Evolution in the Christian Universe

CHAPTER 8

LORDS AND GODS

In writing this book it became apparent a particular topic needed to be broached and hence this chapter. It is strange that a chapter about gods needs to be written but it does. What would gods have to do with the evolution debate- a proper understanding of the gods is relevant to a fuller knowledge of the bible and pertains to several places in this book. There has to be several finer distinctions made where often a blanket of ignorance is. However a blanket statement can be said, that God made mankind by operating through angelic entities. In writing of the origin of man then this issue needs to be addressed.

Heresy? To say there are "gods" is sacrilegious to many, perhaps the bulk, of mainstream Christians. Yet many cults associated around Christianity recognize the concept of gods in their teaching. Funnily enough these cults are more accurate in some regards than the mainstream Christians on this matter, although are heretical on the more essential truths, e.g. there is recognition of the existence of gods but classify Jesus as one of these gods before the incarnation, not as God. Often the more mainstream Christians do not admit to the existence of any gods, (with which they are incorrect), but do believe in the Word, who is the source of all creation but is apart from creation, being God who came in the flesh, (see John 1:1-3). This last belief is a tenet of the Faith.
Those who have a false doctrine are more accurate in some ways in some points than those who have the right doctrine. Those with the right doctrine are wrong in some of the more peripheral points. Because of this some of those in the cults are not convinced of the truth whereas they otherwise might be; what they know is not recognized by those who are intent on refuting them. In parallel to this those who are wrong on the more peripheral points are not able to be taught by the ones who have a better understanding, since it seems that it is just further blasphemy.
Further complication to the matter of the gods is that people have made idols of stone and wood, silver and gold, and called them gods. These are obviously are not gods and indeed are less than nothing. 1Cor. 10: 19-20 has this to say, "What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you partners with demons." Deuteronomy 4:15-19 expressly forbids the making of any idol. In this essay the term god or gods is not synonymous with these made idols.
Providentially the Holy Spirit leads to light all truth and the truth is in the scriptures, the sword of the Spirit. In Isaiah 43:10 God speaking to Israel says "You are my witnesses and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed nor shall there be any alter me."
And "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: 'I am the first and the last; besides me there is no god.'" Is.44:6. So the bible makes clear that God says that he is the one true God.

And Yet The bible has numerous references to "gods" and other associated terms, i.e. lords, heavenly beings, sons of gods, sons of God etc. There are a dozen references to these gods in the Psalms.

How can there be other gods in existence in the light of the two verses already quoted from Isaiah? - "…Before me no god was formed nor shall there be any after me." And, "...I am the first and the last; besides me there is no god." Another two verses from the same book developing the same thoughts gives a hint.
Is. 40: 25-26 "To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing". Those on high mentioned in these two verses are the various lords and gods; there are whole armies of them and their positions. In the way God has set up creation there are many lords and gods.1Cor. 8:5-6 "For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth- as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'- yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." In the first part of verse five Paul is talking about the inventions of man, that is not actual deities but names, idols, "so called gods", that pagans have fabricated, going back to verse 4 makes this clearer. In the second part of verse 5 Paul admits to the reality of numerous gods- "as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'"
Then in verse 6 Paul explains that these lords and gods owe their existence to the one and only true God, "…from whom are all things..." These were brought into existence by his Word, (see John 1: 1-3). Colossians 1:15-17 Expands on this theme saying, "He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities-all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Divine Appointment The lords and gods mentioned in the scriptures quoted are these thrones, dominions, principalities and authorities. Psalm 148:5(b) states "For he commanded and they were created." This appointing of other gods and lords by the one Lord and God can be plainly seen in Exodus. The Lord in chapter seven verse one says to Moses, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet." Pharaoh was already as a god to the Egyptians. So these lords and gods were agents of God in the making of man, it is these entities that assisted in making Adam. God created them, conferred authority on them and through them worked to create human kind. Just like God operated in Moses to bring the people out of Egypt and appointed Moses to be as God in this area.
If a look is taken how God gave Moses the Law the use of angelic intermediary is seen. In Exodus 24:12 the Lord tells to Moses to come up the mountain and wait there and he would be given the tablets of stone with the law and commandments the Lord had written for their instruction, then in Ex.31:18 the Lord gives Moses these stone tablets. Although in Exodus it is the Lord that gives the law in Acts 7:53 Stephen's address to the high priest and council says, "…you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." In Hebrews 2:2 it says, "For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution." And in Galatians 3:19-20 it states; "Why the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one; but God is one." So the Lord acted through angels in handing Moses the Law. A little more will be said about the law but for all the intricacies of the law will need a concordance to plough through the New Testament's revelation of it. Through angels Moses received the Law which is good and just, but no one could fully keep it, because of the Law sin found opportunity to flaunt it. But if the Law was not given it would have been absolute pandemonium, the Law was like a baby sitter until the time of the One who was to come; God came to us in his Son full of grace and truth and light, he fulfilled the just requirement of the Law. So everyone who is in Christ Jesus is not under the Law but grace, they have died to the Law and are made alive to God. Against love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control there is no law. Initially we were created lower than the angels but our inheritance in Christ supersedes the angels.
The role of angels can be seen in other places in the bible when the angel of the Lord contacts different persons to speak to them. In the ensuing conversations the text does not make it clear if it is God speaking or the angel speaking to the human person; the characters of the angel of the Lord and the Lord are interposed. The lack of a clear distinction between whether it is the angel speaking or God is to do with the theology of the situation. God is not apart from his word and although it is an intermediary conveying the words insofar as they are the Lord's words and as intended it is the Lord speaking. Zechariah is shown by an angel the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan was there accusing the high priest. Then the Lord says to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" See Zech.3:1-2. The Lord which speaks to Satan is the angel of Lord who is the overseer of the affairs of Israel and Joshua; because he is an overseer he is a lord. But all these things are for the Lord God. It is the Lord God who is referred to in "…the Lord rebuke you, O Satan!" the One who chose Jerusalem. The angel of the Lord in contending with Satan does not have the authority to pronounce judgment over Satan, who also has angelic authority and power from God, therefore the angel of the Lord appeals to the authority of the Lord. See also Jude8-9.

