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The Great Exchange

Part XLI

In the last episode of The Great Exchange, we treated on the astonishing entrance of the Life of Jesus Christ, as He came to redeem this fallen world. One of the most stunning revelations in this material is the realization that when Christ brought His Life into what we call the Shadowlands (the earthly existence which Scripture recognizes as the Shadow, as opposed to the heavenly Substance), the divided nature of Satan's earthly domain was devastated.

In previous efforts, we have demonstrated how Satan's nature is associated with division, as his power is ignited through the actions of serving self. This is articulated in the devil's infamous assertions, seen in the prophet Isaiah:

"I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:13, 14).

These verses reveal the opposite of the divine nature of the kingdom of God. Jesus told us the true power of the Substantive kingdom of God, is accessed by doing the will of God.

"I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30). 

Satan's reversal of purpose, in which he had previously shone the light of God, was revealed in his moniker of Lucifer – which literally means Lightbearer.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" (Isaiah 14:12).  

As Lucifer altered course from doing the will of the Father to seeking his own will, we see a strange reversal of Spiritual polarity, which is frequently echoed in the Prophetic Metaphors found in Scripture.

For example, in the Old Testament we find an episode associated with a religious rebellion involving the two sons of Aaron. Once again, this cycle recapitulates the Zecharian principle of "two parts" (Zechariah 13:8) that "shall be cut off and die," juxtaposed against the "third part" (Zechariah 13:9) that is redeemed. The account relates to the aberrational Spiritual power exhibited by Lucifer.

"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not" (Leviticus 10:1).

In this mysterious episode, we see a shadow of the heavenly act wherein Lucifer sought to change the divine equation, and do his own will.

"And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord" (Leviticus 10:2).

Lucifer's fall is essentially the ultimate attempt at division, as the fallen angel sought to divide the kingdom of God with his self serving effort.

The Word of God tells us the power of Lucifer is related to what the Apostle Paul referred to as the mystery of iniquity (II Thessalonians 2:7) --  and God has allowed this reversal of purpose to continue, as it has become an element of His divine plan for mankind.

Another one of the streams of thought the Lord has revealed in the present work is how God speaks to the people of this world through the Scriptures, using the language of Prophetic Metaphor. Instead of viewing the many verses of the Bible which simply sound like some flowery, poetic form of creative writing, the Scriptures communicate epic truth through this timeless type of linguistic expression.

The present chapter in Isaiah, which carries Lucifer's declarations, is an excellent example. Commonly thought to describe the Millennial rest by the Literalists (when the LORD supposedly rules in person for 1,000 years on the earth based on a shallow read of Revelation 20:2), the Millennial texts in Revelation actually speak of the present Spiritual reality for the believer, in the Substance of heaven, as Christ reigns in the kingdom of God NOW.

"The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since [Satan is] laid down, no [tree faller] is come up against us" (Isaiah 14:7,8).

We're already dealt with the Spiritual nature of such passages, as the erroneous concept of a Literal rendering of the Millennial Reign of Christ would require a choir of singing trees! The perception of a physical interpretive approach, when the LORD is obviously communicating things in a Spiritual vein, is indicative of the lack of discernment seen in Nicodemus.

Taken aback at the admonition that to continue as a "master of Israel" (John 3:10) he is now required to be "born again," the inability to perceive things in the Spiritual realm indicated that Nicodemus desperately needed to import the Life of Christ.

"If I have told you of earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John 3:12).

Back in Isaiah, the prophet proclaims the awesome victory of the cross, and the desolation inherent in Satan's foolhardy attempt at dominion. Further, both components of the Perdition Engine – the Satanic system of division where Hell feeds into Death – are present. 

"Hell from beneath is moved to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee" (Isaiah 14:9).

The arena in which this astonishing appraisal occurs is the earth, which we've already established is the Shadow, completely apart from the Divine Life found in heaven. In fluid language designed to be understood by men and women throughout the ages, the setting of Satan's recompense is the earth.

