Diana’s Story

There is a discussion taking place in a Psychology Class over abortion and how one would approach the issue.  The class was to describe the emotions a woman facing an undesired pregnancy might feel.  The majority of the class has never faced the situation, so they can only speculate.  As most are the product of the “New Awareness” mantra, they spout the Planned Parenthood talking points like pros.

But, one young lady has a different story to tell.  Her name is Diana Murphy, and she has given me permission to print it here.  This is how she told it with no changes.

When I was 18, I was on a magazine crew.  We went from city to city selling magazines.  I was seeing a guy on the crew, but he cheated on me and we broke up.  Two weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.  I told my boss, and he told me I had to either have an abortion or go home. I have been faced with this decision.  I thought to myself “My parents will kill me” “I don’t think I am financially capable of taking care of a baby right now” “The baby’s father and I are broken up.”  So I had a lot of emotions regarding the situation.  I finally decided that under no circumstances is it ok for me to end this human life.  I told my boss I would go home.  The day I was supposed to go home, I woke up bleeding.  I went to the hospital, and the Dr. told me the baby was too low on my uterus, that it might not survive, but they weren’t sure. I saw the baby on the ultrasound, and they measured it and told me I was about 14 weeks. I went home, and I bled for 27 days, and the baby was gone.  I didn’t even have an abortion and the feelings of guilt were terrible for me.  I kept going to the library reading about miscarriages, wondering what I could have done to save my baby. If I didn’t walk around so much or jump up and down, would it have saved the baby?  What’s worse is I was not home when I got pregnant, and when I got home I didn’t tell anybody and had to deal with the whole thing myself.  I do not think I could live with myself, if I am ever able to get pregnant again, if I had an abortion.  People who know now, tell me “well at least it wasn’t born yet” “It’s not like you lost your child”.  I wish people could see that there is life there.  It is not an object.  It is a baby.

The Purpose of Mankind through the Christ: pt. VI

VI

Creation Restored

For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed in us; for the earnest looking out of the creation doth expect the revelation of the sons of God; for to vanity was the creation made subject—not of its will, but because of Him who did subject it —in hope, that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God; for we have known that all the creation doth groan together, and doth travail in pain together till now.  And not only so, but also we ourselves, having the first-fruit of the Spirit, we also ourselves in ourselves do groan, adoption expecting—the redemption of our body; for in hope we were saved, and hope beheld is not hope; for what any one doth behold, why also doth he hope for it?  And if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect it.[1]

This passage from Paul’s letter to the Roman Church is one of the keystones of the regained dominion held by the Believers, but is taught as something that will happen in some imagined future, taking away the true purpose of the passage.  It is meant to empower the Believer with the dominion understanding to heal creation itself.  How can I make this bold statement? I make it based on the full understanding of the effect of Adam’s sin.

Adam was granted dominion over all of the creation of God on this earth and over the earth itself.[2] When Adam disobeyed God and caused evil to be conceived, he brought death not only to himself but to all he had dominion over.[3] Think not?  Then think on this.  Everything on and in the earth is decaying.  We measure the potency of many elements in “half-lives”, or the time it takes the element to become half decomposed.  Humanity itself is born dying.  The healthiest we are is at the moment of birth.  From that time one we are steadily growing older; rushing toward an appointment with death.  This is true for every living thing on the earth, and even in the known universe.  Stars decay and planets cool.  All of creation now suffers from the introduction of death.

The serpent beguiled Adam and Eve into believing God had selfish motives for denying them the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Because of their disobedience, they were denied the fruit of the Tree of Life.  Notice, they were not denied access to the Tree of Life until after the sin.  Eternal life was there for the taking had they not been disobedient.  By failing God and believing they would gain everything by eating the forbidden fruit, they instead, lost all of those things they thought they wanted; not realizing it was already theirs for the taking.[4]

Eternal life was lost to humanity.  Dominion was lost to humanity.  Death entered humanity and creation.  But Jesus restored eternal life,[5] defeated death,[6] and restored the ability of man to take dominion and restore creation itself.[7] Returning to the passage in Romans 8, we find the first indicator that dominion belongs to the Believer.  Creation itself is waiting for us, the children of God, to take our rightful place; to be revealed to all the earth.  Weymouth says it this way, “For all creation, gazing eagerly as if with outstretched neck, is waiting and longing to see the manifestation of the sons of God.”[8] This conjures up the picture of someone waiting for the arrival of a special guest, knowing that they are almost there.  The host strains to look down the road eagerly awaiting that first glimpse of the expected guest.

