1 Peter 3:18-20
18″ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 10 by whom also He went and preached TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON, 20 WHO FORMERLY WERE DISOBEDIENT, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the DAYS OF NOAH, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is eight souls, were saved through water.”
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GOD INHABITS THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE!
Wait. What? I thought this article was about you-know-who; you know…..the one God tossed out of heaven. How does praising the Lord fit in here?
Yes, these verses are about the demons who refused to keep their place. They may not seem to be related to the subject at hand, but trust me: They are!
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Spirits In Prison?
Who are these spirits in prison that formerly were disobedient? They were the fallen angels that fathered the Nephillim, those half demon/half human antediluvian giants who wreaked havoc on the world. These very same evil beings did it again after the flood, fathering the Anakim and the Rephaim, of which Goliath was one.
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If you are not familiar with the topic of these half human aberrations, you may follow the link below for a series on that topic:
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Before we see how praising God fits in, we will need a little background.
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The Bosom Of Abraham.
After Jesus died, He descended to Paradise, known to the Jews as the “Bosom of Abraham.” He went there to free the saints of the Old Testament who had looked forword to this great day, the Day that Jesus conquered EVERYTHING. While He was there, He confronted the aforementioned outlaw spirits.
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You see, Sheol, or the grave, at one time had two sides filled with people: Paradise and the suffering side, Hell. Those who lived before Jesus came but believed the gospel went to Paradise; unbelievers went to the other place.
Between the two there exists a great, impenetrable gulf. One cannot cross over from one place to the other, though they obviously could see the other side. For a more in-depth discussion of that topic, you may follow the link below:
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The Greatest Battle Of All Time.
The entire battle of the universe rages around this one event: THE CROSS, where Jesus crushed the head of the great dragon! When He returns to earth, He isn’t going to rule the whole world from Paris or London or New York: He’s going to rule from His city, His capitol: JERUSALEM.
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This is why Israel and the Middle East are always in the news, like a boiling cauldron of unrest. That old serpent is trying to prevent the second coming so he won’t be completely destroyed. It’s also why you, Christian, are attacked, why the devil hates mankind, and why there are so many hospitals, sickness, and death.
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This great war began long ago when Lucifer wanted to be God. That wasn’t going to happen or be a good thing. So, he was cast down from heaven, taking with him 1/3 of the angels. That means that the good Angeles OUTNUMBER the evil ones 2 to 1!
Remember now, he was not just an angel: He was a Cherub, one of the most powerful of the created angelic type of beings who are guardians of God’s holiness.
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Now let’s see how and why praising God fits in!
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Heavenly Minister Of Music?
Before his exit, Lucifer was THE WORSHIP LEADER of all the angels. You might say he was the heavenly “Minister of music.” Pipes and musical instruments were actually built right into him, the Bible says. His whole body was like a musical instrument. He was known then as “the Cherub that covereth,” only now that he has been tossed out of heaven, his title is in the past tense.
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That is why the devil uses music to attract and lead humans astray into rebellion, drugs, alcohol, you name it. It is a very powerful medium.
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Creat-ED; Not Creat-OR.
Now, not all music is evil; GOD’S MUSIC IS FAR GREATER and FAR MORE POWERFUL!!! HALLELUIA!!! Remember, Lucifer cannot create; he can only pervert and counterfeit. He is “creat-ED;” Not creat-OR!
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The Bible says that Our God inhabits the praises of His people. Well…..The more and greater praise we sing and shout to Him, the more the devil hates it! He cannot stand it. He has to FLEE!!!
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That gives us even greater motivation to SING PRAISES LOUDLY AND OFTEN TO OUR GOD?! Because Jesus overwhelmingly won the greatest war of all time at the cross, we who trust Him as our savior no longer have to worry about the Cherub that covered.
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The link below has a whole lot more information about what these evil spirits were up to before the flood. Believe me, it will curl your hair and show you unequivocally why the great flood HAD to happen:
Emmaus Road Ministries 