Cosmos Dominator
Paul wrote to the Romans that Death reigned from Adam until Moses (Rom 5:14). He does not treat death as an experience, but refers to both Sin and Death as personal spiritual powers. Death is the name of a powerful cosmos dominator (evil spirit) who loves killing and destroying people. He dominated events on earth up until the time of the giving of the law, when his activity was curtailed in Israel.
The accuser (satan) was craftiest, so he tricked Adam and Eve, but Death was stronger, so he quickly came out on top in the struggle for control between evil powers. Death became the dominant spiritual power on earth, because the Holy Spirit had been squeezed out by human rebellion. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, and Death came in through sin (Rom 5:12).
If Paul was correct about Death controlling the first stage of human history, you would expect to see some evidence of it in the Old Testament, especially Genesis. It is slightly hidden, because the Old Testament authors had a two-agent world view in which every activity was caused by humans or God. However, when we read it, with a three-agent world view looking for what Paul taught, there are plenty of activities that were probably the result of Death's work on earth. The following activities are examples.
Death stirred up Cain to kill Abel, because he hoped to eliminate humans from the earth.
Death worked with another powerful spirit called the Destroyer to wreak havoc on earth. During the flood, Destroyer got locked up with a third of the evils spirits that worked with him, but Death escaped and remained in power.
Death worked with human genetics to significantly reduce their normal lifespan to 80 to 120 years.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was the work of Death.
Death tried to get Isaac killed, so he could cut off God's covenant promise.
Death stirred up Esau, so that he would kill Jacob and prevent Israel from coming into existence.
He tried to get Joseph killed by his brothers. He would be able to destroy them if they had blood on their hands.
Death tried to kill Moses, but his wife took action to protect him.
During the Exodus, Death agreed to free the Israelite slaves in return for getting to kill the firstborn of all Egypt. The blood on the doorposts was a sign of that deal.
Once the Israelites had escaped, Death cheated and stirred up Pharoah to slaughter them when they were trapped against the Red Sea. When God rescued them, Death turned on the Egyptian army and slaughtered them.
Death stirred up the Amelikites to attack the Israelites in the desert, but God defeated them.
Covenant Victory
The covenant established by God through Moses broke Death's power over the children of Israel. There are three reasons why Death's activity was curtailed.
The Laws that God gave to Moses specified the penalties for crimes. The set of crimes that deserved death were limited, and alternative options for restitution and expiation were provided, so the ability of Death to punish people was limited. The ultimate penalty under the law was exclusion from the community. This left the person convicted and excluded vulnerable to attacks by Death. This was referred to as "dying to Death".
People had to be convicted under the law before the spiritual powers of evil could act against them. This strengthened the position of the Accuser over Death, because other spirits could not act until he had achieved a conviction. Sin became powerful, because he was skilled at leading people into sin.
The tabernacle sacrifices fulfilled the demands of Death, so he had to be satisfied with the blood of animals. He hung around the tabernacle because he loved blood and gore, but he was unable to act against people who made the specified sacrifices.
Clinging to Power
Once the children of Israel had crossed the Jordan, Joshua became vulnerable to the spirit called Death. Maybe he was already susceptible because he had led the Israelites into war on several occasions.
When the Israelites were close to Jericho, he encountered a man-like being in front of him with a drawn sword (Jos 5:13-15). Clearly, this was a spiritual being. Commentators argue about who this character was, but I believe he was the spirit called Death.
When Joshua asked if he was for or against Israel, he said "No". An angel of the Lord would have said "Yes", because they speak the truth. Death said "No" because he was not on either side. He would work with the side that inflicted the most blood and gore.
The sword is a symbol of war and Death (Rev 3:4).
This spiritual being told Joshua to take off his sandals because it was holy ground. This made it seem like a meeting equivalent to Moses encounter at the burning bush, but it was not the same. God spoke to Moses out of the bush, so the ground really was holy. Joshua encountered a spiritual being, not God, so this was the same. Angels do not make the ground holy, so we do not need to take off our shoes for them. The spirit deceived Joshua by appealing to his pride through an experience that was similar to Moses call.