That is the way all of creation looks to us, the Believers, the inheritors of Adam’s dominion.  Paul makes it plain that he expected it to be an immediate thing.  He uses the passage “until now”[9] indicating that urgency.  Weymouth is even more specific, stating the time frame as “this hour”; now!   Our purpose as Believers, after the worship of God, is to begin the restoration of creation to the state of perfection that existed before Adam’s sin.  Young’s (in the passage quoted at the beginning of the section) says, “…set free from the servitude of corruption.” Weymouth phrases it as “…set free from the thralldom of decay.” The Authorized Version (King James) states, “…delivered from the bondage of corruption.”[10] Can this be anymore clear?

Let us look at another passage supporting this, because God’s word verifies its truths in more than one place.  The writer of Hebrews says,

“What is man that you keep him in mind? What is the son of man that you take him into account? You made him a little lower than the angels; you gave him a crown of glory and honour, and made him ruler over all the works of your hands: You put all things under his feet. For in making man the ruler over all things, God did not put anything outside his authority; though we do not see everything under him now.”[11]

Notice: God made man the “ruler,” or the one with dominion, over all the works of His hands and left nothing out! The writer lamented that man had not taken that dominion that was rightfully his.  In later chapters, the reason is shown clearly.  The body of Believers is still acting like children.[12]

What are we to alter this pattern of decay to be?  We are to place creation into the same liberty enjoyed by citizens of the kingdom of God!  Does this really establish the command to restore creation and establish dominion over it?  What did Jesus do?  He healed the sick, opened blinded eyes, made the lame to walk, and raised the dead.  All these things represent the reversal of the Adamic curse, and we are to do these works and greater![13] How much more explicit can the word of God be, yet this facet of the Believer’s life is totally ignored by most mainline denominations.  It is not only ignored, but also in many cases considered heresy.

What do we do with the words of the Christ in Mark?

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”[14]

Did this just apply to the Apostles? How could it?  The signs follow the ones to whom the Gospel was delivered!  They shall….  They shall do what?  Cast out demons! Speak with new tongues! Heal the sick!  Paul[15] and Peter[16] even raised the dead, and we are to do the same.  We are “them that believe.”  We are the “they” that “shall” in this important passage!  What are we waiting for?  Is it not time that the kingdom be manifested?  Is it not time that we to understand who we are in God?  Remember, we must become the “will of God” acting without hesitation, believing in true faith that what we speak is already done in heaven and we are to manifest it in the earth!

Look at the prayer Jesus taught the Disciples.  Young’s says, “Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on the earth.”[17] God has already established His “will”, or design, in the heavens, and it is our task to manifest it on the earth.  Jesus implies emphatically that the kingdom of God and His will are for us here and now.  We are to speak of the kingdom as being established, as the Greek is in the active tense: “Come now, kingdom of God—Be done now, will of God.”  It is a kingdom for us to establish in the realm of the Spirit, as it is declared by God, for activity and action in the natural.  For us to obey God according to the stated words of the Christ, we must do works in the natural, through the activity of the supernatural.

Nothing that is birthed of God can be birthed in the natural.  The natural is a visible level while the supernatural is not.  It is the unseen environment of God.  Let me stop for a moment and define “supernatural.”  It is not the place of ghosts, goblins, black cats and witches that society has made it out to be.  Rather it is a place where things are much more than can be defined as “natural.”  What does the prefix “super” indicate in other references?  For instance, what do we mean when we call an athlete “superhuman?” Yes! It indicates that the skill level of this person is far above the norm.  What about metal that is “superheated?” Right! It has been heated far past the temperatures normally available.

