For the sake of argument. Zephaniah 1:2. Part two.

 Since we covered verse one in the introduction to Zephaniah, we will only touch on it lightly. That word lightly makes me laugh because I rarely do anything lightly.

Zephaniah 1:1 NET. This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah, son of Amon of Judah:

If you read my introduction to Zephaniah, then you would know that I wanted to find out what could have been an aspect of his motivation to speak such a strong word. I realize many will not understand my simplistic idea of motivation, as “God,” we assume, speaks to us, telling us to jump, and we say, how high. It doesn't work quite like that. For me, it was a major trust issue as the Holy Spirit was kind enough to give me something like “and the” for a starter. I had to trust Him to fill my mouth, and He always did. As I sit in groups, I rarely find people who recognize that God/the Holy Spirit can and does speak to them.

Along with this track, I was recently reminded that Proverbs tells us more about God's attempts at talking with us than any other book.

Proverbs 1:20-21 NET. Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas; 21) at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:

If Proverbs 1:20 is an example of the Holy Spirit speaking, then you can see that He is not merely talking; He is calling out.

If you understand that God is Wisdom, you should be able to grasp that He is calling out to you all the time.

For the sake of argument, let's assume that you don't believe or will not accept that God will speak to you.

If that is your understanding, then you would never realize that the twisted path God has taken you on was meant to build the character and personality in you that you now have (even if you look and act like a biker). The truth is, God has never let you out of His hand and has directed every move you made, even the painful ones.

Why did those things have to happen to you?

Because God needed the person, you became to reach that one person who would only listen to you.

I don't know if you realize what is going on here as I write, but I am also talking to myself, a man who struggles with several damaged aspects of my life (those aspects are primarily emotional, but the damage is real and affects every aspect of my life). In other words, like many of you, I am a walking miracle.

In my previous post, I emphasized the impact of the evil king Manasseh's reign.

The assumption would be logical and practical to consider him, as he played the majority role in Zephaniah's life, and strove to create an environment that echoed the Nazi regime's goals of eradication. Manasseh also, in many ways, matches the current apostate condition of the world we now live in; a world where the name of the Lord is on the verge of being outlawed. Here in my state, California's state assembly has moved to pass Assembly Bill 2943. This bill will make the Bible illegal literature because the words and message in the Bible have always stood against homosexuality. The reality of the Bible is that there are many words in this book that anger people, many of which are religious. The Bible irritates so many people because the Word stands in contrast to and against our selfish desires.

As a side note, I feel no compulsion to use my Bible as a harsh motivation against sin; it speaks against sin on its own. If I can call it that, my motivation for teaching and preaching is meant to get you excited about the life and potential found in the Bible, and then let that control you.

One commentary stated, all we know about Zephaniah is told to us in verse one;
And, it tells us that, “Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah.”

Since Josiah is set before us, we need to learn about Josiah.

2 Kings 22:1 NET. Josiah was eight years old when he became king and reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.

Seriously? How useful or self-directed would an eight-year-old child be?

In reality, someone who held Jehovah in high esteem, regardless of Manasseh's oppression, was helping to direct Josiah's actions and words. Now, I would expect Josiah, if he had a heart for it, to be a follower of the law and God's way, and that is what we see, as we are told he reigned for thirty-one years. This information does not tell me what Josiah did that demonstrated a life of dedication to the Lord, but verse two does.

2 Kings 22:2 NET. He did what the LORD approved and followed in his ancestor David's footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left.

Having listened to Pastor Chuck Smith, the founder of the Calvary Chapels, talk about Josiah, you would think this young man would put King David to shame.

Put this information in context: We are all human, and this idea of hearing God would have been a struggle, even for a king, especially for a young king. Therefore, again, it is safe to assume that sane people, led by God, were able to instill great and unselfish wisdom into the young king's life.

Since the passage compares him to King David, you should be able to acknowledge that David was a man after God's own heart. A reality check: David had all the human faults a man could stand, so what qualifies David for this title? Solomon's interactions with God give us a clue.

1 Kings 11:4 NET. When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.

David was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, in spite of his flaws and failures.

A look at the word devoted reveals this:

šālēm: An adjective meaning full, complete, safe, whole, peaceful. This adjective has several uses when it suggests complete, safe, unharmed, and natural.

So David felt safe, whole, peaceful, and natural. Take that in for a moment.

Do you have anyone in your life who produces those feelings in you?

I don't. A few come close, like my wife, but then there are those moments when you are ready to leave even the sanest people behind.

The most important thing, even if it was only the eight-year overlap of Zephaniah's life, is that Josiah followed the Lord.

