EXPLORING THE KINGDOM OF GOD: THE ORIGINAL COMMISSION

Key Scriptures: Psalm 8:3-6; Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 2:15-17; Jeremiah 4:23-26; Ezekiel 28: 11-20; Isaiah 14: 12-
20; Romans 8:29-30

Learning Objectives:

1. You understand the rebellion that existed in heaven even before the creation of man and can explain
the results of Lucifer’s rebellion.
2. You understand why God created man and what His intended purpose was.
3. You are able to explain man’s original commission: what he was to conquer and subdue, and why.
4. You understand and are able to explain Satan’s strategy in Eden to gain control over the earth.
5. You understand and can explain the process that led to Adam’s sin.
6. You are able to explain the existence of two kingdoms on earth today.

Introduction:

Before there was sin on earth, there was sin in God's throne room. The angel Lucifer, who covered the throne
with another angel, had sparkling jewels that beamed with the light from being in the presence of God. The first
fight in the Kingdom began with a difference of opinions caused from self-interest and self-magnification. Lucifer
was unsatisfied with what he had and became too ambitious, wanting his own plan, instead of the plan of God.
The heart of an arch angel was lifted up because of his beauty.

Other angels agreed with his self-rule and followed him. They were attracted by the music that was built within
him and the fullness of wisdom. They were attracted with the precious stones that covered him, reflecting the
light of an invisible God that was greater than the shining face of Moses when he came down from Mt. Sinai.

With another angel, he once covered the place of the mercy seat in the heaven of heavens. These angels of God
would never sing together again.

The darkness would never again understand the light. Instead, the brightness of Jesus, who was manifested to
destroy his works, told his disciples; "... I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!" (Luke10:18).

And now, Lucifer became forever unnamed and nameless, only recognized as the devil, or part of a group of an
organized rebellion, a way of thinking called Satan, the seed of an ungodly way of thinking called “the flesh”
(Galatians 6:8-9).

I. In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God
in the beginning (John 1:1-2).
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A. The primary meaning of both the Hebrew words malkuth in the Old Testament and of the Greek word basileia
in the New Testament that are translated “kingdom” is the rank, authority and sovereignty exercised by a king.

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1. First of all, a kingdom is the authority to rule, the sovereignty of the king.

2. The Kingdom of God is His Sovereignty, His rule, His reign, His authority.

3. The Kingdom of God was, is, and will always be.

B. God's reign expresses itself in different stages through redemptive history. Therefore, men may enter into the
realm of God's reign in its several stages of manifestation and experience the blessings of His reign in differing
degrees.

1. God's Kingdom is the realm of the Age to Come, popularly called heaven; then we shall realize the
blessings of His Kingdom (reign) in the perfection of their fullness.

2. But the Kingdom is here now. It is an inner spiritual redemptive blessing. We can enjoy in part, but in
reality, the blessings of God's Kingdom (reign).

3. God’s kingdom is a limitless kingdom. It is an ever-expanding reign. It has always existed, it exists now,
and it will continue to expand throughout eternity in ways we cannot now know or imagine.

C. The Eternal God, Yahweh, always existed. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

1. No other being, and no other reality, came before God.

2. When nothing of our universe existed, He began to create; and the first thing He created was the
heavens - our universe and atmosphere - and the earth.

3. Remember that the seat of God’s throne in heaven is the source from which all of the resources of the
earth (and the rest of the universe) are found, since God’s will was for heaven to come to earth and to
be duplicated here.

II. In heaven, even before the creation of Adam & Eve, a rebellion began. The Scriptures give us a clue to a
warfare taking place in the heavens, one that continues to exist to this day.

A. Notice the account of creation in Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2

Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Gen. 1:2 “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God
was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

1. God by His nature doesn't create anything that is without form and is void or is dark.

2. Many theologians believe that these two verses refer to something cataclysmic or catastrophic that
happened.
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3. In the original text, Matthew 13:35, the mention of the “foundation of the world" refers to an overthrow
of the world.

“This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: ‘I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things
hidden since the creation of the world.’”

Jeremiah 4:23-26

I looked at the earth, and it was empty and formless.