“Super” as a prefix means, in or to an extreme or excessive degree or intensity or, higher in quantity, quality, or degree than.[18] So, why do we when expressing something as “supernatural” automatically revert to thinking of the occult?  The definition does not even fit.  God, in His supernatural state (which is, paradoxically, “natural” for Him) is far and above whatever norm we can imagine, even in our wildest dreams.  That which is birthed of God must be formed in a realm, or level, that defines Him; one far and away above the physical world in which we dwell.  Then, by creative faith, it can be manifested in this physical state of awareness.

We, as Believers, must validate God’s will as it is already defined in heaven, by manifesting it in the earth through our authority of supernatural dominion.  By this shall all people “see” our God as He really is.

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[1] Romans 8:18-25 Young’s Literal Translation

[2] Genesis 1:26

[3] Romans 5:12

[4] Revisit Genesis 3

[5] Romans 5:21

[6] Revelation 1:18

[7] Romans 8:18-20

[8] Romans 8:19, Weymouth translation

[9] Romans 8:22, Young’s

[10] Romans 8:21, parallel versions

[11] Hebrews 2:6-8, Bible in Basic English, emphasis mine

[12] Ibid. 5:12-6:3

[13] John 14:12

[14] Mark 16:15-18 KJV

[15] Acts 20:7-12

[16] Acts 9:36-43

[17] Matthew 6:10, Young’s Literal Translation

[18] Webster’s On-line Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/super

Dominion Theology: An Answer to John MacArthur

On of John MacArthur’s church members asked him a question: “What is Dominion Theology.”  His answer can be found at the Bible Bulletin Board site, so I’ll not reprint it here.  Suffice it to say, Reverend MacArthur is up to usual antics: “Attack anything I don’t want to deal with by cherry-picking one verse to dispute (whether it does or not) it while ignoring all of the others that support it.”  He’s already attacked “tongues” as being “of the Devil,” and grouped the other manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the same category, simply because his denomination is still held in thraldom to the old Catholic Doctrines that caused the inquisitions and the witch trials.

Reverend MacArthur contends that we are not to take dominion over demonic spirits because of the Old Testament passage that says, “Resist the Devil.”  First, sir, what better form of resistance is there than taking authority over him?  Isn’t that what Jesus gave us in Luke 10:19 when He gave us authority over “all the abilities of the enemy?”  And what about the final instructions He gave before His ascension? Mark 16:15 clearly says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe.  In My name shall they cast out Devils; they shall speak with new tongues…”  Am I missing something here, or is this deleted from the “John MacArthur Study Bible?”

MacArthur contends that we are not to bind demons.  Doesn’t that smack dead in the face of  Matthew 12:25-29 where Jesus tells us we cannot cast out devils unless we first “bind the strong man?”

Reverend MacArthur needs to read his Bible again.  Maybe he should take an indeterminate hiatus from Ministry until he spends some time with the Holy Spirit whose works he so cavalierly dismisses.  Maybe they should get to know each other better.  Maybe then MacArthur wouldn’t spout off with drivel he cannot back with the word.

The Purpose of Mankind Through the Christ: pt. V

V

Dominion Power

For centuries the level and character of “sonship” was completely ignored, leaving no benefit to be gained this side of death.  Then, in the last half of the 20^th Century, the pendulum swung to the other extreme to the point that everything was sonship and stopped there.  It was as if everything was epitomized in sonship and nothing more was available.  Both Paul in Romans[1] and Jesus in the parables entreated the Believer to so much more.

While the “dwellers of the heavens” (us, the Believers), can walk in dominion over all of creation, we must seek to walk past sonship into the realm of the “joint heirs.”  If we develop the mind of the Christ,[2] we then have the mind of the Father to do His will (works)[3] and speak His words.[4] If we truly reach that place, then we can move in power without the prodding or leading of God.  Knowing the will of God through the word and taking authority and dominion, acting in faith, we act in the will of God because the Father is in us as He was in the Christ, Jesus.  It no longer becomes necessary to wait on the will of God.  We become the will of God as He confirms our actions and words with signs and wonders.

