KINGDOM BIBLE STUDIES
KINGDOM BIBLE STUDIES studies in end-time revelation
LOOKING FOR HIS APPEARING
Part 42
CAUGHT UP IN THE AIR
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven in a shout, in the voice of the archangel, and in the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: and SO shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thes. 4:16-17).
In our study of the coming of the Lord we now come to what is to me one of the most exciting truths in God's Word; exciting because it is happening; exciting because the Lord's people have been waiting for it for centuries; the promise has been standing for two millenniums. There are many theories and concepts today about this "catching up" experience. The common thought among many carnal minded Christian professors is that it is a yet future physical event, which could come at any moment. All over the world today there is a growing emphasis on the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Bible-believing Christians, we rejoice at this phenomena, yet, sad to say, in almost every case the doctrine of the Lord's return has been mixed with error and spurious theories. This is because the people's vision or understanding has not been quickened to see the reality of spiritual things. So they interpret the scriptures according to the blindness and ignorance of the carnal mind, which understands only the forms of earthly and material things.
Vast multitudes of believers are looking for Jesus to come secretly and "rapture" or "catch away" His Church. Although Church history shows that such a theory has only come into prominence over the last one hundred and fifty years, today it is spreading like wildfire in sermons, books, radio, television, and even films, and accounts for the teaching in 90% of Pentecostal, Charismatic and Fundamentalist Churches and Seminaries world-wide. But, precious friend of mine, if you are looking at the things you can see with your natural eyes, you are missing the point of meaning in the scriptures. When Paul spoke of our being "caught up into the air" he was not looking at the physical bodies of old Adam which are only temporal and return to the dust from whence they came (the first man IS of the earth); he was looking at the inner man, the new creation, the heavenly body, the offspring of the flesh and blood of the Son of God, which is the real person, and which bears the image of the heavenly.
I have no desire to take away your "blessed hope," but would point you to a BLESSED REALITY for the here and now. When Christ comes to lift our inner-man nature UP into the fullness of UNION IN HIM, we certainly do experience a rapture - believe me! While the word "rapture" is not to be found in scripture, there are other words and expressions that bear the same or similar meaning. Paul said in Eph. 2:4-6, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, and has RAISED US UP TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS." This passage says that God H-A-S RAISED US UP TOGETHER WITH CHRIST. Our text verse declares that we are to be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH HIM. It should not be difficult for any spiritual mind to see that in both cases the apostle is speaking of the same experience. In both cases we are elevated to a higher plane in Christ, and with Him. There is a glorious company of these "caught up" ones. It is a wonderful place of rest, glory, wisdom and power, far above the beggarly elements of THIS WORLD. Reba McMurry told of the little boy swimming in the pool who said to another, "Come on in, the water's fine." So I say to you who are dwelling in the earthlies, tossed by the storms of life, beset by problems, trials, and difficulties, hindered by the flesh and the world, "Come on up higher - there is a wonderful realm above of peace, joy, victory and blessedness!"
We encounter a divine principle here. "The Lord Himself shall descend" and "we shall be caught up." The Lord descends and we are caught up - producing a "meeting" or the experiencing of UNION WITH CHRIST. Most Christians only know the Lord in His descending, not in their being caught up to "meet" Him - made ONE IN HIM. In Ex. 19:13 we read, "When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mount." The people of Israel at Sinai could come up to the mount, as far as the foot of the mountain, but the Lord commanded, "There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live" (Ex. 19:13). As the multitude waited there at the base of Sinai, "It came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because THE LORD DESCENDED UPON IT IN FIRE," (Ex. 19:16,18).
They were not processed to ascend the mount, so GOD DESCENDED UPON IT, He came to them, as He now comes to us, right where we are. That natural, earthly, carnal people knew nothing of being "caught up" to meet the Lord, they could experience God only in the realm where GOD MUST COME DOWN and meet them on their level. We, too, have known God on that plane! We sang it in our hymns and choruses: "Jesus is passing this way," "Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by," or, "Coming down, down, down, the glory of the Lord is coming down." And, praise God, HE DID COME DOWN! We have used our faith to bring God down to heal us where we are and leave us in the same condition of mortality to get sick again. We have brought God down to touch us, bless us, thrill us, provide for us, and meet all our needs on the earth plane. How we rejoice in His faithfulness, in His great condescension and mercy. HE DOES COME DOWN and meet with us on the level of our humanity. This is what religion has done for long millenniums - bring God down to the level of man instead of preaching a gospel that will bring man UP to the level of God. It is IN CHRIST that God and man "meet" - God in Christ "descends" and man in Christ is "caught up." There is a realm beyond God coming down to meet us where we are. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you, that where I AM, there YOU may be also." He said, "If I be LIFTED UP, I will draw all men UNTO ME." Yet man continually prays to God to meet him where he is. Ah - we need the wings of an eagle to soar into the heavens, the realm of spirit, where God is.