A Mystery It is pertinent to explain further other aspects about these angelic people. The mystery of lawlessness, how can there be evil when a God who is good, holy and pure, reigns. The just, holy and pure God is not evil and knows evil in three ways. Firstly God is all knowing and knows what is in the darkness. Secondly as Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, experienced evil times and being sinless he became as sin on the cross. Thirdly the lords and gods, the created entities upon whom God bestowed authority had become evil. Perhaps not all of them however like a business or company that is corrupt, therefore as the corporate God-Elohim- knows evil, although God, the founder and president of the company is not corrupt. All authority is of God and regarding bad authority, the bad is not of God. Similarly to a corrupt police officer, the position of police officer is one of respect even if the character of the person is contemptible.

Satan- ology God's appointment, God's placement of these dominions and powers was for perfect harmony and synchrony, "when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:7. Perfect symmetry, it was very good, however it did not remain so. Corruption came to be from one of them and spread to a few more of them. Peace was not their bind and these spirits did not share the Spirit of Unity. It has not been plainly explained the exact happenings and circumstance of Satan, his angels and the demons, of the evil dominions and powers, the hoards of wickedness in the heavenlies. However going by the various figures of the bible e.g. Is. 14, Ezek. 28 and 31 etc it is something like- Satan was created as Lucifer the morning star, a perfect being, the top notch cherubim, perhaps the creature of the highest order of creation. Gifted, rich in intelligence, wisdom, and music, he was beautiful without iniquity. However to make himself greater for his own splendor he distorted himself to himself, destroying full insight to receive a puffed up version of himself, the truth that he was not God became hatred of God. The force for good Lucifer should be became sin, Satan is that which was good corrupted and his intrinsic being and essence destroyed to be the devil. Lucifer was to be the mechanics to those lower by which God's light came through. Lucifer the bearer of light, created perfect, Creation's face toward God the shelter over the rest of creation. God is a God of light but God's light was occluded, Satan found many to follow him, those angels who enjoyed the deceit of sin more than the truth. When evil is brought into the light it seen to be evil, evil is known to be wrong and evil by the light, its true nature is exposed. Lucifer in such a high position became so pleased with himself so to acknowledge that he was only a creature; all he was and had was given to him by God, was painful. Lucifer chose the self-determining of his pride rather than truth.
The first demonic power is seen because Lucifer pandered to his own splendor, the first thief and theft is seen as Lucifer tried to steal the rightful glory, praise and worship due to God. The first lie and falsity is seen because the Devil lied into his own being becoming the first liar and father of lies, and hence darkness. The source of sickness, insanity and disease, the most pathetic being and entity in creation and the universe, endowed with so much, become such a wretched cripple, his destiny is not to be as God but to be brought low, not to exalt in glory but to burn in hell. In Lucifer we see the first false god and idol, and the first idolater. The singularity of all evil, it is in him, every type and species of evil he is its source. Satan automatically holds all the patents, copyrights and trademarks of evil, every murder, idolatry, theft and so on. Although Satan is the singularity of evil he himself is not a well rounded and integrated personality; he is the source of schisms and broken symmetry.
The delusion harbored by the Devil- as Lucifer died to become-was he was as God and was to be worshipped; it was beneath him to serve. No matter how high an office a person may obtain, and prestigious the position, the role is one of service. The President of the United States is there to head the nation and hence serve the nation. A mayor of a city is for the running of the city and so serving its citizens. The CEO of a corporation serves the shareholders.
