CHAPTER 15
DO GOD’S ANGELS EVER
DESTROY HUMAN BEINGS?
Sometime ago I was talking to a minister about this subject and he said, “Why certainly God’s angels destroy and hurt people. When Christ, the ‘angel of the covenant,’ was wrestling with Jacob, Jesus put Jacob’s hip out of place. Yes, God and His angels do hurt and destroy people,” he concluded with a smile of victory on his face; for he was sure that there was no answer to that argument. I said nothing at the time, for I had never really thought about it. I realized that it was very inconsistent with the character of Jesus in the New Testament to hurt anyone, so I prayed and asked God for special wisdom to understand this seemingly unexplainable contradiction. I will now share with you what the Holy Spirit revealed to me. “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. AND WHEN HE [Jesus] SAW THAT HE [Jesus] PREVAILED NOT AGAINST HIM [Jacob], HE [Jesus] TOUCHED THE HOLLOW OF HIS [Jacob’s] THIGH; AND THE HOLLOW OF JACOB’S THIGH WAS OUT OF JOINT, AS HE [Jacob] WRESTLED WITH HIM [Jesus].” If we agree that Jesus put Jacob’s thigh out of place because Jesus could not prevail over Jacob, we are saying that Christ, the Creator, could not win a wrestling match with Jacob. That a created being is as strong or stronger than his Creator. This is, of course, absurd and totally unacceptable. The word prevail cannot be used here in a physical sense; God can prevail over anyone physically. We are no match for God physically or mentally anymore than we are equal to Him in any other way, shape, or form. So, the only answer is that Christ was trying to “PREVAIL” upon Jacob’s mind or heart so Jacob would completely trust and fully believe that Christ had already blotted out his sins and forgiven Him. He wanted to give him the complete assurance of salvation. This will happen again in the lives of the saints during the “TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE.” “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jer. 30:7. Jacob’s error that led him to obtain the birthright by fraud was clearly set before him. He had not trusted God’s promises, but had sought by his own efforts to bring about that which God would have accomplished in His own time and way. As an evidence that he had been forgiven, his name was changed from one that was a reminder of his sin, to one that commemorated his victory…. from “Jacob” (meaning deceiver) to “Israel” (which means an overcomer). Gen. 32:28.
During the years of this century, it is possible that some ministers have used less than honest methods to preach the gospel. If so, then at the time when this last day “Jacob’s Trouble,” comes upon our world, they will cry out for assurance that their sins have been forgiven. Jacob wanted the birthright so badly he was willing to deceive his father, at his mother’s urging, and steal from his brother. It is true that Esau had “sold” or bartered away his birthright to Jacob, for a mess of pottage, (red lentil soup, Genesis 25:29-34) when he was hungry, but Jacob took advantage when he should have been willing to share freely God’s bounties. So, in these last days some have justified the means and methods they have used to obtain money, influence and position, all in the name of the Lord. If we confess our sins now, God will blot out the record, as He did for Jacob. Satan will cause many mental anguish, and they, will doubt and wonder if God has really forgiven them, and they will have their “night of wrestling.” But, Jesus will deliver each of us then, if we trust Him, as He did Jacob.
Jesus saw that Jacob would not yield to Him so that he could receive the full assurance he needed to realize that he had been forgiven for deceiving Isaac. So, Jesus did something that He has to do with us sometimes. Satan wanted to destroy Jacob. But Christ would not allow him to take his life. But Jesus did give Satan permission to touch his thigh. If Jacob had surrendered sooner instead of fighting, Satan would not have been allowed to hurt him. If Jacob’s “Loins” had been girded about with truth he would have been protected. Eph. 6:14. Satan demanded that he be allowed to take Jacob’s life but the Lord only allowed him to touch him in one place. Christ said “you may hurt him here only.” And instantly Jacob’s thigh was out of place. Is that not what God permitted Satan to do to Job because of his carnal fear? Job 2:25. Some unbeliever may now say, “Oh, you mean to tell me that God uses Satan to hurt us? That God and Satan are in partnership? That God lets or sends Satan to hurt people so they will repent?”
No, that is not how it works. The Lord is not in league with the enemy of all good. He does not “hire” Satan or work in “partnership” with the Devil in any way or at any time. But God does use the evil that Satan is constantly doing. That is, the Lord finds a way to turn the evil into good, if and when the individuals involved permit God to bring good out of Satan’s evil, then the sinner gains a victory. See Deuteronomy 23:5. Satan is always trying to hurt us in some way or other. He is always looking for an opening to get to us. Jacob’s resistance was a form of unbelief and became a chink in his armor. The Lord must always deal fairly with every person in every age or He would be charged with playing favorites. Romans 2:11 and James 2:1 proves that God never shows partiality or favoritism.