"He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; HE SHALL DWELL ON HIGH: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off" (Isa. 33:15-17). The prophet prophesied of a people who would "dwell on high." Oh, thank God! Here is the man who dwells in the high places, on the mountain-top, with mountain scenery, and mountain air, and mountain sunshine. He is above the malaria and the river fog and the miasma of the low-lands. He is above the dust and the noise and the stench and the rattle of this world system. He lives up where the sky is clear and the air is pure and all is serene. The thunder may mutter and the clouds may swirl at his feet, but the sun always shines where he is. He is where the sun never sets, and where the flowers never fade, and where there is no defeat, decay or death.
A man had a sign on his desk that said, "Keep looking down." Whenever anyone came into his office, they asked him, "Don't you mean, 'Keep looking up'?" "It's all according to where you're seated," he replied. The man said that he could "look down" on everything, because he was seated with Christ in heavenly places. As he beheld life's circumstances, he saw them with a new perspective - that which comes from looking at each situation through the eyes of the REIGNING CHRIST!
As we have pointed out, the word "rapture" nowhere appears in the Bible, although its synonym "caught up" does. The word used in the Greek New Testament is HARPAZO. Its literal meaning is "to take something or someone firmly, quickly, or rapaciously." It is a derivative of HAIREOMAI whose meaning is "to take for oneself." It conveys the idea of an act quickly done by someone of great skill and strength - thus, TO SEIZE. From this Greek word HARPAZO comes our English word "harpoon," an instrument used to catch or seize whales. The English word "rapture" comes to us from the Latin word RAPERE meaning "to snatch." Our word "rape" also comes from this Latin term and is used in English literature according to its proper meaning of "taking by force."
The following are the scriptures where the word HARPAZO is used: "...and the violent TAKE IT BY FORCE (SEIZE IT)" (Mat. 11:12). "...then comes the wicked one, and CATCHES AWAY (SEIZES) that which was sown in his heart" (Mat. 13:19). "...and the wolf CATCHES (SEIZES) them, and scatters the sheep" (Jn. 10:12). "...neither shall any man PLUCK (SEIZE) them out of My hand ... and no man is able to PLUCK (SEIZE) them out of My Father's hand" (Jn. 10:28-29). "...with fear, PULLING (SEIZING) them out of the fire" (Jude 23). "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows:) such an one CAUGHT UP (SEIZED) to the third heaven" (II Cor. 12:3). ". . and her child was CAUGHT UP (SEIZED) unto God. . . " (Rev. 12:5). And finally, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP (SEIZED) together with them..." (I Thes. 4:17).
HARPAZO does not of itself indicate any particular direction, such as being caught UP, but, of course, the context of the passage under consideration does lend it that meaning by adding the qualifying words: "Caught up IN THE CLOUDS, to meet the Lord IN THE AIR." The message is clear - we do not ascend, we are CAUGHT UP, SEIZED, SNATCHED, LAID HOLD UPON by a power beyond ourselves. This is not a self-projection into the "spirit world" as the soulish psychics and metaphysical people try to do it, nor can we in any way force ourselves to be spiritual or unilaterally overcome the lower realms. You cannot self-induce experience with God or make yourself have a revelation. There are no formulas for man to operate for lifting himself up by his own bootstraps. It is written, IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN US BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE, and it is that sovereign action initiated by HIM that shall catch us up into new dimensions of divine life and glory. We must be so completely SEIZED BY OUR LORD, with such divine power, that we never again respond to the gravitational pull of the flesh.
The preachers love to proclaim that Jesus is coming to "rapture the saints to heaven" or to "catch His waiting bride away." But the Word of God never says that. Nowhere within the pages of God's blessed Book are we told that the return of Jesus is to evacuate His people off of planet earth to relocate them in some astral location far above the Milky Way where there are no battles, no tribulation, and no antichrist. When the Bible speaks of being "caught up," it is not speaking in terms of miles or light-years away. Let us consider II Cor. 12:1-4. "It is not expediate for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knows:) such an one CAUGHT UP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN. And I knew such a man, how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."
