Outline:
- Review of What is the Kingdom of God
- 2 Kingdoms at War
- What is the Kingdom of Satan?
- Demons cause sickness
- Sin gives Satan access
- Supernatural Knowledge and Power
- Conclusion
Scriptures:
- Luke 17:20-22
- Luke 11:14-21
- Exodus 8:18-19
- Ephesians 6:12
- Colossians 1:13-14
- Ephesians 2:1-2
- 2 Kings 1:1-4
- Exodus 22:18
- Mark 9:25-27
- Acts 8:4-7
- Luke 13:11-13
- John 9:1-3
- Romans 5:12
- Acts 16:16-18
Review: What is the Kingdom of God?
- There are many opinions about what the Kingdom of God is
- It is important that your view of the Kingdom of God both fits reality and is supported by the Bible
- We discussed several doctrines related to the Kingdom of God
- Some say it is a future Heaven here on earth
- Some view it as “the church”
- Some view it as a Christian lifestyle or doing things “the Christian way”
- Some view it as something that supports the will of God
- E.g. “Kingdom Marriage”
- We looked at the theology of an “Inaugurated Eschatology” which states that the kingdom is already here, but not yet complete
- They use this to explain why healing works sometimes but not all the time
- The Dispensational Eschatology states that Kingdom of God will be a physical kingdom on earth that comes after the rapture
- During this 1,000 year period the Jews can be saved
- A variant of this view says that the “Kingdom of God” is the current gospel age, and the “Kingdom of Heaven” is the future post rapture age
- We proved that the “Kingdom of Heaven” and the “Kingdom of God” are the same thing by examining scriptures
- We also discussed that the Jews sometimes use the word “Heaven” to replace the name of God
- The Jews in Jesus’ time were expecting the Kingdom to be established here on earth by forcefully taking over of the Roman government
- But Jesus came and corrected this view telling them that His kingdom was not going to be of this world
- The Kingdom of God is not a physical kingdom on earth, but it is Spiritual one
- The Kingdom of God involves us accepting Jesus as our “king” and allowing Him to rule over our lives
- This is only possible if you have accepted Jesus as your savior and have the Holy Spirit within us
- The Kingdom or rule of God began when Christ came
- We received access to it when accepted the Holy Spirit into our lives
- The Kingdom is fully in place now but we do not have full access to it in our flesh bodies
- We will have full access to the Kingdom after we get our glorified bodies
- Once we gain full access there will be no more sin, death or evil
Dominionism (aka Kingdom Now Theology)
- aka the 7 Mountain Mandate
- Christians have an assignment to bring Heaven to earth right now
- We are supposed to overcome the system of the world and create a Christian Utopia before Jesus comes back
- We need to support the political system and get righteous people into office to change the world
- We need to have "kingdom-minded people" running the major 7 areas of society:
- Religion
- Family
- Education
- Government
- Media
- Arts & entertainment
- Business.
- Once we overtake theses areas then Jesus can come back and take over the kingdom that we’ve established
Many Jews have a similar belief that they are supposed to bring this kingdom before Messiah returns
Supported by: Peter Wagner, Bill Johnson, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen and many others
Problem with this:
- It's not from the Bible
- It was told to Loren Cunningham and Bill Bright from God (at the same time)
- The Bible says that Christians will go through a tribulation just before He returns
- Jesus said that the government and the world would be in opposition to Christians in the end times
- Jesus corrected the disciples and told them the kingdom is not going to be here on earth but it is a spiritual kingdom
- “If the tribulation is happening and you’re on the side of the government and the world...you have chosen the wrong side”
Christ Consciousness (New Age)
Luke 17:20-21
20Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst [within you - KJV].”
- Mystics interpret this as Jesus saying that the Kingdom of God is an internal state of being that we can reach
- Jesus is an example of someone who reached His highest spiritual state
- Everyone is here on earth to try to attain this “Christ Consciousness”
- It is an internal spiritual reality waiting to be accessed by enlightenment, ego death and self discovery
- When we transcend our ego we enter into the I AM presence which is at the core of our being
- The Kingdom is a level of being which we arrive at
- The “ Second coming of Jesus” is when we reach our final internal state of self realization
- Everyone can reach this “Christ Consciousness”
Deepak Chopra a spiritual guru talks about a “cosmic Christ” and sees Christ as an example that we should follow
- Jesus wasn’t a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist or a Muslim
- " Jesus intended to save the world by showing others the path to God-consciousness "
Problems with this view:
- Jesus was talking to the Pharisees here and he called them children of Satan. He told them The Kingdom of God wasn’t within them
- So it’s not in everyone
- The premise in the bible is that the Kingdom of God was not within us prior to Jesus’ coming
- The verse is better interpreted “the Kingdom of God is among you”
- Not “within you”
- Jesus was a Jew he wasn’t a mystic. Jesus said His father was the God of the Old Testament.
