Houma Bible Study Notes: Salvation History #1

The Flood

Genesis 6:9

These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Satan and the fallen angels intermarried/ intermingled with the human creation— what would be the purpose for that? 1). War against God and His plans for the human creation 2). They knew that through the seed of the woman (Jesus), God would destroy their authority. Genesis 3:15 … it (seed of the woman ‘Jesus) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

God instructed Noah after the flood to replenish the earth. It is His will that the earth be filled with His glory. There is a day coming in the future where Jesus will sit on the throne of David and literally rule the world as King. God’s presence will dwell on a new heaven and new earth. This time is called the Millennial reign of Christ. At that time, God’s glory will completely cover the earth. The presence of evil will be locked away for 1,000 years. Until that time comes, God’s plan is that the earth be filled with people, that His truth be preached, that they receive His truth in themselves, and that in this way, the earth is filled with His glory.

Genesis 9:7

And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

Revelation 5:8-9

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 10:8-10 8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

Genesis 11:1-9

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The Tower of Babel is a tale of many Biblical truths: 1) direct rebellion against what God told Noah—multiply in the earth, 2) Man coming together to help man without the help of god, creating a society without God, 3) there are pyramid and ziggurat (tower) structures all over the world and near some of these structures, it’s been proven that there was human sacrifice involved, 3) so when they say, “Let us build a tower that reaches into the heavens, do they mean into the sky, or through occult worship to engage the power of fallen angels and demon spirits? 4) there is more to think about but one last thought: At Babel, man is trying to build his own city and a tower that reaches the heavens. But the Bible says that God is building a city in heaven and will bring it down to man (John 14:2,3; Revelation 21:10)

"About 101 years after the Flood we find a vast number of 'em [the offspring of the sons of Noah], if not the whole race of Noah, in the vale of Shinar, employed in building a city and large tower, in order to make themselves a name and to prevent their dispersion. And tho' they carried on the work to a monstrous height, and by their vanity provoked God to confound their devices, by confounding their speech, which occasioned their dispersion; yet their skill in Masonry is not the less to be celebrated, having spent above 53 years in that prodigious work, and upon their dispersion carried the mighty knowledge with them into distant parts, where they found the good use of it in the settlement of their kingdoms, commonwealths, and dynasties. And tho' afterwards it was lost in most parts of the earth it was especially preserved in Shinar and Assyria, where Nimrod, the founder of that monarchy, after the dispersion built many splendid cities, as Ereck, Accad and Calneh in Shinar, from whence afterwards he went forth into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calch, and Rhesin— Masonic Encyclopedia

"At the makinge of the Tower of Babylon, there was Masonrye first made much of. And the Kinge of Babylon that height Nemrothe was a mason himselfe, and loved well the science as it is said with masters of histories. And when the City of Ninyve and other citties of the East should be made, Nemrothe the Kinge of Babylon sent thither three score masons at the rogation of the Kinge of Nyneve, his cosen. And when he sent them forth he gave them a charge in this manner. . . . And this was the first tyme that ever Masons had any charge of his science."— Masonic Encyclopedia

The last thought from Babel is that God confused their languages, which forced them to be spread across the globe into separate people groups. This resulted in establishment of multiple nations. We should be reminded that it was God’s will that the whole world would be filled with His glory and the way that He does that is by having the world inhabited with humans that willingly accept Him as Lord and are filled with His presence

Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And as we saw in Revelation chapter 5, the song praises God because Jesus redeemed humans back to God with His blood from every tongue, tribe and nation.

Abraham

The next major move by God is the calling of Abraham, which led to the creation of His own nation Israel.

Genesis 12:2-3 2  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy  name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Abraham> Isaac> Jacob [Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10), Jacob had 12 sons. His sons/ grandsons— Joseph’s sons {Ephraim & Manassah} became the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 tribes ofIsrael became the nation known as Israel. God brought them into the land of Canaan after the Exodus and the 40 years in the wilderness. When Moses died, God allowed Joshua to bring them into the Promised Land— formerly known as Canaan.

Let’s focus on Abraham. The New Testament calls him the Father of the faith ( ). God asked him to leave his father’s house ( ). Jesus said that we are to leave our old life and live in the new ( ).

The new life starts with death to the old one through faith. The old man dies in Christ and the new man resurrects in Him.