In most cases, when the Lord is forced to let Satan hurt someone, because he has broken the law, the individual does not turn toward God, but blames Him for the accident or calamity and turns away from Him. So, it is not in God’s interest to play this game with the Devil, for in most instances people do not turn to the Lord. The law of averages is on the side of the devil. It just so happens that in the case of Job and Jacob, Satan lost. Furthermore, God is always trying to save people pain, not hurt them. If Satan had been able to break Jacob’s hold upon God he would have been able to destroy him completely. But he was only permitted to afflict his thigh. Jesus acted as though He was attempting to get away from Jacob, similar to the experience on the road to Emmaus when Jesus gave the impression that He was going to continue His journey. God never forces His way into our lives so we will accept Him. We must invite Him into our lives. Rev. 3:20. “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” As soon as Jacob’s thigh was out of place He realized that God was the One He was wrestling with and He began to plead for a blessing so Esau would not be able to hurt him or his family. He also knew that if this God he was wrestling with would grant him a blessing it would mean his sin was forgiven and that he would have God’s protection from Esau. If God destroys no man and if Satan was arguing that he had the right to DESTROY Jacob, who was it then who put Jacob’s hip out of place and who would have destroyed him? Would it not have been the same being who destroyed the sons of Job when they sinned? And Job himself was afflicted even when he had done no sin, but God more than made it up to him, and He will more than make it up to us some day, even in this life, as He did to both Job and Jacob.
JESUS THE ARCHANGEL
In I Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9 we read that the Archangel has power to call forth the dead. These texts, along with John 5:25-29, prove that Jesus is indeed the Archangel. If there was ever a time when Jesus should have slapped Satan around and hurt him a little bit to teach him a good lesson, it was when He came to raise Moses from the grave in Jude 9 and Satan tried to stop Him. But what did Jesus do? He treated him with dignity, respect and kindness. Did not hurt him in any way. He simply referred Satan to His Father in Heaven. He didn’t argue with the Devil (and we shouldn’t either), or slander him in any way. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, DURST NOT [presumed not or ventured-not] bring against him [Satan] a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” Jude 9 KJV.
The Modem Language Version says, “did not venture to pronounce a reviling judgment against him….” The Revised Standard Version says the same. The Living Bible says, “Did not dare to accuse even Satan.” You see, my friend, it is not Satan who is on trial in this great controversy but our Lord and the justice of His law that are on trial. If God doesn’t accuse even Satan, how much less would He accuse a human being, let alone ever hurt or kill a human being. My friend, our Wonderful God has been slandered before all the universe for over 6,000 years. Satan has accused Jesus and His Father of murder and every other terrible crime. But in this last hour of earth’s history, God’s character will be vindicated through the preaching of the truth about His law.
Some people will ask, “Well, if Jesus is the Archangel, how could He be One with the Father and a co-Creator with the Father?” The answer to that is that Christ does not have to be an angel in order to be in charge of the angels anymore than a “cowboy” has to be a cow in order to be in charge of the cows or a “SHEPHERD” has to be a sheep in order to be in charge of the sheep. Scripture tells us that Christ is God in the fullest sense and has been One with the Father from the beginning. This is a mystery that has not been fully explained. But we do know the Bible teaches us that the Father created all things through His only Son. See John 1:1-3 and Hebrews 1:1-3. Since Christ is the leader or head of the angels, it would logically follow that He is responsible for all they do. Therefore, is it logical to believe that Jesus would command the angels at any time to kill, maim, or hurt any human beings in the Old Testament or the New Testament? No, it is not logical.
If Christ killed anyone, He would be transgressing His own Law, i.e., the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” Murder is the actual word intended. Psalm 103:20, says, that God’s angels keep His commandments, too. “Bless the Lord ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Since the angels are free moral agents like us, it follows that they have a choice as to whether or not they want to obey God or not. Do you think that a holy angel would carry out a command that is contrary to God’s law? No, they would not break the law of God. Is God exempt from keeping His own law? Does He have to break His own holy law in order to uphold and honor that same law? Does He have a double standard? One that permits Him to kill when He so chooses but demands that His creatures must never kill or even hate? A law which commands us to allow people to slap us on both sides of the face, yet we must never retaliate, but just trust in Him and rejoice when we are mistreated. Does he act this way too? The cross proves he does not retaliate. Of course not. Whatever laws the Lord commands that we obey He obeys as well. He is not a hypocrite. Jesus’ sinless, selfless life of sacrifice proves this beyond a doubt. Never once did he ever break the least of His Father’s commandments, by even a look, word, glance or thought. Yet, most Christian teachers and preachers insist that God has to break the law by killing sinners, now and in the final judgment, in order to uphold the law.