The Devil from the beginning the author of lies and deceit, the father of all murder spread his sin throughout causing disorder. That which Lucifer should have made available Lucifer hogged for his-self being evilly jealous for it. What the Devil did not have he coveted and envied destroying it if he could not steal it. That who did not attach to Satan, Satan maligned. Instead of synchrony there was hostility, rivalry and pettiness: instead of light darkness. But for God, the God of gods, there would be utter chaos. God established his rule through these entities, (maybe by polarizing them, perhaps a couple of times), laying down his plan. Through the cross God has overthrown Satan making a public spectacle of them (the hoards of wickedness and the evil dominions and powers in the higher realms) and their ways. Now through the Church God is belittling these dominions and powers manifesting his manifold wisdom. God uses the lowly to bring down the high. Whereas Satan saw the welfare of others too lowly for him Jesus as head of the Church is its savior, nourishing and cherishing it; whereas Satan rebelled against and disobeyed God's rightful rule the Church reverences Christ just as Christ reverences God. Whereas these lords and gods bickered and fought in futile selfishness the members of the Church are subject to each other and share a bond of unity knit together in love, willing to suffer for good being, reconciled together from diversity, in Christ there is neither slave or free, Jew or Gentile nor male or female. God's manifold wisdom is demonstrated to these powers and principalities through the Church. Creatures of mud taken from the trees God sees fit to bestow greater glory, splendor, and majesty, infusing them with God's own-self. Obviously there are and have been schisms, divisions, jealousy, strife and corruption in the earthly churches; strangely enough these things are the fruit of these dominions and powers, these lords and gods. Although the human ones who cause dissension are not guiltless it is by being party to the spirit of these foul ones.
Satan, that wicked wily old serpent caused Adam's downfall whereby Adam ceded to Satan and his lot entitling them to Man's world and death reigned. Satan is now god of this world because of Adam's transgression. Satan and these armies of wickedness in the high places have already been judged at the cross whereby God laid upon Jesus all sin of Man thus satisfying the just requirement of the Law, for Jesus was a truly innocent man. The time is short for Satan but even so he still fights, he is that element of sin causing unbelief in Jesus and God residing in the old man Adam. God poured out his love and life by Jesus Christ's life and death, this uncreated price far exceeding the highness of Satan's mode of existence and created dimensions. Jesus is shown to be righteous, being raised from the dead and ascending above all. The members of the Church too, are raised up with Christ, far above all these lords and gods, far above all dominions, principalities and powers. Through God's abundant grace and free gift of righteousness the Church reigns in life in Christ, sharing God's glory, manifesting God's wisdom and its many facets.
These entities, these lords and gods are passing away, are doomed to die like a human being. It will come to be they are differentiated down from their high and lofty habitations. Revelation chapter twelve records war arising in heaven, the arch angel Michael and his angels fight and defeat the dragon and his angels so that there is no longer any place for them in heaven. Because of this the devil is thrown down to earth, him and his angels. This will be a time of calamity for the earth. Isaiah 24:21-23 states after recording the utter broken state of the earth, "On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for the Lord will reign from Jerusalem and before his elders he will manifest his glory." This passage and Satan's course is explained and expanded on in Revelation, although Isaiah is full of other scriptures pertaining to these matters and is an explanation of Revelation. After being tossed to earth Satan, in great wrath, causes such great woe to the earth and sea is then bound up and cast into the abyss for a thousand years. Then the devil will be let loose for a little while to gather the nations for the final, (for them, futile), conflict against Gods chosen city before being thrown into hell, that is the lake of fire that burns forever. Then the dead are raised and judged and Death and Hades are also thrown into the lake of fire. After this Revelation speaks of a new heaven and a new earth; this new heaven and earth spoken of in Is.65:17, 66:22 and 2Peter3:13 and elsewhere in the bible where righteousness and faithfulness dwell. Mercy and justice are married together; these lords and gods no longer reign, for creation has been cleansed of them. The hope of creation is to be set free from its bondage to decay and given the glorious liberty of God's child when the Sons of God are revealed. See Rom.8:18-25.