Genesis 22

The story of Abraham and his son Isaac in this chapter is undoubtably parallel to the story of God the Father and His Son Jesus. Scholars or commentators call these OT findings types and shadows. Abraham waits his whole life for the promise of God. He waits for the fulfillment that God will send him a son so that the promises that he will be a great nation. It is quite a long story, but there were many times along the way that Abraham became weary in his journey and seemed, momentarily, to question God, and even at one point took matters into his own hands when he and Sarai, his wife made a plan to have a child with Hagar their Egyptian servant ( ). The name of this child was Ishmael. The Muslim religion comes from the descendants of the Ishmaelites, Mohammed was an Ishmaelite. Christian’s are constantly being tested to either make decisions in the flesh (Ishmael), where they try to fix their situation their way, but it’s outside the will and word of God; instead of patiently waiting on the promises of God.

But God told Abraham that the promised seed would be Isaac a child born to Sarah, and that even though she was 90 and he was 99, the child would be born the way that God said— under supernatural circumstances. There are are multiple supernatural births in the pages of scripture, at least four I can think of off the top of my head: Isaac, Samson, Samuel, Jesus. Why? I believe it’s because God’s plan of new birth in Jesus is so supernatural! Have you been born again? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you? Have you experienced new birth? You will know you have when a love for the things of God and a desire towards obedience in His word have entered your heart.

After all this time Abraham finally had his promised son and, now, in Genesis 22, God requires of Abraham to take Isaac, the supernatural child and to offer him as a sacrifice on a mountain that God will show him. It is the details of the story that are so intriguing to me. The details intrigue me because 2,000 years before Jesus, God the Father was already writing the story of His only begotten Son. Look at these similarities:

Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Genesis 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

In both stories, a son of supernatural birth, carries wood up a hill on his way to being offered as a sacrifice in obedience to his Father’s will.

Next time, we will talk more about Abraham and his connection to the New Covenant, but, just a couple points:

God has a plan for humanity. He is love and He created us with a free will so that we could choose to love Him, so that He could pour out His love on us. Creation shows me that all this that He did, He did for love!

God has an enemy. The enemy of God is full of hatred. His choice to rebel against God, resulted in a perversion of his purpose. He was intended to bring God glory. Now, he is driven to get his own glory and to take God’s glory for his own.

God looks for people to believe His truth and obey. Through these people, He performs His will upon the earth and His plan is manifest through the hands and mouths of His people as they preach the truth about His kingdom,  Matthew 7:14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. NASB—the Lord said that the laborers are few to work in the fields of the kingdom (Matthew 9:37-38). There will also be few that follow the straight and narrow path that leads to life.

Satan and his kingdom of darkness use the free will and hands of man also to build his kingdom on earth, like Babel, they make bricks and build a name for themselves, instead of building the name of God. Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. NASB— the majority of people and the majority of the church world today is building this kingdom. There will be many of that day that will say, “but Lord Lord—didn’t we…” (Matthew 7:21-23)

God called Abraham to leave the life he knew before: Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: KJV

When you believe God’s word, the Bible says we become born again: John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

When we are born again, we are translated into the Kingdom of God: Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, NASB

#21 Wake Up Sleeper!

Last week, the study covered specific behaviors that born again Christians were no longer supposed to engage in. The text discussed concepts like fornication, which is translated from the Greek word porneia, and contains within it all manner of sexual sin, which would be considered in opposition against God's character and word. In reality, we learned several weeks ago when we covered the Nephilim and their influence on the land of Canaan that these behaviors aren’t only contrary to God, but they’re used by the forces of evil to cause man to rebel against God.
 
The un-redeemed heathen partake in all manner of uncleanness, but the believer is exhorted not to. As a matter of fact the word uncleanness was used in the text, and we pointed out that this word in the Greek literally means "a," which in the Greek means (without) and katharsis meaning a (purging); therefore, the heathen or un-redeemed, haven't been purged or cleansed because true purging and cleansing can only take place through our identification and association with the shed blood of Jesus. Now, we must remember that Paul is talking to the church. The letter is written to the church of Ephesus. In other words, he’s not warning the world about this; instead, he’s warning the church. Furthermore, we must consider the current state of the church and how the pews are filled with people who are engaging in porneia. I’m not speaking of people who are struggling with lust and asking God to deliver them. Instead, I’m speaking of people who are living under a diluted gospel, aren’t saved but think they are, and have no conviction about their transgression of God’s ways. Am I wrong or is that a dangerous gospel for people to sit under, where they can remain in sin, and not be convicted about their sin, and the whole while, they believe that they’re hearing the gospel? Is that the gospel? Can it be the gospel?
 
