God is
Almighty since He is Creator. On the other hand, Satan is limited by God. Whereas
God is everywhere at any time – omnipresent – Satan is limited to one place at a
time. Most of Satan’s time is spent traveling to create chaos with the most
righteous and faithful. Satan is allowed to tempt but can never lay a hand on
anyone. 262 Hence, sickness and death are not of Satan but the punishment
on mankind for original sin. If mankind had not sinned, he could have stayed in
the Garden which, just as heaven, is without disease, pain, or death. 263
Undue credit must not be given to Satan or by ignorance power is bestowed upon
him which he really doesn’t have.
The devil doesn’t make a person do
anything! When people sin, one sin
at a time, it is a poor choice at a time. People don’t have to sin; they choose
to. Sin is disgusting to God, not because of the sin itself but that His
children choose the law of sin and Satan over His Law and Himself. God calls and chooses all people, not being a
respecter of persons. 264 265 266 The grace is
all from God but people must be willing to
come. God never forces righteousness on anyone because truth frees from sin. 267
Satan’s test, then, is to break the will
of the Christian. It makes sense that Satan neglects those not born again
because His time is precious because destroying the Church is paramount. Therefore,
any power which Satan has is limited by God. People should never elevate Satan
to godhood because he is not God!
The Church belongs to God, and its walls are an invisible barrier which
God puts around each righteous person. That barrier is impermeable to Satan and
his legends. 268 John 3 is one of the most important chapters in the
Bible outside of those sharing Jesus’ death and resurrection. The entire Book
of Job follows explaining the safety which those born-again have after they
trust God for their life. When people are transformed by rebirth, their
allegiance to Satan is dismissed, and they willingly
obey God! It’s not by works by which they will be saved, but by works which
love is shown. 269 That difference is an important distinction
because obedience to whom is how one knows his master. 270
Transformed people have different natures, going from sinful to righteous natures.
Their will is exchanged for God’s will! That desire is professed by
the Lord’s Prayer which is also the Christian’s Prayer. 271 The war
in which Satan seeks to kill God are battles of the will – trillions of tiny
battles with Satan gaining territory one sin at a time. Sinners by choice, aid
and abet Satan in his attempt to kill
God!
The story of Job and his battle for God against Satan is the epitome of any
righteous person’s own battle. Righteous people desire that God should win so
much that they become a living sacrfice. 272 What is the reasonable
service of one truly born-again? To exchange their will for God’s. To be a useful
servant of God the duty of a righteous person is to serve God and be subject to
His authority. In order to be subservient to God, righteous people love Him.
The love is not superficial but with all the soldier’s heart, mind, soul, and strength!
273
Good soldiers of God defend God, and the Law of God. They never are to
defend sin! Satan destroys the authority of God by getting his soldiers to
defend the law of sin. God’s soldiers are seditious by minimizing sinful
behaviors and thoughts. Those who are not adopted sons of God are children of
the devil and do the desires of their father. 274 To be God’s
faithful soldiers, His adopted children must do the desires of their Divine Father.
As Job’s allegiance is tested, so is each and every individual Christian’s.
Christian soldiers are not left on their own, God is with them just as
with Job; guiding and protecting them and keeping them from harm in the safety
of God’s hedge! When the end comes, God’s people are no longer safe but saved. 275
When a soldier of God is confronted at the threshing floor in heaven – the judgment
seat, God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” and will be rewarded
for fighting Satan. 276 All God’s soldiers are the Church, and with
the Church’s allegiance, victory is God’s. Ironically, He can win without the
army of God but his win is with joy if His army is intact.
One good and significant example of the Church is in sacred literature. However,
it is presented only to demonstrate the tactics of Satan to undermine God by
destroying the faith of the faithful. Let the threshing floor of Noah’s time be
expounded upon: 277
Then God revealed to
him (Jared) again the promise He had made to Adam; He explained to him the 5500
years (from Adam’s sin until salvation comes), and revealed unto him the
mystery of His coming upon the earth (the mystery of God of which Paul wrote). And
God said to Jared, "As to that fire which thou hast taken from the altar
to light the lamp withal, let it abide with you to give light to the bodies;
and let it not come out of the cave, until the body of Adam comes out of it (In
the end of days).
