RD 101 - Spiritual Affairs
/By Jack Eberle
Look at Daniel 10. Read verses four onward. The event is set in basic reality from the substance of verse 4. Then quickly the narrative turns to a stark, bright glorious figure bringing Daniel to his knees. Verse 10 puts him also on the palms of his hands. Daniel is complimented and referred to as “greatly beloved”. This person is not identified in Daniel 10, but the correlation with Revelation 1 seems to indicate that this is Christ Himself. Princes are mentioned in Vs. 13, and Michael is mentioned as a chief prince who came to help the speaker. Princes of Grecia and Persia are also mentioned. These are NOT earthly royalty. These archai seemed to be connected with resurrection. Read Jude 9, Daniel 12:2 and I Thess. 4:16. Further, it seems reasonable to understand that these princes are supernatural. Also many of them are under the direction of Satan. From Luke 4:5-6, we might also reason that these princes have a lot to do with the affairs of nations.
Revelation 12:9 depicts Satan as being cast down out of his lair to the earth. This is probably not too far away from the appearing of The Lord for His body (Col. 3:4). It comes to mind that God could not call the “heavens” good in Genesis 1. But sin will be removed from both the heavens and earth in His good season. II Peter 3:12 speaks of the day of God when the heavens are dissolved and the elements are melted. Hebrew 9:23-24 speaks of Christ entering heaven itself after the patterns of heavenly things are “purified”. After Christ’s entrance into the heavens, His work on the cross makes Him able to reconcile ALL things to Himself.
Looking at Ephesians 1:10, we find “Unto administration (or dispensation) of the Fullness of the Times to head up the all things in The Christ, the things upon the heavens, and the things upon the earth in Him” (WI). God is speaking of one of His definite administrations. Through the ages, God has administered His grace in His plan in different administrations. For example, most are familiar with His administration of “law” with His chosen people, Israel. The administration of the “fullness of times” is the last administration with “time” as we know it. After the “fullness of times”, the clock stops ticking. “The all things” with the article indicates a certain listing of things. This is not all things anyone can imagine.
“It is to be understood that the heavens and the earth are both included.” This from the WI commentary on Eph. 1:10. Col. 1:20 helps also to put this into perspective: “…and through Him to reconcile the all things unto Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him, whether things upon the earth, whether the things in heaven” (WI).