I looked at the heavens, and there was no light.
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I looked at the mountains and hills,
and they trembled and shook.
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I looked, and all the people were gone.
All the birds of the sky had flown away.
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I looked, and the fertile fields had become a wilderness.
The towns lay in ruins,
crushed by the LORD’s fierce anger.

B. There was a time when God's anger was fierce. The light, the people, and the animals were gone.

1. Ezekiel 28 refers to the king and leader of Tyre. Scholars believe this king of Tyre, although a real king
also refers to Lucifer, the angelic being who fell and became Satan.

Ezekiel 28: 11-20 (read)

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Then this further message came to me from the Lord: 12 “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of
Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“You were the model of perfection,

full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
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You were in Eden,
the garden of God.
Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone
red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone,
blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper,
blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—
all beautifully crafted for you
and set in the finest gold.
They were given to you
on the day you were created.
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I ordained and anointed you
as the mighty angelic guardian.
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You had access to the holy mountain of God

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and walked among the stones of fire.

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“You were blameless in all you did
from the day you were created
until the day evil was found in you.
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Your rich commerce led you to violence,
and you sinned.
So I banished you in disgrace
from the mountain of God.
I expelled you, O mighty guardian,
from your place among the stones of fire.
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Your heart was filled with pride
because of all your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted
by your love of splendor.
So I threw you to the ground
and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.
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You defiled your sanctuaries
with your many sins and your dishonest trade.
So I brought fire out from within you,
and it consumed you.
I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of all who were watching.
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All who knew you are appalled at your fate.
You have come to a terrible end,
and you will exist no more.”

Note: The king of Tyre was a real king, but beginning with verse 11, the reference changes to the guardian
angel that was in Eden. The king of Tyre was never there. Neither could he have been on the holy
mountain of God. Lucifer was.

Isaiah 14: 12-20 (read)

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
you who destroyed the nations of the world.
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For you said to yourself,
‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
far away in the north.
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I will climb to the highest heavens
and be like the Most High.’
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Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead,
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down to its lowest depths.

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Everyone there will stare at you and ask,

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‘Can this be the one who shook the earth

and made the kingdoms of the world tremble?
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Is this the one who destroyed the world
and made it into a wasteland?
Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities
and had no mercy on his prisoners?’
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“The kings of the nations lie in stately glory,
each in his own tomb,
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but you will be thrown out of your grave
like a worthless branch.
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
you will be dumped into a mass grave
with those killed in battle.
You will descend to the pit.
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You will not be given a proper burial,
for you have destroyed your nation
and slaughtered your people.
The descendants of such an evil person
will never again receive honor.

 Lucifer was the anointed cherub. He had the seal of perfection. He was full of wisdom and perfect in
beauty.
 He was in Eden, the garden of God and on the holy mountain of God.
 He was a created being - blameless in his ways, until wickedness was found in him.
 He ruled second to God.
 He became lifted up in pride.
 The angel Lucifer was cast out of heaven for his ambitions.
 He did not want to serve the heirs of God, but wanted his throne above all.

C. Lucifer, God's anointed cherub, who led a rebellion against God, was cast down out of heaven and driven
from the Garden (not the same one as the one Adam & Eve were in).

1. Satan rebelled against God's authority.

 I will ascend to heaven.

 I will raise my throne above the stars of God.
 I will sit on the mount of assembly.
 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.
 I will be like the Most High
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2. Some scholars say Satan took with him a third of the angels (see Rev. 1:20; Rev. 12:4) - "angels" - "stars"
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(now demons)

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3. The fate of the devil and his angels was sealed the day they sinned. There's no redemption for them. God
prepared a lake of fire for them.

D. God’s plan for expanding His Kingdom is an eternal purpose, and God’s plan has been in effect since before
the beginning of creation.

1. “I AM” (Exodus 3: 14) is more than a simple statement of identity.… It is a declaration of the divine
control of all things.

2. God is self-existent. He does not depend on anyone or anything else to exist.

3. The name “I AM” encompasses each aspect of God’s nature, as well as all the other names by which He
is called in His Word.

E. The words “in the beginning” refer to time, and God is not subject to time; rather, He is the One who created
it. Therefore, Genesis refers to the beginning of our universe and of humanity.

