A QUESTION:
What announcement or proclamation did Jesus make to the spirits or demons in prison – 1 Peter 3:19
Was it their impending judgement?
MY REPLY:
1Pet.3:19-20 reads; "19 After being made alive in the spirit, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water".
First, the Greek does more than say, "spirits". It describes those spirits with the word, "apitheho" (Strong's G-544). That word means, non-compliant, and to not allow oneself to be persuaded.
The word that describes the proclamation Jesus gave them, is kerysso (Strong's G-2784). That word describes a formal, weighty, and authoritative proclamation, being heralded.
At this point it is good to read Acts 10:42 and 2Tim.4:1 NKJV
There we learn that Jesus Christ is appointed by God to be the determinant and judge of the living and the dead. We know that this designation is spiritual, not physical (Eph.2:1,4-5; Col.2:13).
We must look closer at 2Tim.4:1 NKJV which reads;
"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead AT HIS APPEARING and His kingdom."
This seems to be telling us that the judgment comes at the appearing of Christ.
When does that judgment take place, and therefore, the appearing of Christ?
Jude 1:6 clarifies...
"6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling – these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains FOR JUDGMENT ON THE GREAT DAY"
There we learn with clarity, that the time of judgment, at the appearing of Christ, is on the great day of God the Almighty.
Rev.16:14 tells us, when that is;
"For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world,
to gather them to the BATTLE of that GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY."
Zeph.1:14; Joel 2:11; Mal.4:5; Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20; Rev.6:16-17; Jude 1:6; Rev.16:14
So, the demons are kept in their prison (where Jesus preached to them -1Pet.3:19) until the great Day of Judgment, which coincides with their release, and the battle Armageddon (Rev.20:7-8; 16:14,16; 17:14).
If they are kept in the prison of the abyss until Judgment Day (Jude 1:6)...,
...then their judgment is determined upon their actions, after they are released.
We know from Rev.16:13-16, the demons are used to put the devil's lying doctrines, into the mouths of the false prophet and its' beast.
As a whole, they help to surround the encampment of the saints to captivate and destroy them, and they gather the nations into spiritual conflict with Christ and his messengers of divine truth.
(Rev.20:7-10; Luke 21:20,24; Rev.13:7,10; Col.2:8; Matt.24:24-25; 1Tim.4:1; Rev.16:14)
So then, what authoritative proclamation did Jesus make to the demons... prior to Judgment Day, and prior to their release?
Upon Jesus' faithful death and resurrection, all authority was given to him (Matt.28:18; Eph.1:22; Col.1:18; Phil.2:9-11) both in heaven and on earth. He was made judge of the living and dead, both of spirit and of flesh.
Jesus said that the gates of Hades would not overpower his disciples (Matt.16:18).
Even less-so, could those gates hold Jesus in Hades/the abyss (Acts 2:24).
The demons were having declared to them, the basis for their judgment, the authority to judge given to Jesus by the Father,
...and then they would have displayed before their own eyes... Christ released from the power that held them in chains.
The demons would witness God reaching down into Sheol/Hades, to lift Christ up from out of their midst (Rom.10:7; Acts 2:24)... the first human ever, to receive everlasting life (Rev.1:18,5; Acts 13:34; Rom.8:29).
(Rom.8:34; Eph.2:6; Col.3:1)
Jesus let the demons know that their future judgment was certain, and would occur based upon their choices upon their release. He was letting them know the authority that now belonged to him from God, and giving them full warning about the immovable ultimatum they were facing.
So, yes, the demons were having declared to them the details of their impending judgment, as well as who would judge them, when they would be judged, why Jesus had authority to judge them, and what the basis of their judgment would be.
2Pet.3:9
They were also being warned of the test that lie ahead for them, upon their release.
That test would involve the unforgivable sin against holy spirit, which they had previously, not committed.
The demons were not judged at that time Jesus preached to them.
[To read about the unforgivable sin, please see the link to follow]:
Again, the character description given to the spirits in prison, was G-544, as meaning "unpersuaded" and "non-compliant". That is how those rebels were acting, previous to their being thrown into their dark prison in Noah's day, when they were guilty of fornication (Gen.6:1-2,4).
As to whether or not any of them changed upon their recent release, I do not now know.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please share below, your thoughts about this post.