"They that see thee shall [contemptuously] look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?" (Isaiah 14:16).

Revelation tells us the dragon is cast out of the kingdom of God in heaven, and the redeemed believer, whose eternal life in Christ is now in the glorious temple of God, is the place where we are in unspeakable joy that the adversary is cast out.

"And the great dragon was cast out…and his angels were cast out with him…neither was their place found any more in heaven" (Revelation 12:9, 8).

Through the insidious doctrine of the Rapture Cult, Christians are frequently taught that Satan's removal from heaven will occur at some future point – but the verse describing the war in heaven tells us the salvation of our souls coincides with the ejection of the dragon to the earth.

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ" (Revelation 12:10).  

The redemption of the believer occurred when we gave our lives to Christ, and it was His Death and Resurrection power, which occurred so long ago, that translated us into His kingdom.

"[The Father] hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Colossians 1:13).

Notice how this verse is plainly phrased in the past tense. In short, you and I are in the kingdom of God – Now.

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them" (Revelation 12:12).

Those that dwell on the earth, are those that are deceived by the divided mind of Satan, imaged as the False Prophet.

"They that dwell on the earth [are those] whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 17:8).

Christian Media has previously shown the characteristics of the hemispheric halves of Satan's divided house are allegorically identified as Death and Hell. We've also shown the text uses a multitude of euphemisms, to metaphorically refer to these two entities.

Words like slay, destroy, and kill all reference the entity of Death, whereas deception, captivate, pride, anger, envy, and many more speak of Hell.

In Isaiah's epic utterance, when Satan's true nature is assessed, the language used mystically evokes both Death and Hell. This section of Scripture is jam packed with symbolic speech, as it describes Satan himself.

"Is this the man that…made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed [Death] the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners [Hell]?" (Isaiah 14:17).

"All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie [Death] in glory" (Isaiah 14:18).

"But thou art cast out [Hell] of thy grave [Death] like an abominable branch [Hell] and as the raiment [the covering, Hell] of those that are slain [Death], thrust through [Death] with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit [Hell]; as a carcase [Death] trodden under feet [Hell]" (Isaiah 14:19).

"Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial [Death], because thou hast destroyed [Death] thy land [the earth], and slain [Death] thy people" (Isaiah 14:20).

"Prepare slaughter [Death] for his children for the iniquity [Hell] of their fathers; that they do not rise [Death]" (Isaiah 14:21).

"For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 14:22).

The smashing of Satanic power documented in Isaiah's astonishing chapter has a doubled application. Whereas the twin entities of Death and Hell were subdued at the cross of Christ, Satan resurges in the church age, by reconfiguring the Perdition Engine so that Death and Hell occupied hosts in the Christian era.

We have previously shown how the infernal entity of Hell was nested in Jerusalem within the Jewish leadership that ultimately rejected Jesus. During the BC Old Covenant era, the demonic domain of Death was resident in the Gentile nations, and the Spirit of the LORD was always present in the prophet or godly king of the day.

After the power of Christ entered into the world, the twin entities were in great disarray, as they sought to cope with the glory Jesus unleashed. However, the Spirit of Hell migrated to the Christian church, and the power of Death, dislodged from the Gentiles through the incursion of Christ, entered into Jerusalem, and the Christ-rejecting Jewish people.

When Jesus asked His disciples what should become of Israel for their rejection of the Father's wonderful redemption, they pronounced the judgment. Shortly after Christ ascended, the LORD kept His promise, and removed what was left of physical Israel from His sight.

"They [said] unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons" (Matthew 21:41).

But that is only half of the story. After the devil's agenda was devastated through the entrance of the Son of God, the wicked one regrouped, and began the 2^nd phase of his campaign to be like the most high.

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished."

"Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man [or nation] is worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-26).

-- James Lloyd                

To Be Continued

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