My friend Steve continued with the following:
Seeing – Our Enemy
“Thus, the whole and all of the heavens and the sky, the physical earth and land, and the army organized for war and warfare were completed, finished and accomplished.” (Genesis 2:1)
It’s a fascinating thought to consider that YHVH incorporated into His creation Plan the formation of an army for war and warfare even before He rested on the seventh day. In other words, He didn’t rest until His army was organized and fully equipped to defend not only what He had just created but also the Plan He had devised to achieve His Father’s Vision.
So, from the very beginning, war and warfare were to play a vital role in achieving our Father’s Vision. This was reflected in Man’s assigned role in the earth when he was created. He was to rule, subdue and subjugate WITH YHVH within the earthly domain. This is significant because these verbs describe acts that are to be performed against foes and enemies not against friends and allies.
“And the Elohim said, ‘Make and accomplish man and mankind in Our image and in Our likeness and similitude. And, let them reign and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the flying creatures of the heavens and the sky, and over the beasts, animals and cattle, and over the whole and all of the earth and land; and over the whole and all of every creeping and moving thing that creeps and moves lightly upon, over and above the earth and land.’
“So chose the Elohim to create and shape the image of His man, in the image of the Elohim He chose to create and shape His male and His female; so chose Him to create and shape them.
“And blessing them, the Elohim said to them, ‘Elohim, bear fruit and be fruitful; and multiply, increase and be great; and fill to the full the earth and land; and subdue, bring into bondage and reign; and have dominion, treading down and causing to crumble, the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the heavens and sky; and over the whole and all of the age of the living that creeps, moves lightly about or glides swiftly upon, above and over the earth and land.” (Genesis 1:26 – 28)
And so, dealing with conflicts, challenges, threats, and even war and warfare are all part of the Plan for God’s Man. These are the devices God uses to develop the Likeness of the Elohim IN His Man, so he will be fully equipped to rule WITH Him in the fullness of His Nature and Character.
We see this on display even after Adam and Eve did their deed with the Serpent and became “lower than the angels.” (Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7) From YHVH’s standpoint, His Man’s station in life – whether as a slave or a free man – had no bearing on His mandate for His Man to rule:
“So YHVH said to Cain, ‘Why are you burning with anger, and why has your face fallen?’
“‘If you are successful in doing what is right, sound and beautiful, will you not be an exalted one in character and rank? And if you are not successful in doing what is right, sound, and beautiful, sin is at the opening stretched out on all four legs like a recumbent animal. Its longing is for you, but you must rule and have dominion over it.'” (Genesis 4:6, 7)
Notice that YHVH’s solution for Cain didn’t change from His original mandate to Adam and Eve just because he was now in a supposedly fallen state of sin and depravity.
So, whether in a state of bliss as in the Garden, or in a state of burning anger as with Cain, or under some other attack or circumstance where we feel outmatched and overwhelmed, whatever condition we may find ourselves in, the mandate is still the same – to rule WITH Jesus in the fullness of His Nature and Character.
While reigning is more of a macro word that relates to governing willing citizens within a realm, rulership is more specific. It emphasizes the astute use of authority, power, and resources to neutralize and disarm enemies – those things or influences that oppose, threaten, or are hostile to the venture or goal to be achieved. In this case, it is ruling over anything that opposes, misdirects, alters, or seeks to control our Father’s Vision for creating.
In Adam and Eve’s case, it was ruling over and subjugating WITH YHVH the serpent that had aligned itself with a foreign spiritual enemy – Satan. The mission then was to neutralize the threat launched against YHVH and His Man by cutting off the spiritual intruder’s access into the physical earth, which he attempted to gain through the Serving Class serpent.
In Cain’s case, it was ruling over sin – the impulse to act independently from YHVH. This sin was personified as an animal that was patiently waiting for an opening to use God’s Man as a weapon to exterminate righteousness – the act of deciding to live and do all things WITH YHVH. This was the threat posed by Cain’s brother. Abel. This influence had to be removed so sin could flourish on the earth. The mission then was for Cain to neutralize and disarm sin’s power within him by showing his superior character and rank WITH YHVH. This would cut off sin’s access through him into the earth, and the death and destruction it would inflict.
In Jesus’ time on the earth, it was to strip Satan of the spiritual authority that he unlawfully seized in the Garden. The mission there was to enter into the spiritual domain of darkness by way of the Cross to conquer, render inoperable and subjugate “the last enemy” death. This brought death back under the Reign of the Kingdom of God where it belonged.