But, O Jared, take care
of the fire, that it burn bright in the lamp; neither go thou again out of the
cave, until thou receivest an order through a vision, and not in an apparition,
when seen by thee. "Then command again thy people not to hold intercourse
with the children of Cain, and not to learn their ways; for I am God who loves
not hatred and works of iniquity." (Cain’s line produced “the daughters of men”.) God gave
also many other commandments to Jared, and blessed him. And then withdrew His
Word (pre-incarnate Jesus) from him.
Then Jared drew near
with his children, took some fire, and came down to the cave, and lighted the
lamp before the body of Adam; and he gave his people commandments as God had
told him to do. This sign happened to Jared at the end of his four hundred and
fiftieth year; as did also many other wonders, we do not record. But we record
only this one for shortness sake, and in order not to lengthen our narrative.
And Jared continued to
teach his children eighty years; but after that they began to transgress the
commandments he had given them, and to do many things without his counsel
(honoring not their father). They began to go down from the Holy Mountain one
after another, and to mix with the children of Cain, in foul fellowships. Now
the reason for which the children of Jared went down the Holy Mountain, is
this, that we will now reveal unto you. (Until then Seth’s line had been so
righteous, being separate – sanctified, on the Holy Mountain that God had
considered them angels, and were referred to as “Sons of God”).
After Cain had gone
down to the land of dark soil (off the Holy Mountain, and the soil was dark
physically and spiritually), and his children had multiplied therein, there was
one of them, whose name was Genun, son of Lamech the blind who slew Cain. But
as to this Genun, Satan came into him in his childhood; and he made sundry
trumpets and horns, and string instruments, cymbals and psalteries, and lyres
and harps, and flutes; and he played on them at all times and at every hour
(instruments had been unknown until then, except maybe the shofar).
And when he played on
them, Satan came into them, so that from among them were heard beautiful and
sweet sounds, that ravished the heart. (Satan made seductive music to be played
on the instruments). Then he gathered companies upon companies (various bands)
to play on them; and when they played, it pleased well the children of Cain,
who inflamed themselves with sin among themselves, and burnt as with fire
(sexual passion); while Satan inflamed their hearts, one with another, and
increased lust among them.
Satan also taught Genun
to bring strong drink out of corn; (alcoholic spirits) and this Genun used to
bring together companies upon companies in drink-houses (the bars of
antiquity); and brought into their hands all manner of fruits and flowers; and
they drank (partied) together. Thus did this Genun multiply sin exceedingly; he
also acted with pride, and taught the children of Cain to commit all manner of
the grossest wickedness, which they knew not; and put them up to manifold
doings which they knew not before (Lead them to temptation by removing
inhibitions).
Then Satan, when he saw
that they yielded to Genun and hearkened to him in everything he told them,
rejoiced greatly, increased Genun's understanding, until he took iron and with
it made weapons of war. (The first mention of war, and it was instigated by
Satan).
Then when they were
drunk, hatred and murder increased among them; one man used violence against
another to teach him evil taking his children and defiling them before him
(pedophilia). And when men saw they were overcome, and saw others that were not
overpowered, those who were beaten came to Genun, took refuge with him, and he
made them his confederates (serve another master).
Then sin increased
among them greatly; until a man married his own sister, or daughter, or mother,
and others; or the daughter of his father's sister, so that there was no more
distinction of relationship (incestuous relationships… and “others” were surely
“other”men), and they no longer knew what is iniquity (sin became the norm);
but did wickedly, and the earth was defiled with sin, and they angered God the
Judge, who had created them.
But Genun gathered
together companies upon companies (band after band), that played on horns and
on all the other instruments we have already mentioned, at the foot of the Holy
Mountain; and they did so in order that the children of Seth (those who were
righteous) who were on the Holy Mountain should hear it (tempt them with
pleasure).
But when the children
of Seth heard the noise, they wondered, and came by companies, and stood on the
top of the mountain to look at those below; and they did thus a whole year.
(The first “Woodstock-type rock concert ” it seems). When, at the end of that
year, Genun saw that they were being won over to him little by little (sin is
gradual), Satan entered into him, and taught him to make dyeing-stuffs for
garments of divers patterns, and made him understand how to dye crimson and
purple and what not.
And the sons of Cain
who wrought all this, and shone in beauty and gorgeous apparel, gathered
together at the foot of the mountain in splendour, with horns and gorgeous
dresses, and horse races, committing all manner of abominations. Meanwhile the
children of Seth, who were on the Holy Mountain, prayed and praised God, in the
place of the hosts of angels who had fallen; wherefore God had called them
"angels," because He rejoiced over them greatly.
