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Home , Kingu, Mot (god), Tiamat

Spiritual Warfare: Global Jailbreak Class 2: God as a Warrior (Part I)

Introduction

Throughout the Bible, in both Testaments, the Lord (YHWH) is presented as a warrior. Exodus 15, the Song of Moses, presents the first explicit reference to this theme, though the presence of Satan in (Genesis 3) presupposes a condition of war in the heavens.

As the theme emerges through Scripture, the Lord’s cosmic battle against Satan and his demons in a sense “spills over” onto the earth. Deuteronomy 32:9 states that Israel is God’s special possession—His Chosen People. Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and then Jacob are the founders of this special nation, which is bound to God in a series of covenants (Abrahamic—Gen. 15; Davidic—2 Sam. 7; and the New Covenant—Jer. 31). In short, Israel would be the light to the nations for God’s plan of salvation and restored cosmic order through her coming Messiah (Jesus).

God is presented as a defending warrior on behalf of His people. Throughout the historical narratives, He rescues them from Egypt and saves them continually from their enemies. In the books of the prophets, there is added dimension of God’s universal war, the Day of the Lord, which is foreshadowed in Israel’s history.

Israel had a pattern of continual disobedience, which God would not overlook. So, there are times of great calamity when the Lord actually goes to war against His own people.

We will trace these themes in the next lectures and show how they relate to the present state of spiritual war that began with Satan’s rebellion, spilled over to the nations of earth, and that will one day culminate with the binding of Satan and his forces into eternal hell that was prepared for him and his fallen angels.

Throughout this course I have relied heavily on the scholarship of Longman and Reid and their superb scholarship in God is a Warrior. I will place a link on my website if you would like to order this book. 1 I credit their work as I have quoted liberally (with footnotes where appropriate), but I take sole responsibility for the final product of these notes. (That’s the famous “blame ” clause).

1 Tremper Longman and Daniel G. Reid, God Is a Warrior, Studies in Old Testament Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1995).

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I. Spiritual warfare in the beyond Israel

A. There exist many accounts of warfare in various ANE creation accounts from Egypt to Canaan to (and throughout the world as well)

1. In the Babylonian creation account, Enuma Elish, the gods are also at war. Ultimately, slays the mother-goddess , cuts open her belly on thereby forms the heavens and earth.2

a) Two primeval gods, Apsû (fresh waters) and Tiamat (ocean waters) begin the account of war among the gods.

b) Ultimately Marduk, the main god of in Bible times, wins the contest.

c) Here is a summary of the account.3

The epic names two primeval gods: Apsû (or ) who represents fresh water and Tiamat representing oceanic waters. Several other gods are created (Ea and his brothers) who reside in Tiamat's vast body. They make so much noise that the babel or noise annoys Tiamat and Apsû greatly. Apsû wishes to kill the young gods, but Tiamat disagrees. The vizier, , agrees with Apsû's plan to destroy them. Tiamat, in order to stop this from occurring, warns Ea (Nudimmud), the most powerful of the gods. Ea uses magic to put Apsû into a coma, then kills him, and shuts Mummu out. Ea then becomes the chief god. With his consort Damkina, he has a son, Marduk, greater still than himself. Marduk is given wind to play with and he uses the wind to make dust storms and tornadoes. This disrupts Tiamat's great body and causes the gods still residing inside her to be unable to sleep. They persuade Tiamat to take revenge for the of her husband, Apsû. Her power grows, and some of the gods join her. She creates 11 monsters (Bašmu, Ušumgallu, Mušmaḫḫū, Ugallu, Umū_dabrūtu, Kulullû, Kusarikku, Scorpion man, ?, ?, ?) to help her win the battle and elevates , her new husband, to "supreme dominion." A lengthy description of the other gods' inability to deal with the threat follows. Marduk offers to save the gods if he is appointed as their leader and allowed to remain so even after the threat passes. When the gods agree to Marduk's conditions he is selected as their champion against Tiamat, and becomes very powerful. Marduk challenges Tiamat to combat and destroys her. He then rips her corpse into two halves with which he fashions the earth and the skies. Marduk then creates the calendar, organizes the planets and stars, and regulates the moon, the sun, and weather. The gods who have pledged their allegiance to Tiamat are initially forced into labor in the service of the gods who sided with Marduk. But they are freed from these labors when Marduk then destroys Tiamat's husband, Kingu, and uses his blood to create humankind to do the work for the gods. Most noteworthy is Marduk's symbolic elevation over , who was seen by earlier Mesopotamian civilizations as the .

2 The accounts come from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh in Assyria. Originally discovered by Austen Henry Layard in 1849, they were published by George Smith in 1876.

3 Wikipedia contributors. "Enûma Eliš." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Sep. 2014. Web. 19 Sep. 2014.