Once we're born again, then behaviors must change. Furthermore, Paul discussed not only our visible actions, but our audible talk. Previously, he told us to put away lying (Ephesians 4:25) and later for us not to let any corrupt communication come out of our mouths (Ephesians 4:29), and last week he told us not to engage in foolish talk, which was morologia-- from moron and logia/ speech. In others words, don't engage in dumb and fruitless talk.
 
Once again the thought is brought back to the conversation of the un- redeemed. Back in 4:17-19, we learned that the root cause of the heathen’s actions was that they weren't partakers of Christ; therefore, their hearts were darkened to the enlightenment, which God offers; therefore, please don't walk like them! Their eyes are closed, and they are blind, so why would we want to walk like them or talk like them?
 
We were supposed to end last week with verse 7, and we never got there:
 
Ephesians 5:7
Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
 
The exhortation is don't be a partaker with them. The thought of the word partaker is connectedness. You and I aren't supposed to be connected to the world in deed or speech. We shouldn't be lying, cheating, stealing, gossiping, smoking dope, getting drunk, fornicating.... And if we are engaging in these behaviors, while at the same time not being convicted about it, then something isn't right with our walk!
 
Ephesians 5:8
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
 
We were previously part of them, but we've been redeemed or purchased out from amongst them. The Christian, in his early walk, or sadly for some, throughout their walk, finds himself on dangerous ground because he so quickly forgets, you were sometimes darkness…. Somehow, he is convinced to believe, and this comes from the evil one, that he is more spiritual than those around him. Everything he does is of God, and no one else hears from God. This is the delusion of self- righteousness, resulting in an un-teachable spirit.
 
Many times, these people (I went through this myself) think they know better and are doing better than others, but in reality, they've been blinded by a spirit of religion, and they can't see. Sadly, many times, these people don't come back as quickly as the one who struggles with obvious sin, because obvious sin: fornication, drunkenness, lying....is usually depressing to the redeemed heart; whereas, the spirit of religion by its very nature is rooted in religious pride and lifts self up, feeding self into a lying frenzy, convincing the person that they are good and everyone is inferior. In addition, pride repels the heart of God; therefore, this is another spirit, a deceptive spirit that is driving this person’s actions and motives, and the sad thing is that the whole time they think they’re engaging in God’s work and the reality is that they’re being used as a tool of the enemy. Humility, on the other hand, by its very nature (at least for mortal man) is willing to admit that it doesn't know all; furthermore, it remembers that it …were sometimes darkness…. this is pleasing to God, because self is recognizing that its righteousness and victory is dependent upon God and not its own righteous actions no matter how righteous the may look. Even more encouraging is the truth that true humility is an attraction to God.
 
There is no better illustration that I can think of regarding these concepts than the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector who were praying in the temple (Luke 18:10), and the time when Jesus told the Pharisees that they were searching the scriptures looking for eternal life; however, the very scriptures they were searching were revealing Jesus, and the Pharisees were unwilling to come to Him (John 5:37-40).
 
Religious pride and an un-teachable spirit prevented them from seeing the truth. And in the parable previously mentioned, religious pride deceived the Pharisee into thinking that he was alright when in reality his heart was far away from God.
 
But verse 8 says that we are now children of light, so we should walk (order) our lives that way. The thought of this word children is teknon and its meaning in this sense is that the child is viewed in reference to the one that gave it birth. In other words, maybe in English the thought would be something like, “That’s your child right?” vs. “Look at that child over there.”
 
An earthly illustration would be when you meet someone who knew your parent from the past and they say, "You look just like your daddy."
 
In this sense your physical appearance connects you to your paternal father. In this verses' sense, your spiritual walk in the light connects you to Jesus of whom you were begotten. By the way, once again, the word for light here is "phos." If you will remember, we pointed out that "phos" is the same word used of Jesus when calling Him the light. Furthermore, there is a verse out of Colossians describing the translation from darkness to light, which specifically speaks of being born again from the dead: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
 

He is the source of light

John 1:4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

When man comes to Jesus, Jesus’ light is given to man as a reflection of His light
 

Matthew 5:14-16
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Ephesians 5:9
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
 
The result of walking as children born of light is that the fruit of the Spirit is manifest in the life.
 
Namely, these fruit in this verse are:

Goodness-  that which is upright and pure.
 
