What the Bible says about Satan's Dominion
(From Forerunner Commentary)
The instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12:17; 23:15; 34:18 reveal the primary reason for its observance is to remember God's deliverance. Second to that is the instruction to eat unleavened bread every day for the duration of the Feast. These two elements of the commanded observance set the stage for what comes next.
Exodus 12:19-20 gives a third, vital aspect of this Feast: We must eat nothing leavened nor have leavening in our houses. Applying this spiritually, we understand our responsibility to overcome and "not let sin reign in [our] mortal bod[ies]" (Romans 6:12). Whether we are speaking of the leaven of corrupt doctrine and practice (Matthew 16:12), the leaven of hypocrisy (Luke 12:1), or the leaven of malice and wickedness (I Corinthians 5:8), leaven is a symbol of corruption. A significant part of pursuing holiness (Hebrews 12:14) and going on to perfection (Hebrews 6:1) involves identifying sinfulness, removing it where we find it in our lives, and avoiding it where it tries to make inroads.
Yet, from what we have seen, this aspect of avoiding sin—of overcoming—is not actually at the top of the list for this Feast. Certainly, it is on the list, and we dare not neglect it lest we be cut off (Exodus 12:15). But our ability to put all the corrupt things out of our lives entirely depends on the first two aspects of this Feast. In other words, if we overlook God's deliverance or neglect the eating of unleavened bread, we cannot perform the third aspect—the putting away of sin that God requires.
Colossians 1:13 informs us that God "has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." The apostle Paul writes in Galatians 1:4 that Jesus Christ "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age." Numerous verses relate this in various ways. Because our life-debt has been paid, we are no longer under the sway of the one with the power of death (Hebrews 2:14). We have a new Master and a new lease on life. God purchased us, taking away Satan's dominion over us, so now we can be slaves of righteousness instead (Romans 6:18).
This Feast, then, is a joyous remembrance of the difference God has made between us and those who are still under the spiritual Pharaoh—still enslaved to sin and death. Our deliverance is an indescribable and rare blessing, and it opens up avenues that this world can only dream of. As with Israel, we have this freedom only because of what God has done.
Paul says something quite encouraging in his rebuke of the Corinthians: "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the Feast . . ." (I Corinthians 5:7-8). He is writing to a fairly carnal group, yet even with their manifest weaknesses, he still tells them, "You truly are unleavened." It is another way of saying that righteousness had been imputed to them because of Christ's sacrifice. In essence, he says, because they truly are unleavened, they must start behaving like it. Since Christ's righteousness was imputed, they now need to conform to it to make it their own.
In the same way, we "truly are unleavened" because we are in Christ. Our sins have been forgiven, and we have been delivered, so now we have the opportunity to walk in conformity to that unleavened state that has been imputed to us through our fellowship with Christ. But it all begins with what the Father and Son did on our behalf.
David C. Grabbe
Why Do We Observe Unleavened Bread? (Part Two)
This is interesting, as his domain went only as far as the clouds. His place of authority was within the atmosphere of this earth. Yet, he says, "I will take my throne and establish it far beyond what I've been given, because this earth is not enough for me. I will break the gravity of this earth, and walk among the stars. I'm going to be the top dog in this universe." He says, "I will be the Most High."
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Countering Presumptuousness
Like a great lightning bolt streaking out of the sky, this brilliant angel, shining with all of his glory—glory given to him by God—was cast to the earth. Where did he fall? He fell right where we are, to the earth, and now we have to deal with him.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Satan (Part 1)
The world Jesus speaks of is Satan's anti-God system working in and through men. Within it are the cultures of all nations on earth. Jesus is clearly not of that anti-God system, and He declares that those accompanying Him, the apostles, were not of the world either. They were of the same system as He—the Kingdom of God. The same is true of those in Christ today.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Eight): Conclusion (Part One)Related Topics: Cosmos | Love of the World | Satan as ruler of this world | Satan's Dominion | Satan's Government | World | World's Dangers | World's Systems | World, Coming out of | World, Frienship with
Before a person comes to know God, he serves those that are not gods by nature. Satan is the ruler of this world, but he was not made to be so. In another place, I Corinthians 8:5, Paul says that there are many lords and many gods, but we know there is only one true God. Many beings attempt to pawn themselves off as gods, each of whom has a kind of "truth," or better, a "philosophy of life."
John W. Ritenbaugh
Truth (Part 1)Related Topics: Idol | Idolatry | Satan | Satan as ruler of this world | Satan's Authority | Satan's Dominion | Satan's Government
"Lies in wickedness" should be translated "lies [under the sway of] the wicked one," as the New King James has it. John makes an all-inclusive statement of Satan's position in terms of the earth. The wicked one, the Devil, holds authority over all operations of all cultural systems on earth. He is the king, he holds authority, over what the Bible calls "the world."
John W. Ritenbaugh
What I Believe About Conspiracy Theories
The book of Revelation foretells that at the time of the end, in the last few years of Satan's dominion over the earth, a religious personality will arise and deceive the whole world by means of miraculous signs. This individual is referred to as "another beast" (Revelation 13:11), as well as "the false prophet" (Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). The False Prophet is given supernatural power to do things like calling fire down from heaven (Revelation 13:13), and the signs he performs, combined with the demonic words he speaks (Revelation 16:13-14), will cause people to give their allegiance to - and even worship - the Beast (Revelation 13:14). This man will wield tremendous religious influence, and inspired by the Dragon, he will successfully convince most of the world to commit idolatry (Revelation 13:12).
The Bible does not reveal the False Prophet's name or even the number of his name, as it does for the Beast. Instead, we will have to recognize him by his fruits - by what he says and does (Matthew 7:15-20). Yet, even this is a tricky proposition. For instance, the False Prophet will be able to call down fire from heaven, and yet Elijah, a true prophet of God, did the same (I Kings 18:36-38). If we see a man calling fire down from heaven, how do we know whether he is true or false?
The end time is prophesied to be full of deceptions (Matthew 24:11), and the elect will not be totally immune to having the wool pulled over their eyes (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22). It will take careful evaluation to see through the façade and to recognize Satan's servants for what they are, rather than what they appear to be (II Corinthians 11:14-15).
The details given about the False Prophet are few. However, if we understand the patterns and motivations that the Bible reveals about the class of people called "false prophets," we will be better equipped to recognize the general mold that the end-time False Prophet will fit.
David C. Grabbe
What Is a False Prophet?Related Topics: Beast , Relationship with Dragon | Beast and False Prophet | Beast of Revelation | Beast, The | Satan's Deception | Satan's Dominion | Satan's Kingdom