Holy War and the Secret Savior: Deceiving the Deceiver

Throughout the history of creation, God has been working to establish His kingdom through a carefully concealed plan that would ultimately be revealed through Jesus Christ. This divine strategy required keeping the true nature of salvation hidden from both human and supernatural forces until the perfect moment, ensuring that even God's enemies would play a role in accomplishing His purposes. The profound mystery of this plan demonstrates God's sovereign wisdom in using the opposition of evil forces to bring about their own defeat while securing humanity's redemption.

Synopsis:

The Original Purpose and Human Failure

From the beginning of time, God has been working toward a singular purpose that continues today: building a kingdom for His glory. This divine plan, which began in Eden and will reach its fulfillment at the end of time, has been marked by both human failure and divine wisdom. Understanding this narrative requires exploring the supernatural context that underlies much of scripture's seemingly bizarre content.

In the beginning, God instructed Adam and Eve to "be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth," with the intention of spreading His rule across the planet. The original vision was for the earth to be a place where heaven and earth intersected—where humanity could enjoy the divine presence, and the divine could delight in earth and humanity. However, this perfect plan was disrupted by human sin.

The Pattern of Failure and the Need for Divine Intervention

Following Adam and Eve's transgression, they were expelled from God's presence and placed under a curse. The gates of Eden closed, and the divine enemy—the serpent—was banished to earth, where death would reign. As Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death." This curse claimed every human being who would ever live, marking the beginning of a pattern of human failure that would repeat throughout history.

After the Great Flood, God renewed His purpose with Noah's family, again commanding them to "be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth." Yet humanity rebelled once more at the Tower of Babel, choosing to make a name for themselves rather than spread God's knowledge and rule. This led God to diversify human languages and start anew with Abraham and Sarah's family.

The Mystery of God's Plan

The pattern of failure continued through the nation of Israel, which God brought out of Egyptian slavery into the Promised Land. Even under the leadership of King David and his son Solomon, Israel ultimately turned to other gods, leading to national division and eventual exile in Babylon. This recurring pattern revealed a fundamental truth: human beings, in their fallen state, could not be trusted with establishing and maintaining God's kingdom.

As the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, "We speak God's hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." The term "rulers" here refers to divine rulers, the cosmic powers of darkness in the heavenly realm.

The Concealed Messiah

The necessity of keeping this plan hidden becomes clear when considering Ephesians 2:2, which speaks of "the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedience." If Satan and his forces had understood God's strategy, they never would have orchestrated Jesus's crucifixion—the very act that would secure humanity's salvation.

This secret plan is particularly evident in how the concept of the Messiah was understood in the Old Testament. Contrary to common assumption, the Old Testament never explicitly describes a divine savior who would die for humanity's sins. The word "Messiah" (meaning "anointed one") typically referred to King David or his descendants, focusing more on kingship than salvation.

The Disciples' Understanding and Divine Revelation

Even Jesus's disciples struggled to understand His true purpose. When He spoke of His impending death and resurrection, they were "deeply distressed" (Matthew 17:22-23). Peter even rebuked Jesus for suggesting such a fate, prompting Jesus to respond, "Get behind me, Satan" (Matthew 16:21-23). The disciples' expectation was for a political king who would restore Israel's earthly kingdom, not a suffering servant who would die for the world's sins.

Only after Jesus's resurrection, when He "opened their minds to understand the scriptures" (Luke 24:45), did the disciples begin to grasp the full scope of God's plan. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

The Fulfillment of Divine Purpose

Looking back, we can now trace the threads of this plan throughout scripture. Jesus fulfills multiple roles foreshadowed in the Old Testament: He is the true Son of God (like Adam), the perfect servant (like Israel), the ultimate prophet, the highest priest, and the eternal King sitting on David's throne. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:45, "The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit."

The Implications for Believers Today

This understanding has profound implications for believers today. As Paul declares in Romans 10:9, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Through Christ's death and resurrection, believers are freed from the curse of death and Satan's claim on their souls. As John 1:12 affirms, "But to all who received him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name."

Conclusion: The Victory of God's Hidden Wisdom

The revelation of this divine mystery should encourage believers today. We understand something that even supernatural beings could only dream of knowing. This knowledge unifies believers as members of Christ's body, assured that just as Christ was raised, we too will be raised. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, "Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep... For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."

This transformation from curse to blessing, from death to life, from exile to kingdom citizenship, represents the fulfillment of God's eternal plan—a plan hidden for ages but now revealed to His saints. In Christ, we find not just the solution to humanity's failure, but the promise of restoration to God's original purpose: a kingdom built for His glory, where heaven and earth once again meet in perfect harmony.