But after this, they no
longer kept His commandment, nor held by the promise He had made to their
fathers; but they relaxed from their fasting and praying, and from the counsel
of Jared their father. (Pleasure relaxes them from spirituality) And they kept
on gathering together on the top of the mountain, to look upon the children of
Cain, from morning until evening (Like Woodstock), and upon what they did, upon
their beautiful dresses and ornaments (even the righteous gave way to sin).
Then the children of
Cain looked up from below, and saw the children of Seth, standing in troops on
the top of the mountain; and they called to them to come down to them. (what
you are seeing and hearing won't hurt!) But the children of Seth said to them
from above, "We don't know the way." (Certainly not God’s Way!) Then Genun, the son of Lamech, heard them say
they did not know the way, and he bethought himself how he might bring them
down (Genun showed them another way).
Then Satan appeared to
him by night, saying, "There is no way for them to come down from the
mountain on which they dwell; but when they come to-morrow, say to them, 'Come
ye to the western side of the mountain; there you will find the way of a stream
of water, that comes down to the foot of the mountain, between two hills; come
down that way to us.'" (The “way” was perilous and likely broad, according
the New Testament).
Then when it was day,
Genun blew the horns and beat the drums below the mountain, as he was wont. The
children of Seth heard it, and came as they used to do (entered into
temptation). Then Genun said to them from down below, "Go to the western
side of the mountain, there you will find the way (the wrong path) to come
down."
But when the children
of Seth heard these words from him, they went back into the cave to Jared, to
tell him all they had heard. Then when Jared heard it, he was grieved; for he
knew that they would transgress his counsel.
After this a hundred
men of the children of Seth gathered together (peer pressure), and said among
themselves, "Come, let us go down to the children of Cain, and see what
they do, and enjoy ourselves with them." (Join the concert!)
But when Jared heard
this of the hundred men, his very soul was moved, and his heart was grieved. He
then arose with great fervour, and stood in the midst of them, and adjured them
by the blood of Abel the just, "Let not one of you go down from this holy
and pure mountain, in which our fathers have ordered us to dwell." But
when Jared saw that they did not receive his words, he said unto them, "O
my good and innocent and holy children, know that when once you go down from
this holy mountain, God will not allow you to return again to it." (To
deny God after knowing him would be as crucifying him again).
He again adjured them,
saying, "I adjure by the death of our father Adam, and by the blood of
Abel, of Seth, of Enos, of Cainan, and of Mahalaleel, to hearken to me, and not
to go down from this holy mountain (apostasy); for the moment you leave it, you
will be reft of life and of mercy; and you shall no longer be called 'children
of God,' but 'children of the devil.'" (They became the sons of
perdition). But they would not hearken to his words.
Enoch at that time was
already grown up, and in his zeal for God, be arose and said, "Hear me, O
ye sons of Seth, small and great--when ye transgress the commandment of our
fathers, and go down from this holy mountain--ye shall not come up hither again
for ever." (Enoch, because he was true to God never suffered death but was
taken up to heaven. He never suffered the flood). But they rose up against
Enoch, and would not hearken to his words, but went down from the Holy
Mountain.
And when they looked at
the daughters of Cain, at their beautiful figures, and at their hands and feet
dyed with colour, and tattooed in ornaments on their faces, the fire of sin was
kindled in them. Then Satan made them look most beautiful before the sons of
Seth, as he also made the sons of Seth appear of the fairest in the eyes of the
daughters of Cain, so that the daughters of Cain lusted after the sons of Seth
like ravenous beasts, and the sons of Seth after the daughters of Cain, until
they committed abomination with them. (fornication).
But after they had thus
fallen into this defilement, they returned by the way they had come, and tried
to ascend the Holy Mountain. But they could not, because the stones of that
holy mountain were of fire flashing before them, by reason of which they could
not go up again. (Apparently, the cherubim also guarded the gate to the Holy
Mountain just as they did to the Garden so that they could not re-enter).
And God was angry with
them, and repented of them because they had come down from glory, and had
thereby lost or forsaken their own purity or innocence, and were fallen into
the defilement of sin. Then God sent His Word (pre-incarnate Jesus) to Jared,
saying, "These thy children, whom thou didst call 'My children,'--behold
they have transgressed My commandment, and have gone down to the abode of
perdition, and of sin (doing the things of the world). Send a messenger to
those that are left, that they may not go down, and be lost."