Righteousness- this word is the same word used of the Christian's justification. When a believer identifies and associates self as partaking in the death, burial, and resurrection in Christ, he is justified or declared righteous in Christ, resulting in access to grace, resulting in power to walk in righteous acts. Any other pathway will result in self- righteousness because he finds himself believing that it’s his work: fasting, praying, studying, going to church…that gives him access. When in reality, the opposite is true—a proper understanding of true righteousness, along with learning to rest in His righteousness, results in a spiritual desire for more: prayer, church, study, even fasting if it will result in a deeper intimacy with God.
 
Truth- is the way the Christian is to operate. When the Christian operates in truth, things can be done openly. There is no need to run around to this one or that one talking about this and talking about that. Lies are hidden and truth is up front. And we will see that further clarified when Paul explains that the right order of things is that they be made manifest or brought to the light.
 
Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

The word for proving, dokizomai, was used to describe putting metals to the test. In the times of Jesus, there was a deceptive technique employed by thieves where they would "clip coins," meaning they would shave or clip pieces of the coin off and take for themselves a small portion of the weighted precious metal. Over time, they would have gathered for themselves enough to equal significant value.
 
So the concept of dokizomai was that the coin or metal was put to the test in order to make sure that it was what it said it was.
 
We better be proving ourselves! We better make sure that the motives of our hearts are right before the Lord, and that we aren't operating in some self- righteous spirit that's really causing damage to the kingdom. 
 
Paul used the same word in his second letter to Corinth regarding believers putting themselves to the test in order to prove whether they truly be in the faith:

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
 
Ephesians 5:11-12
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
 
The idea being portrayed here is that the world is walking in one direction and believers are supposed to be heading in the opposite direction. But there is even more. We aren't supposed to just be silent about things. In addition to not being in fellowship with the world and their practices, we are supposed to reprove their works.
 
On first glance at verse 12, it would almost appear that the thought is don't talk about what they do. But the reality is that when both verses are looked at together, and two different Greek scholars agree, the thought is that what they do is so bad, and because they do it in secret, it must be exposed, it must be revealed, it must be rebuked, so the Holy Spirit can minister His conviction and repentance and restoration with God can take place.
 
One of the biggest parts of the deception of the satanic agenda is the infiltration of his lying magic into the house of God. The spirit of antichrist is working upon and through the children of disobedience who present themselves as ministers of righteousness:
 
Ephesians 2:1-2
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (KJV) 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.

Ephesians 4:14-15
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
 

Reprove:

There are two concepts I would like to cover regarding this thought:
 
(1) when the Lord first instructed me to study and research the wiles of Satan and to write a book about it, my first response was, "Ok God-- whatever you say."
 
Then as a I had time to consider the task and the results and what unknowing people would think, fear tried to grip my heart, and I had to spend much time in prayer. I tossed and turned and prayed and prayed. And I can tell you that there are some things I may question whether I was supposed to do it or not, but that isn't one of them.
 
Furthermore, one of the things that really rang loudly in my spiritual ears was this-- I would pray specifically, "But Lord most people aren't ready for this information."
 
God's response to my spirit was, "This is what I've called you to do. The question is, are you going to obey what I ask, because I'm ready for my people to be prepared? They aren't prepared."
 
As time went on He would reveal to me that the deception clouding the eyes of His people was so thick that if things don't go the way the American church was taught it would-- the result would be countless souls being lost because they would defect from the faith. Now, let me make this clear. It’s quite obvious that my writing of this book wasn’t the tool that disseminated the information the church needed in order to be awakened; however, over 200 people have been exposed to it. Furthermore, since that time, I have realized that there are multiple people who have been aware of all this deception, and in actuality, I’m a late comer to these truths.
 
I can tell you that this wasn't easy for me. But God has called me to do this. Some people are going to be uneasy about this. I've already lost friends because of it, and there will be people who will leave this church because of it. But it's only fair that you know what God has called me to do. You can think that I'm not supposed to, but He spoke to me, and I will not be deterred or changed by the will or comments of man.
 
(2) much of this Satanic deception has been infiltrating the people of God since the inception of Israel's existence. From the Harlotry with Moabite women learned from Baalam (Numbers 22-25; Revelation 2:14) to Solomon's fall (1 Kings 11), the people of God have been deceived by the spirit of antichrist. And that spirit is working more heavily now in the church than ever before.

The apostasy is here Christian (2 Thessalonians 2:3): falling away is literally apostasia
 
The Lord says: reprove it, expose it, rebuke it, and let it be brought to the light.
 