Made by Angels versus Evolution? The question is begging from this chapter in light of the subject of this book; how can evolution and natural selection be a possibility if beings made the human race? These entities exist on other planes other than the three dimensions through time. The natural selection process happens at and in the three dimensions over time. These other spheres of existence are not readily accessible to us so there can not be great detail spent on these matters. Perhaps the other dimensions dealt with in theoretical physics and its mathematics maybe the domain of some of these entities, this would seem to be a legitimate, abstract and impersonal excursion into these realms. However access is also through the occult, an illegitimate source, the occult has Satan as its wellspring, any material gained is controlled by him, a liar at heart, and the persons doing so are also contaminated, defiled and infected, by these things. "He who digs a pit will fall into it; and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall." Ecc. 10:8
Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Paul then advices to put on the whole armor of God, this armor is spiritual armor. This war is fought on the spiritual battle field and usually God does not allow the conscious soul link with the spirit. God divides asunder the soul and spirit, so there is not a consciousness of these things. Humanly, we may wonder and thirst for knowledge but some things are withheld for our own good or for a later stage. The occult is an unlawful bridging of these things, either really or falsely. There is at times, the consciousness of stress and fatigue in the mental state and lethargy of body from spiritual stresses. Christians are called upon to control their minds and take every vain imagining and thought captive; this is spiritual warfare against these entities. Because of the tripartite nature of being spirit/soul/body means the human spirit is an avenue of approach for these other spirits, and the mind, which is part of the soul, is influenced. God also communes with us in this way, God's own Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are his children, Rom.3:16. Through this witnessing of the Spirit to the human spirit the knowledge is implanted into our mind, and the conviction of, into our passions, thus we believe and know we are children of God. Perhaps how it happens that the human spirit manifests into the soul is similar to how these powers can affect themselves into our sphere, the brain is so highly complex and a slightest change in differing areas can give rise to notable results, (to the soul), and other results unnoted. There is such intricacy of interfacing, physical/physiological/psychical, and spiritual, some things probably are teetering on brinks, maybe the spirit affects the level of quantum physics and pushes one way or another to manifest into conscious affect, just as the will aspect of the soul can direct courses of action one way or another; and affect the spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 states, "May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." We need to have all our members in submission to God. The person living their life out in the physical but motivated by the spiritual, e.g. exercising self-control and chastity, is all part of spiritual warfare, Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." It is Christ who keeps spirit, soul, and body in perfect purity until his coming.
Assuming the evolutionary and natural selection forces are bona fide then the earth can be likened to a garden and the operation of these other entities to that of gardeners. The garden grows to the natural rules but at the same time acted on by external interventions. What to us is randomness is probably opportunity for self determination for these others, even a small sway can have a profound effect in an order arising from a sea of randomness, even in keeping within the laws of that order, and that of randomness. God is the Lord of the Purim, the lottery, as the book of Esther shows; (O Einstein, God made the dice and does play with it! God's come up with a winning game plan for every roll.) These entities know how to cause what butterfly where to flap its wings, and how hard to flap, for a tornado in Texas. This applies to both physical and social systems; consider the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea in Daniel chapter seven, and the four great beasts that arise from it which are kingdoms. These spirits are not subject to the physical forces as man but can manifest their selves into our realm. The bible contains accounts of apparent physical encounters with angels and even Satan himself. As noted already these spiritual forces are out side of our natural realm, they can not be put under the microscope as it were, so not a lot can be known of their exact modes of operation.
In the making of human kind it would seem a more direct approach was done into the physical at some stage. There is to be a major event orchestrated soon from out of our realm into our realm, that of the rapture when Jesus appears and snatches up his own. It is an eschatological intrusion which is not subject to the physical laws of our realm but will impact this realm. Then those faithful in Christ will be taken from this zone into his heavenly one. So what seems impossible in the natural is not necessarily so to those of the supernatural or the Super-supernatural One. Emphasis must be put on the fact that the Word of God operated through these beings, it was through God's say so, that man was made, God said, "Let us make man." God is immanent in these things and ways, to God is omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience.

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