In every instance, the objective was the same – for God’s Man to work WITH Him to rule over their mutual enemies in the fullness of His Nature and Character. What is interesting to note is the Apostle Paul’s description of death as being “the last enemy.” (1Corinthians 15:26)
If there is the last enemy, then surely there must be the first. “And it came to pass that the sum of the word and speech of YHVH was spoken to me (Ezekiel) saying,
“Son of ‘adam (man) lift up and carry a dirge, a song or hymn of grief, a lamentation against the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says YHVH Adonai: “You were the sum, the perfect measure, and proportion. You were sealed with the fullness of skill and wisdom, and complete in beauty.
“In Eden, the garden and enclosure of the Elohim, it came to pass that your covering was the whole and all of every precious, rare and splendid stone – the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the yellow jasper, the pale green onyx, and the polished jasper; the sapphire, the glistening emerald, and the flashing emerald. The jeweler’s sockets and tambourines of gold were fixed to stand firm. They were
established to prosper on the day chosen to form, fashion, and shape you.
“With the vast expanse of your outstretched wings, you were the cherub that covered, hedged, screened, and protected. And it came to pass that you were set on the sacred mountain of the Elohim. Amid the stones of fire, you walked, coming and going.
“You were sound and complete in the day chosen to form, fashion, and shape you. In your way, manner, and journey you were entire in integrity and truth until injustice and unrighteousness appeared, existing in and coming out from you.
“In the multitude and abundance of your trade, traffic, and merchandise, you became full of violence, cruelty, and unjust gain. You sinned severing and bisecting the center of you. You pierced and profaned the mountain of the Elohim. You wandered away O cherub who covers, hedges, screens and protects, to perish from the midst of the stones of fire.
“You exalted your inner mind, will, and heart because of your beauty. Your wisdom decayed, thoroughly ruining your brightness and splendor. You are thrown down and cast upon the earth and land to be set before the face of kings to be seen and observed by them.
“Through the abundance and greatness of your injustice and unrighteousness in your trade, traffic and merchandise, and the guilt and punishment due for your iniquity, you have pierced and profaned the sacred place. Therefore, in your coming in and going out amid the fire it will eat and devour you. It will set ashes upon, over, and above the earth and land in the whole and all of every eye that sees and observes.
“The whole and all of the people who know you will grow numb. They will be thoroughly stunned, astonished, stupefied, and appalled with alarm, terror, and destruction. It will come to pass that you shall become nothing; a non-entity as far as and even unto futurity, the vanishing point of time.” (Ezekiel 28:11 – 19)
What an amazing story that YHVH passes on to Ezekiel to pass on to us. It recounts the history of His highest-ranking Cherub and the ministry he was to perform as the “Covering Cherub.” This superbly crafted Angelic Class being was vested with the authority and power to protect YHVH’s Garden and His Man who occupied and ruled it. And so vast was this Cherub’s prominence and authority that he was “set on the sacred mountain of the Elohim, amid the stones of fire” to come and go as he pleased.
This Cherub was created to ensure that the provisions of heaven were seamlessly delivered to YHVH’s Man through the device of commerce (trade, traffic, and merchandise). This was to fully resource Man, so he could accomplish his mandate to rule the earth WITH YHVH in the fullness of His Nature and Character. Thus, this Cherub was equipped with all the capabilities and materials necessary to accomplish its most prized and honored ministry as a partner WITH YHVH in covering and protecting the Father’s Vision for His Man.
But then, “injustice and unrighteousness appeared, existing in and coming out” from him. His trade revealed what was in him just as it does with us. He had become “full of violence, cruelty and unjust gain” with injustice and unrighteousness saturating his every transaction.
This caused him to pierce and profane the sacred mountain of the Elohim –
God’s Kingdom. He was cast “from the midst of the stones of fire” to the earth where his wisdom, splendor, and brightness thoroughly decayed. This most honored of all Angelic Class beings was then repositioned from partner to opposer and given the name Adversary – Satan.
And so, the first enemy – our enemy – is a business guy. He took what YHVH had given him to bless and minister to His Man – commerce – and converted it into a weapon, which he then used to enslave Man through the mechanism of transaction.
“Amid the fire it will eat and devour you, setting ashes upon, over and above the earth and land in the whole and all of every eye that sees and observes.
“The whole and all of the people who know you will grow numb. They will be thoroughly stunned, astonished, stupefied, and appalled with alarm, terror, and destruction. It will come to pass that you shall become nothing; a non-entity as far as and even unto futurity, the vanishing point of time.”
Our enemy.