One could hope that the impact brought through Josiah's rule and life would exceed and outlast any of the damage and horrors Manasseh's reign brought. We all know that was not the case, as damage lingers for years. I point this out because even though I have seen the goodness of God in my life, I still carry too much of the hurt and damage that life has dished out. I continually have to do self-checks, as I wonder if the voice I heard in my spirit was not something inspired by the negativity and abuse I was subjected to; and, when I speak about the trials and tribulations we endure, I freely admit the realization that there are issues I will struggle with my entire life here on earth. Some people can't hear these words and understand them, for they have never experienced such pains.

Can I be sure Zephaniah understood the damage Manasseh caused?

No, but since problems and abuse are common to all of us, there is a good chance Zephaniah would understand this conversation.

Moving on, the caption precedes verse two:

The Coming Judgment on Judah.

Zephaniah 1:2-6 NASB "I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. 3) "I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. 4) "So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. 5) "And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom¹, 6) And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him."

Without going into details, the general theme I get here is an angry God cleaning house.

If I base my understanding on the caption, Judah is the Southern Kingdom, and Israel is the Northern Kingdom.

In the long run, was one Kingdom better than the other?

Absolutely not, and even if they became unified under the name Israel, they all went into captivity. During Josiah's reign, it was a divided kingdom. To give you some perspective, while Godly men are often thought to have reigned over Judah, Ahab and his hell-bent, murderous wife reigned over Israel, but not at the same time. In reality, no one was safe, and they mostly forgot about Jehovah.

What does this judgment entail? The removal of all things from the earth.

• Man and beast;

• the birds of the sky;

• The fish of the sea;

• The ruins along with the wicked;

Ah, here comes the clues.

• “So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

Now, if I wanted to play with words, then I could put forth the premise that He did not include Israel, but you know that did not happen.

Why does God feel this way?

• Because His people are worshiping Baal;

  And, I can assume that all of Israel, in some manner, is still worshiping Baal. My wife does not like to hear about Molech. You know, that thing that Aaron recreated for “Israel” as they assumed that Moses was dead, and he made us leave all our gods and idols in Egypt. So make the god Molech and Rephan for us. Read Acts chapter 7, where Stephen gives the Jewish council, who are about to have him stoned, an oral history of the children of Israel. (Molech is the half calf – half human god, with outstretched arms. They made fire inside the body and roasted their children (babies) in some form of disgusting idol worship. Rephan, by the way, was a sex god.) What Stephen said to this council was a very intense history lesson, which NO ONE disputed.

• Because there are idolatrous priests alongside the so-called legitimate priests.

  The conveyance that some are not so idolatrous does not excuse their complicity.

• Zephaniah 1:5 in the Amplified translation tells us:

  “And those who worship the starry host of the heavens upon their housetops and those who [pretend to] worship the Lord and swear by and to Him and yet swear by and to [the heathen god Molech or] Malcam [their idol king],”

• And, they have turned their backs on following the Lord.

  I find this same theme in Revelation, Daniel, and others.

Were these conditions exclusive to Judah, the Southern kingdom?

There is not a chance, and any of the books that speak of end times events will prove that out.

Zephaniah 1:2-6 covers one more group of people. I guarantee that this one will make you mad.

• And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.

While it may have been easier to see this as strictly a Jewish problem, this last sentence expanded it to include us church folk. Let me give you an example to chew on. I recently learned that a pastor committed suicide. Many would think, why, as pastors should be the ones that have it all together. At least that is the impression you get, as the pastor says to you, as he did me, I can't believe that you, being a Christian for over 40 years, would think or feel that way.

One of the men I sit with asked me what I think of a pastor who kills himself. It only took a second for a response to come into my spirit. Having dealt with depression and anxiety, it is typically something that has built over time and has not adequately been dealt with. Mind you, these events can come from childhood trauma, but they can also build up from marriage and work situations.

This pastor's wife said, I am thankful that he is now in heaven. This statement too became a part of the discussion, as there are doubts that a person who commits suicide is entitled to heaven.

My answer, and I explained that I have learned to err on the side of mercy, was this.

• The pastor was not in his right mind and therefore was not thinking clearly.

  Do we judge the impaired when they cannot think rationally?
  One of the brothers argued against allowing ourselves to give that man any grace and mercy; yet, that same man was willing to argue for Judas to receive mercy. You can't have it both ways.

• If you are going to play the judgment card, then you can exclude yourself from any mercy.

  Why say that?
  Because Jesus went to the cross as the final sacrifice for sin. Paul told us that there is NO MORE sacrifice for sin, therefore we need to accept the fact that sin and the price for it was done away with. So, if you must stand before God to be judged, it would only be for what you did, or did not do with Jesus. That is it.

I have sat with some of these people who “have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.

I know this because they feel they have the right to hold people in judgment. You would never say that if you sought the Lord and knew his nature and character.

1 John 4:8 NASB The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1) The Amplified Bible identifies this Milcom as Molech. Molech was the half man, half calf god that the people had Aaron recreate for them to worship. Molech was half man, half calf upon which they roasted their children as an offering.