1. Man was not created to dwell in time. He was created with dominion over it.

2. When the devil fell from immortality to mortality, he set his mind on man to bring him into his temporal
world, dwelling in a place of darkness away from the illuminating understanding of the Word of God.

3. When sin entered into the world, mankind fell into the essence of time, and he no longer had dominion
over time or life. He was now doomed to die.

4. We were originally created to be immortal like Adam who had dominion over time. We've seen this
domination available even in the Old Testament.

 Joshua prayed and time stood still.

 Isaiah spoke to the Lord for Hezekiah and time went backwards.

 One day Jesus walked across the sea, and the ship was three to four miles out. When he got on
board he dominated time and they got right back to the shore (John 6:21).

5. Our quality of life is determined by our effective use of time.

III. Satan had already been expelled from heaven when Adam and Eve were created, and his kingdom of
darkness and destruction was in operation.

A. The devil had seized the territory of earth, and God allowed him to do this— for His own purposes.

B. It is essential to recognize that Satan is never stronger than God.

1. He is a created being, and he was thrown out of heaven after he rebelled.

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2. God always has total control over everything He creates.

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C. Genesis 1: 2 says that “the earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters,” meaning
that the earth was in chaos and darkness because Satan had seized it; the presence of his kingdom always
results in such disorder and destruction.

IV. God, the great I AM, entered into the darkness and expelled it. He created the heavens, the earth and the
seas and He populated them. But the crown of His creation was man (Genesis 1:26-31).

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the
birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the
ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them.

A. Even in the midst of the darkness, God’s power to create was present, because the territory of earth did not
belong to Satan. He was a usurper.

B. Under the influence of God’s Spirit, the earth received light, order, and life. The waters parted, dry land
appeared, and plants and animals were brought into being.

C. God created man like Himself.

1. The “I AM” took man from His substance. We could also say that He reproduced Himself in man.

2. Man is meant to be on earth as God is in heaven.

Psalm 8:4-6

What are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?]
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Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
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You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—

3. Adam and Eve were the extension of God, and they were intended to make of earth what heaven is
like.

4. The natural world is subject to God’s will through people whom He uses as His instruments.

D. After creating Adam, God put him into the environment of His presence.

1. The word “Eden” means “pleasure” or “delight.” The word “garden” signifies “enclosure” or a “fenced”
place.

2. The Garden of Eden was the base of operations, or starting point, that God gave human beings, because
they were always meant to have His glory as their habitation.
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3. From this point forward, they were to expand God’s rule throughout the earth, bringing that glory with
them.

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E. One Bible scholar has concluded that Eden was not a physical location on earth since it is not mentioned in
Scripture again and can’t be found in other history or on a map.

1. He proposes that Eden was an open door, or entryway, into heaven.

2. It was an environment that was a “gate” or “portal” to heaven because God manifested His glory there.

3. Adam moved wherever the glory or presence of God moved.

4. We do see of such an experience that Jacob had. (Read Genesis 28:10-17).

V. God commissioned Adam and Eve to extend His Kingdom rule on earth throughout the whole earth, ruling it
as God rules heaven.

A. In this way, God gave human beings dominion not only over the natural world and everything in it, but also
over the enemy, who was still present on the earth.

B. Man was to expand His kingdom throughout the earth as His representatives and ambassadors:

1. God invested human beings with His power and authority (the right to rule) so they could have
dominion in three primary areas:

 ruler-ship over creation;

 power to perform the works of God
 authority over Satan, demons, and any other spirits

2. Human beings were to rule over creation— over nature, space, time, and matter.

3. They were to be kings over creation— under God. In line with this, they were given power to perform all
the works God called them to do.

4. Humanity also had authority over Satan and his demons, having the power to exercise dominion over
the enemy and subdue him.

C. Man had become the custodian of God's life and joy, but he had to exercise authority, his God-delegated right
to rule. We cannot talk about the meaning of the kingdom of God without including the subjugation of Satan
and his works.

Gen. 1:28 - "subdue" - Heb. kabash - "to tread down, conquer, or subjugate"

Gen. 2:15 - Heb. shanar – “to guard, to protect, to hedge in"

D. Adam was responsible to conquer and tread down any opposition to his authority in order to keep what God
had entrusted to him.