We know when to move in the creative power to heal, deliver, prophesy, and take dominion over the evil that Adam birthed.  When will the body realize that we already know the will of God and declare it boldly, no longer praying weak and vacillating prayers…, “O Lord, if it’s Your will…?  Jesus said that He came to bring us a life of abundance[5] in all things, physically, spiritually, and financially.  If God intended for His people to remain sick, diseased, lame, or infirm, then His word would have said, “I am the God that might heal you.”  I do not think that is what the passage in Exodus says.[6] Did He say, “Lay hands on the sick and they might recover?”  The only reason we do not see abundant healings, deliverances, and other miracles in the body and from the body is because we approach our works in doubt!

The shallowest statement concerning the blessings of God is, “I know God can…”  Of course, He can!  We have to act and believe as if we expect it now!  “I know God is, because the word says so and the word is in and for us!”  The word gives us dominion over all things physical and spiritual.  This is what Jesus said in Matthew.  “All authority is given me in heaven (spiritual things) and in the earth (physical things).”[7] Then, He said, “You go…” because in Luke[8] He gave us all authority to share with Him as equals.  Yes, we are equals to Jesus, and that is not heresy.  Remember, Paul tells us not to be satisfied until we are joint heirs—equal heirs; equal with Him in anointing, authority, and dominion.

Why can we expect this and not be considered heretics?  First, He told the Disciples in the Upper Room that the works He had done were ours to carry on, “and greater works.”[9] Before anyone tries to suggest this was only for the Disciples, let us read the whole verse.  It begins with, “He that believes on Me.”  That would be any born-again Believer.  Second, it must be recognized that Jesus was, as are we, man.  He was born of a woman, flesh and blood, of Adam’s seed.  He was the one that emphasized this in every way.  Of the forty-six instances in the Gospels where He was referred to as the “Son of God,” all of them were others identifying Him.  In the eighty-five times He referred to Himself, it was always as the “Son of man.”  Had it not been so, He could not have qualified to become the payment for our sins.  Only a descendant of Adam could do so.

Finally, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.[10] One might think this is where we differ from the Christ, but this is the “sameness” that binds us to Him the closest, as we are also conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Do not doubt the credibility of this statement.  One only has to look at the instructions given to Nicodemus.  Did He not say born of the “water” (flesh) and the “Spirit” (God)?[11] This was not a suggestion.  It was a commandment.  “You must be born again.”  We had to complete the steps He took to reach perfection; not only the birth, but also the steps to become “sons” (and daughters) by believing on Him.[12] John makes it clear in this passage exactly what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus, “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

We must also allow ourselves to be perfected as He was perfected; through trials and obedience.[13] This one is hard for many to accept. So many in the church today want the “sloppy agape” feeling and nothing else.  We do not see them going through trials because they seldom extend themselves past the “comfort zone” wrapped around them.  When one wants to grow, then one must be tried.  This is a rule we all grew up with as children.  Each grade in school forced us to endure “testing” to be found worthy.  Each endeavor was a trial that often took more than one try to experience success.  Did you just jump on a bicycle the first time and ride it like Lance Armstrong, or did you fall and scrape your knee a few times?  Even further back; did you walk the first time you tried, or did you fall on your…diaper…a bit at first?

There is nothing more pitiful than a bunch of crawling, Christian babies that do not want to go any higher or farther because it might take a little work, a little faith, and more than one try.  Even worse, it might cause someone to …dare I say it?… have to be responsible for their own actions.  Let me assure you of one thing.  At each level we reach, there is a new measure of faith and a new measure of grace that we receive.  God is not some awful, abusive parent waiting for us to make a mistake just so He can punish us.  On the contrary; He wants us to succeed, and at the highest level.  He gave us that ability and that authority.  It is high time we use it.

We are commanded to be like Jesus, speak like Jesus, and do greater works than Jesus because He restored to us the dominion and access to the Spiritual realms that Adam lost.  Jesus had authority over all humankind and the ability to bestow eternal life,[14] and He sends us just as He was sent.[15] What did He instruct the seventy that were sent forth?  “He who listens to you, listens to Me; and whoever disregards you, disregards me.”[16] He even went a step further to say that if someone rejects Him, then God is also rejected.  Consider this passage from the Gospel of John,

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.  And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”[17]

The impact of that statement is incredibly powerful in regards to the position of the Believer.  We are to speak according to the same commandment given by God to His Christ, and that commandment is to speak life everlasting. This agrees with the statements of Paul in Romans when he relates the effect the Spirit of God has on the Christ and through the same Spirit on the Believer.  We are free of earthly things and can focus on the spiritual realms because the Spirit of God in the Christ is the same Spirit of God in us.  This means that the battle is over, the flesh must submit to the Spirit, and we must, and can, speak life.[18] This means much more than just leading a separated child of God to grace and salvation.  Yes, Paul reminds us that the Spirit brings life after the death of the body, but also implies that we do not have to die at all.  Yes, the message of salvation brings eternal life, but the gospel of the kingdom goes so much deeper than the surface, which is all the church has “skimmed” for 1500 years.

