Flat Earth and Christ's Preeminence
Christ, NOT Satan, is the ruler of God's creation under the dome
Recently, a guest missionary preached on the Mission of God. His message resonated with my heart: Christ wins down here. The only problem? He got the timing ALL wrong.
He believes we must wait until Christ’s Return to see the works of the devil put to an end. Only then, will God set up His earthly Kingdom so we can rejoice forevermore. Don’t get me wrong. Christ’s Return will be glorious. Christians will never again have to struggle with sin or the loss of a loved one. Death will finally be destroyed, and there will be no more weeping. But do we have to wait until the end of history to enjoy the Kingdom and all its benefits?
In my last post, I shared that Christ is reigning now, according to the Bible. And that He must reign (by implication from heaven) until all His enemies are a footstool for His feet. See Psalm 110, trace it throughout the New Testament, then tie it up with 1 Corinthians 15:24-25. You can read more about this idea on Reformed Earth: Why on the Earth Does the Trinity Matter?
Here’s the short answer: We don’t have to wait to enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is here. And if you belong to Christ: you’re in it NOW.
But don’t take my word for it.
The Timing of the Kingdom
John the Baptist was the first New Testament figure to preach about the timing of the Kingdom.
John the Baptist said it was near
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1-2).
John wasn’t teaching that the Kingdom was far off. He didn’t say the Kingdom wouldn’t come unless the Jews believed. NO. He warned his audience to repent because the Kingdom was at hand. That means near.
If you like to geek out on the Greek, the word is Strong’s G1448 — ἐγγίζω (to make near, i.e. [reflexively] approach:—approach, be at hand, come [draw] near, be [come, draw] nigh.).
This is not talking about an event that would happen 2,000+ years in the future.
Jesus said it was upon them
Jesus began His ministry parroting the same message as John: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).
Later, in Matthew 12:28, Christ says, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Christ was no longer speaking of the future. He said the Kingdom had come upon THAT generation.
The Apostle Paul concurs
The Apostle Paul wrote, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13).
Christians are not WAITING for the Kingdom; we are in the Kingdom. As soon as we approach God as a beggar, recognizing that we have nothing to offer Him but faith (which also is a gift given from above), then we are immediately in the Kingdom of God — with access to all the power and privileges of Kingdom citizens. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
Now the Apostle John
Finally, the Apostle John confirms this truth by writing, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9).
That verse packs a powerful punch. But let’s just consider the fact that John recognized that he was already living in the Kingdom in the First Century.
No kingdom comes without power and authority.
The Power of the Kingdom
At the cross, Christ defeated the serpent, paid for our sins, and made a way for all humans to enter into fellowship with God through faith.
Satan lost that day. The reign of terror was taken away from Satan and the authority over the nations was restored to Christ. This happened at the CROSS — it was not something promised at the Second Coming. It was accomplished at the cross, and Christ has named us as His Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). The power of the Kingdom can be ours NOW. If we have the faith.
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
We have all the tools and weapons to fight against the devil and his horde of demonic forces through the resurrection power of Christ. And Christ wants you, Beloved, to access that power so Christ can take His rightful rule over this realm that He created.
While on Earth, Jesus looked toward Jerusalem and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 17:20).
Where does such faith come from? I maintain it comes from believing the Word of God, i.e., the Words of Christ.
Christ made a promise to the Disciples that the temple would be destroyed: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2).
Jesus was challenging the Disciples to believe His Word, His promises, and His sayings, even His commandments.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
Sadly, if we put our faith in the wrong thing, we cannot work the mighty works of God. Let’s look at one false teaching that needs a major correction in the Flat Earth community.
Satan is NOT the God of this realm
I cringe every time I hear someone say that Satan is the God of this world. This false and satanic doctrine comes from a misunderstanding of key passages in the New Testament — and it denigrates Christ and disempowers the Church.
God of this age
The first passage I’d like to consider is 2 Corinthians 4:4, which reads: “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
It is true, that Satan was the god of that age. And I daresay, he is the god of our present age. But it is a little “g” god. And this passage is NOT talking about God’s plan for history. God has another Vision for this world which we will dig into shortly.
Before we look at two more verses in the Bible that lead people to falsely believe that this world belongs to the devil, I’d like to put your mind at ease. I’m not saying that the people who believe or teach that Satan is the God (big G or little g) of this world are satanic. Not at all. It is the teaching that is satanic. Some are deceived and others are deceivers (a topic for another day). But for those who have fallen under the deception, we want to break the evil spell.
Back to the Bible.
Under the sway of the wicked one
1 John 5:19 is another verse that can lead people to a false belief in Satan’s ownership of this world: “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”
This verse is essentially saying the same thing as 2 Corinthians 4:4. It is a descriptive passage, not a prescriptive passage.
The Apostle John is NOT saying that this is the way the world ought to be and shall be for all time until Christ returns. Quite the contrary.
Think of it like this: If you walked into your garage after a vandal had trashed it, you might say, “This garage is a stinking mess.” It may be a true statement describing the condition of your garage — but it is NOT the way it ought to be. And it is in your power to fix the problem. You could pick up the broken pieces, scrub the graffiti off the walls, and put everything back in place. You might even be able to make an insurance claim to replace the broken glass on your windshield.
