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Volume 1 -THE GARDEN OF EDEN - Adam's Creation and His
Volume 2 - NEW BEGINNING AND NEW WORLD ENVIRONMENT Volume 3 - JOSEPH, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH - A Foreshadow of God's Agenda for Jew and Gentile Volume 4 - CROSSING THE JORDAN RIVER - A Foreshadow of Salvation for Jew and Gentile Volume 5 - THE BOOK OF REVELATION - God's Agenda for the End Time Volume 6 - THE SEVEN LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES Volume 7 - CHRIST IN THE TABERNACLE - A Foreshadow of Redemption **************** |
Satan was snared by his own deception that he killed the Son of God and exhalted himself above the Holy Mount of the congregation of believers where God is enthroned - Isaiah 14:12-14. ************************************ Author's Personal Synopsis of How God Triumphed by the Cross - Jesus' descent into hell during the three days between His death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day. Matthew 12:38-40 (KJV) - Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. (39) But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: (40) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The natural carnal mind always seeks for a sign that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. So, Jesus points the Pharisees to the only sign that will be given them. Jesus will descend into the abyss of hell for three days and nights and then be raised again to eternal life through His resurrection. His descent into hell and ascent into heaven gives us hope for our Christian lives lived today. Our victory over death is won through our faith in events occurring during these three days. How? 1. Isaiah 53:12 (KJV) - Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. The above scripture reveals Jesus willfully poured out His soul unto death. He did in fact die as every sinner dies. Jesus was numbered with the transgressors, He was counted as a transgressor because He bore the sins of mankind and carried all sin into the pit of hell and left sin there when He arose. He made a ransom for sinful man by offering His life. He died so that His followers could live eternally. Christians will never spend a second in hell because He took their place and paid their debt to sin. Any man held captive by sin could be set free. Romans 6:23 (KJV) - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. Isaiah 53:9 (KJV) - And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. The above scripture speaks of Jesus who made his grave with the wicked, even though He was without blemish or spot. 3. Ephesians 4:9-10 (KJV) - (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) The above scripture, enclosed in parenthesizes, states that the translators of the original manuscripts also believe Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth. Their paraphrase of the original manuscripts is indicated by enclosing their interpretation in parenthesizes. 4. Revelation 5:4-5 (NIV) - I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. (5) Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." The apostle John was given this insight of Jesus' triumph when he was taken into heaven in his vision for the purpose of writing the book of Revelation. He uses Old Testament characterization of Jesus - "The Lion of the tribe of Judah" and "The Roof of David" because the seals of the scroll were put in place by the prophet Daniel and Jesus was the only one worthy to open them. The scroll contains the "Seventy Weeks" God allocated for the salvation of Israel. Only through the blood of Jesus, who triumphed over sin, can the Jews be saved. 5. Colossians 2:14-15 (NIV) - And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. The above scripture reveals Jesus' death on the cross disarmed the powers and authorities and made them into a public spectacle by His triumph. He overcame the powers and authorities of darkness. How did this happen? What happen during the three days between Jesus' death and resurrection? ****************************** Consider This Possibility A Perception of satan's experience during the death and resurrection of Jesus
But, Jesus had committed no sin. He had experienced no sin. He was the Sacrificial Lamb of God without spot or blemish. Jesus bore the sins of mankind, but there was no death in him. His appearance as He bore all the sins of mankind was due to a voluntary submission to the forces of darkness. But, it appeared to satan and the kingdom of darkness that Jesus had become a sinner like all other men who ever lived. The spirits of darkness believed sin had overcome the man Jesus and death would reign in HIs heart. Satan and his followers bought into what appeared to be their victory in killing the Son of God. But, Jesus did not die in the same way as man views the act of death. Jesus gave up His Spirit voluntarily (Luke 23:46). So his death was extraordinary. It looked like an ordinary death to the forces of darkness, but was in fact an extraordinary step in the process of redeeming mankind from the bondage of death by paying the debt for man's sin. Jesus voluntarily sacrificed His body for the shedding of blood and trusted God, as He gave up His Spirit unto death. Christ became obedient unto death. After giving up his Spirit and trusting the outcome into the hands of God, on the third day, Christ was resurrected from the dead in front of all the powers of darkness. In a moment of time, the powers of darkness had to deal with one indisputable fact - they truly did not have the power to kill the Son of God. The forces of darkness, having believed they killed the Son of God, must have celebrated for those three days. Satan must have believed he had actually killed the Son of God and exalted himself above the throne of God in power. Then in a moment, a total reversal. What he believed to be true became a total deception. He failed to kill the Son of God. In a instant moment of time, he must accept the fact that he deceived himself. The ultimate self put-down! Instantly, Satan knows he has no power to overthrow the things of God. He knows experientially, he can never have power over the Son of God. Additionally, he knows he has no power over those who put their faith in Christ. Thus, he gave up authority and dominion he had over man since the fall of Adam. When Christ was resurrected He gave authority and dominion to the disciples (church). Mark 13:34 (KJV) - For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Revelation 1:18 (NIV) - I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Matthew 16:18-20 (NIV) - And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (19) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." This authority was first given to Adam. When Adam bowed to satan's temptation to disobey God, Adam gave his authority in the world to satan. But, Christ's death and resurrection returned this authority to God's people (His children and servants) so they could represent Him in the earth. Then He returned to heaven. This authority is the triumph of the cross for each Christian who believes and for those who are servants of Christ in the ministry of His grace and love to others. Before Christ left the realm of darkness, in full glory He preached to those in darkness -1 Peter 3:18-20 (NIV) - For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, (19) Through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison (20) who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water. While Jesus was preaching, satan and all his followers were watching. Jesus' preaching in the prison of hell provided the powers of darkness with a witness and confirmation of the authority and preeminence of Jesus over darkness. Note of encouragement A) When you repented and ask God to forgive you of your sins, He did! Jesus carried your sins into hell and left them there. God will not remember your sins and lawless acts - Hebrews 10:17 (NIV) - "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." (17) Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Colossians 1:21-23 (NIV) - Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. (22) But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - (23) if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. B) You will become a new spirit born creation of God - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! C) You will be adopted as a child of God - Ephesians 1:5 (KJV) - Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. D) As a child of God, you are His heir of the covenant promise made to Abraham - Galatians 3:26-29 (NIV) - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV) - But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, (5) to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. (6) Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." (7) So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. E) The promises of God are always yes in Christ - 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NIV) - For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (21) Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, (22) set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. F) As a child of God you have been given fullness (lacking no good thing) - Colossians 2:9-11 (NIV) - For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, (10) and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. The fulness of God (all that God is) has been given to His children. Jesus' death and resurrection is a great sign for those who desire to know God and Christ. Understanding the work of God through Jesus' death and resurrection provides great insight for our new lives as children of God and gives us an unsakeable hope for our place in heaven. Although this lesson is by no means an exhaustive study, I hope it encourages you to learn more about who you are as a child of God. You are no longer a human being trying to have spiritual experiences. You are a spiritual child of God having human experiences. God will see you through each human experience. |