The person claimed that he was the commander of Yahweh's army. He was a commander of a spiritual army that had been created by Yahweh, but it had rebelled, so his claim was only a half-truth.
The Israelites turned Jericho into a massacre after the walls had collapsed, whereas God's plan was that the residents would panic and flee (Deut 7:1). The blood bath occurred because the spirit of Death had got control over Joshua.
Joshua pronounced a curse against the defeated city of Jericho, although God had not asked him this to this (Josh 6:26). Joshua declared that the person who re-laid the foundation of the city would lose his eldest son, and the person rebuilding the city gate would lose their youngest son to death. This curse was probably inspired by Death, but it also increased his power over Joshua.
The Israelites were defeated in the battle for Ai. Joshua did not seek God's plan but took the advice of the people and sent only a small army to take it. They were defeated. Joshua did not take responsibility for this mistake. God revealed that Achan had taken some of the forbidden things at Jericho and hidden them in his tent. He said that they could not stand against their enemies because they had become "subject to doom" (Death). God told Joshua that the forbidden things must be destroyed (Jos 7:12). When Joshua spoke to the people, he said the person with them must be destroyed (Jos 7:15). The people went even further than what God had said and struck Achan and his entire family down with stones and burned them. This excess was the influence of Death, but it also strengthened Deaths influence in the new nation.
When Joshua finally conquered Ai, he blocked off the way of escape and did not allow the people to flee towards the desert. Yet this was what God wanted to happen (Deut 7). The people of Ai were slaughtered instead.
Judges
The spirit called Death continued to have a strong influence on the leaders of Israel during the season of the Judges because many of them engaged in violence beyond what God allowed.Ehud stabbed Eglon, the King of Moab, who had gained control of Israel after they rejected God (Jud 3:21).
Abimelech murdered his seventy brothers to become ruler of Israel (Jud 9:5).
Before going into battle for Israel, Jephthah made a vow that he would kill the first person he saw when he returned. This resulted in him killing his oldest daughter (Jud 11:30-39).
Samson killed numerous Philistines for very little gain.
The Israelites fought against the sons of Benjamin and killed 18,000 of them in an unnecessary war.
Tabernacle Broken
During the season of the Judges, the spirit called Death mostly worked through the political leaders of the nation. When Eli was the high priest of Israel, he released the spirit of Death more widely in Israel. His sons were wicked. They were sleeping with the women serving at the entrance to the tabernacle and stealing the offerings brought by the people. They were threatened people with force if they did not give in to them (1 Sam 2:12-16, 22).
A prophet came and challenged Eli about the consequence of his son's behaviour. The prophet warned that his strength would be cut off and he would be distressed by what he saw.
You will live long only to have eyes blinded with tears and a heart full of grief. Your descendants will die in the prime of life (1 Sam 2:33).Eli will live long but will be filled with sadness and grief because his descendants will be cut off in the prime of life. They will become vulnerable to the spirit called Death.
Eli ignored the prophet and pretended not to see what his sons and their colleagues were doing. His eyes were weak, so he could barely see (1 Sam 3:1,11). Eli's spiritual blindness gave Death greater freedom to work in Israel, despite his defeat by the law of Moses. When the Israelites went to war against the Philistines, they were defeated, and four thousand men were killed.
Instead of seeking God to find out why they were defeated, the Israelites decided to take the covenant box with them into battle. They made it into an idol, like those of the surrounding nations. This did not work, as the Philistines were emboldened and won a powerful victory. Eli's two sons were killed, and the covenant box was captured. Thirty-thousand soldiers were killed.
The slaughter was very great (1 Sam 4:10).This was the result of Death being given greater freedom. Death affected Eli when he fell off his stool with shock, and broke his neck (1 Sam 4:18). Taking the covenant box out of the tabernacle weakened the effectiveness of the tabernacle sacrifices because the place where God dwelt was broken. The human decision was made contrary to the instructions given to Moses on the mountain. The undermining of the process for offering animal sacrifices meant that Death was no longer constrained by the law.