No, I will not leave you hanging there.  Observe the next verse.  And if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead is dwelling in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead will give Life also to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you.[19] First, consider the “and” at the beginning.  This means there is more than the previous verse promises.  Next, Paul says this Spirit of God that is in the Christ and now in you raised Jesus from the dead. So, the next step is too obvious for words.  That Spirit will bring life to the mortal body.  And it should!  Jesus spoke life into dead eyes, into dead limbs, and into dead bodies!  We are commanded, not asked, to do the same works if we are in the Christ.

Remember, the Greek “Christos” and the Hebrew “Moshach” both translate to “anointed one.”  We are to be a nation of peoples, the Nation of the Christ, that take His place as the “anointed ones” to continue His works, and do greater things.  When we grasp on to the impact of these words, we will then grasp hold of the dominion returned to us and literally begin to heal creation from the effect of Adam’s sin.  That, my friends, is the power we are to possess through the resurrected Christ.  Eternal Life is a requirement, not an elective choice, as we cannot gain access to the dominion restored by the Christ until we become like the Christ.

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  We must be conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was born of woman.  We must be born of woman.  Now, this is where it becomes a bit harder.  Jesus was crucified and laid down the flesh.  We must become the same and crucify our flesh.  No more jealousy, hatred, bitterness, gossiping, lying, lust…what is best for the kingdom of God is what we must be.  The Christ performed the works and spoke the will of God, the Father. And we must do the same!  That is dominion power, to perform the will of God without thinking, without question, not ashamed to consider ourselves equal with the Christ any more than He was not ashamed to consider Himself equal with God.

No, we will not be perfect all of the time and all of the way up the ladder.  There are times we will feel like complete failures.  Just remember, when that happens, you are in good company.  When you feel like you have totally failed, just think, so did Peter; so did Paul; so did David; so did Abraham, and everyone of them are listed in the 11^th chapter of Hebrews as “heroes of faith.”  They were not always perfect, but they never quit trying.  That is why Paul was finally able to say, “I have fought the good fight… I have finished my course…there is laid up for me a crown…”[20] We just have to keep on fighting; keep on running; until we finish the race. Until we do, there is always one more test and one more trial, but each one takes us to the next level.

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[1] Romans, chapters 6-9 inclusive

[2] Philippians 2:6-7

[3] John 9:4, 10:25

[4] John 14:10

[5] John 10:10

[6] Exodus 15:26

[7] Matthew 28:18

[8] Luke 10:19

[9] John 14:12

[10] Luke 1:35

[11] John 3:1-7

[12] John 1:12-13

[13] Heb 5:7-9

[14] John 17:2

[15] Ibid. vs. 18

[16] Luke 10:16

[17] John 48-50, emphasis added

[18] Romans 8:9

[19] Romans 8:11 Weymouth

[20] 2 Timothy 4:7-8

The Purpose of Mankind through the Christ: pt. IV

IV

The Defeat of Satan

Had Adam not acted in disobedience, Satan could not have sprung forth.  If Adam had overcome the “cunning” of the serpent, the “seed” that became Satan would have remained dormant for another time; another test.  With Adam’s sin, the seed prospered and did become Satan.  Look at the passage in Revelation 12.  The dragon that was Satan had grown from the seed of the serpent, but was still defeated at the cross,[1] and cast out of the heavenly realm where God dwelt to the earth where he could no longer come before God as the “Accuser of the Brethren.”[2]

Yes, Satan was cast out of heaven.  Yes, he was cast to the earth.  Yes, he took with him a portion of the angels that bought into his arrogance.  No, he was not the “third archangel and praise leader” in heaven.  He was, remember, a liar and a murderer from the beginning, from the moment he sprang into being.  He is and always was the evil one, the enemy of our souls.  Now, we will investigate just how and when he was cast down.  It was not prior to the Genesis account.  It was well after the incident in the garden.  In fact, it took place approximately 2000 years ago.  The truth that has been hidden from God’s people through false doctrine is there for all to see who have eyes to see and hear who have ears to hear.