Where did this friend of Paul's go? Physically, his body went nowhere. He said he was "caught up" to the third heaven; but remember this: when he was caught up into God's glory, he was actually right here on the earth. He never left the ground for a minute, and thus I think it will be for all God's elect people. So completely overwhelmed was he, so utterly were his faculties under the control of the Holy Spirit that he was not sure whether he was "in the body, or apart from the body." God carried him into that realm of life that is known as paradise, the third heaven. Heaven is not a location, but a realm of spirit in which we touch, experience, and know God. The first heaven corresponds to the first gate or entrance into the Tabernacle that brings us to the brazen altar, where Christ the Lamb is slain for us, giving to us His life. This is our initial "salvation" experience. The second heaven corresponds to the door into the second realm of the Tabernacle, the sanctuary, wherein dwells the candlestick and the golden altar of incense. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit brings us into this second supernatural heaven in Christ where the Holy Spirit fills us and becomes the light of our life, as the oil fills the candlestick and gives light to the Holy Place. It is there we truly partake of the bread of God and offer up the incense of spiritual praise and worship unto God. This is our second experience in God, the second heaven God has brought us into.
The man of whom Paul wrote had already ascended into the first two heavens in regeneration and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But now "in spirit" the Lord carried him for a brief moment into that realm of life, that dimension of glory, that third heaven of HIS FULLNESS which is our inheritance in Christ, typified by the Shekinah Glory of God beyond the veil in the Holiest of all. Moffatt's translation says, "In the body or out of the body? I do not know. I simply know that in the body or out of the body (God knows which) this man was caught up into paradise and heard sacred secrets which no human lips can repeat." In this marvelous experience it was not important to him to know whether or not his body was caught up into that higher realm. But he had been into that third heaven. He knew it was there. And he knew that in God's due time he would have an abundant and permanent entrance into that realm of glory, by the resurrection power of Christ, CAUGHT UP.
There is abundant truth in Eph. 1:3 where we read that God has blessed us with "all spiritual blessings IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST; according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." That's a heavenly place. And the heavenly places are not out beyond the stars somewhere - they are IN CHRIST. No need to purchase a ticket on a jetliner or book passage on a spaceship to get there, my beloved. When the Bible says that "He has raised us up together, and made us sit together IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS," it speaks not of a physical ascent into space, but about a spiritual ascent. Our hearts are often filled with unbelief and carnal ideas about physical bodies soaring through the rain clouds because of the errors tradition has taught us. How much more real and blessed the precious truth: "Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and H-A-S TRANSLATED US into the Kingdom of His dear Son" (I Cor. 1:13).
How much more beautiful and meaningful it all becomes when the blessed Spirit of truth opens our eyes to see the truth as it is, that physical rapture, which figures so largely in modern preaching and teaching, is simply a figment of the imagination, without foundation in scriptures, and without purpose or meaning in God's great plan. Many spiritual realities are beyond the witness of the flesh. For example, Jesus said the new birth cannot be evidenced by the physical senses of man (Jn. 3:8) but no believer would, on that basis, deny the REALITY of it. Alas! vast numbers of saints entertain the mistaken and foolish notion that the only reality is PHYSICAL. Just the opposite is the truth. Reality is SPIRITUAL. To be "caught up" is to be lifted to a higher realm in the Spirit, a realm of spirit life where all is glory and life abundant.
Through many years and deep dealings God has been changing me. He has transformed my ministry into an instrument that is designed to lift people out from an earthly consciousness into a heavenly (or spiritual) consciousness. As a result of this, God is quickening great numbers of saints and making them aware of His emphasis in this hour to cause our consciousness to be raised to the level of understanding we had in our beginnings. Before ever man was lowered into this gross material realm and here made a "living soul" (Gen. 2:7), he had been created in pure spirit essence in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27). That is man's true and original state of being, and the revelation of God's eternal heritage for him within and without himself, prior to the time he was separated from it. History is replete with the record of wars, hatred, bloodshed, suffering, sorrow, famines, pestilences, sin, sickness and death. Truly God has lowered us into the bondage of corruption, but not without a promise of restoring us into a full God-consciousness and state of being of wholeness again. This is what redemption is all about!
Peter Demetris has penned the following words of truth and wisdom: "Canaan represents the realm of the Spirit. In the past Canaan has been taught incorrectly. Canaan was always taught as some place people died to go. This philosophy has to be wrong. If heaven is a place we either have to die to go to or be raptured to, then our earthly existence is only to be one wilderness wandering after another, where we constantly go through trial after trial, suffering after suffering, only to die and finally make heaven. I believe it's this very lie that has been robbing people of living a Spirit-filled existence now. God is opening up to us an understanding of heaven. Heaven is the realm of spirit, in which we are joined to the Lord, a realm we become more aware of, partake of and live out from as we grow in Christ. As we live out from that inner, heavenly realm, He comes forth through us into our earthly experience. Jesus said pray that the Kingdom of God will come on earth; as it is in heaven so let it be in earth. Canaan represents the fulfillment of what's been promised, our inheritance, something you and I can now enter into, partake of and have manifested through our lives.
The tragedy I see among God's people today is they live so far below their privileges which have been purchased for them. Religion has failed to teach that through Jesus Christ there is no longer any limitation put upon us. One who understands that the veil has been rent, that the way into the Most Holy Place is now open, begins to come to an end of all limitations and to partake of the provision of that realm.
