Second Epistle to the Corinthians – End Times Prophecy Report

SATAN TEMPTS JESUS: The devil offers temptations and lies to the unwary.

STEALING GOD’S GLORY

SATAN CRAVES WORSHIP

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
—Matthew 4:8-10

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
—2 Corinthians 4:4

“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
—1 John 5:19

The three preceding verses are usually used as arguments to support the proposition that Satan is the god of this world. A closer examination of all three texts reveal that they do not support the idea that Satan is the god of anything, let alone the earth.

MATTHEW 4, LUKE 4

The first [Matthew 4 and Luke 4], the story of the devil tempting Jesus, is employed because Satan declares that the kingdoms of the world and their glory are his to do with as he pleases.

However, the devil is a liar. And not only is he a liar, he is a notorious liar: the father of lies.

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
—John 8:44

No less an authority than Jesus said there is NO TRUTH in the devil.

Isaiah 37:16 specifically declares Satan’s boast about the kingdoms of this world being his as an abject lie.

“O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.”
—Isaiah 37:16

Basing anything on what the devil says is risky business.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:4

There are a number of reasons the second verse (2 Corinthians 4:4) is not a very good argument for Satan being the “god of this world.”

1. God says He doesn’t know of any other gods.

“yea, there is no God; I know not any.”
—Isaiah 44:8

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:”
—Isaiah 45:5

Would God’s Word declare Satan is the god of this world when God has emphatically declared that there are no other gods?

Of course not.

Isaiah 37:16 and 2 Kings 19:15 are both especially clear on this point.

“O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.”
—Isaiah 37:16

“And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.”
—2 Kings 19:15

“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
—Isaiah 42:8

Deuteronomy 4:39 flatly declares that the LORD is God “upon the earth”–which should settle any argument.

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
—Deuteronomy 4:39

There are a number of other passages where God states clearly there are no other gods. Would His Word then call Satan “the god of this world?”

2. The word translated as “god” (theos) in 2 Corinthians 4:4 is used 311 times in the New Testament. A cursory count reveals that well over 300 times it is capitalized. Why did the translators not capitalize it this time? There was no scholarly reason.

3. The context of 2 Corinthians 4 is not talking about Satan. It is talking about God.

4. God says a number of other times in Scripture that he blinds the minds/eyes of men so that they cannot receive the light/gospel–including just 8 verses earlier in 2 Corinthians.

“And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.”
—2 Corinthians 3:13-14

“Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”
—Isaiah 6:10

“That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”
—John 12:38-40

God’s Word declares it is God Almighty who blinds the minds of men, not Satan.

Satan IS called the “prince of this world” and the “prince of the power of the air.” [John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11 and Ephesians 2:2.]

JOHN 5:19

The King James translation of John 5:19 is as follows:

“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
—1 John 5:19

Most of the newer, corrupt translations change “wickedness” into a person “evil one.”

This is not the only instance of the newer versions doing this. In the corrupt versions, in 1 John, “antichrist” becomes “THE antichrist.” Which just so happens to support Satan’s version of the end times.

CONCLUSION

So why is there any confusion over a seemingly open-and-shut case of whether Satan is a god of this world?

Satan craves worship.

Pure and simple: Satan wants to be a god and he wants worship. Satan will get his wish for a VERY SHORT WHILE in the end times.

“And they worshipped the dragon [Satan] which gave power unto the beast:”
—Revelation 13:4

It makes sense that his followers would try to turn him into the god of this world.

But it doesn’t appear to be Biblical.

By a remarkable coincidence, not too very long after the translators made their mistake in 2 Corinthians 4:4, commentators began calling Satan the “god of this world.” (Although there are one or two commentaries from the 1500s which still call the god of 2 Corinthians 4:4 God Almighty.)

Matthew Poole’s Commentary (1669-1676) sums up nicely the bandwagon the commentators jumped on–which is reason enough for the believer to mistrust ALL Bible commentators except the Holy Spirit.

“Though some, by the god of this world, understand the true and living God, the Lord of heaven and earth; yet the notion of the most interpreters, that it is the devil who is here called the god of this world…”

Again: Satan craves worship.

Which is the reason so many men have called him “the god of this world.”

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
—Deuteronomy 4:39

[Parts of this piece are from various recent email discussions.]

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-4

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

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by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: ETPR/xedos4, Danillo Rizutti, FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ETPR

© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-15. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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**ABSENT FROM THE BODY, PRESENT WITH THE LORD**

WORDS OF COMFORT TO THE TRUE CHRISTIAN

“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
—2 Corinthians 5:6-8

The true Christian should never fear death.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 tells us why we should have no such fear: if our spirit is absent from the body (death), then we are then at home with the Lord in heaven.

Paul tells the believer that the moment the spirit of a believer leaves the body, that person is now home with the Lord.

“We are confident of such a blessed state, and this makes us willing to be out of this body, that we might have the glorious presence and enjoyment of God to all eternity.”
—Matthew Poole Commentary

These should be words of great comfort in times of chaos and trouble. Regardless of what happens, God is in control of all. IF the believer should leave this earthly sphere, then he is, in reality, “receiving a promotion.”

And willing rather to be absent from the body – We would prefer to die. The same idea occurs in Philippians 1:23. “Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ; which is far better.” The sense is, that Paul would have preferred to die, and to go to heaven; rather than to remain in a world of sin and trial.
—Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Don’t be scared.

Get spiritually prepared!

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
—Philippians 1:21

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