1. God’s original intention was for human beings to be the agents that would carry out heaven’s laws on
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earth.
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2. Adam had been given authority to rule over all the works of God's hands. Remember - Lucifer was a
created being.

 Adam was to conquer the attacks and temptations of Satan and to guard the Garden against him.

 They were to subdue Satan and his kingdom— to bring him under control by spiritual force.

E. Human beings were meant to continue to fill the earth with God’s kingdom through succeeding generations
born from Adam and Eve and their children.

1. If Adam remained as God created him, God would have a large family like His Son Jesus.

2. God could have created the whole human family at once. Instead, He gave the ability to reproduce to
Adam, who would be liable for the yet unborn children who would fulfill the heart-joy of the Father.

VI. Satan had his own plan.

A. The devil desired to shroud the earth in darkness once again. To do this, he had to recover his rule by taking
the territory away from man.

B. God had granted man authority over the earth; therefore, the only legal way Satan could regain it was if Adam
and Eve gave it to him.

1. Lucifer, who rejected God's authority, refused to recognize Adam's rule over him.

2. Satan's thinking: God is a fair God. For him to be legitimate and to make it easier on himself, he needed
to get Adam and Eve to sin in the same way he did.

a) Disobey God
b) Lift themselves up in pride
c) Try to be like God but without God.

C. Satan’s plan was to make human beings fall from the glory of God by means of rebellion and disobedience —
the same way by which he had fallen.

1. As he always does, he looks for an opportunity.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone
to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

2. He presents himself as something different than what he is in an attempt to deceive.

Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14b)

 In the Garden, he appeared in the form of a serpent. The Word says he was more cunning than any
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beast of the field which the Lord God had made.

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 The Bible is silent as to when or how Satan entered Eden. The only thing that is on record in
Scripture is Adam’s surrender to temptation.

 However, we must understand that if Satan entered Eden, the dwelling place of God’s glory, then
God had allowed him to do so.

 God didn’t intervene, because He had given that territory to Adam and Eve. They had been given the
authority to rule that territory.

3. He distorts the Word of God.

 God had said: “… You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

 Satan said: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

D. Even though Adam was master of his domain, his authority was delegated; i.e. entrusted to him by God.
Therefore, Adam was required to submit to the One who has all authority.

1. They were given one restriction. They were not to eat of the tree with the fruit of the knowledge of good
and evil.

 The fruit was a tangible symbol placed in the midst of the garden by the Lord as a test of man's
obedience and as a sign of his dependence on Him.

 The meaning of the "tree" is none other than being active outside of God, seeking what is good
according to one's own thoughts and ways.

 All independent actions are sin.

2. In contrast, the tree of life signifies the life of God, the uncreated life of God. It represents "trust".

 The purpose of God was for Adam to choose for himself the tree of life so that he might be related
to God in divine life.

 As a result, Adam would move from simply being created by God to being one in whom the Life of
God could exist and through whom it could flow.

 God wanted Adam to deny his created, natural life and be joined to Him in divine life, thereby living
daily by the life of God.
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 But to do so required total dependence on God and the maintenance of constant fellowship.
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E. When Adam sinned he became guilty of the same sin of Lucifer – disobedience and rebellion.

1. The act of sinning was not the cause of Satan's fall; that act was but the product of his rebellion against
authority.

2. Satan violated God's authority while trespassing against God's holiness.

3. When Adam sinned, he relinquished the territory and his authority to rule to Satan.

4. Now there are two principles in the universe: God's authority and Satan's rebellion. And there are two
kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.

F. The results of Adam’s sin were catastrophic. Man went from being God’s governor on earth to being ruled,
manipulated, and controlled by the enemy of his soul.

1. Now the controversy of the universe is centered on who shall have the authority.

2. Thank God! He had already designed a plan of redemption through the blood of the perfect Lamb, who
would pay the price for our sin and restore us to dominion over the enemy and his kingdom of darkness
(Genesis 3:15)!