God's wisdom had been rejected, so his presence was gone from the covenant box. The spirit called Death went with it. I presume that he wanted to be the spirit that controlled the box once the people had made it into an idol.
Cancer Tumours
Once the covenant box had been carried to Ashdod, Death had the freedom to work there. The writer of Samuel says that God's hand was heavy on them, but this is a two-agent world view. It was actually the hand of the spiritual powers of evil that was hard on them because they had no spiritual protection.The spirit called Death brought devastation upon them and struck them with tumours (1 Sam 5:6). The covenant box was sent to Gath, but the same thing happened there. Death and his supporting spirits were heavy on that city too.
The city was thrown into a great panic. The people of the city, both young and old, were afflicted with an outbreak of tumours (1 Sam 5:9). These cancers affected young people. This is consistent with the prophecy to Eli warning that lives would be cut off in their prime. When the covenant box was sent to Ekron, the same thing happened. The cause of these events is described more precisely.
Death filled the city with panic/confusion; his hand was very heavy on it. Those who did not die were afflicted with tumours, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven (1 Sam 5:11-12)."Death" gained a hold on the city and released a pestilence amongst the people. Those who were not killed by the plague were afflicted with terrible cancers.
The Philistines had amazing spiritual insight because they knew how to put the situation right. They knew that they needed to get rid of Death and the spiritual powers that had attached themselves to the covenant box by making a guilt offering to attract and appease these evil spiritual powers. They made five gold tumours and five gold rats representing the rulers and people of the five cities that had come under attack. Sickness had attacked the rulers and people alike, so a solution that covered both was essential (1 Sam 6:4-5).
The Philistines knew that Pharoah was destroyed because he hardened his heart against God when plagues came upon Egypt. They did not want to make the same mistake, so they wanted to get the covenant box out of their territory (1 Sam 6:6).
When the Israelites offered the gold tumours and gold rats as a sacrifice, along with the two cows pulling the wagon carrying them, Death and his followers had to be satisfied and could not demand any more blood and death. This brought to an end the pestilence and plague of tumours that Eli had inadvertently released on the Philistines.
However, death had one last flourish. When the covenant box was at Beth Shemesh, some men looked into the box. Death took the opportunity and struck them down (1 Sam 6:19). When the frightened people moved the covenant box to Kiriath Jearim, Eleazer was sanctified to guard it, so Death was unable to do harm (1 Sam 7:1).
Saul
When Saul became king, neither he nor Samuel did anything to return the covenant box to the tabernacle. On one occasion, Saul tried to take it into battle, but he was prevented from taking this dangerous action (1 Sam 14:18). This continued separation meant that the tabernacle sacrifices lost some of their efficiency, so Death was not satisfied by them but was free to continue operating amongst the people.
Saul seemed to have an attraction to violence, which left him vulnerable to the spirit called Death.
Saul drew Israel together by cutting up a pair of oxen and sending the pieces throughout the land, a very violent way of sounding the trumpet. The Amorites were slaughtered (1 Sam 11:7,11).
Saul nearly had his son Jonathan killed after making a rash vow to his armies. Jonathan was saved by his fellow soldiers because he had won a great victory. Saul's curse of death made trouble for the country (1 Sam 14:24, 29, 43-45).
Saul built an altar for the Lord (1 Sam 14:35). This was his own idea.
Saul was jealous and became obsessed with trying to kill David, even though he was anointed by the Lord.
Saul took his own life after losing a battle with the Philistines (1 Sam 31:1-5).
David
David also seemed to be vulnerable to the spirit called Death. The early part of his life was focused on fighting, and the latter part of his life was disrupted by fighting and death amongst his supporters.
David was proud of having killed a lion and a bear. He was very brave but seemed to have a propensity for violent war (1 Sam 17:34-36).
David took Goliath's sword and cut off his head after he was dead. When he returned to Saul, he was still holding Goliath's head (1 Sam 17:50-57).
When David came back from battles, the people said that he had killed tens of thousands of people (1 Sam 18:7).
