The Messenger

CONT., page 3

SATAN—THE COVERING, THE HEAD

One of the hardest things there is to accept, and provokes the most immediate and greatest objection and reactionary criticism, is the fact that Satan was given the right to rule over the church for 2,000 years, and thereupon has been its head and even substitutionary covering. Let us take a close look at this, for it is a sound and broadly-established truth. As you will find, there are multiple testimonies.

We will begin with Ezekiel 28, which is widely regarded as being a clear description of Satan. Though we have spoken of some of these verses already, let us repeat them, beginning with verse 13:

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire [13-16].”

You will notice here again that Satan bears the title “anointed cherub who covers,” or “covering cherub.” To aid your understanding of that which now unfolds, four sequential points will be set forth, starting with what was just stated:

#1. Satan is the anointed cherub who covers.

This is most important to note. Now, one must then ask an equally necessary question:

#2. What is it that Satan covers?

Clearly, Satan is a covering. And, God indeed provides the answer to this question. We can know with certainty what it is he covers by simply looking at another passage that speaks of Satan as well.

There are two chapters in the Bible that are most often assigned to Satan’s identity: Ezekiel 28, which we have already seen, and Isaiah 14. In Isaiah 14:12-15 we read:

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.”

So, who is it that is actually being spoken of here as a type of Satan? Verses 4 and 22 tell us, in addition to the preceding chapter 13. In fact, chapter 13 has been referred to on a number of occasions in the writings here. Who is this type? It is the “king of Babylon.” Satan is thus synonymous to the king of Babylon, who at that time was Belshazzar. This too is obviously most important.

Now, by knowing what this king as a type of Satan covers—Babylon—we can know what Satan himself, this covering cherub, covers. Certainly, it is not natural Babylon, but it is in fact the fulfilling spiritual Babylon. And what is that? As addressed in All’s Well that Ends Well, page 2, mystery Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 is Christianity. Therefore, we find that as the covering cherub, Satan is the covering over the Body of Christ.

#3. Satan covers spiritual Babylon, or Christianity.

Likewise, even as King Belshazzar was the head over Babylon, so Satan is the head over the Body of Christ. And the outcome for the king of Babylon tells us something most wonderful, confirming, and revealing about Satan’s fate and final purpose.

In Isaiah 13 and one hundred and ten verses of Jeremiah 50 and 51, Yahweh explicitly prophesied the complete and utter destruction of Babylon. For example, in Jeremiah 50:3 we read: “For a nation has come up against her out of the north [specifically the Medes, 51:11 and 28]; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it.” In 51:2-3 we read: “And I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her and may devastate her land. . . . So do not spare her young men; devote all her army to destruction.” And Isaiah 13:20-21 clearly states: “It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there, and their houses will be full of owls; ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers and jackals in their luxurious palaces.”

But did this take place as spoken by Yahweh? Not at all! When Darius the Mede did invade Babylon as prophesied, he and his army diverted the Euphrates River, drying up its bed (a prophetic type of Revelation 16:12), entered Babylon without any resistance or bloodshed, and one man alone was killed. Who was it? It was the head, King Belshazzar, the type of Satan! All the wrath Yahweh prophesied concerning the judgment of Babylon fell upon only one: the head! Thus in like manner, and in true fulfillment, the head of the Body of Christ, Satan, will be judged. And as with natural Babylon, he will pay the price, instead of Christians. Therefore:

#4. Satan, the head, will be judged to the preservation of the Body.

Briefly, we see a like testimony to this in David and Goliath. Vast Christianity is consistently identified with bronze: the bronze belly of the statue, the bronze serpent, and more. It is thus most telling that giant Goliath was completely covered from head to foot in bronze (1 Samuel 17:5-6). And, just as David struck Goliath in the head with a small stone, and then took Goliath’s own sword and cut off his head, so we see again that the head of giant Christianity, Satan, must be cut off with the word of God.

Let us quickly examine yet another testimony that Yahweh God provides regarding Satan’s covering over Christianity: the tabernacle, which was “a copy and shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5).

In the holy of holies, there was the ark of the covenant, and covering it with their wings spread over it were two angels. These were two cherubim (Exodus 25:19-22). Following is a representation of what the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat and two cherubim might have looked like (though it seems both wings would have somehow been over the ark):

Most significantly, the ark of the covenant was made of acacia wood. This was the tree from which the crown of thorns would have been made that was placed upon Christ, and is thus on the Body of Christ as well.

Why is all of this significant? Because the ark represented in type cursed acacia Christianity, with the two Remnant on each side. This is the same pattern found in Zechariah 4 where we see: olive tree, lampstand, olive tree; or, first Remnant, Christianity, second Remnant. Thus we find that the two are one and the same:

=

In this we see that the two cherubs that cover the Body of Christ are in fact the two Remnant, one on each side. But up to now, there have not been these two coverings. So, without these two cherubs, what cherub then covers the Body of Christ? There is only one cherub this could be, and that is the “anointed cherub who covers”—Satan! Therefore, as testified in the ark of the covenant with the two covering cherubs, once again we see that Satan, the anointed cherub who covers, has been the covering over Christianity for 2,000 years.