At the conclusion of all these commands, Jesus stated, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. Yes, Psalm 145:17 is true. “The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” I believe that God the Father carries the whole universe with Him in all that He does, because He keeps or obeys His own Law and never has hurt or killed anyone.
Let us now consider some difficult experiences in the Old Testament where it does seem as though Jesus killed people. In the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and of the 250 princes, we see what is called a “JUDGMENT” of God. Moses was being accused again of being a dictator and not leading the people right. The challenge was met and here is the record. “If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord makes a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up.” Numbers 16:29-32. The marginal reading says, “CREATE A NEW NATION,” instead of “Make a new thing.” This simply means, that the original Hebrew phrase implies that after the 250 princes died, along with the other leaders, that God would have to appoint all new leaders. It did not mean a “new way” to kill people.
The question that must be answered is this. Does God kill people with earthquakes? If Jesus did not split open the earth, and kill them, then how did it happen? There are two possibilities which really boil down to just one. 1) It was a catastrophe which God knew was going to happen and simply let it happen or 2) Satan was given permission to cause an earthquake and split the ground open and kill them. I prefer to believe the second possibility, because we know that Satan can make earthquakes and that he is always ready to destroy anyone in order to garner in another soul and cast the blame upon God. Furthermore, the Lord always holds Himself responsible for the “judgment” by saying, “I did it,” so as to command the people’s reverence and their worship, so He can at least save them even through fear, if necessary, Jude 23. In this case the people did blame God and refused to repent of their sin in believing in the rebellion of Korah. “And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, ‘LEST THE EARTH SWALLOW US UP ALSO.’”
Later on they gave Moses the “credit” by saying, “ye have killed the people of the Lord.” Numbers 16:41. That is when the plague began among these people who were murmuring. See verses 45, 46, and 49. Who brought the plague? Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:1 “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were DESTROYED OF THE DESTROYER.” That should settle it, but we have yet to explain the fire flashing from the cloud in verse 35, “And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.” Numbers 16:35.
LET US NOTICE SEVERAL CONCEPTS FROM THE BIBLE. These calamities were called “JUDGMENTS.” Who led these people to the point that “Judgments” would fall? Why, it was Satan who caused them to be “successful in alienating 250 princes, men of renown in the congregation.” It was Satan who had led them to be jealous. Jealousy gave rise to envy, which led to rebellion. Why does Satan tempt men to be jealous and rebel? Because he cannot destroy in most cases (such as in the experience of Job and in other cases when God permits Satan to destroy for reasons we do not understand) until he leads a person to break God’s law. Then Satan goes to God and demands the right to be able to destroy that individual. Moses was entreating Israel to repent and flee from the coming destruction. Who is the destroyer? Satan is the destroyer. Exodus 12:23-24. Satan won the victory and held the people fast in his grasp so they would not to repent. How did the 250 princes die? Numbers 16:35 says “A fire from the Lord killed them,” which simply means that God withdrew and let the destroyer kill them. 1 Cor. 10:10.
God never changes, so the way He dealt with Lucifer in the beginning is the way He has dealt with sin and sinners all along. He did not put down rebellion by force in the beginning and He did not do it in Moses’ day. Nor will He do it today in this final age. We should know by now that the “WRATH OF GOD” always means that the Lord is assuming the responsibility, taking the blame, as we see in the death of King Saul, I Chron 10:13, 14 and again in Psalm 78:49, which proves that God’s wrath and anger, indignation and trouble, is when the Lord removes His protection and allows Satan to destroy. Instead of worshiping and reverencing and fearing God by acknowledging His power to permit and prevent destruction from Satan, the people now declare that Moses is Satan’s right hand man with lots of magic power to destroy people. It was in essence the same argument that was made against Jesus when the Jews said He did wonderful miracles of healing through the power of Beelzebub, the prince of devils. Matt. 12:22-24.