David killed 200 Philistines, so he could present their foreskins to Saul to obtain his daughter Michal as his wife (1 Sam 18:24-27).
Death seemed to stir up constant trouble amongst David's military leaders producing many unnecessary deaths of men who served David.
Abner killed Asahel ((1 Sam 2:23).
Joab killed Abner (1 Sam 3:27).
Joab killed Amasa (2 Sam 20:10).
Benaiah killed Joab (1 Kings 2:34.
David killed two rebels and cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies on a tree to warn others against rebelling (2 Sam 4:12).
David brought the covenant box to Jerusalem and put it in a tent that he had placed there (2 Sam 6:1-18) while the tabernacle and its equipment remained at Gibeon (1 Kings 3:4). There is no suggestion in the OT account that God told him to perpetuate this separation. God had instructed Moses how the Tabernacle should function to provide spiritual protection to the children of Israel, and especially to deal with the spirit called Death.
David liked having the covenant box in Jerusalem because he loved to worship God, but by separating it from the Tabernacle, he undermined the spiritual protection God had provided. This allowed Death to keep on attacking Israel and its leaders when he should have been defeated by the giving of the law. When dealing with the spiritual powers of evil, worship cannot compensate for following God's instructions that provide for spiritual protection.
David murdered Uriah the Hittite because he coveted his wife Bathsheba (2 Sam 11:14-17).
David did not deal with disputes between his children. Absalom killed his brother Amnon (2 Sam 13:28-29). Absalom died after rebelling against his father (2 Sam 18:9). Solomon killed his brother Adonijah (1 Kings 2:24-25).
David counted his fighting men without consulting God, bringing a plague that annihilated 70,000 people. This was the work of Death.
The ropes of Hades entangled me; the snares of Death confronted me (2 Sam 22:6).
The cords of Death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me (Psalm 18:4-5).And God frequently rescued him.
Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from Death (Psalm 68:20).
You have delivered me from Death and my feet from stumbling (Psalm 56:13).The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to Death (Psalm 118:18).
You Lord have delivered my soul from death (Psalm 116:8).God frequently rescued David from Death, but he never fully escaped the power of this evil spiritual power. And he passed it on to his son Solomon.
Effective
Christians mostly study the tabernacle as a type of Jesus, looking for details that represent his ministry. However, this misses an important point. God does not make mistakes. The tabernacle was not a failure the Jesus had to correct. God instructed Moses to build it to provide spiritual protection for the children of Israel. And it actually worked. When they were on the backfoot following the Exodus, the spiritual powers of evil had agreed with God that they would accept animal sacrifices in return for giving up the right to attack his people. The tabernacle was the vehicle for making this happen.
David seemed to put his desire to worship ahead of obedience to the commands of Moses, so he shifted the covenant box to a tent in Jerusalem, while leaving the tabernacle at Gibeon. This provided him with a place for worship, but unfortunately, it destroyed the capacity of the tabernacle to provide spiritual protection for the people, and they were attacked ruthlessly by the spirit called Death.
Many modern Christians have a fascination with the tabernacle of David as a symbol of fervent worship in their church building. Unfortunately, this has blinded them to the spiritual protection that comes through obedience to Jesus' instructions about how we should be his disciples. This disobedience has allowed the spirit called Death to elbow his way into the church and establish a terrible stronghold there. Obedience, not praise, brings power and protection.
Solomon
David's son Solomon began his kingship by killing people who had opposed him, even though some had been very loyal to his father David: Adonijah, Joab, Shimei (1 Kings 2). This gave Death a place in his kingship.
Solomon built the temple and reunited the covenant box and the facilities for sacrifices, which should have ensured that Death was seriously constrained. However, he married so many foreign wives, who brought their own gods to Jerusalem, that he probably opened himself up to Death again.
Death Gains a Stronghold
When Solomon's son Rehoboam succeeded to the throne, the people rebelled against him. Jeroboam gained control of the Northern Kingdom, consisting of ten tribes. God defused the enmity between the two kingdoms by sending a prophet to prevent a war (1 Kings 12:22-24).