Ephesians 5:13
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
 
The idea here is not that when evil is exposed it, itself becomes light. Where there is light, there is the ability to see. God wants His people to see the difference between evil and good. He wants His people to know what is well- pleasing to Him.
 
Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.—also see Romans 13:11, 12
 
As long as people are dead in their sin-- unsaved, they will never be able to see. This passage describes them as a sleeper or one that is dead and cannot see. However, if a person would only turn to God, they would be awakened from the dead, even awakened from their sleep.
 
Sadly, he is writing to Christians, and he's exhorting them that they shouldn't be walking like the world around them, since they've been born again from the dead.
 
God wants His people to walk in the light. Specifically, the context here surrounds specific behavior, but more specifically, it surrounds light revealing to people that which is evil vs. that which is well- pleasing to God.
 
Ephesians 5:15-16
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
 

How dare you preacher, whoever you are, not preach Jesus and His cross for the way that God wrote His word! Jesus the precious one died and shed his blood His blood to set God’s people free, and now you contort the scriptures in order to increase your numbers? God help us!
 

Circumspectly: watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent: circumspect behavior.
well-considered: circumspect ambition._ English Dictionary
 
Unwise is asophos (a)= without (sophos)= wisdom
 
Poneros= the evil one
 
Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
 
1 John 3:12
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
 
In this case the wicked (poneros) one specifically speaks of Satan.
 
So we close with the exhortation that God's people are supposed to walk with caution because the days are evil. We need to understand the times that we're in. Furthermore, our understanding of the severity of the times is supposed to make us sober- minded about our purposes on earth. We are to redeem the time, which means to buy back. This word for redeemed is that same Greek word that is used to describe our being redeemed from the world by Jesus' blood.
 
He purchased you out of this wicked world through the shedding of His precious blood. Now, He asks of you, and He asks of me, to redeem the time. It's time to wake up and make sure we're about our Father's business. We need to make sure that no opportunity to reach the lost is squandered.

#13 Did Jesus Go to Hell? Part 3: We Will Finally Answer the Question!

Did Jesus Go to Hell? Part 3: The Question is Finally Answered

2 Peter 2:4-6 For if God spared not the angels that sinned [a specific sin], but cast them down to hell [Tartarus], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;…
 
As we've been discussing, there were certain of the fallen angels who crossed boundaries that God punished by placing them into chains in an underworld prison known as Tartarus.
 
In this next passage, I'm connecting Tartarus to the prison where the spirits were "preached" to; in order to make that connection, two thoughts must be addressed: (1) who or what are the spirits, (2) what does this word preach mean?
 
1 Peter 3:19-20 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
 
I believe these two thoughts are critical to our proper understanding of this passage because a popular interpretation has been that these spirits represent human beings who lived in the Old Testament. And the preaching that was taking place was to give them an opportunity to accept the message specifically related to Jesus and His sacrifice.
 
So the idea once again would be that, because the blood of bulls and goats could not remove sin, these Old Covenant believers had to make a decision about Jesus for themselves.
 
One of the main concepts that we've attempted to teach throughout the life of this Bible study is that there is a common thread that weaves the covenants together. The common thread I speak of is the promise of Messiah and the observance of sacrifice for the atonement of sin (Leviticus 17: 11). As God has moved forward through the years of human history, He has brought these promises to a single focal point, which Paul stated that he was determined to preach:
 
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
 
1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;…
 
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
 
So the promises of God were fulfilled in Christ, but what we must understand is that God's promises for humanity were given immediately after the fall through the instruction that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15); in addition to the seed, the first sacrifice was given in the garden by God as a covering for Adam and Eve's sin, so while we know that Old Testament sacrifices couldn't completely do away with the penalty of sin, we do know that man's connection point to God has always been through faith. And more specifically, the object of faith required was the sacrifice for sin's atonement.
 
With all that said, it should be pointed out that people in the Old Testament times were saved based upon their faith in God's plan of redemption as it was revealed at that point in time.
 
I said all that to make this point: the Old Testament people were either believers in God's plan or they weren't. If they weren't believers, they were with the rich man in this place called torments, and if they were believers, they were in the place known as Abraham's bosom waiting for the day when the atonement of sin would be completed. Therefore, there is no need for extra preaching specifically from Jesus to make sure they were onboard with God's plan. They were on board with God's plan, and they were simply waiting for the completion, waiting for the sacrifice of the promised one, so they could be led by Jesus from Abraham's bosom into the presence of God now that their sin was atoned.
 
So then who are the sprits and what is the point?
 
