“and He will slay the reptile that is in the sea”
(Isa 27:1, NKJV)
In the previous teaching we clearly pointed out that Satan’s primary strategy of attack against believers, they “who keep the commandments of Christ and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17), is to flood them with false teaching, thus covering them with a veil of darkness. This veil brings about all kinds of moulds (=ways of thinking), which are formed by idolatry, the molten calves of tradition and religion, which cannot bring about Logos. Jesus had after all said – “ It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans.” (Mat 15:9, CEV).
There are many “commandments and doctrines of men … [which do] indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion … but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” (Col 2:22-23). The deception of the end times, Jesus had warned in Matt 24:4, will be the most pressing danger. In 1 Tim 4:1 Paul affirms this view – “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”
See how the feet of the dragon is making our waters murky (Ezek 32:2)? There will be false teachers who “will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them …” (2 Pet 2:1).
We can thus see that the dragon is found in the streams of false teaching (Ezek 29:3), which he spews toward believers. Isa 14:29 warns that there is a certain process which takes place if we are caught up in these water, “for out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, and its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent”.
This is nothing else but the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). This tree of the kingdom of darkness bears much good fruit, which deceives believers to eat from it. But even the good fruit from this tree often brings forth death. The reason for this is that the seed of the fruit (Gen 1:11) begins to work in us, weaving its veil of darkness. [Which opposes the words and teaching of God, who also work in us -“Because of this we also give thanks to God unceasingly, so that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received not the word of men, but just as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.” (1 Thess 2:13, EMTV).
Yahweh promises in Isa 25:7 that a day will come when He destroys the veil; Isa 26 raises the expectations about this day. And Isa 27 follows with this prospect – “In that day the Lord with his severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisted serpent, and He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.” This happens on the mount Zion. In the next teaching we will examine that which alone can remove the veil from us all.
- Sela: Pray to the Spirit of Truth, to reveal to you the Word of Truth.
- Read: 1 Sam 7-9
- Examine how this has been fulfilled: 1 Sam 9:2 (Tip: Act 13:9; and remember that Paul means
small).