And speaking of these 2,000 years, and being equally brief, do not forget that Satan was given the legal right from Yahshua Himself to take the 2,000 swine into the sea of death (Mark 5:13). This was of course a legal testimony that, just as Satan was given authority over Job, so he was given authority over the Body of Christ. Only in the case of the Body, he now had the authority to take them to death. (For more about this testimony, read Trinities, page 5.)

Of course, what did the demons have to say concerning Yahshua’s timing? They asked Him, “Have You come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29.) Yahshua was not due to come for another 2,000 years, in the Millennial Reign. That meant that Satan and his demons still had authority over the earth. This being the case, he had the authority to rule over Yahshua so as to torture and crucify Him. So, what has changed since then? Nothing regarding Satan’s authority. Therefore, he has ruled over the Body of Christ as well. But the hope we have today is that his 2,000 swine, his 2,000 years, are over.

We have noted that the two Remnant serve as a covering for the Body of Christ. In reality, this is a relational testimony of the male and the female—the uncircumcised male is covered by the female in order to bring forth offspring. Read The Covering Bride, and particularly page 5, to understand this. But there is actually another important way we have to look at this matter of a covering as well. Let us now consider this.

In the online writing, Coverings, chapter 3, we find the law and way of Yahweh God concerning changes in a covering. First, Yahweh places a covering over something. Then with the effecting of sin, that covering is removed and judgment comes. Thereupon, a substitutionary covering is now applied. Then finally, in the end the substitutionary covering is removed and the original covering is restored. This is exactly what we find with the covering over the church, the kingdom of heaven.

When Yahshua came to this earth, we have seen that He came before His time. One of the reasons this had to be was that in order for Him to become the sacrifice Lamb, men had to have the authority to kill Him. This, of course, would not be possible in the Millennial Reign. So, He had to come early when Satan had the right to rule this world.

In the wilderness that Yahshua was led into by the Holy Spirit, Satan “showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,” and said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours” (Luke 4:5-7). Have you ever noticed this fact? All the kingdoms of the world throughout time have been handed over to Satan, and he has had the authority to give them to whomever he wishes. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 4:4 states that he is “the god of this world”; and in John 12:31 and 16:11, he is acknowledged by Yahshua as being the “ruler of this world.”

Clearly, with this authority, Satan not only had the right to kill Yahshua, but for 2,000 years has had the same right to kill and corrupt the holders of the kingdom of heaven. Hebrews 2:14 clearly states that the devil, present tense, “has the power of death.” As the god, ruler, and possessor of this world, clearly he has authority over the kingdom of heaven that is in this world, especially when the One who provided it went away.

So, let us now examine the law of coverings in regard to this truth. After His death, burial, resurrection, and the essential eight days in heaven, Yahshua came back to this earth and was with them right up to Pentecost. During that time the kingdom of heaven was pure, just as it was initially so in the Garden of Eden. And as in the Garden as well, they walked and talked with God. Also, with His presence, He was head over that kingdom. But, He could not stay; and just as He was turned over to Satan, so His kingdom and its possessors had to be turned over to him as well. Therefore, when He left, His headship was replaced by another: the god, ruler, and possessor of this world and all that is in it—Satan!

When the apostles cast lots for a replacement for Judas just before Pentecost, they stood in the place of the Holy One and the abomination of desolation took place. Yahshua had told them, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” But, He would leave, and warned that “night [was] coming when no one can work” (John 9:4-5). He left, night came, and Satan thereupon took His place as head and covering—the Belshazzar that would someday die for the church, even as did his Predecessor, the Lamb of God. Then, Yahshua will return and the ruler of this world will be bound, and He will once again take His rightful place.

Thus, while Yahshua was on this earth following His eight days in heaven, He was the head and covering of the church. But when He left, the god of this world became its head and substitutionary covering—Satan. And when He returns, He will restore His headship and His covering. Thus we see the following headship/covering order:

Yahshua —> Satan —> Immanuel

Another clear testimony of the legal responsibility for and over the church which Satan was given, is one that others have noted only in part. In truth, they have failed to grasp what the implication is in drawing their comparison. This is from Isaiah 22:15-23, and is the account of one Shebna who was “over the house” during the reign of Hezekiah. You will see here the clear comparison of Shebna with that of Satan, who has equally been over the house of God. And as you read, you will notice that, like Satan, he is found to be displeasing, and as the type of a substitutionary covering is replaced by another—Eliakim, or “God raises up.”

Thus says the Lord Yahweh of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the house: ‘What right do you have here, and whom do you have here, that you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, you who hew a tomb on the height, you who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock? Behold, Yahweh is about to hurl you headlong, O man. And He is about to grasp you firmly and roll you tightly like a ball, to be cast into a vast country; there you will die and there your splendid chariots will be, you shame of your master's house. I will depose you from your office, and I will pull you down from your station.

