Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus,
We are continuing our three-part series entitled, “Are You Looking Through a Clouded Glass” with part two of the series. This message we’ll examine why man wrongly attributes evil to God, why there was so little revelation of satan in the Old Testament, and why there is so much revelation of satan in the New Testament.
Why Does Man Wrongly Attribute Evil to God?
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew mind knew only one power. The people could see the evil, but they never knew where it was coming from other than from God. If it was supernaturally good or supernaturally bad, God was credited with it. The Old Testament writers attributed evil spirits and fallen angels to God. This is why good and evil was, and is attributed, to God. The writers and the people of the Old Testament didn’t understand that man’s authority in the earth had been given to satan by Adam’s fall. Under the Old Covenant, people had an acquaintance with God, a head knowledge, but they didn’t know God intimately. There were a few that developed an intimacy with God, but they still didn’t have full revelation of God’s character.
Did you know satan is only mentioned by name three times in the Old Testament over 4000 years of recorded Bible history. And there are only three other symbolic references to satan in the Old Testament (Geneis 3, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28) for a total of six times satan is referenced. However, in the New Testament, over a 100-year period, satan is mentioned by name as satan or as the devil 113 times. If we count the times demons are mentioned, that is another 55 times for a total of 168 times. This doesn’t even count the number of symbolic references such as “adversary, enemy, roaring lion, etc.”
What we do know is God didn’t change His character between the Old and New Testaments. God tells us in Malachi 3:6, “For I AM The Lord, I change not…..,” and in Hebrews 13:8, it tells us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” However, it appears this way too many people, and therefore they say there are contradictions in God’s Word and in God’s character.
Why Was There So Little Revelation of Satan in The Old Testament?
Simply put, the people of the Old Testament were powerless against satan, fallen angels, and demons. They had no authority over demonic forces. There is not one Old Testament Scripture to tell people how to do warfare against satan.
Jesus had not yet come and overcome death and hell. The only way an Old Testament Saint could be protected, delivered, healed, and prospered was through complete obedience to the laws of God.
When we read the Old Testament, we see the Saints experienced everything that Jesus did during His ministry on earth in the New Testament except for one thing. There is not one single account of anyone in the Old Testament casting out demons.
I believe this analogy will help us better understand the relationship of the Old Testament Saint to God and His protection from satan and demonic forces. If there were escaped prisoners from a nearby prison in the area, you would not tell your school-age children there were escaped prisoners in the area creating fear in them. The children would be powerless against the prisoners if they encountered them. However, you would tell the children when they leave school to call you, if they have a cell phone, to walk the agreed upon route, not to speak to strangers, not to accept invitations of strangers to get into vehicles or come into buildings, and to call you once they arrived home. The child’s obedience to your laws as the parent would be their protection and deliverance from evil. This was the very same with the Old Testament Saints. Their obedience to God’s laws protected and delivered them.
The Holy Spirit taught me that if God had told the Old Testament Saints about satan, they would have feared satan more than they trusted God. We must understand that a Believer cannot be in fear and be in faith. They are mutually exclusive. It was better the Old Testament Saints had reverential trust in God’s Word and fear in not keeping God’s laws than it was for the Saints to fear satan and end up in bondage to satan through fear. Being fearful of God was better than being fearful of satan. Praise God we have a better covenant and better revelation through Jesus Christ.
Why Is There So Much Revelation of Satan in The New Testament?
In Jeremiah, God says He is going to reveal Himself in the New Covenant. He didn’t say He was going to reveal Himself in the Old Covenant. God gave man a progressive revelation of Himself in the Old Testament, but He gave a full revelation of Himself in the New Testament. God fully reveals Himself because through Jesus Christ the earth would be returned to Believers, and Believers would have all the authority and power of God, through Jesus Christ, in the earth.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
God reveals Himself in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 8:6-12
6 But now hath he [Jesus] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, He [God] saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people:
11 [under the New Covenant] And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
This tells us the first or Old Covenant was not faultless. That there is a better covenant, established upon better promises, and purchased by Jesus Christ, the Mediator. The Lord made the New Covenant with us as He describes it in Hebrews 8:10-12. The people knew of God in the Old Covenant, but they didn’t know God intimately like we can know Him under the New Covenant. We can see God clearly, not darkly or clouded through a glass as the Old Testament prophets. We see this in Hebrews 8:11 above. Please note “know’ is mentioned twice in the verse. The meaning of each “know” is as follows:
Hebrews 8:11
“know the Lord” = “to have acquaintance with, a head knowledge”
“shall know Me” = “they will experience Me; they’re going to discern Me clearly; they’re going to have an intimate relationship with Me”
We must remember John the Baptist and Jesus came preaching and teaching something entirely new – The Kingdom of God. People during this time had been living under the law with a head knowledge of God, with very little revelation of satan, and with no revelation of how to battle satan other than abiding by the law. In this Kingdom, people are given the authority and the power, through The Word and the name of Jesus Christ, to fight against satan’s temptation, deception, and condemnation.
Jesus reveals in the New Covenant that satan is the genesis of evil. In John 10:10, Jesus makes it very clear to the people of Israel then, and to us today, that satan is the thief, the murderer, and the destroyer.
John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus teaches us that He came to give us life and life more abundantly. He gives us clear direction how to successfully and consistently triumph over satan and his demonic forces. We are given the authority and power to prevent satan from doing things to us, and if we wittingly or unwittingly give access to satan, God has given us the authority and power to deliver ourselves from satan. We are also given the authority and power to heal and make ourselves whole and to bring abundant, overflowing prosperity into our lives. This is what Jesus’ salvation provides to us – not just eternal life.
Luke 10:19
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
In the next and last message, we’ll examine why the Old Testament seemingly contradicts the character of God, and we’ll look at examples of the seeming contradictions and the explanation that shows us clearly there is no contradiction. God has never changed and never will change. He can’t according to His Word.
Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving in Christ Jesus,
Larry