The word spirit is literally pneuma, which means breath or wind. It's where we get our word pneumatic, describing power tools that are driven by air. It's where we also get our word pneumonia.
 
The word pneuma, when used in a singular sense can be used to describe God, man, angels, or demons, depending upon the context in which it's being used:
 
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. [God]
 
Luke 1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. [human]
 
Matthew 12:43 -- When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. [demon]
 
 
Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. [angels]
 
 
Through this last verse, we can see at least when the word spirits is used; pneuma can also be referring to angels.

 I've made a list and placed it into the back of your notes showing all of the times the word "spirits" is used in the New Testament. All of this work is being done to show you the truth that the word spirits can be used to describe angels as well as humans, and so from there, we are left with the task of determining, which one fits the context of our passage.

 
As we pointed out early on in tonight's study, the Old Testament saints were saved by looking forward to Messiah and keeping their faith in the sacrifice for forgiveness until He came; therefore, the "preaching" that was done to these spirits wasn't necessarily a preaching for conversion, but as we will see, it was a proclamation or announcement of truth in general.
                                                                                                          

 One last point to make regarding how this sin could have happened with these angels. We already addressed this scripture last week, but Hebrews 13:2 explains that angels can take upon themselves the form of humans to the point that humans can't tell the difference:
 
Hebrews 13:1-2 ​ Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
 
But by comparing two other scriptures, we gain further proof of this thought:
 
Jude 1:6-7 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation [oiketerion], he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

The Greek word for house is oikos. This word used here oiketerion is built from the root of oikos, describing in some sense a house or dwelling place.

 
Now compare the same word for house here as it refers to humans.
 
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 ​ For we know that if our earthly house [oikia] of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building [oikodome] of God, an house [oikia]not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house [oiketerion] which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
 
In this passage, the same concept is being used to describe the bodies of humans. Believers on earth are in a transition, something isn't quite right. In our fallen state, our physical bodies are decaying; however, spiritually, our spirit man desires to be clothed with our glorified body. The earnest of the Spirit is a down payment of what is to come. It's enough to make the true believer hungry for the fulfillment.
 
But the main point to be made is that this word in the Greek is being used to describe the changing of bodies. Whereas, the believer is longing to be clothed upon by his glorified body, these angels in some way left their angelic state, assuming a form to inter marry with human women, resulting in, as we have discovered, a hybrid race called the Nephilim.
 
So did Jesus go to hell?
 
Yes and no!
 

He went to Hell in the sense that during the three days He was in the grave, before His resurrection, He entered the underworld and took care of some things that had to be finished.
 
It appears from my understanding that what would have happened is that He would have gone to Abraham's bosom and said, "The Messiah you waited for was me. I have come and accomplished the Father's will. Whereas, the blood of bulls and goats in the Old Testament couldn't remove your sin, My sacrifice has accomplished the Father's will. And now I'm leading captivity captive. In other words, "I'm (Jesus) bringing you Old Testament saints home with me to glory, but wait here just a second, because I have one other thing I have to do first."
 
Then He descended to Tartarus and heralded a truth to these spirits in prison who had rebelled so long ago. "Your plan failed. Your attempt to stop the plan of redemption didn't work, I was manifest in the flesh as the seed of the woman. And I offered my spotless life as ransom for the sins of the sons of Adam. And in a couple more thousands of years, there will be a finality brought to your evil plans."
 
So what were they (fallen angels) attempting to accomplish by crossing these boundaries. What was their purpose?
 
These angels were trying to destroy the seed. And the enemy will try to destroy the seed.
 
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
 
From the moment this proclamation went forth, the serpent knew that there would be an offspring from the woman (Jesus was 100% God, while at the same time, He was 100% man) who would crush his head, which denotes a destruction of his power and authority. Therefore, a tactical move was made, attempting to corrupt the seed of the human race and taint it with a mixture of something that was other than human.
 
Furthermore, it should be understood that from this day moving forward, the enemy of God has been relentless in his attempt to destroy the seed of God's promise regarding the redemption of the human race:
 
Pharaoh (Exodus 1:15-17)
The story of Joseph (Genesis 45:4-8)
Haman (Esther 3:1-6)
Herod (Matt 2:14-16)
Hitler
 
Why is this important for us to know?
 
1 Corinthians 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
 
I have made this point before, but it's something that I believe we must keep upon the forefront of our minds. Somewhere in the pre-Adamic past, Lucifer, Jesus called him Satan, shook his fist in the face of God, and said, "I will be like the most high. I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven (Isaiah 14:13,14).
 
