehovah. In the New Testament, the Lord God is called “JESUS CHRIST”. Paul declared that “Jesus Christ is the Lord”. 

Philippians 2: 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ is the Lord. Jehovah said in the Old Testament “I am the LORD”. Now in the fullness of times, the mystery is revealed – the Lord is Jesus Christ. The name that saves is Jesus Christ. The name above every name is Jesus Christ. And on this name alone, whosoever shall call shall be saved (Romans 10:13).

The name Jehovah was used only 4 times in the Old Testament and in the entire Bible. Plus the 3 compound names of Jehovah. So all in all Jehovah and its compound names were used only 7 times in the King James Bible. (Genesis 22:14; Exodus 6:3; Exodus 17:15; Judges 6:24; Psalms 83:18; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 26:4). Why only four times when Jehovah alone and no compound? Because the number four stands for “the earth”, “the world”. That name was given as 4 letters only: Jud, He, Vau, He. Falsely spelled by religious antichrists as YHWH or YHVH, where the name “Yahweh” was derived. The real spelling is IEUE – all vowels and not consonants. See the difference? In the no-vowel myth, we just have to guess vowels and insert between the consonants…. and so there come many many guess names. In IEUE which can also be JEVE, there is no need to guess, it is there written plainly. It is all in our vowels AEIOU. The form Jehovah is the English equivalent of IEUE/JEVE. Ih-Ye-Hu-Veh.

Jehovah was used only four times, because it is the name used for “covenant” with the “earthly people” of God called Israel. After that the name Jehovah was no more used. What was used besides Jehovah? It was the name “LORD” which stands also for the 4 letters but it was written as “LORD” in the King James Bible. This name “LORD”

God said to Moses in Exodus 3:15


“The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my NAME for ever, and this is my memorial unto ALL GENERATIONS.”

That name “LORD” was his name for ever, his memorial unto all generations. It doesn’t mean unto all generations of men but unto all generations of Israel. Jesus Christ is the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). He is the last generation of Adam. The last generation of Adam is the last generation of Israel for Israel was in Adam’s lineage. Jesus was the last and after him no more. What comes after Adam’s generation? It is now the generation of Jesus Christ. Those who are called “IN CHRIST”. Those in Christ, their God’s name is not Jehovah or the LORD but is “THE LORD JESUS CHRIST”.

In the New Testament writings we will no more see the word “LORD” but it is now “Lord”. It is no more in ALL CAPS. They were speaking and writing Greek. They used the word “kurios” which means Lord in English. When talking about God, they call him “Lord”. It is no more that ALL CAPS “LORD”. Why? there is no more need for that. And also if you will notice, the name JEHOVAH is no more used or mentioned even once in the New Testament writings. Why? Because in the New Testament revelation, God is exalting only ONE NAME and that is THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, the name above every name.

In the opening pages of the New Testament we read this:
Matthew 1: 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.


Can’t you see the mystery revealed there? It is the name of JESUS. We can read the name JESUS in ALL CAPS six times. (Matthew 1:21; Matthew 1:25; Matthew 27:37; Luke 1:31; Luke 2:21; John 19:19). Why “six times”? Six is the number of “MAN” and “SIN”. Jesus became man. He is come in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh to save man from sin. That is why the first mention of that ALL CAPS “JESUS” says “HE shall save his people from their sins”. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:16) “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21).

JEHOVAH was the God of the Old Testament saints. It means that his revelation by the name of Jehovah and the LORD was confined only to his “covenant” with Israel. The Body of Christ church is out of that covenant. The LORD God or JEHOVAH of the Old Testament is the same as JESUS CHRIST of the New Testament for JESUS CHRIST is the "GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH" (1 Timothy 3:16). But now, it is no more Jehovah, but it is “The LORD JESUS CHRIST”: the name which was hidden as a mystery in all ages but now is made manifest to God’s saints.

The name JESUS is a Hebrew name expressed in Greek language. In Hebrew it is IEShUO or IESUO. It came from two words in Hebrew: (1) IE – the short form of IEUE (God’s covenant name) and (2) IShO, ISO – “to save”. So IESUO means “God saves” or “God-Saviour”.

Some people hardly pronounce some words. For example, the Japanese people can’t pronounce the letter “L” and they read it as “R”. The name Larry is read by them as “RARI” and not “LARI”. There are also people who can hardly pronounce the letter “R” and say it as “L”.

It happened also in Israel before:
Judges 12:6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

The same thing with the “SH” sound. The Greeks have no “sh” sound so they pronounce the “sh” as “s”. The name IESHUO is pronounced by them as IESUO. And because their names for males have an “US” ending, the name IESUO became IESOUS. There we got the English name JESUS.

The name JESUS is five (5) letters. It stands for “Grace”. Jesus is the Grace of God that brings salvation.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

If we are to count using the English Alphabet of 26 letters, the name JESUS is this. J – 10. E – 5. S – 19. U – 21. S – 19.
10 stands for “Gentiles”.
5 stands for “Grace”.
19 stands for “Faith”.
21 stands for “Fulness” three times.
19 stands for “Faith”.

Summing it all up: Gentiles, Grace, Faith, Fulness, Faith. “Gentiles are given grace by faith and receive fulfillment in believing in Jesus”.

Add all the numbers and we get 74. Seven (7) stands for “Fulness”, “Perfection”, “Completion” and “Fulfillment” and Four (4) stands for “the earth”, “the world” and “the creation”. Therefore Jesus stands for “the Completion of the Creation”. Jesus said “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5). He is the Creator of the New Creature, the One New Man. The Creator of the New heaven and earth. And he finished and fulfilled “the New Creature”. We are just added to it if we are “In Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus is the “FULFILLMENT OF THE CREATION”. In him all things consist and we are complete in him.

The number 74 also stands for the “Fulfillment” of the “Four Letters” (LORD). JESUS is the fulfillment of Jehovah. Jehovah is incomplete. The complete name is JESUS. The complete name of God is JESUS.

There is only One God and One Mediator between God and men – “who?” – the Man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Jesus Christ is True God and True Man - the God-Man. Jesus Christ is the One Lord of His Church, the Body of Christ. No one has the right to be called Lord except the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord means "owner". Jesus is our Owner. We belong to him. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.

AlleluJesus!!!

(to be continued)

Pliroma Revelation Bible