The danger is that someone will try to use this to prove that God is indeed the One who does the destroying and not Satan and that God is upset when people give the credit to Satan for killing people when it was really Jesus Christ who killed them. The irrationality of this human logic and carnal wisdom should be clear to all who really want to be logical.
Remember always, that God’s JUDGMENTS (decisions) are part of His plan to save man. He (God) permits Satan to destroy, but takes the credit or blame for it in order to remain sovereign. TO GIVE SATAN CREDIT FOR GOD’S EFFORTS TO SAVE MAN BY PERMITTING AND PREVENTING SIN TO HAVE ITS NATURAL COURSE is called BLASPHEMY. In order to redeem mankind, God’s sovereignty, His right to reign and rule and command worship, must remain intact in the minds of men. God cannot save man unless he worships Him; Thus the motive of fear is allowed, for man does not always respond to overtures of love due to his fallen nature. But God never is the author of fear. But He sometimes allows us to become fearful as it often causes us to cry out to Him for help. Matt. 8:23-24; Jude 23.
Now, we will consider some other experiences where it seems that God’s Holy and sinless angels arbitrarily kill people. 2 Samuel 24:1, says, “And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he [the margin says SATAN; compare to I Chronicles 21:1 where the text specifically says, ‘And Satan’] stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” *
The sin here, of course, is that Satan wants David to trust in numbers instead of trusting in the Lord. It would be the same as the Devil’s tempting us to “count our money,” or look at how many ‘good’ things WE have done, and so forth. It is giving credit to the power of man instead of to the power of God. Now, the result of this was, “So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. AND WHEN THE ANGEL STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND UPON JERUSALEM TO DESTROY IT, THE LORD REPENTED HIM OF THE EVIL, AND SAID TO THE ANGEL THAT DESTROYED THE PEOPLE, IT IS ENOUGH: STAY NOW THINE HAND. AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WAS BY THE THRESHING PLACE OF ARAUNAH THE JEBUSITE. AND DAVID SPAKE UNTO THE LORD WHEN HE SAW THE ANGEL THAT SMOTE THE PEOPLE, AND SAID, LO, I HAVE SINNED, AND I HAVE DONE WICKEDLY: BUT THESE SHEEP, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? LET THINE HAND, I PRAY THEE, BE AGAINST ME, AND AGAINST MY FATHER’S HOUSE.” 2 Samuel 24:15-17.
Now, let us look at I Chronicles 21:15-16, “AND GOD SENT AN ANGEL UNTO JERUSALEM TO DESTROY IT: AND AS HE WAS DESTROYING, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, (God’s heart is broken as He sees Satan destroying) and said to the angel (Angel, that had withdrawn to let Satan destroy) that destroyed, it is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.” In Numbers 22:31, we also see the Lord permitting Balaam to see an angel of the Lord with a drawn sword. Heb. 4:12, Eph. 6:17. The Bible says the SWORD represents God’s Word or authority. Therefore, the angel with the drawn sword represents God’s sovereignty over all the events and issues of life. God PERMITS AND HE PREVENTS ACCORDING TO HIS DIVINE WILL. But, since BALAAM was tuned into SATAN instead of to God, BALAAM SAW the angel’s sword as an instrument of death when the sword (God’s Loving word), was INTENDED to bring life.
ARE GOD’S ANGELS LYING SPIRITS?
Micaiah the prophet said to Ahab and Jehoshaphat, “I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit [angel] and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade Him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. The Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.” I Kings 22:19-23.
IN THE BIBLE, GOD IS OFTEN PICTURED AS DOING THAT WHICH HE DOES NOT RESTRAIN. This is just what we have been saying all along…. That God always takes the blame for that which He permits. This also explains I Sam 18:10, “And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house:” Do Satan’s angels prophesy or preach? They sure do. And God says, “AND FOR THIS CAUSE [because they received not the love of the truth] GOD SHALL SEND [permit to come upon] THEM STRONG DELUSION, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE: THAT THEY ALL MIGHT BE DAMNED WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, BUT HAD PLEASURE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12. Satan’s angels are today preaching through the mouths of many preachers who are living in sin and telling the people they do not have to do this and can do that. Thus Satan leads the people to destruction by false doctrine. See Jere. 28:8-17.
