SCRIPTURES: 
Old Testament 
Gen. 3:1; Ex. 12:12; Jb 1:6-12, Jb. 19:21-27, Jb. 24:13-17; Ps. 2:1-2, Ps. 74:10-11; Is. 24:21, Is. 40:15-26; Ezk. 28:14-17; Dan. 7:2-3 
New Testament 
Mt. 3:2, Mt. 4:17, Mt. 6:10, Mt. 12:25-26; Lk. 4:5-7; Eph. 2:1-3, Eph. 4:17-19, Eph. 6:10-13; Jm. 5:10-11; 1 Jn. 5:19; Re. 6:9-11, Re. 12:7-10, Re. 13:1-2

Tim Miller

Curse

<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>Concept of “Kingdom” assumed from Hebrew Scriptures</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 3:2, ESV)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:17, ESV)
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li>Kingdom of Creation and Kingdom of Eden: Everything in proper order; harmony between heavens and the earth; as it was in heaven, so it was on earth</li>
<li>Kingdom of Darkness: The result of two-fold rebellion; human and non-human. Not just heavenly beings, not just human beings. Kingdom of darkness encompasses both.</li>
<li>Sets the stage for some of the most difficult questions in theology 
<ol>
<li>Classic question of suffering: If God is all powerful, and God is all good, how can there be suffering in the world? Doesn’t the presence of suffering in the world necessarily involve a denial of either the goodness or the infinite power of God? No. The issue is how is “goodness” is defined Biblically. Biblical “answer” to suffering: Rooted in a story in which God’s ways are revealed.</li>
<li>If God has all power and there has been a rebellion, why doesn’t He just put the rebellion down? The “how,” “when,” and “why” questions now become more intricate and prominent in the storyline. How does is choosing to use His power at certain times, and why? Takes us into the realm of God’s purposes and reasons.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
21 “Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me….25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Jb. 19:21, 25-27, NIV)
<ul>
<li>10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about (Gk. to telos kuriou; “the outcome of the Lord’s dealings” [NASB]; “the purpose of the Lord” [ESV, NRSV, RSV]; “how the Lord was kind to him at the end” [NLT]; “the Lord’s purpose for him in the end” [NCV]). The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (Jm. 5:10-11, NIV)</li>
</ul>
10 God, how long will the enemy mock? Will the foe insult Your name forever? 11 Why do You hold back Your hand? Stretch out Your right hand and destroy them! (Ps. 74:10-11, HCSB)
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be ( 
(Gk. mellontes, from mellō; sense of certainty and destiny) killed as they had been was completed. (Re. 6:9-11, NIV)

OT BACKGROUND

<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>Non-human rulers</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God…(Eph. 6:10-13, ESV)
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>Satan (the accuser/adversary): “the ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31, 14:30, 16:11); “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4); “the evil one” (Mt. 6:13, 13:10; 1 Jn. 3:12, 5:18); “the tempter” (Mt. 4:3; 1 Th. 3:5); “the devil” (Jb. 1:7 [LXX]; Mt. 4:1; Re. 12:9); “the dragon” (Re. 12:9, 20:2); “Beelzebub [i.e., “lord of the flies” or “lord of the manure pile,”  altered derogatorily from ba‘al zeḇûl, which means “Prince Baal” ), the prince of demons” (Mt. 12:24); “the ancient serpent” (Re. 12:9); “the deceiver of the whole world” (Re. 12:9); “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn. 8:44); “a liar and the father of liars (or lies)” (Jn. 8:44); one who “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Co. 11:13); “the one who has the power of death” (Heb. 2:14); “the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens” [HCSB]/”the ruler of the power of the air” [NRSV]/”the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth” [NCV]/”the ruler over the powers in the lower heavens” [BHT] (Eph. 2:2)</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God (cf. Gen. 6) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (Heb. haśśāṭān; LXX ho diabolos; the accuser/slanderer/adversary) also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, (cf. 1 Pt. 5:8; Zech. 3) and from walking up and down on it.” (Jb. 1:6-7, ESV)
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil (Gk. diabolos; slanderer accuser), or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth (cf. Jb. 1:6), and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (Rev. 12:9-10, NIV)
25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? (Mt. 12:25-26, ESV)
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>The serpent/guardian cherub in Eden: Same as Satan, or in league with/used by Satan?</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li>1 Now the serpent (Heb. nachash) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1, NIV)</li>
<li>14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you….17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth (“to the ground” [NET]; Heb. ʾereṣ—ground, land, earth, or Sheol); I made a spectacle (“a warning” [TEV])  of you before kings. (Ezk. 28:14-15, 17, NIV)</li>
</ul>
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li>Fallen “sons of God” (Gen. 6:2; Dt. 32:8 [LXX, DSS]; Jb. 1:6, 38:7; Ps. 82; 2 Pt. 2; Jud.)</li>
<li>Fallen “princes” (“prince of Persia” [Dan. 10:20]; “prince of Greece” [Dan. 10:20])</li>
<li>Fallen angels (e.g. Re. 12:7)</li>
<li>Demons (e.g. Dt. 32:17; Mt. 4:24)</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li>Human rulers</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. (Ps. 2:1-2, NIV)
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="3">
<li>Subjects</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of (“lies in the power of” [CJB, NET]; “lies under the power of” [NRSV]; “lies under the control” [ISV]; “is under the rule of” [TEV]) the evil one.  (1 Jn. 5:19, HCSB)
<ul>
<li>19 We know that God is the one to whom we belong, whereas, in the case all others in this rebellious world (note the comparison with “we”), it is the evil one whose power holds sway. (1 Jn. 5:19, BHT)</li>
</ul>
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="4">
<li>Close link between human and non-human Rebels</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
21 In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. (Is. 24:21, NIV)
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. (Ex. 12:12, ESV)
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Eph. 2:1-3, ESV)
<ul>
<li>17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Eph. 4:17-19, ESV)</li>
</ul>