Understanding the Kingdom of Satan
An unidentified enemy is the most dangerous threat
2 Kingdoms at War
The conflict between Jesus and Satan
Luke 11:14-22
14And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. 17But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. 18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19“And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. 20“But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.21 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. 22 "But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.
There are two Kingdoms that Jesus mentions:
- The Kingdom of God
- The Kingdom of Satan
It’s Harder to Cast Out A Mute Spirit
A mute spirit doesn’t talk and it doesn’t allow the person it possesses to talk. One of the practices of Jewish exorcists was to ask the demon (evil spirit) it’s name. Once you know the demon’s name it is easier to cast it out. Mute spirits are harder to cast out because they cannot tell you their name. This is why this feat was seen as amazing to the Jews.
Kingdom of God Has Arrived
Jesus said “ if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Initially the kingdom had arrived in the person if Jesus.
- The miracle showed that Jesus had power over Satan.
- This showed that God’s kingdom had already come.
The reign of Satan over people, and the reign of God are in opposition. If God expels Satan from his dominion over people, then His reign has come.
The Messiah Has Come
The Jews thought the Messiah was coming to free them by conquering Rome.
- But instead, Jesus came and freed all mankind from the Kingdom of Satan
The miracles of casting out demons was clear proof that Jesus had authority over the Kingdom of Satan
Beelzebub (Lord of the Flies)
They said Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebul
Beelzebul was the Philistine god having the power to drive away troublesome flies
- Beelzebul was a God of Ekron
- Beelzebul means “the lord of flies”
- Flies were seen hovering around and eating excrement
The Jews used Beelzebul as a title of Satan which stresses he is the prince over the demons
Beelzebub's Previous Defeat
The finger of God also overtook Beelzebul (Hebrew Baal-Zebub) in the Old Testament
Baal-Zebub
The god who expels or destroys flies; though it may also mean the patron or controller of flies. The two explanations may be combined for the god who has power to drive away any plague has also power to send it.
--Jewish Encyclopedia
Exodus 8:18-19
18 The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
The “finger of God” means the power of God
- When God sent the gnats/flies to Egypt it was to demonstrate that He was more powerful than Beelzebul
- God used the fact that He had authority over the gnats to show that He had authority over Beelzebul
- Each of the 10 plagues of Egypt was to show God's authority over a particular Egyptian god
Jesus Power Over Satan
Satan’s title “Lord of the Flies” was because he has authority over the demons
- When Jesus overthrew the demons it was similar to what happened in Egypt
- It was a display of God’s power over the demons
- Jesus displayed that He had authority over the demons
- This proved that the Kingdom of God was here
- This was a sign that God’s Kingdom had come and took authority over Satan's kingdom
This is what Jesus meant when He said “if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Since we have accepted Jesus as our savior we are part of the kingdom of God. That automatically gives us some authority through Jesus over the kingdom of Satan.
Summary:
- There is a Kingdom of God and there is an opposing Kingdom of Satan
- The demons are under Satan’s rule in his kingdom
- By casting out the demon Jesus showed that He had power over Satan’s kingdom
- This proved that He was the Messiah and that the Kingdom of God had arrived
What is the Kingdom of Satan?
The Kingdom of Satan is Spiritual
Ephesians 6:12
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
- Our battle is against satan’s kingdom
- Satan’s kingdom is in the heavenly realm
- It is a spiritual kingdom
- But it has influence over this world
Although humans may aid satan, our primary battle is with the spirit behind their power or influences them
The battle is spiritual but it manifested in the physical realm. It is here based on the impact it has on our lives.
Both kingdoms are spiritual but the battlefield is here in the natural realm.
Satan, Demons, and Fallen Angels
There are three classes of spiritual beings in the Kingdom of Satan:
- satan
- fallen angels
- demons
Out of these three, only demons are described as not having a bodily form of their own. They are the only ones that the Bible mentions who inhabit a bodies.