Again, we return to Revelation 12 and peer into the chronology that takes place.  We must also delve into the symbolism used to understand fully what is put forth from the angel to John.  Let me quote the full passage we will be unpacking:

And a great marvel was seen in Heaven— a woman who was robed with the sun and had the moon under her feet, and had also a wreath of stars round her head, was with child, (2) and she was crying out in the pains and agony of childbirth.  (3) And another marvel was seen in Heaven—a great fiery-red Dragon, with seven heads and ten horns; and on his heads were seven kingly crowns.  (4) His tail was drawing after it a third part of the stars of Heaven, and it dashed them to the ground. And in front of the woman who was about to become a mother, the Dragon was standing in order to devour the child as soon as it was born.  (5) She gave birth to a son—a male child, destined before long to rule all nations with an iron scepter. But her child was caught up to God and His throne, (6) and the woman fled into the Desert, there to be cared for, for 1,260 days, in a place which God had prepared for her.  (7) And war broke out in Heaven, Michael and his angels engaging in battle with the Dragon.  (8) The Dragon fought and so did his angels; but they were defeated, and there was no longer any room found for them in Heaven. (9) The great Dragon, the ancient serpent, he who is called ‘the Devil’ and ‘the Adversary’ and leads the whole earth astray, was hurled down: he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.  (10) Then I heard a loud voice speaking in Heaven. It said, “The salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God have now come, and the sovereignty of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been hurled down—he who, day after day and night after night, was wont to accuse them in the presence of God.  (11) But they have gained the victory over him because of the blood of the Lamb and of the testimony which they have borne, and because they held their lives cheap and did not shrink even from death.  (12) For this reason be glad, O Heaven, and you who live in Heaven! Alas for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you; full of fierce anger, because he knows that his appointed time is short.”[3]

First, we see a woman, but not just any woman.  She is described as clothed with the sun, moon under her feet and stars wreathing her head.  How does this help to identify the woman?  These are accepted symbols in Biblical prophecy.  The “sun” is known to represent the Church and the “moon” to represent the time of the Law, or Israel pre-Advent.  “Stars” go all the way back to Abraham to signify his descendents.[4] So, let us put this together.  These three symbols placed in conjunction with the “woman” inarguably identify her as Israel.  She is at a juncture in history where the Church is to become her “garment” or glory, and the old pattern of the Law is about to end.  The Church is spiritual Israel, so the symbol of the stars includes the Redeemed and the Jewish Believers, both as Abraham’s seed.[5]

Now that we have identified the woman and her position, we will set the time.  We see that she is about to give birth to a male child, but there is a complication.  A dragon (identified in vs. 9 as Satan) is waiting to devour the child when he is born.  The description of the dragon further enables us to set a precise time.  The “seven heads” and “seven kings” represent the Seven Hills of Rome, placing this during the time of the Roman Empire. The “ten horns” are the ten persecutions of the Church from Nero to Constantine.  The identity of the child is cemented in verse five as the Christ, born during the time of Rome, “devoured” by Satan, and resurrected to be raised “to His Father.”  The “woman” or the Jewish Christians flees into the wilderness to be hidden from Satan for 3½ years, the length of the “Jewish War” that ended in A.D. 70 with the total destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

As she flees into the wilderness,[6] another sign takes place.  War “immediately” breaks out in heaven.  Immediately after what?  Immediately after the 3½ years ending with the destruction of physical Israel as God’s chosen tool never to be raised up again!  The resurrection of the Christ sets the stage for the war, and the conclusion of Daniel’s 70^th week in A.D. 70 triggers it.  Here, we must take time to visit that prophecy of Daniel and correct the misinformation set forth.  First, we will look at the passage in its entirety:

(24)  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.  (25)  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.  (26) And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.   (27)  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.[7]

(24)  Seventy weeks have been fixed for your people and your holy town, to let wrongdoing be complete and sin come to its full limit, and for the clearing away of evil-doing and the coming in of eternal righteousness: so that the vision and the word of the prophet may be stamped as true, and to put the holy oil on a most holy place.  (25)  Have then the certain knowledge that from the going out of the word for the building again of Jerusalem till the coming of a prince, on whom the holy oil has been put, will be seven weeks: in sixty-two weeks its building will be complete, with square and earthwork.  (26)  And at the end of the times, even after the sixty-two weeks, one on whom the holy oil has been put will be cut off and have no…;and the town and the holy place will be made waste together with a prince; and the end will come with an overflowing of waters, and even to the end there will be war; the making waste which has been fixed.  (27)  And a strong order will be sent out against the great number for one week; and so for half of the week the offering and the meal offering will come to an end; and in its place will be an unclean thing causing fear; till the destruction which has been fixed is let loose on him who has made waste.[8]

I have included the passage in both the AV (King James) and the Bible in Basic English, as certain verses must be examined according to a more literal interpretation of the original Hebrew scrolls of the Prophecy of Daniel.  As the passage is explained, the versions will be noted when used.

First, we must establish that the determined time is specific and limited.  “Seventy weeks have been fixed” (BBE, emphasis added) was the message sent from God.  A fixed, pre-determined time period for certain things to take place.  The prophecy is worded specifically for us to know that the Advent of the Messiah and the end of the old Hebrew traditions is the point of the completion.  Observe that this “end” includes both the Hebrew people and the city of Jerusalem.  Until that time the Atonement ritual each year did not cause the sins of the people to be forgiven, only set aside until the next year when that years sins were added to them.[9] It is fitting that the first indicator of the prophecy is the ending of the transgression and the establishment of righteousness, all of which took place with the life, death, and resurrection of the Christ.

This fixed, or defined, period of time was set apart as God’s final judgment of Israel as a nation.  Remember, God had “divorced”[10] Israel for their harlotry in pursuing other gods.  Some scholars contend that certain of the passages in this chapter of Jeremiah are heralds that God will take them back in the last days, but further review of this section reveals God’s rebuke upon them and expectation that they will not turn from their sins.  This was fulfilled when even after the revival of Ezra and Nehemiah, they quickly turned away from righteousness and became the Pharisees of Jesus’ time; those who had lots of “talk,” but no “walk.”

This is a better understanding of the passage in Jeremiah, as God specifically stated that He had “put Israel away.”  For Him to take Israel as a nation back as His chosen, He would have been in violation of His own law.  In the Law as given to Moses, He said that a man who divorced his wife and she wed another (as Israel had to other gods) and then take her back, he would cause abomination before God.[11] Therefore, God cannot take the physical nation of Israel back without Himself causing the abomination.  That effectively destroys the classical notion of a restored Israel.  God is wedded to the Church, or spiritual Israel (Abraham’s seed by adoption) and will not become an adulterer.

So, how does the seventy weeks break down?  First, we are given seven weeks, or 49 years, identified as beginning with the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.[12] This period is actually designed in two separate sections; three years to lay the foundations and forty-six years for the actual building of the Temple.  The second period of sixty-two weeks, or 434 years, dates from the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the end of the first sixty-nine weeks, when all of the rebuilding was finished.[13] This spanned from that point until the baptism of Jesus by John and the beginning of His (the Christ) ministry in A.D. 29.  So, we have 483 years, or sixty-nine weeks, accounted for.  Now, we come to the last, or “seventieth” week; the final, and most controversial, seven years of Daniel’s prophecy.

If one logically continues from the baptism and begins the final week, then the words of verse 26 are no longer confusing or seemingly contradictory as they must be to throw this whole week into some far distant future from the time of Daniel.  We will take one step at a time.  “After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself.”[14] After His baptism, Jesus began to preach and did so for three and one-half years, or half of the final week.  Then, He was “cut off” but for our redemption, not for Himself.  “…and the people of the price that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…”[15] In 63 A. D., the Roman General Titus was sent to destroy Jerusalem and quell the rebellion in Judea led by Jonathan.  He fought his way across the land, burning everything in his path, and set siege to Jerusalem in 67 A.D.  The siege lasted three and one-half years and culminated with the destruction of the City and the Temple.

