Ephesians 2:6 tells us that all believers reign together in Christ in the “heavenly places.” The book of Ephesians mentions these heavenly places five different times (Eph. 1:3, 1:20, 2:6, 3:10, and 6:12). Here are some observations I have made about these places:
1 . The heavenly places are the spirit realm where all spirits dwell. The triune God dwells there (Eph. 1:20); the angels and the demons dwell there (Eph. 6:12); and all human spirits are there too.
2. Since both God and Satan dwell in the heavenly places we know that it is a place of both good and evil, where both light and darkness exist.
3. It is the place where Christians are reigning with Christ (Eph. 2:6), taking authority over sin, Satan and the demons, because they trust in Him and remain in His domain of light.
We don’t know exactly how the millennial kingdom will be set up—by what method and how long it will take. But we do have some details in the scriptures of some key parts of the kingdom and what that kingdom will look like. Here are five stages to the set up of the kingdom:
1. The government will be installed. The government in the millennium will be a theocracy—a government ruled by God. But as with all things on the earth, God the Father delegates His rulership to God the Son. Daniel 7:13-14 shows us this delegation.
“I kept looking in the night visions,And behold, with the clouds of heavenOne like a Son of Man was coming,And He came up to the Ancient of DaysAnd was presented before Him.14 “And to Him was given dominion,Glory and a kingdom,That all the peoples…
This is our eighth study on this topic. Please click HERE for an intro to this study.
Matthew 15:10-20
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.'”
Observations
In this text Jesus goes back to the Pharisees complaint that the disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating (vv. 1-2). He explains why He was unconcerned about it, or why He was more concerned about the inside of a person—the heart. He said that what comes out of a man, or what a man speaks will defile him. It is exactly what James tells us (in James 3:6), that when we speak something sinful, our sinful words will defile the entire man and will cause us to do evil things (v. 19).
Also, when the disciples came and told Jesus that the Pharisees were offended by what he was saying, His reply seemed very callous; however, Jesus knew their evil heart and was more concerned that His disciples not be influenced by them. John MacArthur said that Jesus here (in vv. 13-14) is declaring God’s wrath on the Pharisees, that God has already given them over, as in Romans 1:18-32).
Applications
We ought to be much more concerned with our moral purity than with out physical uncleanness. We also should be watchful of “blind guides,” so that we will not be led down the wrong path.
What is the source of every Christian’s authority? Well, first of all, let’s examine this authority.
Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary describes authority as “The power or right to do something, particularly to give orders and see that they are followed. The word authority as used in the Bible usually means a person’s right to do certain things because of the position or office he holds.”
In view of this definition we can see that in a general sense everyone from a king to a small child has some degree or level of authority. While a king has authority over many people, a child also has authority, even if it is only over a small puppy. But there is one who has absolute authority over all things. His name is Jesus. He has authority over all people. He has authority over all the creatures on the earth and in the…
This is our seventh study on this topic. Please click HERE for an intro to this study.
Matthew 15:1-6
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Observations
The tradition of washing hands before meals is a good one, but it wasn’t commanded by God through Moses, so Jesus wasn’t that concerned about it. He was concerned more over why the Pharisees were teaching that it was okay not to honor father and mother for the sake of their tradition. The Pharisees were teaching that it was okay not to help your mother and father with a financial need, or with any other need, if you gave your time and money to God instead—because God is more important.
Applications
I see all kinds of applications here, especially if one’s parents are elderly and poor. We cannot use any excuse for not honoring parents by helping them with their needs, no matter what good thing we are doing for God. Honoring parents is always a greater priority. We should not say, I cannot help my parents with their needs because I need that money to go to Bible School. We cannot say I cannot honor my parents by supporting them because I support this missionary or this good work. Honoring one’s father and mother is the 5th commandment and a high priority—an absolute must over any other good work.
This is our sixth study on this topic. Please click HERE for an intro to this study.