"There was an experiment performed in which flying insects were placed in a jar and the jar was covered. For a while the insects flew to the top and tried to get past the lid on the jar, but after struggling for a time, they stopped trying and only flew as high as they could. Offspring born to these insects now residing in captivity never saw their parents fly above a certain level. Later, when the lid of the jar was removed, even though the insects could have flown out of the top of the jar (normally their nature), they didn't. They were born into captivity and never knew they could fly above that one realm of their existence. This is how it has been for two thousand years in the Christian Church. We have had certain traditions handed to us by our parents who have been in captivity, and have never thought to look beyond the experiences they passed on to us. But now God's people can rise above that into which they have been programmed. This message is written to raise your awareness, to let you know you don't have to live at the low level at which Christendom wants to keep you. Canaan is available! You can partake of it and it will change you from death to life, from natural to spiritual, from earthly to heavenly" -end quote.
I Thes. 4:16-17 deals with death and dying. Paul speaks of the war cry, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet-message sounding for those who are dead in Christ and their coming forth into glorious manifestation of resurrection power, and our being changed. Whether this amazing process takes one minute, five years or a thousand years makes no difference if we understand by the spirit instead of the letter of the Word. The point I wish to make clear is that the purpose for this "catching up" is first of all to transform us from the natural to the supernatural, from the earthly to the heavenly, from humanity to divinity; we ascend from dishonor to glory; we are "raptured" from weakness to power. We completely miss the point when we try to fit it into a time frame or turn it into an historical event. This doesn't mean the raising of those who have died from their physical graves, but the raising of us ALL up into heavenly realms, seated with Him in the sphere of His power, glory and majesty. I am not writing here about physical bodies rising to a location several thousand feet above the ground, but of a RAISING UP to be joined unto the Lord in a new relationship and reality in the heavenlies. I do not believe in the old "rapture" teaching; it is as unscriptural as anything can, be; but a RAISING UP, a CATCHING AWAY, a GATHERING TOGETHER unto the Lord. There is to be a gathering together unto Him by all of the tens of thousands of overcoming saints of God, from both this side and the other side of the veil. "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him" (II Thes. 2:1). Hallelujah! What a day is this! What an hour to be living in! Let us not think as the manifestation of our sonship draws nigh that those who have died and are in their graves have missed something. In the hour of manifestation we will all be RAISED UP together. Yea, "In the third day He will RAISE US UP, and we shall LIVE in His sight" (Hos. 6:2). The next verse says, "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hos. 6:3).
"We ... shall be caught up together with them... to MEET the Lord IN THE AIR: and SO shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thes. 4:17).
Elwin Roach has pointed out, in one of his excellent articles, that the word "meeting" (apantesin, Grk.) appears four times in the New Testament (Mat. 25:1,6; Acts 28:15; I Thes. 4-17), and carries the thought of a CONFERENCE, an ASSEMBLY, or a CONVOCATION. It signifies much more than merely coming into contact with our Lord and standing in His presence. In essence, we are call to a HOLY CONVOCATION, to participate in the high activities of a HOLY ASSEMBLY that is "caught up" into a high place in God, a sphere of exaltation, influence, and authority. All through the scriptures it is common to find natural elements of the earth that represent spiritual realities. Truly, we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the "air," and the word " air" is AER in the Greek, meaning "to breathe," and its usage throughout the New Testament consistently indicates the "atmosphere" surrounding the earth.
Several years ago, while meditating upon this precious passage of scripture, the Spirit unfolded in my consciousness the significant truth that our catching up "into the air" can never be properly understood apart from the inspired words of the apostle Paul in Eph. 2:1-2 wherein he states, "And you has He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, the SPIRIT that now WORKS IN the children of disobedience." There are several key words and terms that unlock the storehouse of truth contained in these verses. Consider - PRINCE, POWER, AIR, SPIRIT, WORKS, and IN. According to these plain statements of scripture there exists a "power of the air." This "power of the air" is a "spirit," and this spirit is located "in the sons of disobedience, wherein he "works." Can we not see by this that the "prince of the power of the air" is not something or someone outside of us, but a spirit-power that operates right here WITHIN MAN. Furthermore, this spirit-power that works within man also emanates from man, exerting an influence throughout the atmosphere that surrounds the earth, giving motivation to the myriad activities and events that transpire in the world. Thus, it is called the "POWER of the AIR."
Dr. Charles Price wrote a little book entitled MADE ALIVE in which he shares this instructive information: "Every atom of matter - every piece of mineral - indeed everything which is the result of God's creative intelligence is surrounded by an 'AURA' or an emanation which is identical with and corresponds to the NATURE of the substance from which it comes. There is a sense in which personalities are possessed with this 'emanation' and 'extension' of themselves into their surroundings. It is a radiation which can be felt when someone walks into a room in which you may be seated. Our personality becomes affected by their personality. They have power to elevate or depress" -end quote.