VII. In reading about the fall of man, we read it as one event that took place, but that does not follow the
pattern of sin. On closer examination, we might discover four phases that happened over a period of time:

A. Adam was aware of his coexistence with evil.

Genesis 2:9 “… in the middle of the Garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

1. When Adam was placed in the garden, he was aware of the presence of the enemy’s kingdom.

2. He knew that good would be coexisting with evil on earth— at least for a while.

3. At the same time that God bestowed dominion on Adam, He gave him instructions about what to do
with evil. These instructions were to subjugate and rule it.

4. Adam had the ability to resist and conquer Satan and his kingdom when confronted with temptation,
because he had not yet sinned.

5. Since he was aligned with God and His Spirit, evil had to submit to his rule.

6. Adam’s job was to place Satan underfoot and force him to submit, to dominate him, and bring him
under subjection.
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7. This was because Adam’s purpose was to carry out God’s will by governing, protecting, and spreading
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His kingdom on the planet.

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B. Adam began to tolerate evil.

Genesis 3:4-5 “You will not surely die. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil.”

1. To coexist with evil does not mean to tolerate it.

2. Adam and Eve tolerated the serpent, Satan, and allowed him to influence them.

3. By dwelling on Satan’s statements, Adam gave the evil one the right to touch his life and to encroach on
his relationship with God.

 The evil you tolerate will become the evil that destroys you.

 Each of us tolerates certain sins and wrong elements in our lives, even though we know they
displease God— evil thoughts, attitudes, actions, and habits; people who are detrimental to our
spiritual and emotional health; and more.

 Many of us don’t realize that, by tolerating them, we are following in the footsteps of Adam and
giving the enemy the right to invade our “Eden” and erode our fellowship with God, so that our
access to His presence is blocked.

4. A person’s disobedience is the devil’s legal authorization to attack him.

5. The strategy of the deceiver is to wear us out mentally, emotionally, and physically until we finally give
in and fall.

 Satan and his demons observe us and know our weaknesses.

 They wait for the opportune moment to tempt us in our weakest area, often by deceit, until we
lower our guards and submit.

 The devil will not stop until he sees you fall down, so do not argue with him or entertain his
ungodly suggestions.

 You must rebuke him— cast him out—immediately!

 Regardless of how logical or good those thoughts or arguments might seem as you try to
rationalize them, his goal is to destroy you— to kill you!

C. Adam lost the fear, or reverence, of the Lord

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Proverbs 8:13a To fear the Lord is to hate evil.

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1. To fear the Lord is to reverence, honor, and respect Him. It means to be in awe of Him.

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2. Adam went from coexisting with evil to tolerating it, and from tolerance of evil to losing the fear of the
Lord, which guards us against yielding to evil.

3. When Adam became indifferent to the dangers of evil, he soon entered into a relationship with it.

4. Evil is not held back if we lose our reverence for the Lord.

5. God’s Word tells us that if we fear the Lord, we will hate evil— not allow it to influence us!

6. Losing the fear of the Lord leads to a loss of sensitivity to evil; we no longer see its dangers and
consequences, and we compromise the truth.

D. Adam finally sinned (Genesis 3:6). He and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.

1. Here we see the final stage in Adam’s descent. He went from coexisting with evil to tolerating it to losing
the fear of the Lord to falling from God’s glory into the curse of sin.

2. In this way, human beings lost their dominion and their life in the presence of God.

3. What is more, they lost the territory He had given them, and they entered into Satan’s bondage.

4. In essence, Adam gave the enemy the keys to his life, and that is how Satan took over the ruler-ship of
the earth.

5. Jesus called the devil “the ruler of this world” and Paul echoed this description by referring to him as
“the god of this world.”

John 12:31 “The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.”

John 14:30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no
power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.”

2 Corinthians 4:4a “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.”

VIII. It is important to realize that two kingdoms exist on earth today.

A. Throughout the New Testament we are taught that this world— the kingdom of this world— is separated
from God, is under His judgment, and is at enmity with God.

1. There is such a thing as the kingdom of the world and the devil, Satan, is the ruler of that world.

2. We are taught that the people of Christ are being rescued out of the kingdom of the world into a
different kingdom, the kingdom of Christ.