If this is not enough to validate the period as being Daniel’s final week, then look further into the passage.  Not only was this a time of the worst destruction the Jews had ever seen as a nation, paralleling Matthew 24 and Daniel 9:27b, but it was a time when the Temple was desecrated to a degree worse than Antiochus.  Josephus relates in his Wars of the Jews, that Jonathan and his commanders were forced to fortify themselves in the Temple proper, effectively ending the daily sacrifices, and used the Brazen Altar for a cook-stove and slept in the Holy Places with the women, performing abominations that left Jerusalem desolate as a center for God’s people for all time.

Further, look at verse 27a, “…and He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week…”  The word “confirmed” as used in this instance means “perfected.”  Who perfected God’s covenant with “whosoever will” through His ministry and death?  Of course, the Christ!  The translators did not capitalize here because Daniel, along with the rest of the Old Testament Prophets did not equate the Messiah with God. When He was crucified and resurrected, the daily rituals of the Temple still carried on because the leaders of Israel had rejected Him as the Messiah.  In the “middle of the week,” the start of the three and one-half year siege, Jonathan caused them to cease.  With the destruction of the Temple, all vestiges of the old covenant passed away for good.  Israel as a nation and Jerusalem as the Holy City had reached their end.

So Satan, already defeated at the cross, is thrown out of heaven for good (no longer any room for them in heaven).  According to verse 9, this is when Satan was thrown down to the earth.  Other interpretations are self-contradictory, as they contend in one breath that Satan was cast to the earth before Adam.  Then they turn 180 degrees and say no, he was thrown down sometimes during a mythical seven-year period yet to come.  It cannot be both ways, which denies either scenario to be utilized as doctrine. Yet, the interpretation just laid out for you from Daniel and Revelation was the accepted doctrine of the church until the early 14^th century.  Why the change?

This is completely in line with the doctrine of propitiation and grace.  Satan can no longer accuse as the blood covers all sin, “they have gained the victory over him because of the blood of the Lamb and of the testimony which they have borne.” When did the “salvation and the power of the Kingdom of our God” come about?  That is correct, at the coming of the Christ and His resurrection.  Was this not also when He was named “King?”  Who are the ones that inhabit heaven?  The Believers! Are we not “in the world but not of the world?”  So we can rejoice because Satan has no power over us.  We, the Believers, are the ones who dwell in the spiritual realms inhabited by God.  This was reopened to us by the angel that rolled away the stone at the tomb.  We are those that dwell under the glory of God, under the full protection of his anointing and can rejoice because the devil has been brought “down” to the level Adam descended “to” from the Garden.

If one continues to walk in the flesh, he or she is under the control of Satan and have no freedom or authority while the dwellers of the “heavens” can walk in dominion over creation.  Those to whom he has come in “fierce anger” are those that have not the “seal,” or blood, of the Christ over their lives.  He can only devour those who choose to allow it.  Satan is defeated.  He cannot accuse you if you are in the Christ.  He cannot harm you except through the flesh, or “dust.”  You have power over him.  He has no power over you.  But the “classical” doctrines of Adam, Satan, Daniel 9, and Revelation 12 deny the church the ability to walk in that dominion.  This is exactly why the enemy propagated these doctrines.  Do you intend to stay in that weakness now that you know the truth?  I hope not.

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[1] Revelation 12:9

[2] Ibid. 12:10

[3] Revelation 12:1-12 Weymouth translation

[4] Genesis 22:15-17

[5] Galatians 3:29

[6] Cp. Matthew 24:16, Mark 13:14, & Josephus, Wars of the Jews 2:20 & 3:3

[7] Daniel 9:24-27

[8] Ibid.  Bible in Basic English, (1965). Cambridge Press, London, England

[9] Leviticus 16 entire

[10] Jeremiah 3:8

[11] Deuteronomy 24:1-4

[12] Ezra 6:3

[13] Ibid. 6:15

[14] Daniel 9:26, emphasis added

[15] Ibid.