I would like you to really get a grasp of this thought. We ALL know people who by their very presence can lift us up, and impart a sense of well-being, who can lift out spirits up to heights of joy and happiness. Others can leave you feeling depressed just be spending a few minutes in their presence. The thought I want you to get is the fact that every atom of created material, in fact every created thing, has this aura surrounding them, which is a radiation of their nature and personality into their surroundings. It is an extension of themselves into their environment. This "aura" or emanation is identical with and corresponds to our nature, and is our nature and feelings radiating from us into our surroundings, and it affects everything around us. It is a radiation that flows from our spirits, and the stronger our spirits are the greater the radiation. If you find it difficult to believe the very atmosphere or air waves are charged by the emanations of energy, positive or negative, then go directly from a worship service where the saints are worshipping in the spirit, and enter a night club where ungodly men and women are drinking, cursing, laughing and singing, and the difference you feel in a very real way is the difference between the positive and the negative life force.
Grasp it! A hundred years ago we could not have understood as we do now how communication by sound and picture can be broadcast instantaneously THROUGH THE AIR. Wherever you are as you read these words, chances are there are voices and perhaps music IN THE AIR around you. A radio or TV set tuned to the right wavelength would make them audible to you. You may not have realized it, but the spirit in every man is both a receiver and a transmitter. You may be tuned in on the wavelength of the Holy Spirit or you may tune in on the wavelength of Satan, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience. You don't hear anything with your natural ears because spirit does not broadcast in words or sounds. Spirit broadcasts in thoughts and attitudes. Satan broadcasts in thoughts and attitudes of lust, greed, vanity, jealousy, anger, envy, fear, competition, strife, hatred, violence, bitterness, debate, etc. Here is the real cause of all the world's evils! The people hear no audible voice, they do not see a visible Satan, and they comprehend not from whence come such attitudes, impulses, and desires.
The center of this activity lies within the very heart of man, the core of his being. A friend has shared the following enlightening thought: "It is interesting, then, to read the words of Jeremiah who said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that 'the heart is deceitful ABOVE ALL THINGS and desperately wicked. 'Who can know it?' (Jer. 17:9). The heart of man, then, is the MOST DECEITFUL THING IN THE WORLD! When the Pharisees criticized the disciples of Jesus for eating with unwashed hands we hear Jesus say, 'That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. For FROM WITHIN, OUT OF THE HEART OF MEN, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come FROM WITHIN and defile the man' (Mk. 7:20-23). Every sin-category imaginable is contained in this discourse. Everything that a man could ever do or think that is evil is said by Jesus to come - not from outside of himself, but from WITHIN!
"In our consideration of this passage, there is one all-important phrase that we must be careful to note. Jesus said, 'for from within, out of the HEART OF MEN...' It is imperative that we notice the grammatical number of the two words here. The word 'heart' is singular being in the Greek in the genitive SINGULAR case. The word 'men,' however, is plural being in the genitive PLURAL case. We have then, ONE HEART - but MANY MEN! For want of a better word, I have called this one heart of all men the 'cosmic heart' - cosmic being from the Greek word 'kosmos' which relates to this world system. This 'cosmic heart' or 'cosmic mind' is the common possession of all men - one great subconscious mind shared by all the inhabitants of the world. it is the mind of Adam - shared with his many-membered body. Prodding, goading, tempting, whispering, the subconscious mind makes its subtle suggestions to the conscious mind and man's will bows before it. FROM WITHIN, out of the HEART OF MEN - the subconscious mind - proceed all these evil things!" -end quote. Can you now understand how it is that the apostle, when speaking of the "prince of the power of the air," identifies him not as a funny creature in a red suit with horns and a pitchfork, but as the inward motivating SPIRIT I-N M-A-N! "The SPIRIT that now works (energizes) IN the sons of disobedience."
Let us explore this thought of the SPIRIT that WORKS IN MEN, which is also the POWER OF THE AIR. We must understand that life (spirit) is ENERGY. This means that you as a person, a personality, are ENERGY. Energy has many forms, but it is not something that you can see or hold in your hand. You can think of energy as something that can make things change. For example, a moving object has energy because it can change things by crashing into them. Heat is another form of energy. It is a sort of motion, too - the disorderly motion of the tiny atoms and molecules that make up all materials. Heat energy can melt ice, changing it to water, and heat it more, changing it to vapor. It can run the engine of an automobile, jet plane or rocket. There is another kind of energy, called chemical energy. It is in the coal or oil that heats buildings. It is in the food that nourishes your body and keeps you active. There is atomic energy which can be set free from the atoms of some materials. And then there is the energy carried by light waves, called electromagnetic energy. It is the electromagnetic energy in sunlight that warms the earth. Light waves, streaming out of the sun, carry energy to us across nearly a hundred million miles of space. When the energy of the light hits the earth, part of it changes to heat.
