Ephesians 6 and the Armor of God

 

Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Visiting Professor

Department of Liberal Education

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

 

         Unless one is an experienced Seventh-day Adventist, like Paul, Jesus, John and the other disciples were, it will not be possible to properly understand Ephesians 6. Calvinism, Methodism, Congregationalism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy in all its forms, Penticostalism, none of these movements is able to understand Ephesians 6 properly. Unless you are a historicist like Jesus, Paul, John and modern Seventh-day Adventists are, you cannot grasp the full impact of what Paul is saying. You cannot fully understand Jesus and neither John in any of his books, including Revelation.

        Our diagram is trying to bring lines of the Bible together in order to understand Paul in Ephesians 6. The diagram has numbers to guide the reader as to where we are in the description of the diagram.

        It may be possible that Paul was just using a soldiers outfit to describe a role of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary. The evil is to be fought, notice, not on earth [15] but in heaven [14] since Ephesians 6:12 says that “evil is in heavenly places” [15]. Paul wrote in 58 CE [16] here while he was in chains (Ephesians ). Satan, or the origin of evil, was cast out or forbidden entrance in Heaven at the cross in 31 CE [17] thus for evil to be in heaven in 58 CE, it can only be in the context of Christ’s Priestly ministry on our behalf in heaven [20]; [19].

Notice that Paul says in Ephesians that the believers needed a sword but it is the sword of the Holy Spirit [30]. It is indeed not the Bible, or written Word of God [logos] but the spoken Word of God [rhema] thus preaching. Evangelism, mission, teaching, preaching, praying, speaking, is what they need, with the guidance and protection of the Holy Spirit [25].

         Notice also how Paul is asking them to “stand fast” in Ephesians 6:13-14 [22]. Stand fast is to be established and not to be stumbling. This establishment takes me to a couple of Old Testament references regarding this matter.

         In Daniel 8:11 the place (mekun = establishment) of His Sanctuary was cast to the ground by Satan in Heaven through his rebellion. The plan of salvation is to restore this broken establishment. To restore the mekun. The vicarius filii dei action [3] seen in the Little Horn agency work of Satan between 538-1798 [8] as described in Daniel 8:10 and Daniel 8:12 [9] for the Little Horn, played in the hands of Satan by interrupting the Priestly Work of Christ in Heaven [20] since it was trying to do on earth what only Christ can do in heaven [19]. This substitution, the meaning of vicarius, was and is a no-no. If continued it is an evil in heavenly places done on earth in the hands of the heart of the Little Horn, namely Daniel 8:11, who is Satan [2].

           Micah the prophet had a vision of the restoration of this broken establishment in Micah 4:1 [31] and he saw in vision that the Mountain of the Lord (His Sanctuary) will be above all other mountains [31] “established” nakun [32], and all nations shall stream to it [31]. The Gospel went to all nations and what Christ is doing in the Priestly Ministry is on behalf of all nations [20]. The cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 [5] was to take 2300 years [6] until 1844 [7] because the kick-off time was 457 BCE [5]. It was in 1844 that the cleansing started so that we understand Christ’s words in John 14:3 that He [Christ] is going to prepare (etoimaso) a place (topos) for us in Heaven. See the paradox that His Father has many mansions but Christ has to prepare a place. It is not a paradox since He has unfinished business or functions in Heaven, namely the removal of any evil misunderstanding regarding the saints by the unfallen worlds that acts as the jury of the Heavenly courts (Daniel 7). His Priestly function and His Highpriestly function [21] since 1844 was thus a preparation of place (topos) for us in the hearts and minds of the heavenly beings. That is why the saints in Paul’s day in Ephesians 6, like us, needed in 58 CE [16] Christ, the Helmet of Salvation [28], Christ our Righteousness the breastplate [27] Christ the embodiment of all truth [26] and with the sandals [23] they can participate in the swiftness of spreading the gospel. By the spoken word of God (rhema) [25] of Ephesians 6:17, the Christian participates in the preparation (etoimaso) also since many sinners are evangelized, by mission, testimony, preaching, teaching, admonishing, talking, speaking, whispering, praying, all actions of rhema or spoken word of God [25]. It is linked to Christ promise to prepare (etoimaso) a place (topos) for the saints in John 14:3 [10].

            Since the dating places these great events in Micah and Daniel in 1844 with the High Priestly role of Christ it coincides with the Three Angels message of Revelation 14:6ff. thus the spoken word of God is carried all over the earth indeed with a task of etoimaso or preparation [24]. Now we understand why Paul is saying stand fast or be established in Ephesians 6:13-14 [22].

            What is needed for the faithful is the shield of faith Ephesians 6:16 [29] and this is the key to be welcomed into the wonderful promise of protection against the Rebellion in Heaven Great Controversy.

 

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