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2. Accounts from the Canaanites come from a series of tablets written in and discovered at (ancient name of the site on the northern Syrian coast) in what is called the Ras Shamra (modern name of the mound) tablets.

a) In the Canaanite creation account, defeats the sea monster, for supremacy.

b) This is the same Baal found throughout the Old Testament, and the same one whose prophets Elijah slew on Mount Carmel.

c) Here is a brief synapsis of the “” courtesy of Wikipedia.4 (Baal- is the same as Baal)

Yam wants to rule over the other gods and be the most powerful of all Baal-Hadad opposes Yam and slays him Baal-Hadad, with the help of Anath and Athirat, persuades to allow him a palace Baal-Hadad commissions Kothar-wa-Khasis to build him a palace. King of the gods and ruler of the world seeks to subjugate Mot kills Baal-Hadad Anath brutally kills Mot, grinds him up and scatters ashes Baal-Hadad returns to Mount Saphon Mot, having recovered from being ground up and scattered, challenges Baal-Hadad Baal-Hadad refuses; Mot submits Baal-Hadad rules again

B. Pattern of warfare that developed in the ANE and seen in biblical accounts as well

1. Longman and Reid make the case for a pattern that develops in the ANE, which follows a sequence.5

a) Warfare itself

b) Victory in the war

4 Wikipedia contributors. "Baal Cycle." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 Sep. 2014. Web. 19 Sep. 2014.

5 Longman and Reid, God Is a Warrior.

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c) The king is established by the victory

d) The king builds a “house” (temple)

e) Celebration follows

2. In the case of the Baal the pattern becomes clearly visible (the Baal cycle of the Ugaritic tablets tells this account)

a) Baal challenges Yam=sea

b) Baal defeats Yam

c) El (chief god) appoints Baal over the of gods

d) Baal builds a “house” = temple on Mt. Saphon (north)

e) Baal throws a banquet

C. The same pattern exists in the Bible.

1. Keep in mind that what I am trying to do here is to show that the patterns of warfare in the Bible exist in the ANE context.

a) I am not saying the Bible copied them

b) I am actually saying the opposite—God sets the pattern in the Bible and the devil copied it throughout the ANE.

c) As an example of what I mean by that, let’s talk about the “opening of the mouth ceremony” in Egypt and Mesopotamia. (1) This ceremony is the final act of the demonization of an idol as the breath of the demon then enters the idol. (2) The ceremony can be seen as a perversion of the breath of life that God breaths into man. (3) So, what I am emphasizing is that the devil counterfeits and twists the biblical patterns.

2. Exodus 15:1-18 (Song of Moses) shows the pattern in the Exodus

a) Warfare against the gods of Egypt

b) Victory by the Lord at the Red Sea

c) Praise of YHWH’s kingship

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d) Anticipation of the temple one day in the land

3. Israel’s early history shows the same pattern as the Lord engages in warfare for His people

a) War: Conquest of the Land and the divine presence in the Ark that leads out in war

b) Victory over the people of the land (Joshua then David)

c) King (1) David becomes king and received eternal covenant (2 Sam. 7) (2) Solomon become the most glorious king (3) The can both be seen as foreshadows of Jesus in His first and second comings

d) Temple (House Building) under Solomon

e) Celebration (2 Chronicles 8)

4. We will see the pattern again in the book of Revelation, which recounts future battles

a) War (1) Michael vs Satan—Rev. 10 (2) The Second Coming of Jesus to earth

b) Victory (1) Christ defeats His enemies at the Cross (Col 2:13-15) (2) Satan is bound (3) Christ rules the nations

c) Kingship established (Jesus as King of kings)

d) House Building (1) The New Jerusalem (2) The church as a Temple (3) Peace on earth as a macro temple of the Lord

e) Celebration (Marriage Supper of the Lamb)

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D. What’s the point?

1. The spiritual warfare in heaven is played out also on earth.

2. Angels fight alongside God’s people in war.

3. God is a warrior and there are two fronts in this battle: Heaven and Earth

4. It is important to show that spiritual warfare has existed since the fall of Satan and is currently engaged (Eph 6). We have no choice. War is upon us.

5. I will also show that as God’s revelation unfolds, this warfare becomes clearer on earth—first with the Coming of the King, then with His people, the church, and finally in the eschaton as the Ages draw the battle to ultimate victory in Christ.

a) If we do not understand this background, then we cannot fully understand why the church is persecuted and why Satan stands so firmly against it.

b) If we do not understand the background then we choose to assign spiritual warfare to less modernized cultures.

c) If we do not understand the background then we have no context for the god of this age blinding the minds of unbelievers (2. Cor. 4:4), which make evangelism difficult.

d) If we do not understand the background then we do not have the filters to understand the daily spiritual battle.

e) If we do not understand the background then we have no way to understand the present condition both of our nation as well as the nations of the world. (1) Remember Deut. 32:8-9 (2) Remember Dan 10

f) If we do not understand the background then we cannot fully understand the cross.

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II. God goes to war to defend His faithful people, Israel

A. Let’s look more closely at some passage now that we recognize the pattern of war, victory, kingship, house building, and celebration.

