Mentioning last blog plate spinning, smoke and mirrors and the like, we need to explore our origin from a different perspective. We seem to think the story is about fallen man and our need for redemption, and while that is true, it is not the central aspect of the story. Our story is a piece of a bigger story. To look at the bigger story let’s pretend we are sitting next to God our Father as an observer through time. God creates planets and stars and universes and life forms and a heavenly host to not only minister to and for him but to enjoy freedom of will. Then he decides to make a human from the very dirt he used to make the planet. Our Father God makes plants animals and puts man in the middle of a garden, and gives him the privilege to name the animals and have dominion over all the creation. God has made this vulnerable human as a clay pot but expects the heavenly host to bow down to him and to serve him and intercede for all future humans. But one of our Father’s created beings gets upset with this idea. He looks at himself, beautiful, reflective of the Father, with precious gems and metals decorating his body. He has beautiful sound quality, naturally musical and a worshipper. Mighty in strength and anointed he is a leader among leaders and protector of the weak. His name is Lucifer and he looks at this clay pot and thinks surely he is more beautiful, mightier, and stronger, why would he bow to that clay pot? Angry and frustrated he voices his opinion to others of the heavenly host. They too notice that they are more spectacular and powerful then this human clay thing. They start thinking on what Lucifer said and start getting upset. Rebellion takes place as several of the heavenly host say they refuse to bow to this clay thing. Unshaken and unmoved God says those who oppose must leave the heavenly realm, bound to earth until Adams’ appointed time as ruler has past.
A plan is hatched to steal Adams’ rulership by using Eve to get to Adam. When Eve and Adam believe satan, that they would not die, they disobey the Father, transferring to satan the deed to earth. But all is not lost God puts a couple of Cherubs in front of the garden to keep Adam and Eve from eating from the tree of life. Then the Father, his Son, and the Spirit confer on rescuing humanity; a plan to win back man is made. But then something else happens, as humans begin to increase on the earth some watchers decide that the women of earth were nice looking and they started desiring to be with the human women. Some of the watchers hatch a plan to defect, figuring that those who already were bound to earth would not mind them visiting for a time. However God decides that instead of allowing those watchers to hang around with the fallen host they are to be bound until the time of the end. The spirits of the mixed offspring of humans and watchers are to be bound as well leaving only ten percent to be under the command of satan.
If you were sitting next to the Father watching this unfold you would undoubtedly realize that this story does not revolve around us as much as we are a portion of a larger story of rebellion. Has it been smoke and mirrors to make us think we are the center of the universe? It makes me smile as I think of God making us claymation beings to be served by the heavenly host. They truly are spectacular beings as I noted in my blog Angels and Others. Yet we are plain, we have no super powers. We can’t travel trough dimensions or time or even hover above the earth. We know and understand so little, and we lost much knowledge and spirituality in the fall. It is humorous isn’t it? Doesn’t God test us all in that very same way today, Jesus saying that if you do to one of the least of these you have done it unto me? I think there are treasures in the small lowly and weak and God wants to see if we at least have compassion in action.
If we are the byproduct of a bigger story, and not the center of the universe, then our bible takes on a different perspective. What was going on in the heavens before Adam and Eve were created? How did the heavenly host interact with God and each other? If the heavenly beings have freedom of will was this the only time there was a rebellion? The story is one of final judgment and punishment under fair rules. Couldn’t God have annihilated the fallen host of heaven? Couldn’t God have bound them until Adam and Eve were done reigning on earth? Why should God allow a deceiver to have his time one earth? We know from Revelation that at the end of the millennial reign satan will be loosed again to go out and deceive the nations.
Rev 20:1-8 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. KJV
How is it that we are to judge the world and angels? Judge angels for what? Now it is making sense, isn’t it? We are not the center of the story but we have an important part in the story. We will judge the world as well, therefore we needed to be rescued by Jesus, and gain the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so that we can see the bigger picture.
1 Cor 6:2-3 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? KJV
Had the heavenly host not rebelled they would have ministered to us. Instead we have to fight the fallen host at every turn. They seek our lives and we constantly need to beat back demons who seek to inhabit us. We have had to become warriors for the sake of our lives and the lives of our families. But we do have help. Two thirds of the host did not rebel but fight on our behalf.
The mistake humans make in thinking we are the center of the universe is that we then think differently about God, distorting His very nature. We think that if God is a good God then nobody will go to hell, because otherwise he is a bad God. People write books and make headlines upon this false premise. God is a good God, but also fair and just. You have the freedom of will, just like the heavenly host do, and what we do and how we live will be judged. But we have to live the way He requires. We cannot live the way we feel like, as in ‘If God is a good God he would want me to feel good and doing _____ makes me feel good’. We are not the entire point and purpose of God’s creation as we have seen; he’s done better in creating other heavenly beings. So, in other words, it is not about you, or me. It’s about Him, the Father. He had betrayal from one of his closest created beings. He then had disobedience by another created being. He had to allow his Son, Jesus, to rescue us because we were blind and could not see Him, our Father. Jesus made the way, renting the veil, now we have access to the Father. He is a good God, and a fair and just one. It is pleasing to the ears and to the heart to think if a preacher says no one goes to hell, he must be right. However as we saw last week, satan has ministers that have transformed themselves into ministers of righteousness.
2 Cor 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. KJV
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Matt 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. KJV
The reason Jesus says to people that he never knew them is because he didn’t know them. It didn’t matter if they did things they thought were important, like healing the sick, casting out demons, and prophesying, all in his name. They might have just as easily used the name of Bozo the Clown, because he, Jesus, didn’t know them. So here again, it doesn’t matter what we want or think or feel. We need to be sure we are living as he asks us to, loving God with all our heart soul mind and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Again Jesus gives an example.
Luke 13:25-30 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. KJV
No one wants to be thrust out of the Kingdom of God, but we could be tricked out of it. Because the one mission of the enemies of God is to keep you out of God’s Kingdom you have to make time to know God. People talk about God but you have to know Him. When I first became a Christian people told me ‘You can talk to God and he’ll talk back’. It really is that simple. Fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is key to our lives, even if we are just claymation.
End Notes
Isa 14:12-20
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. KJV
Ezek 28:11-19
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. KJV