Jeroboam rebelled against God and led the people of his kingdom into idolatry. He created two golden calves for the people to worship and set up an altar on which sacrifices could be offered (1 Kings 12:28-32). A prophet from God declared that the altar would be broken (1 Kings 13:1-3). The King spoke against the prophet and stretched out his hand to seize him, but his hand withered up so he could not pull it back. The altar split and its ashes poured out in fulfilment of the prophecy. Jeroboam then asked the prophet to intercede for him. The prophet prayed for the king and his arm was restored (1 Kings 13:4-6).
A pattern emerged as Death worked with the spirits of sickness under his control.
A king would rebel against God and lead the people into idolatry.
A prophet would warn the rebellious king of the power of Death.
Sometimes, Sickness would strike.
Death would destroy many.
Jeroboam son got sick. He sent his wife to Abijah the prophet. He declared that the son would die and that all Jeroboam's family would be destroyed. Dogs would eat those who died in the city and those who died in the country would be eaten by the birds (1 Kings 14:1-13). The boy died. Jeroboam's son Nadab only reigned two years. Baasha plotted against him and when he began to reign as king, he killed all Jeroboam's family (1 Kings 15:25-29). He had given Death a place, but Death destroyed him and his family.
Baasha rebelled against God. A prophet came to him and warned that because he had insulted God, he and his family would be destroyed. His son Elah had only reigned two years when Zimri, one of his officials, plotted against him and struck him down when he was drunk. When he began to reign, Zimri killed all of Baasha's family (1 Kings 16:8-13). The cycle of Death continued.
Zimri had only reigned seven days when Omri, the commander of the army, rebelled and laid siege to the city where Zimri was based. Zimri set the citadel on fire and burned down around him. Se he was taken by Death, too (1 Kings 16:15-20).
Omri reigned twelve years. He was succeeded by his son Ahab (1 Kings 16:23,29). Ahab took the rebellion a step further by marrying Jezebel, the daughter of a foreign king, and leading his people into worship of Baal. Elijah the prophet warned Ahab and drought made the land sick and nothing would grow. When the drought was ending, Elijah slaughtered 450 prophets of Baal, which probably left him vulnerable to Death, became he became suicidal (1 Kings 18:40). Ahab and Jezebel and all their family were killed by a warrior called Jehu.
Baasha, Zimri, and Omri all used ruthless and brutal power to gain control. Death has always used ruthless power to gain a place wherever spiritual protection is weakened. Jezebel used manipulation, intimidation to gain control. The marriage of Ahab (controlled by Death and Ruthless Power) and Jezebel (using Manipulation, Intimidation and Control), allowed a union of several being spiritual powers. Ahab placed the nation of Israel under the control of spirits called Death, Ruthless Power, Manipulation Intimidation and Control. These spirits still work together in many places.
Failing Kings
Many of the kings of Israel made themselves vulnerable to the spirit called Death, and much death and bloodshed followed. Some prophets fell into the same trap. The following are just a few examples.Baasha killed all of Jeroboams family so he could become king (1 Kings 15:29).
Omri became king by leading a violent rebellion (1 Kings 16:22).
Elijah slaughtered 450 prophets of Baal, which probably left him vulnerable to Death, became he became suicidal (1 Kings 18:40).
Ahab killed Naboth to get control of his vineyard (1 Kings 21).
Elisha cursed 42 children who mocked him, and they were slaughtered by two bears 2 Kings 2:24).
Jehu slaughtered all of Ahab’s seventy sons (2 Kings 10:6-8).
Jehu butchered the prophets of Baal whom he had trapped in a temple (2 Kings 10:24-25).
Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, killed the royal family to gain control of the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 11:1).
Manasseh was an evil king who shed much innocent blood (2 Kings 21:16).
Zedekiah was the last king of Judah. The Babylonian invaders killed his sons in front of him and then blinded him so that their death was the last thing that he saw (2 Kings 25:7). This was the ultimate fulfilment of the prophecy to Eli that his descendants would die young and his eyes would see only grief.