Humans Can Be in the Kingdom of Satan
Similar to how we are supportive of the Kingdom of God other people are supportive of the Kingdom of Satan
We Were Part of The Kingdom of Satan
Colossians 1:13-14
13For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
- Because of Adam’s sin we all inherited a sin nature which aligned us with Satan's domain
- Jesus has rescued us from it
- Unless a person has been freed through Jesus they are part of the Kingdom of Satan
- They belong to “the world”
- Satan has authority over them
Sons of Disobedience
Some of those in his kingdom are actively fighting against the kingdom of God
Ephesians 2:1-2
1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
- Satan works through sons of disobedience
- There are sons of God and there are sons of disobedience
- Jesus told the Pharisees that they were children of their father...the devil
There are some who support the Kingdom of Satan by mere virtue of living in the world
Some Consciously Oppose God
There are people who have chosen to oppose the kingdom of God (e.g. witches, warlocks and some Satanists).
Power of the Air
(my theory)
Because of Adam’s sin, God has judged that we will all die. Therefore it is God's will that we eventually die. Satan has the authority to be involved in that process.
Air makes living things deteriorate. I believe that air plays a role in the process of us dying. God of the air means god of death. Let's take a look at how air kills other living things.
Example: You squeeze the air out of things when you wrap them and put them in the refrigerator.
- Why: so they stay fresh longer
- So they die slower.
Food Spoilage:
One important cause of food spoilage is air and oxygen. Because air is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it is often taken for granted and sometimes forgotten as a means to cause food to spoil.
Air consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and a 1% mixture of other gases. While oxygen is essential for life, it can have deteriorative effects on fats, food colors, vitamins, flavors, and other food constituents. Basically, oxygen can cause food spoilage in several ways. It can provide conditions that will enhance the growth of microorganisms; it can cause damage to foods with the help of enzymes; and it can cause oxidation.
Since Satan’s is responsible for death, my belief is that Satan’s Kingdom somehow interacts with organisms which cause death and decay of the flesh. Thus the term “prince of the power of the air” is another way of saying he is over the death of our flesh bodies.
- This is why healing is a sign that the Kingdom of God has authority over the kingdom of Satan
Summary:
- The Kingdom of Satan is spiritual but has influence in the natural realm
- The Kingdom of Satan includes: satan, fallen angels, demons and humans who willingly or unwillingly support the kingdom
- Jesus freed us from the Kingdom of Satan
- Satan is involved with death and decay
Demons Cause Sickness
The Kingdom of Satan is responsible for some sicknesses
2 Kings 1:1-4
And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness."
3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'
4 "Now therefore thus says the LORD, 'You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" Then Elijah departed.
3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?'
4 "Now therefore thus says the LORD, 'You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.'" Then Elijah departed.
Penalty of Idolatry
Ahaziah sinned by consulting Baalzebub
- Ahaziah sought Baalzebub for knowledge about his sickness and death
- The penalty for idolatry was death
- The penalty for seeking knowledge or power outside of God was death
Exodus 22:18 even reads: “You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
Acts that involved getting power or knowledge from demons are idolatry and were punishable by death.
Flies Cause Sickness
In the ancient Mesopotamian world they viewed flies as being the source of sickness
- Since they were always around excrement they were thought to come out of you
- They thought that a god could expel the flies from you to cause you to get well
- So Baalzebub had dominion over sickness and death
- This is another parallel with Satan
Demon Cause Sickness
The analogy with demons and flies continued here as well.
- They believed that demons caused sickness.
- Therefore casting demons out of people would cure their sickness
- They saw demons as the cause of sickness
They were right about that...
Deaf and Mute
Mark 9:25-27
25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Paralyzed and Lame
Acts 8:4-7
4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
Sickness by a Spirit
Luke 13:11-13
11And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.
Demons do cause sickness and disability in people.
Summary:
- Demons cause sickness and disability
- Not necessarily all illnesses are caused by demons
- God considered seeking knowledge or power from a supernatural source so bad that it was punishable by death
Sin Gives Satan Access
John 9:1-3
1As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
The assumption of the disciples was that blindness was caused by sin
- But since the man was born blind the disciples unsure if the man sinned or his parents
- It turned out to be neither in this case
- But this shows that there was a Jewish belief that sins causes sickness
- There are scenarios where God causes the sickness for His own divine reasons
The Penalty of Sin is Death of the Flesh
Romans 5:12
12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
- Some part of our path to death is caused by Adam’s sin and some is caused by our own
- You will have illnesses just because you are a child of Adam
- There are some ailments that are a result of sin
The penalty of sin is death. We will all die because of Adam’s sin, and because we have all sinned. It’s only our flesh body that is going to die. The reason we die a natural death is because our bodies slowly age and decay.