Consider in like manner that Satan is a vandal who is trashing God’s earth. Christians are supposed to be cleaning it up in the power of Christ — sweeping out the cobwebs, sending the demons to flight, setting the captives free, and proclaiming the law of liberty to the oppressed.
If we believe that evil, injustice, and oppression in the world are the norm — and just the way it is supposed to be — we’ve missed the heart of God and His gospel.
“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’
“Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:17-21).
This is God’s heart. He loves justice and righteousness. Not Social Justice — but Biblical Justice, and that can ONLY be found in His Law-word from Genesis to Revelation.
If we think oppression and evil are just the way it is “supposed to be” because Satan is the ruler of this realm — we are not going to fight back against the powers of darkness. As a result:
Satan is going to gain more ground;
We will not be working toward that end which is pleasing to God; and
Future generations, even our children and grandchildren, will suffer.
This is NOT what the Apostle John (or Christ) wants.
Only a few verses early, John wrote: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).
God wants us to overcome the powers of darkness in this realm by the power of His Spirit. We are called to take every thought, idea, and philosophy captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This includes the nature of the cosmos. It is not this realm that is evil; rather, it is the satanic world system that is wicked.
The Apostle John makes a sharp distinction between the world system and the created realm.
In John 3:16, he writes: “For God so LOVED the WORLD that He sent His” Son to save it. God’s creation is GOOD. Very good (Genesis 1:31). It isn’t the world that is bad; it is the sin in the world that is bad. That’s why John explains exactly what he means when using the word “world” in a negative light.
1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
It is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that God is at war with. This is the part of the world system that Satan rules over. He controls all these things. But thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ our faith can overcome all three of our mortal enemies, even the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Let’s look at one more appeal people make when placing Satan in the position of God as ruler of this realm.
Satan’s offer to Christ
Does Satan’s offer to Christ make him ruler of the earth? Of course not. Let’s look at the passage.
“Again, the devil took Him [Christ] up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9).
People claim that Satan could make this offer to Jesus because he owned all these kingdoms.
I have a little news flash: That’s NOT what the Bible teaches. Never forget that the devil is a master liar and deceiver, even the father of lies.
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
Let’s contrast Satan’s claim with God’s claim about this realm we call Earth.
In Psalm 24:1-2, God declares who is the owner of the world and on what basis:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters.”
This beautifully created realm, all things in it, and all who dwell upon it belong to God, not the devil.
It is true that after the Fall, Satan was allowed sway over the world until the time that the Seed of the Woman, who would crush the head of the serpent, was born. Since then — everything has changed.
Satan’s false promise to give Jesus the nations in exchange for worship was particularly nefarious because God had already promised the Son the nations as His inheritance (Psalm 2:8). Satan knew this.
Satan was tempting Jesus to short-circuit God’s plan yet didn’t know how deep this temptation would cut into Christ’s soul. The payment for the nations would cost Jesus horrible pain and suffering on the cross; He would take upon Himself the sin of mankind and be separated from the Father.
Yet, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
What was that joy?
The Mission of God
God has one mission: That the glory of the Lord would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14); He guaranteed it would happen and staked His very life on the promise (Numbers 14:21); He paid for it at the cross (Galatians 1:20); and the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will see that it happens from His birth and onward (Isaiah 9:6-7).
I hope that you will look at the Scripture with fresh eyes, starting even now with Ephesians 1:15-23. This is a prayer that lays out what God desires for each one who believes.
God’s heart for the church
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
A closer look
I want to emphasize a few key truths from these verses. God wants you to know and understand the:
HOPE of His calling;
RICHES of the GLORY of His inheritance in the saints; and the
Exceeding GREATNESS of His POWER toward you who believe (resurrection, ascension, and reigning power).
Even more. God has put all things under Christ’s feet. Everything. NO power can stand against Him. He is FAR above every principality, name, power, might, or dominion. That includes the wicked, elite ruling class today. Christ has dominion, power, and authority over them. And He wants the church to assert that authority.
Consider verse 22: “And He [the Father] put all things under His [Christ’s] feet, and gave Him [Christ] to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Notice: This verse does NOT teach that Christ is the head of the Church. Yes. He IS head of the Church too. But in this verse, it says the Father gave Christ as HEAD of ALL things TO the Church.
There’s one more passage I hope you will consider in light of this marvelous mission God has given to the Church.
Christ’s preeminence
Let’s look at Colossians 1:15-18 for more understanding of what this ALL means.
“He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
Notice: All things were created BY Christ and FOR Christ — whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, principalities or powers.
WHY?
“That in ALL things He may have the preeminence.”
Said another way: Jesus Christ is King and the Church’s job is to proclaim His crown rights over all of creation.
The Great Commission
Proclaiming Christ’s preeminence over all things is the purpose of the church — and it’s also our commission.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).
It is time to take this world for Christ as commanded. These enemies cannot stand against a church that is united in faith on the promises of God.
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” James 4:7.
With enough faith, “the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (Romans 16:20).
Do you have faith to say to these enemies of Christ, “Be cast into the sea”?
Or will you continue to believe that Satan has the right to his reign of terror?