Salvation

Revelation 12:1-6

by Dennis Baker • President BMAMO Brotherhood

From the beginning, Satan has tried unsuccessfully to prevent the coming of the “promised Seed.” Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The establishment of the nation of Israel as chosen people has been God’s avenue for introducing His salvation plan to the world. Matthew traces the lineage of Christ through Joseph via King Solomon back to Abraham. Luke traces the lineage of Jesus through Mary via Nathan back to Adam. The text, through the three characters of the woman or the nation of Israel, the red dragon or Satan, and the man child or Jesus Christ explains how Satan has stood over the woman Israel to destroy her child as soon as Christ was born into humanity. Since the beginning of time there has been a spiritual battle going on in heaven for the souls of mankind.

Genesis 6:5-10 records an attempt of Satan to prevent the coming of the” Promise Seed.” “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Satan had corrupted all of mankind except Noah and his family. Only Divine intervention preserved mankind from a total overthrow. The promise of Satan’s defeat was preserved through Shem.

Satan attempted to break up the “royal line” by which the “seed of the woman” was to come. On the death of Jehoshaphat, his son Jehoran killed all his brothers with the sword reducing the royal line to himself. Jehoran had children but the Arabians killed all of them except Ahaziah as they fought against Judah. Ahaziah was the only living descendant of the “Royal Line” of the “seed of the woman” through David, Abraham, and Shem. Ahaziah had children but at his death in an attempt to destroy all the “royal seed” of Ahaziah, Athaliah his mother (II Chronicles 22:10) attempted to kill all the descendant of Ahaziah. Satan would have succeeded but Jehoshabeath the wife of the high priest, daughter of King Jehoran, “took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber.” (II Chronicles 22:11). II Chronicles 23:3, “And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.”

When the time came for the “seed of the Woman” to enter the world the Devil used Herod to kill all the babies in Bethlehem two years of age and under. Satan though he had devoured the seed of the woman. Matthew 2:13.

When Satan saw Christ on the cross, laid in the sepulcher, the stone sealed and the watch set, Satan thought he had conquered the “seed of the woman.” But when Christ was raised from the dead and ascended to the Father, Satan was defeated.

No wonder Jesus declared that He is the only way to heaven. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” God has no other plan for the salvation of mankind. Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The death, burial, and resurrection were, and are, God’s only plan for the payment of our sins. Since Satan’s desire is to be like the most high it is no wonder that he has worked so hard to destroy God’s plan of salvation. But it is more amazing that despite the failures of mankind and the power of Satan, God has preserved His salvation plan throughout history.