WHO?

<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>A Kingdom characterized by darkness
<ol>
<li>The Terrors and Chaos of Darkness</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
Douglas Stuart: “To appreciate fully this plague account [the ninth plague, darkness], one must understand how ominously darkness threatened ancient people. We travel easily at night with the aid of various forms of electric lighting; they were virtually immobilized by the darkness of nighttime unless the night was cloudless and the moon relatively full. Although some ancient professional caravaneers could travel partly at night, they were able to do so mainly at times other than the dark of the moon but only because their animals could see better at night than they could and especially because they traveled on well-defined, well-remembered paths. Straying from those paths in darkness could be fatal. We can be active at night because our homes and places of work can be cheaply illumined; they closed up their cities at night, barred their courtyard gates, and locked their house doors. People abroad in the nighttime were assumed to be criminals and, typically, in fact were. We feel relatively safe during the night, even away from home, with various means of communication to call for help readily available; they were at the mercy of common thieves and bandits when away from home at night, and unless well-armed and in large groups, they were easy prey for those who used the nighttime as cover for evil. They understood that the darkness was essentially chaotic, a kind of enemy of the safe and the good; we may think of it as just another phase of the day. They considered confinement in darkness a grave punishment from God, even a sort of sometimes purposeful force and associated it with death; we don’t think much about it at all.” (bracketed comments and bolding mine
13 “There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths. 14 When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief. 15 The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed. 16 In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light. 17 For all of them, deep darkness is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness. (Jb. 24:13-17, NIV)
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li>Authority—illegitimate claim; deluded attempt to usurp, yet allowed by God
<ol>
<li>Important to use a proper analogy here, given the modern nation-state. Rebellious territory within the Kingdom of Creation. A rebellious state or territory within a nation gives a better picture—e.g., a state within the U.S. or some other nation</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
5 So he took Him up  and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time (“in an instant” [ISV, NIV, NRSV]). 6 The Devil said to Him, “I will give You (“you” being emphasized) their splendor and all (“all” being emphasized) this authority, because it has been given over (Gk. paradidōmi; “delivered” [ESV]; “handed over” [BHT, TEV]; cf. Is. 40:23-23; Dn. 2:21, 4:17; Re. 13:1-4; temporarily, not ultimately) to me (“me” being emphasized),  and I can give it to anyone I want (only true insofar as allowed by God on some level; cf, e.g., Re. 13). 7 If You, then, will worship me, all will be Yours (until destroyed by God, that is!).” (Lk. 4:5-7, HCSB)
<ul>
<li>12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands (consent from Yahweh required), but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” (Jb. 1:12, NIV)</li>
</ul>
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of (“lies in the power of” [CJB, NET]; “lies under the power of” [NRSV]; “lies under the control” [ISV]; “is under the rule of” [TEV]) the evil one.  (1 Jn. 5:19, HCSB)
<ul>
<li>Craig Keener: “Most of early Judaism understood that the devil ruled the present age of human rebellion, but that ultimately God remained sovereign. The world did not technically belong to the devil (Dan 4:32), who owned human hearts and societies only as a usurper (acting through powers subordinate to God, e.g., Dan 10:13)”</li>
</ul>
1 And the dragon (Satan; see 12:9) stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea (cf., e.g., Is. 17:12-13). He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority (cf. 2 Th. 2). (Rev. 13:1-2, NIV)
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li>Beastly kingdoms led by a beastly spiritual powers</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. (Dan. 7:2-3, NIV)
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="3">
<li>Power/ability temporarily permitted by God</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Is 40:15-26, NIV)