‘Then it will come about in that day, that I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your tunic, and tie your sash securely about him. I will entrust him with your authority, and he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder; when he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open. I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, and he will become a throne of glory to his father's house.’ ”

Such is Satan. He was placed over the house of God, the church, but will be replaced by Him who has the key of the house of David—Immanuel. But notice the unmistakable and obligating testimony here. If Eliakim represents Immanuel, there has to be one who has possessed that office and authority over the house before Him. And as we have seen, this is none other than Satan Himself, who has been this resident head and substitutionary covering of the church for 2,000 years. Thus we clearly see here that Immanuel would receive a place, an office, that was originally held by Satan. Shebna must be reckoned with in this account.

But also, there is more to this testimony than just Immanuel. We read here:

Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,

When he opens no one will shut,

When he shuts no one will open.

Where might this passage later be quoted, indicating its fulfillment? In the book of Revelation, chapter 3, verse 7:

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: . . ..”

Why is this so significant? Because Philadelphia speaks of the second Remnant, while Smyrna, in 2:8-11, speaks of the first Remnant. (Read here for more on this.) It is the Smyrna first Remnant that lost the rights to be the fulfilling Elijah and died, and it will be the Philadelphia second Remnant that is that fulfillment, bringing Immanuel to this earth so that the Eliakim can replace the Shebna. Therefore, it is most relevant that the fulfillment of this passage regarding the key of the house of David, actually comes with the establishment of the work to which the passage speaks—the second Remnant. And, it is greatly encouraging for us today that there is the promise that this is a work that is most certain to find fulfillment: “When he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open.”

But let us note here as well that this affords great hope for the fulfilling Elijah, who stands in that office before Immanuel comes. And, there is the hope that this work is predestined by Yahweh God, and will be fulfilled! We will consider this in the next section. But for now, we will look at the first thing that Yahweh used to show me that Satan was the head of Christianity. And again, we have to be brief.

In the latter half of the 1990s, I was fixing breakfast for the family one morning when Yahweh showed me from some recent events that Africa was a type of Christianity. After breakfast, I went to the living room and opened an encyclopedia to Africa to see what evidence there might be regarding this. Before me was a map of that continent. As I was looking at it, I happened to turn it slightly, and when I did my blood turned cold! Right there before me was the image of Satan! You can see the same in this image as well.

Satan’s eye is Lake Victoria, the Limpopo River is his mouth, there is a little horn on his forehead, and you can see that the boot of Italy is crushing his head. Much more can be read about this at The Signs That Cause Belief, page 4 and page 5. Thus I realized for the first time that with Africa representing Christianity, and Satan’s head in fact engraved upon that continent, that Satan was the head of Christianity (page 9).

At that point, I knew that anything this dramatic and significant had to be recorded in the Scriptures, and that is exactly what we find. In Zechariah 3:1, we find Satan accusing Joshua the high priest. Yahweh rebuked Satan, took away Joshua's iniquity, and proclaimed this prophetic promise:

“For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an engraving on it,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day” (vs. 9).

That stone is in fact the land of Africa, and the engraving on it is of the one who was accusing the high priest, Joshua: Satan. Africa, which is indeed a cursed land in so many ways, is a type of cursed Christianity, but at the nations level.

The day that I saw this, our family was going through a very real test. My oldest daughter wanted to go see a Christian family we had fellowshipped with in the past, but there was a problem. That family wanted to cut off the head! They would allow my wife and five children to come over; but, they would not allow me to come. This turned out to be a real struggle with my oldest daughter because she wanted to go, and I feared that it was going to lead to a conflict. My position was that all they wanted to do was to separate our family, and I would not allow them to cut off the head.

When I saw this frightening and sobering image, I asked this daughter to come and sit beside me on the couch. I told her what Yahweh had told me that morning, and then handed her the encyclopedia and asked her what she saw. There was no response until I turned the book in the same way as I had before, and her eyes got very big. She too saw Satan! That, I said, shows whose image is on Christianity. With this solitary event, my daughter never said anything else about going over to see that family.

It is most relevant and significant that this entire matter of Yahweh showing me who the head of Christianity is, took place at the very time when a Christian family was trying to cut the head off of my family. The reality is that what they were trying to do to me, is the very thing that must happen to them as Christians: Satan must be cut off as the head of Christianity!

And remember, most importantly, the head controls the body. In fact, the natural tells us that the body is merely an extension of the head. As with diving or in gymnastics, wherever the head goes, the body goes. Knowing this truth then, to look at Christianity for the last 2,000 years and think that Christ is the head, is impossible to conclude and even an insult to Him! If He is head, then something is dramatically wrong with Him! The divided and entirely corrupted Body of Christ with its worldliness can in no way represent Christ as head. Therefore, it is once again obvious as to who that head has been and is today, and that is the covering angel Satan. In every way, and as we have seen in many ways attested in the Scriptures, he has been head.

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