BUT SAY IN A WORD (A STUDY OF ANGELS)
09-06-15 This message may be viewed live streaming video at www.tabernacleofmoses.org commencing today Sunday at 11:00am, and repeated 24/7 for one week; thereafter, the audio and notes without video are archived.
The depth of our revelations depends upon the correctness of our doctrine.
(Gen 6:4,5) There were giants [mutations between fallen angels and the daughters of men] in the earth in those days [before the flood]; and also after that [after the flood], when the sons of God [fallen angels] came in unto the daughters of men, and they [the daughters of men] bare children to them [the fallen angels], the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man (a generic classification) was great in the earth, and that every imagination [Heb: conception] of the thoughts of his heart [Heb: mind, will, emotions] was only evil [godless] continually.
giants = Heb: a feller, a bully or tyrant /// to fall
mighty men = Heb: powerful, warriors, tyrants /// champions, giants
renown = Heb: through the idea of definite and conspicuous position
Commentary: Today we still have many evil giants, but in a spiritual sense rather than physical. New Testament giants arrogantly manifest themselves within demonically (fallen angels) possessed men and women who are of great social stature and exhibit a thoroughly evil nature. Examples….
(2 Cor 10:4-6) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [Gk: fleshly, unregenerate], but mighty through God to the pulling down [Gk: extinction] of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations [Gk: reasoning: thoughts], and every high thing [pride; giants] that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience [Gk: attentive hearkening, compliance, submission] of Christ; And having in a readiness [Gk: be prepared] to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
strong holds = Gk: fortifications; castles, (fig.) arguments /// uncircumcised
Commentary: “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” = Thoughts reside in minds. How may one capture “a thought,” and then make it “obedient” to the doctrines of Christ? Angels (messengers, messages) are thoughts that enter into us: good thoughts are sent by God, evil thoughts are sent by Satan.
(Mark 4:18,19) And these are they [God’s words: Luke 8:11] which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things [all the latter are thoughts] entering in, choke [Gk: strangle completely: take by the throat] the word, and it becometh unfruitful [Gk: barren: without fruit] [the men of Succoth: Judg 8:16].
(Gen 28:10-13) And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God [i.e., the messengers (the messages) of God] ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
(John 1:51) And he [Jesus] saith unto him [Nathanael], Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
(2 Tim 2:1-4) Thou therefore, my son, be strong [Gk: empowered, enabled, strengthened, be make strong] in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me [Paul] among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness [Gk: undergo hardship: be afflicted, suffer trouble], as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with [Gk: entwines with, involves with] the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
grace = Gk: the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude: benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy) /// to be full of “cheer”, calmly happy or well off; be well: be glad, God speed, greeting, hail, joy (-fully), rejoice.
soldier = Gk: a camperout, a warrior /// an army as encamped, (fig.) the angels, the celestial luminaries.
warreth = Gk: to serve in a military campaign; (fig.) to execute the apostolate (with its arduous duties and functions), to contend with carnal inclinations: - soldier, go to war, warfare.
(Psa 34:7) The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him [Heb: are morally reverent], and delivereth them.
angel = Heb: to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically of God, an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher): - ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
(1 Cor 6:3) Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more [shall we judge] things that pertain to this life?
angel = Gk: (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an “angel”; by implication a pastor.
(Luke 7:1-5) Now when he [Jesus] had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's [Gk: the captain of one hundred men] servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he [the centurion] heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he [the centurion] was worthy [Gk: deserving, suitable] for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
(Luke 7:6,7) Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy [Gk: ample (in amount) or fit (in character)] that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy [Gk: entitled or fit] to come unto thee: but say in a word [but say in a message, i.e., send your angels], and my servant shall be healed [Gk: made whole].
(Luke 7:8-10) For I also am a man set under authority [Jesus was set under the authority of God], having under me soldiers [Jesus had angel-soldiers under Him], and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith [Gk: conviction, belief] [based upon understanding Truth], no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
(Mat 26:53) Thinkest thou that I [Jesus] cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions [roughly 72,000] of angels?
Commentary: As is clearly illustrated by the centurion, words have power. Indeed, as did Jacob, your words in prayer have “power with God” (Gen 32:28; Hos 12:3), but we have not an absolute power with others because we lack the strength of “purity;” defiling sin hinders our faith. Consequently, our “soldiers” (words, thoughts, angels) have not yet been “made perfect” which is needful for successful offensive spiritual action. Therefore, we have been commanded by God to “stand” (Eph 6:11,13,14) in a defensive posture and “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). However, while we obediently “stand,” ourselves soldiers in the ranking hierarchy of the Army of God, we are being trained up to perfection for this passing world is our “boot camp” preliminary to eternity.
(Prov 22:6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Amen