Now, we have to understand that God knew all along this would happen in advance. He knew that Lucifer would fall. He knew that Adam would go the way of the serpent (1 Peter 1:18). As a matter of fact without a true choice free will cannot be exhibited. Now, man is faced with a legitimate choice each and everyday on whether or not he will serve God or not.
 
I cannot help but think about the fact that these celestial beings saw the glory of God and were even in His presence, experiencing His magnitude; yet, somehow, they chose instead to be worshiped rather than giving worship to the worthy one.
 
God is going to use us, frail, inferior humanity, who cannot see the glory of God with physical eyes, and have therefore been asked to believe by faith to bring judgment on the rebellious angels. I don't know if we will be used as witnesses on the eternal witness stand or how it works, but somehow, He will use is who couldn't see to judge them who could see.
 
Now, do you see why it's so important for us to understand how to walk in the finished work of Christ? Because, God is desiring, so badly, a people who will believe His Word, walk in His victory, and begin to see the big picture. What's the big picture? God's creating an eternal family for the purpose of eternal fellowship, and at some point, when He's done giving birth to that family, He's going to bring evil to an end, and He's chosen to use us as part of that plan. We represent Him in the land. We stand as lights in the midst of the darkness, living a life of separation for the world to see that there's a different way to go.
 
That's why I keep saying that I want my spirit to love Jesus more than my flesh loves sin because He's been cheated on enough, and I don't want to be the next one to bring reproach upon His name!

Comparison of how word spirits is translated differently as demon, men and angels depending on the context in the scripture:

#12 Did Jesus Go to Hell? Part 2: The Nephilim

Did Jesus go to Hell?
Part 2: The Nephilim
 

Ephesians 4:7-10
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
 
Last week we started down a path, attempting to explain this phrase:
 
Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
 
The question was asked: did Jesus go to hell?
 
Another good question to ask would be: if Jesus went to hell, what did He do while He was there?
 
These are questions that we will answer before we're done, but they won't be answered tonight.
 
1 Peter 3:19-20
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
 
This is really the scripture upon which these questions hinge. Who were the spirits, and where is this prison? Once again, these questions will be answered next week.
 
Jude 1:6-7
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
 
We already introduced the thought that much of these scriptures and thoughts are connected to sins committed by angels with human women. Another question that arises is: why? Why would these angels want to do such a thing? As we discussed last week humanity, before Babel, collectively knew God's proclamation to the serpent that the seed of the woman would crush his head (Genesis 3:15). The first family was present for this discourse, and this proclamation of God would have been disseminated through oral tradition until it was penned in the book of Genesis. As we discussed before, after Babel, people groups would have carried with them their version of the story, which explains why there are varying mother- child deities in every culture known to man.
 
Just as humanity was now made aware of God's plan for redemption, from this point moving forward, the serpent was also aware that in some way, the seed of the woman would "crush his head." The head in the Bible oftentimes represents power and authority, so while Satan may not have known the plan of God exactly, he knew it was the seed of the woman who would conquer him. Therefore, it seems that this rebellion against God was a purposeful move to "infect" the woman's offspring to the point that the seed would no longer be of the woman, but an altogether different seed; thereby, thwarting the plan of God. I must say that the results of this move are far reaching, but for tonight, we will just stop here.
 
Genesis 6:1-2
nd it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
 
Job 1:6-8
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
 
Job 2:1
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.
 
The terminology, sons of God, in both the Genesis passage and the Job passage comes from the same root in the Hebrew, which is ben Elohim-- translated as Sons of God.
 
Genesis 6:1-2
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose....
 
The above Union produced the below offspring.
 
Genesis 6:4-7
There were giants [Nephilim] in the earth in those days; and also after...

[so the Bible clearly states that there were (Nephilim/ Giants) on the earth before and after the flood]
 

Genesis 6:4-7....that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Hebrews 13:2)
 
Matthew 22:30
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
 
Most of the time when people combat the thought of the Nephilim being the offspring of humans and angels, they use this verse out of Matthew. The context is that the Saducees are trying to trip Jesus up because they didn't believe in the resurrection. The way Jesus describes this scenario is that people in the resurrection are like the Angels of God in heaven. He's not saying that the resurrection saints are angels. He's saying that God's angels in heaven aren't married and engaging in married "business" and either are the resurrection saints. But He certainly in no way said that Satan's angels didn't.
 
