The Apostle Paul told us that we do not wrestle with human beings, but with spiritual beings of various ranks.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].” – Ephesians 6:10-12 (my emphasis)We are told in the Book of Daniel that there are spiritual beings that resist the angelic servants of God, and these spiritual beings have authority of specific territories; in this case, Persia.
“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days.” – Daniel 10:13These Scriptures tell us that there are ranking spiritual beings that have some measure of authority over “the nations.”
Perhaps these spiritual authorities are the same as the “sons of God” (ben Elohim) described in Job 1:6. The Prophet Micah told King Ahab that he saw the Lord seated on His throne, with the host of heaven on His right and left hand. The Lord conferred with this council, and when He received a suggestion that He approved, He authorized the action. (First Kings 22:19-22)
Just as there were seventy sons of Noah listed in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), we are told that the Lord divided to the seventy sons their inheritance as individual nations, apparently when He divided the nations at Babel. (Deuteronomy 32:8)
Seventy seems to be a number of counsel. The Lord told Moses to gather seventy men of the elders of Israel to stand with him at the tabernacle of the congregation. (Numbers 11:16) Later, Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up Mount Sinai. (Exodus 24:9) The Lord Jesus did the same during His earthly ministry.
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.” – Luke 10:1We know that God is sovereign and in control. But there are unseen spiritual beings that have been given certain authority. Are these entities loyal to the Most High God, or have they rebelled against God? Daniel 10:13, quoted above, seems to tell us that there are rebels in the Heavenly realms. In the next lesson we will explore this subject further.
Until then, praise the Lord, because He is definitely still on the Throne!