1. Some key OT passages—we will look more closely at the cosmic struggle next week. I just introduce it here.

a) Exodus 12:12 (we looked at Exodus 15)

b) Job 41 ()

c) Joshua 5:13-15; 24:12 (Captain of the Lord’s Hosts)

d) Judges 4—5 (Deborah & Barak versus Sisera)

2. We will focus on the earthly battles in this class and how they follow the war pattern in heaven

B. Prior to the war there is preparation in order to be able to fight alongside angels.

1. Narrative, Legal, and Prophetic literature all portray this spiritual warfare.

“As odd as it may seem to modern sensibilities, battle is portrayed as an act of worship in the Hebrew Bible. The armies of Israel were in the presence of their God, and they had to be spiritually prepared for the experience. Unlike the teaching of the New Testament that God may be worshiped anywhere (Jn 4:21-24), during the period covered by the Hebrew Bible man and women could only encounter God in consecrated space. After the Fall (Ge 3), they could no longer simply approach God. Aware of their , they knew that certain steps were necessary to prevent their judgment. Sacrifice and ritual surrounded God's holiness, protecting worshipers from destruction. Since at the heart of holy war is God's presence with the army (see below), Israel had to be as spiritually prepared to go to battle as they would be to approach the sanctuary.”6

2. Legal texts and spiritual warfare

a) Deuteronomy 7 (esp vs 17-26)

b) Deuteronomy 20:1-4 The Lord goes out to battle for Israel

c) Deuteronomy 23:9-14 Also, there must be a ritual cleanness in the war camp.

6 Ibid., 34.

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(1) Those with emissions are removed from the camp until purification. (2) It is inappropriate to have a latrine in the midst of the camp. Why? The camp is the holy Lord is in the presence of the camp. (3) Israel understood it was fighting alongside God’s holy angels.

C. What happens during the battle

1. Heavenly armies

a) 2 Kings 6:17 (Elisha prays that his servant can see)

b) Joel 2:11 (Day of the Lord when the Lord utters His voice before His armies)

c) Dan 10:21 (War in the heavens with contending Princes)

d) Rev 12:7 (Michael versus Satan)

2. Lord and His armies fight for Israel

a) David clearly understood that reality when confronting Goliath (1 Sam. 17:45-47)

b) Gideon, on the other hand, had to be told (Judges 6—8)

3. Warfare and worship go hand-in-hand

a) Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 20:17-23)

b) Psalm 149 (esp. verse 6 with sword in hand)

4. The ark goes before them as a divine standard of His armies indicating the spiritual warfare alongside the human “army” of praise.

a) Jericho (Joshua 6)

b) But not as a rabbit’s foot (1 Sam. 4)

D. What happens after the war

1. Celebration

a) Exodus 15:1-18 (The Song of Moses)

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b) Col. 2:15 (Public spectacle)

c) Judges 5:1-5 (Song of Deborah—Celebration of the Lord’s victory)

d) Psalm 98

e) “New Song”7 (1) Isaiah 42:10,13; Psalms 40:3; 96:1; 98:1,3; 144:9; 149:1; Revelation 5:5; 14:3 (2) Could be a technical term for victory song to celebrate the new situation brought about by God's warring activity

2. Plunder

a) Ai and Achan under the “ban” (Joshua 7)

b) Saul and the Amalekites (1 Samuel 13)

III. What is the point?

A. There is a pattern of understanding in the Ancient Near East that the war in heaven affects the events on earth.

1.

B. God fights as a warrior for His faithful people, Israel.

1. The armies of heaven join humans in these battles.

2. The Lord’s people must be sanctified to join the holy armies of heaven.

C. The killing of the King is a complete non sequitur in ANE spiritual warfare

7 Ibid.

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Conclusion

The Bible teaches that God is a warrior who conducts war on two fronts—heaven and earth—and that He goes to war with His holy angels on behalf of His faithful people. In a real sense, angels and humans fight alongside each other. The events of heaven and the events of earth are therefore intertwined.

The Bible also shows a pattern of warfare that can also be seen reflected in Ancient Near Eastern cultures. This pattern includes: (1) war; (2) victory; (3) kingship; (4) house building; (5) celebration.

We will see this pattern clearly reflected in the New Testament in the final days. In the heavens, Michael the archangel casts Satan to the earth. The war on earth will culminate in the battles of Armageddon where the demons gather the nations for war just before the Second Coming of Christ.

In the midst of those battles Jesus returns as King of Kings and establishes His reign in victory over the nations. The church is His temple—His House—and the New Jerusalem is His “palace.” The celebration of the “marriage supper of the Lamb” continues throughout the millennial kingdom as the entire world is placed into a period of peace and rejoicing.

Next week we will see that in the Old Testament, God sometimes went to war against His people. While we looked closely at the earthly implications of God’s war this week, next week we will look more closely at the cosmic elements of God’s war.

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