Another kind of energy which we, as the people of God, are aware of is SPIRIT ENERGY. In physics energy is known as the capacity for doing work. The Greek word for energy is ENERGEIA or ENERGEO. These words are used in the Greek New Testament a number of times. Because of the association between "doing work" and "energy," the words are generally translated into English as "working." Since so much has been learned about energy in recent years it would now be far better to translate the word for just what it means energy or energize. Let us look at a couple scriptures. "That you may know ... what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the WORKING (Grk: energeia, energizing) of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead" (Eph. 1:18-20). Yes, it was ENERGY, GOD'S ENERGY, which RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD! And the record further states that He was raised up by the SPIRIT of God! And not only did Paul say that it was God's energy that raised Christ up , but he went on to say in Eph. 3:7 that it was that same energy of God which transformed his own life and made him a minister of Jesus Christ. "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual WORKING (energy) of HIS POWER." Then on top of this Paul declares that it is this SPIRIT ENERGY of God which is working within us to bring us unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. "From whom (Christ) the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual WORKING (energizing) in the measure of every part" (Eph. 4:16). And finally, this energy of God shall so work in us, shall so CHANGE US, that we shall be changed even in the atomical structure of our bodies, as it is written, "Who shall CHANGE our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the WORKING (energizing) whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21). All spirit is ENERGY, and exerts a force, or influence, upon our lives. God is the supreme source of energy - the highest and purest form of energy!
These principles show us that God is a Holy Spirit BEING, possessing Holy Spirit CHARACTERISTICS, and exerting Holy Spirit INFLUENCES. The influences of God are no less God than is the personality of God. The characteristics of God: His nature, virtues, attributes, power, mind, etc. are no less God than the personality of God. God Himself is supreme energy - able to influence and change ALL THINGS! But the characteristics and influences of God are likewise energy, spirit energy. The Bible declares that God is LOVE. It doesn't say that God has love, but God IS LOVE. That is His nature. Did you know that love is energy? You won't have to think about that very long to realize that it is true. Love is a powerful force that can influence and CHANGE THINGS. Love is invisible, like the wind, but it is powerful! And love can be transmitted, invisibly, from person to person, even as light rays are transmitted from the sun to the earth. The qualities of love can be received by those around us even as the life-giving qualities of the sun are utilized by every living thing on earth.
We read in Rom. 14:17, "For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Do you believe peace is real? What does peace look like? Is it round? Is it square? Can you measure it? Can you buy a bottle full of peace, or a truckload? No! Peace is invisible, isn't it? And peace is powerful, isn't it? Peace is SPIRIT! And spirit is ENERGY! You can know when peace is present. You can sense peace, experience peace, speak peace, manifest peace and minister peace. How about joy? You cannot put joy in your pocket or roll it up like a wad of bills. Joy is SPIRIT! Joy is ENERGY! Righteousness is SPIRIT! Righteousness is ENERGY! Righteousness is attainable on this earth now because of the RIGHT SPIRIT, the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit. I have good news for you - you can receive a new spirit, a new ENERGY FORCE, Holy Spirit, Holy Energy, and as a result attain a walk in righteousness. HOLY ENERGY - this is what God IS!
The above characteristics all qualify as SPIRIT for they are realities which are both invisible and powerful. They all qualify as ENERGY for they are real, invisible forces that can MAKE THINGS CHANGE. How we need a receptivity to these influences in the world today! Thank God, He is bringing to pass such a receptivity in a firstfruit company of His chosen ones in this hour! We experience this receptivity by means of a RAISED OR ACTIVATED CONSCIOUSNESS. If there were no receptivity in the trees and flowers and shrubs, we should have a desert around us. These things spring to life because of their quiet receptivity to the energy of the sunlight and moisture poured upon them. What they receive they utilize. That is why the primary function of all creation, animate or inanimate, is receptivity. Your basic function, and mine, is the same - simply to receive of that essence of God which is so bountifully shed upon us by the Spirit! Then we must become TRANSMITTERS of that which we have received!
On the other hand, Satan is a SPIRIT and possesses an un-holy spirit mind, disposition, nature, will, etc., and exercises an un-holy spirit influence through various channels and agencies. Therefore, Satan is ALSO ENERGY - misdirected energy, negative energy, destructive energy. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this! Each characteristic of either God or Satan is a FORM OF SPIRIT ENERGY. This energy can be transmitted to our conscious mind, to produce its power within us, just as electricity is transmitted from a battery to an engine to make it function in a certain way. When the "spirit of holiness" is transmitted to us we begin to function in our personality in that characteristic of God's holiness, thus becoming holy. When the "spirit of wisdom" is transmitted to us we cease from our own natural reasonings and commence to act in accordance with the higher wisdom of God.