B. When you seek to understand what is going on in the world, whether on a global scale or in your hometown
or in your workplace or in your own home, do you think in these terms— that the world is a fallen kingdom ruled
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by the devil?
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1. Or do you think only in terms of politics, economics, family, commerce, social structures, nations,
ethnicities, psychology, or any other of dozens of categories?

2. Do you leave out entirely the all-encompassing category of the kingdom of the world and the devil, its
ruler?

C. We must be aware that there is a spiritual being who is powerful enough to rule hearts and minds of men and
the earth itself.

1. He rules over other powerful spiritual beings.

2. He manifests his will in the horrors, and pain, and suffering of humans every day.

D. The way you think about these two kingdoms, what you believe about them, will impact how you live every
day, as well as your constant state of mind.

1. Jesus came to take back His kingdom from the kingdom of the world, controlled by Satan.

2. God’s plan of expanding His kingdom over the earth through human beings did not begin with our
redemption in Jesus.

 It is not just a response to the fall of mankind.

 It is an eternal purpose, and God’s plan has been in effect since before the beginning of creation.

3. No longer do we need to be dominated and controlled by circumstances, problems, and Satan. We can
live a victorious life and once again exercise the dominion that Adam and Eve lost.

E. People were created to “have dominion,” or to rule.

1. They were God’s legal representatives to apply or enforce His Kingdom laws on earth (Genesis 1:28).

2. The prevailing principle of the Kingdom of God is permanent expansion.

VIII. The plan of God to destroy the seed of the serpent, was given to Adam, shown in detail to Enoch, and while
they still walked the earth, the baton of faith was passed to his great-grandson Noah, then to the evangelist
Abraham (he was 57 when Noah died), and spread by word of mouth by many who prophesied different details
of the Messiah, the mighty God, who would be given as a son.

Genesis 3:14-15

Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

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“Because you have done this, you are cursed

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You will crawl on your belly,

groveling in the dust as long as you live.
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And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

Isaiah 9:6-7

For a child is born to us,

a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
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His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!

A. Gabriel, who stood in the presence of God, rejoiced with the Lord and his holy angels when the time came to
deliver the message of the coming Messiah to Mary, of the Word being made flesh on earth within her.

1. Instructions from heaven were given (let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven) for us to replenish
the earth with heavenly dominion and power.

2. Adam, the original “governor” of the planet had failed to accomplish this responsibility.

3. But, The Son of God was given to us as promised. We would return to a dominion of a kingdom that
would be set up and have no end (Daniel 7:13-14).

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He
approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty
over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule
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is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

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4. Jesus came to take back His kingdom.

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 Jesus came to rescue His kingdom from the kingdom of the world, which is controlled by Satan.

 This one truth, if we really believe it, can change our lives and give direction to our living every
day in every aspect - if we really believe it.

B. Although Satan would make an attempt to use Herod to destroy the Messiah at the earliest stages, at any
cost, a higher ranking destiny would be fulfilled (Matthew 2:13-16). “This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken
through the prophet: ‘I called my Son out of Egypt.’”

C. When John the Baptist prepared the way for the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom endured violence until
Jesus came with the activity of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 11:12).

And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully
advancing, and violent people are attacking it.

D. Already we see the elements of this great conflict into which Jesus entered.

E. As soon as a voice from heaven proclaimed "This is my beloved Son," He was led by the Spirit in the
wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. (Luke 4:1).

1. It is the devil, Satan, whom Jesus must now engage at the very beginning of His earthly ministry.

2. The Apostle John was later to summarize the life and ministry of Jesus by saying that “the reason the
Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

3. And the devil, in this particular temptation in the wilderness, promises to give to Jesus “all the kingdoms
of the world and their glory” if Jesus will worship him.

4. Although we know that the devil is a liar, we must accept his ability to deliver on this promise or it would
have no plausibility at all – nor would it be the last temptation.

