Season 5 Podcast 87 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 28 C, “Christ’s Final Charge to his Disciples.”

Season 5 Podcast 87 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 28 C, “Christ’s Final Charge to his Disciples.”Following Christ’s resurrection, Christ tells the women who were there early to take care of his body to announce his resurrection to his apostles.“Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” (Matthew 28: 10)Satan immediately began spreading lies. “Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” (Matthew 28:11-15)On earth Satan has two armies. One is a spiritual army which consists of all the spirits who took his side in the War in Heaven.“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth:” (Revelation 12:4)Daniel also saw the same vision as John.Daniel 8:10“And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.”Before coming to earth, we lived as spirits with God in heaven. Our immortal spirits were referred to as stars. Speaking of the creation of the earth, Job recorded.Job 38:7“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”Even Lucifer was referred to as a fallen star. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12)Lucifer means ‘light bearer.’ Christ referred to Satan as lightning.“I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven,” Luke 10:18.Satan is a counterfeit of his former self. Light has always been associated with truth. Satan is now known as the Father of Lies and the Prince of Darkness. Lies and truth, darkness and light are opposites. We will be judged by our works on earth. Light and truth will be the measure of that judgment. The greater the truth we have the greater the light we will receive. The greater the light the greater the glory. Satan, who in heaven before his rebellion was known as Lucifer or ‘Light Bearer,’ releases plagues upon the earth. “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” (Revelation 9:1-3)It could be a military image of world war, but it could also mean another kind of warfare. As we know, a scorpion’s sting is in its tail. A scorpion is silent, poisonous, and deadly. Once planted, the poison gets in the blood stream and works quickly. John could also be referring to the cunning lies of Satan spreading doctrines of spiritual poison, leading people, even in the face of miracles, to deny Christ.