In the same way it is clear that there is another spirit mentioned frequently throughout the scriptures, and in opposite terms, namely, the "spirit of fear," the "spirit of bondage," the "spirit of the world," the "spirit of error," the "spirit of antichrist," the "spirit of jealousy," the "spirit of slumber," etc. No one thinks that these various definitions would justify the thought that there are two, or ten, or one hundred or more SATANS! These terms signify in general the WRONG SPIRIT - the spirit, nature, disposition, power and will which has its personification in that one that we call Satan, and which emanates from all whom HE ENERGIZES. This is the spirit that now works in (energizes) the sons of disobedience, and is the POWER OF THE AIR.
Never forget, dear reader, that all of the attributes and characteristics of the Holy Spirit and the Un-Holy Spirit ARE SPIRIT, and therefore ENERGY - POWER! In the area of will, attitude, nature, emotion, mind, disposition, actions, etc. there is ALWAYS A TRANSMISSION OF ENERGY. Haven't you noticed that one persons attitude will "rub off" on to another person? One can begin complaining and soon everyone is complaining. One begins to be argumentative and soon everyone in the room is in a heated argument. Someone vents their anger on you and within seconds you are angry and screaming back at them. Or, a whole group of people may feel frustrated and hopeless in a situation, and just one person can enter the room with a smile on his face, radiating the attitude of confidence and assurance, speak a positive word of encouragement and victory, and soon the whole atmosphere changes, becoming charged with this new expectation, the spirit of the entire group being raised up into hope and anticipation. What is this? It is the work of SPIRIT: invisible, intangible ENERGY - POWER! Invisible, but very real. And very powerful! There is constantly in this world a definite transference of spirit energy from person to person, from group to group, from nation to nation, positive or negative, as the case may be. The rise and success of false religions, communism, rock music, immorality, etc. are the direct result of negative satanic spirit influence transmitted to the masses through faithful ministers of unrighteousness who have become filled with the UN-HOLY SPIRIT, and consequently transmitters of the same, producing a SURCHARGED ATMOSPHERE. THIS, my beloved, IS the "power of the air!" Satan has a large elemental power. He is named the prince of the power of the air, meaning that he is the INVISIBLE RULER, which activity and authority he exercises IN and THROUGH men!
The word for "air" in the Greek language is AER meaning "to breathe." The "power of the air" is thus the ENERGY OF BREATHING! Thoughts from the unconscious realm BREATHED OUT - expressed in words in the conscious realm and lived out as deeds in the physical realm - go forth as energy, power, spiritual influence in the atmosphere of earth. These are not MERELY thoughts or MERELY words, for the spirit of man is tapped into the timeless sphere of eternity wherein is that which is called by the scriptures "the powers of the heavens." This is the realm of PURE ENERGY, and the unconscious mind of man is tapped into this vast supply of ENERGY, and not only tapped in, but when the mouth is opened, the energy is brought forth from the conscious realm and released into the atmosphere of man's physical world, carrying a very real power capable of either blessing or cursing mankind.
Hannah Hurnard has written, "There is another very important thing about our thoughts and words. It really seems true that, as we breathe and speak them out, they set in motion a vibration or current of spiritual energy which gravitates to, and unites with, the same sort of thought-energies being breathed out by other people. 'Like gravitates to like.' God-inspired thought-and-word energy gravitates to all the other God-inspired thought-and-word energies which other men and women are breathing out, and uniting with them, help to build up tremendous forces and influences for good in the world. Our thoughts and words unite with "the principalities and powers in heavenly places" of which the apostle Paul writes. Isn't that challenging!
"But our wrong, self-inspired thoughts and feelings, and the resentful, jealous, unloving, impure ones, when they are breathed and spoken out, gravitate to the same kind of wrong spiritual energies and influences, and, alas, help to strengthen the powers of evil and hate in the world. In that way, without realizing what we are doing, we actually help to increase the destructive forces which are at work in this fallen world of mankind. Our unforgiving thoughts wing their way like birds of prey to the same kind of thoughts; or like dark clouds of evil influence which pile up into huge masses and make it more difficult for people everywhere to forgive and love each other. The impure thoughts and imaginations, inspired by the things we read, look at, and listen to, are also breathed out, and gravitate to the same kind of thoughts, and help to create the dreadful atmosphere in different places where vice and all sorts of unclean things are practiced. Our angry, revengeful and covetous thoughts, as we breathe them out, gravitate to, and unite with, the dark powers which urge men to crimes and violence and murder. How dreadful it is, that we can, if we are not careful, be really responsible for helping to kill someone else. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, warned us of all this when He told us that whoever becomes angry with his brother is guilty of murder, and he who lusts in imagination ia guilty of adultery; simply because, those evil thoughts, imaginations, feelings and desires have strengthened the dark powers which urge men to express these dreadful things through their bodies. But when we begin to experience a transformed thought-life and transformed speech-habits, then, by the grace and power of God, we can cooperate all the time in strengthening the forces or influences of righteousness in the world, and of helping men and women to do good and noble and sacrificial things" -end quote.