F. Jesus often referred to the devil and his role in the world, both as its ruler and as the adversary. (Parable of
the Weeds and Parable of the Sower)

1. Much later as Jesus’ earthly ministry approached its conclusion, after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem
and as Jesus knew that His crucifixion was imminent, He said:

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”

2. As He spoke with His disciples to prepare them and reassure them, He said,

“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as
the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”

G. When God came to earth in His Son Jesus Christ, Satan was the earth’s “landlord”— humanity had to pay him
“rent” in the form of suffering the rule of his kingdom of darkness.
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1. Yet the Son of God willingly separated Himself from His glory and majesty in heaven to be conceived by
the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin in order to save us from our bondage.
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2. Jesus was begotten of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, but He also needed to be born of a woman to
be fully human as well as fully God.

Isaiah 7:14 “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will
give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

Luke 1:35 “The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.’”

H. In the wilderness, Jesus defeated the attack of Satan with the Word of God and it is still the Word and the
name of Jesus that defeats him today. Jesus restored humanity to dominion.

1. In these verses, we learn that Satan tried the same tactic with Jesus that he had used with Adam: tempt
Him to make Him sin and then defeat Him.

 The devil tempted Jesus three times, and each temptation was directed toward His identity as the
Son of God.

 It is interesting to consider that Jesus had the power to do everything the devil asked Him to do, but
He did not do it because the temptation was not a valid foundation on which to manifest the power
of God.

 The Father had not given Jesus authority and power just to establish His identity but to defeat the
devil’s kingdom.

 Jesus did not need to prove anything to the devil. He simply refuted the three temptations with the
Word of God, thereby defeating him.

2. Adam’s experiences with the devil in the Garden of Eden were very different from Jesus’ experiences,
even though there were some important similarities.

 Adam dealt with a being who had been thrown out of heaven and had no legal status on earth.
Satan had not been given dominion over anything.

Revelation 12: 9 “This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole
world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.”

 Through Adam’s sin, Satan was able to take over legal possession of the territory of earth.

 Jesus, therefore, came into the world to deal with a being who had usurped mankind’s authority and
established himself as the one in charge.

 Jesus confronted him in spiritual warfare as a Man and not as God.

If He had done so as God, the devil never would have been able to try to oppose Him. He
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o
would have been immediately defeated without any problem.
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o The point is that, by God’s decree, dominion over the earth had been given to human
beings.

o This is why Satan had to defeat Adam, a man, in order to rule the world.

o It is also why Jesus had to come to earth as a Man to destroy the works of the devil and
conquer him forever.

3. There is another significant difference between the experiences of Adam and Jesus.

 Adam was created and placed in Eden as an adult man. He received direct, revealed knowledge from
God about the earth and his role in it, and he was surrounded by the Father’s glory.

 Jesus came to earth as a baby. He had to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.
o He had to come to understand, by means of His physical senses, how the natural world
functions.

o He received spiritual revelation from continually seeking the Father through prayer and
communion with Him, spending hours and hours in God’s presence.

 While Adam was tempted by Satan in the middle of a garden full of delicious fruit ready to be eaten,
Jesus was tempted by Satan after spending forty days fasting in the desert.

I. Following the victory He won in the wilderness, Jesus returned from the desert “in the power of the Spirit”
(Luke 4: 14) to begin His mission.

1. Jesus conquered Satan as a Man to demonstrate that it is possible for a human being to overcome
temptation through the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Through the Spirit, Jesus accomplished what Adam had failed to do.

3. God has permitted Satan to continue his warfare using guerrilla tactics such as harassment and
sabotage, but He has authorized the church, made up of individual believers, to declare His Word, use
His name, exercise His power, and enforce His victory over Satan.

4. Legally, God destroyed Satan once and for all. But He chose to freely give to each believer His authority
and His enablement in overcoming Satan. It is now our responsibility to establish Christ’s decisive victory
and free mankind from Satan’s grip over them.

5. What was lost when the first Adam sinned can only be restored through the redemptive work of the
second Adam, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
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HOMEWORK:

1. Who was Lucifer?

2. Explain the rebellion that existed in heaven even before the creation of man. What were the results of
that rebellion?
3. Why did God create man?
4. What was the original commission God gave to man? What was he to conquer and subdue, and why?
5. Explain Satan’s strategy in Eden to gain control over the earth.
6. What were the stages or process that led to Adam’s sin?
7. Explain the existence of two kingdoms on earth today.

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