Genesis 6:6-7 …And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
 
The Practices
 
Romans 1:23
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
 
(1) the unholy Union
(2) the unholy offspring
(3) and the continual evil going on in the minds of man.
 
I think that we will be able to prove as we examine the scriptures that these nephilim were teaching humans during this time frame and afterwards to worship the creation instead of the creator. And in the next class, I hope to make the point that the same thing is going on to some extent today. The "leftovers" of these nephilim are inciting God's creation to rebel against Him, and whether they realize it or not, worship Satan in the process.
 
Leviticus 18:1-10
Leviticus 18:21-25
Leviticus 19:1-2
 
Leviticus 19:26-31[1 Kings 18:28; Mark5:5// cutting and the occult]
 
Rounding the corners of the heads produced what is called a tonsure, and was worn by the Babylonian priests. Interestingly we have seen pictures of Catholic monks wearing their hair in a similar fashion when this verse is connected to Leviticus 21:5, we have this exact hair cut.
 
Leviticus 20:1-7
Leviticus 20:15, 16
Leviticus 20:22-27
Leviticus 21:5
 
The Place
 
The place that God promised Israel as their own was the land of Canaan. He had already in 2000 BC separated out for Himself a man named Abraham, through whom, He made a people for Himself. Now, the people have become a nation while slaves in Egypt, and His plan requires that they have a place of their own. It is to be a place of victory for them. It is to be a place where they can be a nation separated unto God for the purposes to bring Him praise and glory.
 
This place known as Canaan is the land that was inhabited by Noah's offspring from Ham whose son was Canaan, but there were also descendants of Ham's son Mizraim who were the Philistines. (Genesis 10:14)

And so the land that God promised His people Israel approximately 440 years after he called Abraham out of his father's house was filled with demonic sorcery and Satanic rituals.
 
Into the midst of this sin sickened condition, God plants His people Israel He created from Abraham. If you will notice this map, God placed His tribes into the land where all these Nephilim strongholds existed.
 
This thought raises many others questions in my mind:
 
(1) God is creating an eternal family.
(2) God chose then to use inferior humans that He created as vessels to defeat the forces of evil. Today, God is using inferior humans as vessels to house His Holy Spirit. Those who are in Christ, have become empowered through the plan and Spirit of God to trample scorpions and serpents, demon spirits, as God edges closer to bringing evil to an end.
(3) God will one day bring evil to an end, and in some way, He will use those that were believers as vessels of judgment for fallen angels (1 Corinthians 6:3)

I put this map here because I wanted to emphasize the point that God placed the nation He created right into the nest of sin. His plan has always been for His people to be a light in the midst of darkness; and furthermore, His plan is that His people would have victory over the forces of evil.
 
As we will see in the next section, when we describe the people that inhabited the land that God was giving Israel, a common denominator is that God's people are winning battles over their enemies.
 
More importantly there's no way that they could have been victorious in their own strength. God promised that He would drive the inhabitants in the land out, but Israel, through faith had to engage the battle and trust Him to give them the victory-- he chooses to prove Himself by using frail humanity.
 
I would also like to consider the fact that God also sent Jesus the light into the midst of a world of darkness, and the darkness couldn't overcome the light of God (John 1:5). Lastly, just as Israel's purpose was to be the light of God and dispel the enemies of the land through the strength of God, in the New Covenant, when a man is born again, that man becomes a partaker of the divine nature of God, and as we've been saying, there is a process taking place where when we allow the "new man" to grow in Christ, the new nature begins to dispel the old nature (2 Peter 1:4). Furthermore, victory over sin is given through God's grace, which we access through faith in the finished work of Christ.
 
The "People"
 
Numbers 13:27-33
And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
 
Deuteronomy 2:10-11
The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; Which also were accounted giants, as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.
 
Deuteronomy 2:20-22
(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims; A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the Lord destroyed them before
 
Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
 
13.5 ft. Long
6 ft. Wide
 
1 Samuel 17:4-9
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
 
Goliath 9'6"

Joshua 14:14-15
Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.
 
2 Samuel 21:15-17
Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
 
2 Samuel 21:20-22
And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
 
1 Chronicles 11:22-23
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day. And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.
 
The Egyptian= 7'8"
 
Amos 2:9
Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them,whose height was like the height of the cedars,and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above,and his roots from beneath.

Nephilim: TRUE STORY of Satan, Fallen Angels, Giants, Aliens, Hybrids, Elongated Skulls & Nephilim

By: Trey Smith