What a graphic picture of how the "power of the air" operates! Thoughts and words are thus perceived to be spiritual energy, capable of being transmitted and transferred through the atmosphere of earth as influences upon men. The action of spirit on spirit is inappreciable by the senses; but could we look behind the veil of nature when a crowd is swayed higher and thither by the speech of one man, we should see that the influence exerted was as real and actual as muscular force. From this we learn that words are not mere sounds, but are the sheaths or cases of spiritual life, and on this ground we at once see the force of the Lord' s declaration, "The WORDS that I speak unto you, they ARE SPIRIT, and they ARE LIFE" (Jn. 6:63). Another example of the power of breathed-out spiritual energy was recorded by J. F. Goodavage: "Dr. Franklin Loehr, a minister of the Religious Research Foundation, discovered that plants, when PRAYED OVER by his congregation, grew 75 times faster than an equally tended and nourished plant that was NOT prayed over."
The message is just this - "the air" bespeaks of the atmosphere of this earth which today is super-charged by fleshly and satanic energy radiating from the cosmic heart of unregenerated men. Truly, Satan IS the "god of this world" and the "PRINCE of the power of the air!" But I have some good news for you, my friend! Satan shall be bound - restrained, restricted, removed from his sphere of influence and authority "in the air"! "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold upon the dragon, that old serpent, which is bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him..." (Rev. 20:1-3). What does this mean? It means that when Satan is bound in man and thus removed from his sphere of operation "in the air," THAT POSITION IS NOT GOING TO GO UNFILLED. ANOTHER POWER MUST BE RAISED UP INTO THAT VACATED REALM OF DOMINION TO BECOME THE ENERGY FORCE THAT INFLUENCES THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD, giving direction and motivation to every activity and event wrought upon earth. THAT, my beloved, is what it means for the saints of God to be CAUGHT UP IN THE AIR! As Satan is dispossessed from his position as the prince of the power of the air, saints are caught up or elevated into that place of influence, power and authority. God is now preparing a company to fill that place, that sphere of spirit energy and control that has been occupied by Satan, and thus BECOME the "power of the air," and our blessed Lord Jesus Christ becoming the "PRINCE of the power of the air." Glory! Satan is bound and we are raised up into that realm even now, in the measure that we have appropriated it, but the fullness remains to be revealed. What a prospect! The earth now under the power of the Evil One, renewed and filled with the glory of God under the power of the Righteous Ones! What changes shall yet be wrought in the earth! What righteousness, peace and joy will flow forth to the peoples of the nations! Oh, the mystery of it! Oh, the wonder of it!
The natural minded Christian is looking to be suddenly snatched up into the air, away from the earth, to inhabit mansions on golden streets somewhere in the blue beyond. The spiritual Christian looks to be LAID HOLD UPON BY A HIGHER POWER and lifted into a realm from which He can do something for this world. The almighty Father is preparing and equipping a people who shall bind the devil and usurp his place of cosmic power in the atmosphere, supercharging the atmosphere with vibrations and influences of health and righteousness and life and light and love! When the Righteous Kingdom is in power, the cruel usurper will be absent; when the Righteous Kings hold sway, and the great tempter is overcome, men's motives to godliness will be unhindered. The present activity of God is devoted to selecting, training, teaching, testing, developing and perfecting this conquering, ruling company. Just think - you have the unique potential to be a transmitter of the LIFE-GIVING ENERGY of God Almighty here upon this earth! You can minister the power and glory of God! All the abilities and characteristics of God can be transferred through you to the world around you thus producing harmony and reconciliation to God.
The glory of God is the emanation or radiation of His nature, and this glory surrounds Him. As we become partakers of the divine nature, we will also radiate the glory of His nature. This is the real purpose of our calling, and the meaning of being caught up in the air. Recognize, O saint of God, the radiant glory that is even now vibrating from your being, and seek His presence, that the glory and power might be greatly increased for the sake of His body as well as a lost world. Release the Christ within! Praise God, what a day! You can change the atmosphere about you, regardless of how dark or hopeless it may appear. You can radiate with His power and glory, like a blazing light where darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. Arise and shine! Your light has come! The glory of the Lord has risen upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you!