Continuing: Today a deeper look at the armies of angels on earth. As we saw in yesterday’s post these are those, bearing the message of the LORD, marked by character and work carrying out His will on earth. The other army is opposing the LORD and is marked by deception and slander reminiscent of Satan’s character. This is what we saw written to the angel of church at Philadelphia (brotherly love) in Revelations 3:
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man open;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are the chosen people of God, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved you.
10 Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.
As we see in verse 9 above the synagogue of Satan is doing its work from within, as it is in our time, we see the greatest danger is the subversion of truth from within. In doing they have left the city defenseless to the external enemies.
Yesterday we looked at the one time used Greek word stratopedon that is translated “armies” when telling of those surrounding an already desolate Jerusalem. We also saw them defined as “adversaries” using the Greek word antikeimai, which is also the word used in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 to uncover those “who oppose” God from within at His increasing (in us) to retake what is His – as He in rising as the Sun over/in us.
Not only is the word stratopedon (literally meaning angels on earth) used just once but the two words it is compounded from are only used three times combined, and all are in Luke’s writings.
Here are the two words again from the Strong’s Greek Dictionary:
Strong’s #4756: stratia (pronounced strat-ee’-ah) feminine of a derivative of stratos (an army; from the base of 4766, as encamped); camp-likeness, i.e. an army, i.e. (figuratively) the angels, the celestial luminaries:–[translated as] host.
Strong’s #3977: pedinos (pronounced ped-ee-nos’) from a derivative of 4228 (meaning the ground); level (as easy for the feet):–[translated as] plain.
Luke having used stratopedon in Luke 21:20, tells us the identity of the opposing army, as those that in like character opposed God by leading astray, as written in Acts 7:42 where stratia is translated “host.”
The other time Luke uses the word it’s in Luke 2:13 to define the character of the stratia of God.
Here are both passages and the full contrast is seen.
Acts 7
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the LORD your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O you house of Israel, have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which you made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
Luke 2
9 And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the LORD.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us.
The contrast is of one army opposing God’s plan and showing no patience in waiting for God’s chosen. The other tells of those patiently waiting and glorying in the fulfillment.
If you read along you know we very recently studied the meaning of the Greek words for deception and leading stray being the root of the word planets. Here is the quote from the post titled – Fear God, and Give Glory to Him; for The Hour of His Judgment is Come: “The idea of planets being associated with deception is the fact that they appear in the night sky as if stars. The way you can tell the difference is they move all over the sky, as opposed to the stars that don’t go astray, nor do they lead astray those using them to keep their way as they journey. These false teachers lie in wait to deceive (see Ephesians 4:14), as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour (see 1 Peter 5:8).”
These traits are what are described in the contrast above. Acts 7:42 & 43 speak of those being led away to confusion (beyond Babylon) by these wandering stars. The passage is speaking of events in the time of Moses when Aaron in his and the people’s impatience made the calf, although the two verses are quoted from Amos 5:25 – 27. In this chapter we see the full context that is being invoked. It is telling of the virgin now fallen and only the remnant being left. It tells of hating those correcting at the gate and of the haters abhorring truthfulness. It tells of these same fallen stars wanting the day of darkness and destruction, as they refuse the actually judgment that is to bring the people back from their falling away from truth. They refuse to see it is their deeds that have steered God’s people into self-destruction. They choose what God refuses.
Amos 5
1 Hear you this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel.
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.
3 For thus says the LORD God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.
4 For thus says the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek you me, and you shall live:
5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to naught [the places where the calves were set up].
6 Seek the LORD, and you shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph [the one separated], and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
7 You who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
8 Seek him that makes the seven stars and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night: that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name:
9 That strengthens the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
10 They hate him that rebukes in the gate, and they abhor him that speaks uprightly.
11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and you take from him burdens of wheat: you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink wine of them.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.
13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as you have spoken.
15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD, says thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentation to wailing.
17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through you, says the LORD.
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
22 Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
23 Take you away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
25 Have you offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which you made to yourselves.
27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, says the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.
The one time the word pedinos is used is in Luke 6:17. It is telling very “plainly” what God’s plan for us is on earth, and it answers the question of our instructions for this time.
You will hear all the false teachers and those who pervert truth saying these somehow authorize governments and force of law to be used to bring these things to pass. The truth is the LORD is telling of self-governing and of personal responsibility, and these as the ways of mutual respect and security – equally – no matter a person’s material station in life. The passage begins by telling the ways of heaven come to earth and being plainly spoken.
Luke 6 (pedinos is “plain”)
17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be you poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are you that weep now: for you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
23 Rejoice you in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for you have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for you shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for you shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smites you on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that takes away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asks of you; and of him that takes away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise.
32 For if you love them which love you, what thank have you? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if you do good to them which do good to you, what thank have you? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love you your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spoke a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why behold you the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceives not the beam that is in your own eye?
42 Either how canst you say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in your eye, when you thyself behold not the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shalt you see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 And why call you me, LORD, LORD, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and hears my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that hears, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
James 3
1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, wherever the governor will it.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, beastly, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