God provided a way for Death to be constrained through the law of Moses and the Tabernacle Sacrifices. Unfortunately, the leaders of Israel and Judah frequently disobeyed God, which allowed Death to intervene in the nation quite frequently. This powerful evil spirit brought about considerable death and suffering.
God provided a way for Death to be constrained through the law of Moses and the Tabernacle Sacrifices. Unfortunately, the leaders of Israel and Judah frequently disobeyed God, which allowed Death to intervene in the nation quite frequently. This powerful evil spirit brought about considerable death and suffering.
New Testament Age
Ephesians 6:12 is an important verse for understanding the functioning of the universe.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the government-spirits, against the authorities, against the cosmos dominators of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms.Most Christians don't think that much about the details of this insight. They are aware of being attacked occasionally by an evil being, but they will mostly have been dealing with an ordinary evil spirit. Evil spirits are not omnipresent like the Holy Spirit, so most Christians will not have encountered satan (the accuser), because he is busy elsewhere. They don't think much about how the activities of government-spirits and cosmos dominators affect their lives.
In the last few posts, I have tried to explain how a cosmos dominator Death worked during the Old Testament age (without receiving much interest). He controlled thousands of spirits who submitted to his authority. Paul had explained that Death had a legal right to act between the time of Adam and Moses (Rom 5:14). The law was given to curtail his activity, but he was able to continue to be effective when kings and rulers fell into sin.
Christians should not need to worry about this cosmos dominator, but unfortunately, he is still at work in the world. When Jesus was arrested by the Jewish leaders, they placed him in the power of the spirit of Death.
He was delivered over to Death (Rom 4:25).Jesus totally defeated all the spiritual powers of evil on the cross. His victory included the defeat of Death.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him (Rom 6:8-9).Followers of Jesus have died with Jesus, so they share in his life. Paul is emphatic that Death no longer rules over him, and therefore no longer rules over those who trust in Jesus. The spirit called Death should not have any legal rights in the church, but unfortunately, its leaders have frequently given him a place that he does not deserve.
When Peter dealt with Ananias and Saphira, something was wrong because Death was able to intervene, and two followers of Jesus needlessly died.
Paul must have opened himself up to the spirit called Death before he encountered Jesus, because he engaged in ferocious persecution of Christians (Acts 8:3; 9:1). When he came to faith, he seemed to get free of the spirit and never came under its control again.
Paul warned that if the church and its leaders fail to understand the way that Jesus wants his body to function, Death can gain a stronghold.
Those who eat and drink without recognising the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have succumbed to Death (1 Cor 11:29-30).
This not just thinking right about the biscuit and grape juice. The fact that people are dying suggests that something far more serious is going on. Jesus and the Holy Spirit have given us instructions about how his body should function. If church leaders ignore those instructions, the spirit called Death can gain an influence. This is one reason, so many Christians are dying of sickness before their time has come.For example, every church in the book of Acts is led by a team of elders. The one-man-band leadership model that has been adopted by the modern church cannot provide adequate spiritual protection for the people of the church.
During the season leading up to the time when the Fulness of the Jews comes to trust in Jesus, Death will be released upon the earth and do terrible harm. When the fourth seal was opened, a horse went out into the world.
Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power to kill...
This terrible evil spirit will bring terrible suffering on earth and destroy the lives of many people.The final spiritual power of evil to be destroyed is Death.
The last enemy to be destroyed is Death (1 Cor 15:26).
Death will be destroyed at the end of the age, when Jesus has become all-in-all and has handed his kingdom over to the Father (Rev 20:14).
Whereas Satan uses legal authority to gain control of people, Death relies on ruthless and brutal power to establish a stronghold. Whenever, the people of God lose their spiritual protection, Death is able to elbow his way in and establish control of the situation.
Death does not work on his own, but enforces his power through a host of evil spirits who have submitted to his authority. When the people of God lose their spiritual protection, Death pushes his way in. Sickness often comes first because Death has many spirits of Death under his control.