Is sickness and disability caused by sin or is it caused by demons?
- Both
- Sin gives demons permission to inflict your body
- Perhaps some demons have authority to do harm us based because we are human and others gain access when we sin
- It can be an indirect result of our sin.
Inheriting the Kingdom of Satan
In Galatians 5 Paul said that when we commit sins like: immorality, idolatry, sorcery, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, envying,drunkenness, and things like these we do not inherit the kingdom of God.
- These give access to Satan's kingdom
- We are also inviting Satan’s kingdom to inflict our flesh
Summary:
- Some illnesses are caused by God for a purpose
- Sin gives satan access to inflict our bodies
- When we sin, we are aligning with Satan’s kingdom and thus inheriting the Kingdom of Satan
Supernatural Knowledge or Power
Acts 16:16-18
16It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.
- Just because it’s supernatural doesn’t mean it’s from the Kingdom of God
- Just because it honors God doesn’t mean it’s of God
- There are demons that can give a person knowledge of the future
- If she was in the church today we would call her a prophet
- We need to test it against the Bible
Any supernatural knowledge, healing or power has its source in one of these two kingdoms. Whether it be:
- Knowledge of the future (e.g. fortune telling, palm reading, horoscope, words of knowledge, prophecy)
- Supernatural Healing
- Real Magic
- Voodoo
- Witchcraft
- Love Spells
- Ouija board
It's either from the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Satan
- If it's supernatural its source is in one of these two systems
- If you use knowledge or power from demons you are participating in the Kingdom of Satan.
Summary:
- Just because something is supernatural doesn’t mean it’s of God
- Just because it speaks honor to God doesn’t mean it’s of God
- The source can be a demon
- Those who seek knowledge or power from supernatural sources other than the Holy Spirit are participating in the Kingdom of Satan
Conclusion
The Jews thought the Messiah was coming to free them by overthrowing the Roman empire and setting up an earthly Kingdom ruled by God Himself. But instead, Jesus came and freed all mankind by overthrowing the the Kingdom of Satan. Jesus said “if I cast out demons by the finger of God then the Kingdom of God has come upon you”. Displaying His dominion over demons showed that He had taken dominion over the Kingdom of Satan. This showed that the Kingdom of God was here in the person of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, and sent the Holy Spirit he allowed us to have access to the Kingdom of God.
Sin entered into the world because of one man and we die because we have all sinned. I heard someone say that: “The purpose of dying is so that you will love God”. The point that they were making was that many people become Christians because they are scared to die or scared of what will happen after death. If they were immortal and would never die some Christians might not choose to follow God.
We need to see salvation as more than just fire insurance. Jesus defeated sin and death when He died on the cross. He freed us from the Kingdom of Satan and brought us into the light.
The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan are spiritual realms at war with each other and the battlefield is here in the natural realm. The battlefield is in our hearts. The battle is won or lost based on how we yield to temptation and whether or not we obey the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
Presenter: Michael Leadon
References:
Spiritual Warfare - Casting Down Strongholds - The Armor of God - Two Invisible Spiritual Kingdoms
What Are We Up Against?
Beelzebub
Describe Why Foods Spoil
A Dumb Spirit
Do We Die Because of Adam’s Sin?
Extra:
Do Jews believe in heaven and hell?
Kingdom of Satan
Where is it?
Epouranios (heavenly realms)
the heavenly regions, heaven itself, the abode of God and angels: the lower heavens, or the heaven of the clouds
--Strong’s Concordance
2 Corinthians 12
3And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
- The 3rd Heaven is Paradise
- The 3rd Heaven is where God lives
- There must be 3 Heavens
- The 1st Heaven is the visible Heaven
- The 2nd Heaven is where Satan is
Satanists
We need to realize that there are also humans that are part of satan’s system. There are satanists who worship him. Although it is a misconception that all satanists literally worship an entity referred to as Satan...some are more anarchists - “do what you will is the only law”.
Demons Cause Sickness
1 Kings 22:51-52
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.
52 He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
52 He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
Blind and Mute
Matthew 12:22-23
22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?
Sin Gives Satan Access
James 5:14-15
14Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