Matthew 12:38-41
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
Observations
In this text we see that the Pharisees wanted to see a sign from Jesus. They of course were already seeing miracles of healing, but they wanted something more spectacular. Evidently, they wanted more proof that He was who He said He was. They wanted a show. This reminds me of what the second end times beast will do, the one called “the false prophet.” In Revelation 13:13-15 it says that he will perform great signs, even make fire come down out of heaven; and he will “give breath to the image of the beast.” He will do these things obviously to win the people over and for an evil purpose.
Jesus knew their heart and would not give them what they wanted, because it would be evil and adulterous (a spiritual adultery, or idolatry). Instead, He gave them a sign from Scripture, the sign (or miracle) of the resurrection. This sign was given in the experience of Jonah: that “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” This saying was a type of Christ’s interment and resurrection.
Applications
The message that Jesus gave the Pharisees was meant not just as a prophecy of His resurrection, but more as a rebuke for their wanting a sign. He rebuked the Pharisees (v. 14) by telling them that even the wicked people of Nineveh were better (more responsive to God) than they were because the people of Nineveh repented by the preaching of Jonah, but they refused to repent even though one greater than Jonah was there—Jesus Himself.
This is an excerpt from my book Principles of Prayer.
1. Authority to pray for the lost. Since God desires all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) He must also want us to pray for their salvation. Here are three things that God desires us to pray for the lost: (1) that their hostility or indifference for the gospel would be broken down and that God would grant them repentance (2 Tim. 2:25); (2) that the soil of their hearts would be prepared for the seed of the Word of God so that His Word would not return void, but would accomplish what He desires (Is. 55:11); and (3) that they may be liberated from the power of Satan—delivered out of darkness and into God’s marvelous light (2 Tim 2:26).
These are just a few things we could pray for the lost. I would encourage you to claim in…
Just at the time that Christ comes to this earth to set up His kingdom, at the crucial time when all the nations of the earth are gathered together for war at a place called Armageddon (Rev. 16:16), He will gather together all the elect—all those who will be a part of the coming kingdom.
Matthew 24:29-31
But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, 30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a…
This is our fifth study on this topic. Please click HERE for an intro to this study.
Matthew 12:13-14; 22-25
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
Observations
First of all, in both cases by healing the men Jesus demonstrated His deity. Then in both cases The Pharisees had a negative reaction. In the first case they plotted to kill Him, and in the second case they contributed the healing to Beelzebub (Satan).
I’m not sure what is going on with the Pharisees, but I will take a guess. In both healings they were jealous of His power and deity; they didn’t want Him to be more powerful than they were. I think they also didn’t want their own sin and corruption to be revealed. So, they did whatever they could think of to make Him look bad. Notice in verse 24 they called Him, “this fellow.”
It is also possible that they could not recognize that Jesus was a good man, because of their own depravity. Hence their sin and corruption caused their thinking to be depraved and reversed, so that they saw good as evil and evil as good (Rom. 1:28; Isa. 5:20).
Applications
I did not include what Jesus did, but that is the application. In the first case when the Pharisees plotted to kill Him, Jesus simply withdrew from them and continued healing people (v. 15). Hence, the Pharisees threats did not deter Jesus’ mission.
In the next case, when the Pharisees said that He was casting out demons by Beelzebub (Satan), Jesus took that as an opportunity to teach. Some teacher I think would be offended and walk away. But Jesus showed His compassion as a truth teacher. Here is His teaching:
Matthew 12:25-30
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.
30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
Our power and authority is in Jesus Christ. If we position ourselves so that we are always abiding in Him we will have His authority. And it will come to us (as we are abiding) with the help of the Holy Spirit. When we ask Him to fill us and empower us He does it—and He gives us the holy life of Christ and exerts Christ’s authority in us and through us with power.
We do it in connection with prayer. Prayer is the normal means that God has bestowed on us to communicate with Him and to ask for His help in all things pertaining to our authority over our enemy. Here are three ways, in connection with prayer, in which we must execute our authority with power:
1. By prayer in the Holy Spirit.Prayer must always be in the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:18). He helps us to…