WHAT?

<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>The earth and part of the heavens</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of (“lies in the power of” [CJB, NET]; “lies under the power of” [NRSV]; “lies under the control” [ISV]; “is under the rule of” [TEV]) the evil one.  (1 Jn. 5:19, HCSB)
21 In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. (Is. 24:21, NIV)
7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (Re. 12:7, NIV)
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. (Mt. 6:10, ASV)
<ol start="0">
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol start="2">
<li>Switching the order a little here</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>

WHERE?

<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol>
<li>Is there anything in particular that stuck out you from today’s lesson? Take some time to share and discuss with one another.</li>
<li>Think back to the Exodus story. What do you think it means for God to “execute judgments” on “all the gods of Egypt” (Ex. 12:12)?</li>
<li>Can you think of some other verses in Scripture in which the language of “darkness” is used to describe some aspect of this evil age of rebellion against God? How do these relate to what we studied today?</li>
<li>Using Acts 26:17-18 as a guide, take some time now to pray for some people you know who have yet to “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” (Ac. 26:18, ESV).</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>

QUESTIONS

A People Prepared

Church

In this introduction to the series A People Prepared, we look at Jesus’ zeal for a pure Bride, as...

Jesus’ Zeal for a Pure Bride

In this session we examine some of the formative elements in John the Baptizer’s life, asking the...

Becoming Strong in Spirit

Christ/Cross

When prophesying about John the Baptizer, Zechariah, John’s father, declared that John in...

God’s Day, God’s Summons

Full Gospel

In this session, we examine and discuss the various features and components that make up any...

What Makes Up a Kingdom

Jake Paurus

Instagram

Forerunners in the Wilderness Teaching

Creation

In this session, we will examine the various elements that make up the “Kingdom of Creation.”...

Kingdom of Creation

In this session, we will examine the various elements that make up the “Kingdom of Eden.” What...

Kingdom of Eden Part 1

In this first of two sessions on the Kingdom of Darkness, we will examine some of the various...

Kingdom of Darkness Part 1

In this session we will continue examining the Kingdom of Darkness, focusing especially on Genesis...

Kingdom of Darkness Part 2

Kingdom of Darkness Part 3

Covenant

In this week’s Emmaus Road Gathering, we will resume our discussion of the OT background and...

Kingdom of Israel

When John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed that the “Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt. 3:2, 4:14),...

Kingdom Promised

In this teaching, we step back into the New Testament and examine John the Baptist’s declaration...

The Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand

In Matthew 11, John the Baptizer sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus,
“Are you the one who was...

Kingdom Coming

When the angel Gabriel met with Zechariah and foretold John the Baptizer’s birth, he said that...

Delighting in the Tenth Commandment

How is “love for God” defined according to the Scriptures? In this week’s Emmaus Road...

Love As Loyalty

In this week’s Emmaus Road Gathering, we will wrap up our series on the life, message, and...

Wisdom Vindicated

God’s Day, God’s Summons Q&A/Discussion

What Makes Up a Kingdom Q&A/Discussion

Kingdom of Eden Part 2 / Q&A

In this first of two sessions on the Kingdom of Darkness, we will examine some of the various elements that characterize this age of rebellion against the Creator. What is the Kingdom of Darkness? How does it relate to human suffering? Who are the culprits involved in this wicked uprising against God? We invite you to join us at this Emmaus Road Gathering as we ask God to give us power and courage to remain loyal to the one true God, the God of all light and truth, in the midst of this dark, evil age.