SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY

KEY PASSAGES: And he (THE LORD GOD) will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. (Isa 25:9-11).

  

  Death is so misunderstood; it is not physically dying, but forever spiritually dying. The soul is immortal, and will continue even after physical death. All men shall die the first death, and most the second death. Scripture indicates that the second death is not at a cross-section in time as the first death, but is an agonizing existence. Because the penalty is so severe, spiritual death requires flesh on which to inflict punishment. Ironically, with divine justice, since the flesh is the source of pleasure, the flesh must also be punished. The soul is punished by isolation from God and others, and the flesh by extremely agonizing pain!
  Perhaps now, the reader better understands what death really was when Adam and Eve were sentenced to death back in Genesis 3. It should be noted, however, that the Word redeemed the two from death because the Lord is merciful and mighty. He has the power to create and to destroy, but also is a merciful judge. They had an excuse; they never knew nor understood death. Now you do! Their knowledge was incomplete as they had yet to eat of the forbidden tree. You have “eaten” and should know what death is. If you still don’t, read this: “Fear him (Beelzebub) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mat 10:28).
  Who is this death angel, Beelzebub? He was the Canaanite god, Baal who is represented by the planet Venus – “the evening star.” Another name for Baal is Aphrodite. “Lucifer” is the Latin name for the planet Venus. In other words, Beelzebub represents the devil, Satan, and other gods are physical representations of Satan. The planet Venus is essentially the manifestation of the Devil, and is a false god.
  Jesus is the “bright and morning star,” (Rev 22:16) and Venus the evening star. God is Light, and the bright and morning star seems to be the sun. However, the sun must not be idolized. The Lord Jesus created the bright and morning star on the fourth “day” to support subsequent life. However, on the first “day” God’s Light shined. Hence, the sun is NOT God, but Yahweh is the bright and morning “star.” When Yahweh is manifested, His manifestation is called Jesus (John 1-3,14). Jesus is the source of Light (truth) and Baal the source of darkness (evil).
  From the key passages, “in that day” is the time when “death is swallowed up in victory.” Furthermore, “This is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.” Salvation, therefore, is when “death is swallowed up in victory.” The key passages indicate when death would be swallowed up: (1) “When Moab is trodden down,” (2) “He shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them,” and (3) “He shall bring down their pride.”
  “He” in those passages, is obviously God, “who spreads forth his hands” (Jesus). God is patriarchal, but He is neither male or female. However, as the Patriarch, Yahweh in the flesh is male, and any female “gods” are imposters.
  The spread hands of God represent Jesus on the Holy Cross. With open arms, Jesus welcomes all, but the horizontal bar points to two thieves: one who repented and the other who did not! Jesus died for all, but there was one condition – that Jesus be recognized as the Way. There were two ways – upward toward God’s Kingdom, and downward toward the Devil’s who is “Prince of the Power of the Air” (Ephes 2:2) who rules the way of the world. As such, Jesus is Lord of the heaven and earth, whereas Beelzebub is merely “the lord of the flies” over a dung heap.
  God, in the Flesh of Jesus, did not die on the Holy Cross. God’s Flesh slept for three days, as the Father finished His work. Jesus’s Holy Ghost departed God’s Flesh and deposited all the sins of mankind into the pit of Hell. In other words, somebody died that day, but it was not Yahweh because He still lives to this day! Beelzebub died a vicarious death when Jesus swallowed up death in victory. Jesus defeated Death himself on the Holy Cross. It was Beelzebub who died when Jesus was crucified.

Beelzebub morphs. Originally, as the “star” angel Lucifer, he then morphed into the Serpent (Gen 3:1). Much later, Satan morphed into Judas Iscariot by entering into him (John 13:27). It was the Serpent in the flesh of Judas who died on the day that Jesus was crucified! When Judas died, death was swallowed up in victory!

However, only the spirit of Satan “died,” but only came out of Judas. The Beast (the Serpent) will arise again, in the form of the Antichrist. In that day, the Devil will be put down in form and spirit, and he will no longer be able to destroy anyone. From Adam until Judas died, mankind was in peril because of the spirit of the Devil. From the death of Judas, Jesus keeps the righteous safe from the spirit of the evil one, and when the Beast is finally destroyed, Jesus saves those who followed him all along!
  The phrase may be oxymoronic, but for those who accept Jesus’s propitiation for their sins, “The Devil is as good as dead!” He will be dead when Jesus ultimately destroys him in form and spirit. He will no longer be able to enter into anyone’s flesh because he will be dead. Jesus died so that those who see the Serpent as dead, will no longer fear him! The loss of fear and the gain in trust is the change which Jesus called “born again” (John 3:7). With new insight (Light), those with renewed vision see that the pole which Moses held was the Serpent in his Philosophy Tree, and Judas hanging from his tree. It is understanding that the Serpent’s death and Satan’s identity was killed off by Jesus crucified on his “tree” as Paul referred to the Cross.
 Metaphorically, Holy Scripture, is all about “trees” and whose “tree” people look to. Worshippers of Baal worship what Baal brings: “The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.” (1 John 2:16). Jesus, on the Cross with arms outstretched as a swimmer, brings down their pride; those who humble themselves.
  Pride is from Beelzebub. When Baal dies, pride dies with him. Hence, “the meek shall inherit the earth,” (Mat 5:5) which surely means New Jerusalem in earth (Rev 21). That’s when the invisible empire becomes visible, and is planted on the foundation of old Jerusalem. The meek shall be safe therein and final saved from the evil one!
  That leaves “Moab trodden down!” Part 2 of 2 will reveal what that means. Stay tuned until tomorrow.