The drawn sword represents God’s control over all evil that man is capable of bringing upon the earth. Psalm 17:13. The rod that Moses held in his hand represented God’s control over all of nature in Egypt. When he threw the rod down it meant God’s authority over nature had passed to the power signified by the serpent, Satan. Moses’ rod actually represented Christ, Isa.11:1. But when JESUS is cast down, SATAN takes over and rules. The Second Book of Kings tells a very interesting story about how Elijah called fire down out of heaven and destroyed two groups of 50 soldiers sent out by King Ahaziah to arrest Elijah for rebuking the king for going over to Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, by way of messengers, to see if he would get well from his sickness which was caused by a fall in Samaria. “O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let the fire of God come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.” 2 Kings 1:10-14. This happened twice, and the third captain had reverence and respect for Elijah so his life was spared because he had reverence for the Lord’s prophet, and Satan had no legal right to destroy the Captain. Now, how this fire was sent is similar to what we read about in the book of Job. Just how Satan is able to control and manipulate the elements of nature so as to bring down literal fire and destroy people we do not know, but evidently he has learned how to do this. This could be lightning or it could be a bolide or some similar astral catastrophe or it could be the same kind of fire that Satan will bring down in the last days to deceive people. Rev 13:13.
God always holds Himself sovereign over these events, just as He did when the bears actually came out of the woods and “tare forty and two” of those mocking young people: 2 Kings 2:23, 24. The Hebrew word for bear is from Slander. God permitted these slandering slanderers to be destroyed by a symbol of what they were doing. Obadiah 1:15. Satan was allowed to destroy them in this way. In Luke 9:54, Jesus rebuked James and John for suggesting that He bring fire down and burn up the Samaritans. “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, YE KNOW NOT WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YE ARE OF. FOR THE SON OF MAN IS NOT COME TO DESTROY MEN’S LIVES, BUT TO SAVE THEM.” They never again brought up such an idea, but Peter brought his sword on the night of Jesus’ arrest and was rebuked for that. Jesus healed Malchus’ ear. Luke 22:51. GOD’S ‘STILL SMALL VOICE’ SPOKE TO ELIJAH ON THE MOUNT
“And he said, ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire (Notice that God has nothing to do with literal fire): AND AFTER THE FIRE A STILL SMALL VOICE. [The margin says, “That is a delicate whispering, as of the breeze among the leaves.”] And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering of the cave. And, behold, there came a VOICE UNTO HIM, AND SAID, WHAT DOEST THOU HERE, ELIJAH?” I Kings 19:11-13.
I do not read anywhere in the Bible where God arbitrarily brings natural disasters. He permits them to come and controls them according to His own will for what is best for His people and for all mankind. Here the Lord showed Elijah that God does not use or work through force and coercion. This is the work of Satan. “NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.” Zechariah 4:6. The only kind of people who will survive the TIME OF TROUBLE will be those who have THE TRUE CHARACTER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND HIS FATHER. This is the character of love I am presenting in this book. This is the logical reality or substance of it. The doing of God’s character is MEDICAL MISSIONARY WORK, and every church in the world, and every Christian in the world will be tested on this point. If we know how to give simple remedies and how to eat a simple diet straight from nature itself, we will be able to survive ourselves and help others to survive with us in outpost centers away from the cities. We must live outside of the cities with our families and reach the masses by going there periodically, as Enoch did, before the flood.
Very few people know how to eat a simple diet. But, this is what we must get back to…food in as simple and original of a form as possible. We must also learn how to give simple water treatments, steam baths, rub downs, and even to help straighten out crooked backs. This takes learning from those who know and time and mental and physical effort as well as money. You may be called by God to start a MEDICAL MISSIONARY OUTPOST in your own home wherever you are and begin immediately to demonstrate the character of God by helping the sick and dying all around you. You can teach the proper way to eat and live by being an example right there where you live. The need is great and the time is short. The only kind of people who will survive the TIME OF TROUBLE will be those who have Jesus’ true heart of love. Out in the big cities is total, pure hatred. Sometimes you even see it in the church. Nothing but total pure love will be able to survive, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in such an atmosphere. Many are talking about Righteousness by Faith today, but do not really know what it is. Put together Romans 13:10 and Romans 8:4 and you will see that RIGHTEOUSNESS IS LOVE. God’s indwelling Spirit will be shown by the outflowing of heavenly love. Let us pray for that “Golden Oil of Love,” so we may not only explain God’s character of love, but show it in deeds of love, healing and mercy.
*Lord and God are titles that Satan is allowed and permitted to assume throughout the Old Testament. Only by knowing and comparing the life and character of Christ can we know the difference between the true Lord and God and the false lord and god. See Chapter 27 for examples of these contrasts between the true and false Lords in the Bible.