Then Jared wept before
the Lord, and asked of Him mercy and forgiveness. But he wished that his soul
might depart from his body, rather than hear these words from God about the
going down of his children from the Holy Mountain. But he followed God's order,
and preached unto them not to go down from that holy mountain, and not to hold
intercourse with the children of Cain (the true Way). But they heeded not his
message, and would not obey his counsel.
The “Church” was those of the line of Seth who did righteous in the eyes
of the Lord. The “world” were of the seed of Cain who did the things of the
flesh. On the Holy Mountain, the righteous were safe, the entryway to the Mountain being guarded. The Holy Mountain
is a simile of the Tree of Life, and the plain, the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil, which truly the tree of beauty, pleasure, and reason. Just as
God’s Holy Ones in the Garden were seduced by the serpent, 278 Cain
and Cain’s seed represent the serpent. Just as Satan spoke through the subtle
snake in the Garden, he spoke through Cain and his offspring. Indeed, today the
world is more the seed of Cain than of Seth! The lesson is to beware of what is
spoken and seen!
Gradually, all the righteous people who looked down at the pleasures of
sin, drifted away from God, and soon found themselves living in sin. Their
apostasy was blasphemy: elevating their own desires above God’s will. It’s not
necessary to deny God but only to have other gods besides him. 279
Literally, that is “in His face”. It’s
likely that Seth’s line kept a semblance of believe but they gradually began to
serve another master. Very few righteous people were left in Church, so to
speak – the Holy Mountain. The Church died that day, leaving only eight people
to resurrect it! As God cannot be killed, neither can the church. Scripture
says that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it. 280 Just like
God, the Church which was in the beginning with Adam and Eve, is immortal. It
will stand even when the earth is destroyed.
In the days of Noah, the Church succumbed to the world, but a remnant was
saved. It was the Ark of God which saved eight people. God’s Law is the
straight Gate through the doors of Noah’s Ark, and it’s hull is the hedge which
saved a few.
The first time, the world was destroyed by water; never to happen again,
but the next time it will be by fire! 281
… the world
that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens
and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto
fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The earth will be destroyed
again, and of course, the righteous will be saved just as before. But when will
it be? Whenever the times are as in the days of Noah, the Lord shall come to
judge. 282 There again, will the threshing floor be pounded, and the
chaff separated from the wheat! In the days of Noah God was “long-suffering”. 283 It seems that God was patient
but suffered greatly. God was not killed but He was terribly wounded for his
desire was then, as now, that none should
perish!
When God is under heavy fire,
with ease, but distress, he defeats the enemy. God could have laid down his
life and died right then, but if He did that, even more would perish. Because God so loved the world, in Noah’s Day
the Church lived on by resurrection. The Holy Mountain – Mount Herman – was
moved for a time; to Mount Arayat 284 where Noah built and altar to
the Lord and had Church! For a time, God’s Church had walls as Noah’s Ark
became God’s Temple. God didn’t need that Ark and now it lies decayed on the
shoulders of Arayat - one time the Church of God. From there, as in the early
1800s, the Church became “the traveling Church”, going wherever people sought
God.
Observe that in the days of
Noah, Satan could not and did not destroy the Church. It is imperishable. Note
that neither did he destroy the righteous. They seemingly continued to live –
for a sort time – but it was by their own devices. Satan encouraged them, and
God allowed them to perish, but it was of their own accord. The righteous,
along with the evil ones, all sacrificed themselves for pleasure. Satan smiled,
and God wept! Neither did God leave nor
forsake them, but they did God. 285 However, God was wounded but not
mortally! He lived on alongside the Church.
262 Holy Bible; Job 1
263 ibid; Rev 21:4
264 ibid; Rom 8:28
265 ibid; John 15:16
266 ibid; 1 Pet
1:17
267 ibid; John
8:32
268 ibid; Job 1:10
269 ibid; John 14:15
270 ibid; Mat
6:24
271 ibid; Mat 6:9-13
272 ibid; Rom 12:1
273 ibid; Mark 12:30
274 ibid; John 8:44
275 ibid; Rom 13:11
276 ibid; Mat 25:23
277 2 Adam and Eve 18-19; parentheses
the authors
278 Holy Bible; Gen 3:1
279 ibid; Exod 20:3
280 ibid; Mat 16:18
281 ibid; 2 Pet 3:6-7
282 ibid: Mat 32:37
283 ibid; 1 Pet 3:20
284 ibid; Gen 8:20
285 ibid; Heb 13:5
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