A study on Zephaniah - Part one.

 

A Study on Zephaniah

This study was initiated in 2018; it is currently March 2025.

I will tell you what motivated this study. I went to a “Bible Study” that, to some degree, was promoted by a Southern California Christian radio host. I think the man is sincere, and I believe the work God has done because of him throughout the years is legitimate. So a group of men, under the flag and theme of this radio host, called for men to come to their bible study using Instagram. I thought I would check it out, but I quickly determined that this was not what I thought it would be.

What I took away was a newfound interest in the Book of Zephaniah. The “pastor” of this group told us that he had been at a loss as to what to talk about and felt that he was led to Zephaniah. I honestly do not remember anyone teaching out of Zephaniah, so as he found some legalistic aspects to focus on, I began skimming through the three chapters that comprise the book, and quickly heard this inside my spirit: this book is talking about the last days. I felt so strongly that night that I needed to study who the man was and what he had to say. This is that effort.

The overview given by The Biblical Illustrator tells us this

"Of Zephaniah we know absolutely nothing but what he himself mentions in the superscription of his Book. No information can be gathered from the contents of the prophecy, where the writer’s personal history is wholly unnoticed." ¹

That seems like a hard way to start, especially when we have some particular information about Zephaniah.

Dake's Bible² gives us this information.

Date and place: The prophetic words were written in Palestine about 679-648 B.C.
Another source gives these dates: A.M. 3374, B.C. 630.

Author: Zephaniah the prophet.

Proof of authorship: "We have the testimony of the book itself that Zephaniah wrote it." Dake's comments.

Zephaniah 1:1 NET. "This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:"

Theme: Judgment of God upon both Jews and Gentiles for their many sins, and His goodness to the godly of both classes.

The book opens with a message regarding immediate judgment upon Judah by Babylon, then depicts their judgment in the future day of the Lord (Zep_1:1-18). Zep_2:1-15 is devoted to immediate judgments of God upon Gentiles by Babylon-Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia, and Assyria. The prophet then returns to the immediate judgment upon Judah by Babylon, and also makes predictions regarding Israel in the future day of the Lord, in the reign of the Messiah (Zep_3:1-20).

Purpose: To make it clear to Judah that unless they would consecrate to do the will of God, judgment would surely come; and to encourage the godly of the nation regarding the fact that final and complete restoration under the Messiah would come.

I have looked at more than just the commentaries I mention here. And yet, these authors convey, in a few words, what I have seen with consistency in most.

One thing I wanted to add here: several authors indicated that Zechariah's father and grandfather were prophets. In the Jewish mindset, that meant that you were most likely to be a prophet. Don't you wish it worked that way? The Apostle Paul tells us that prophecy is a gift and that we are to long for it. I am not sure why, but it helps to make life more interesting, especially when people ask you how you knew that. I suppose I am just more willing than some others. I don't try to make it something to brag about; hardly anyone believes you anyway.

Albert Barnes' commentary spells out another fact about Zephaniah.

"Zephaniah was called to his role not long after Habakkuk. Since his time was near to that of Habakkuk, so his subject was also related. Both lived when, for the sins of the reign of Manasseh, God had pronounced an irreversible sentence of destruction upon Jerusalem."³

Dr. John Gill states

"He is the last of the minor prophets that prophesied before the Babylonish captivity. His name, according to Jerom, signifies either "the Lord's watch tower", or "watchman"; or else "the secret of the Lord"; or, "his hidden one"; deriving his name, either from hpu, which signifies to "look out", as a watchman from his tower; or from Npu, "to hide"; which latter derivation is best; and some interpret it "a revealer of the secrets", or "hidden things, of the Lord"⁴

With the knowledge of the time in which he operated, and the Babylonian captivity, I can piece together some of the events that would have motivated the man.

People don't seem to understand something about the prophet or the prophetic. There are humans involved, and unless you can lock yourself in a closet and do little else but commune with God, then you will be affected by the world around you. In other words, you cannot separate the man from the message.

An example of what I am saying can be gleaned from Daniel's life.

When he was taken captive, he was the cream of the crop. Educated and trained in several facets of life, which may have included diplomacy. If nothing else, in time, he would have been a Pharisee or a ruling member of the Jewish council. Daniel would have been of marrying age and, therefore, may have had a young lady picked out to be his wife. Captivity changed all that rapidly. Nebuchadnezzar had the young man castrated immediately. This act served a multitude of purposes, such as removing all hope of ever going back home to a normal life. Jewish law disallowed a castrated man from ever serving in the temple or entering, for that matter; and, it ended his hopes of being married.

Another example, and one that is even more prominent, is Jonah.

We do not know if Jonah had been an eyewitness to what the Assyrians were capable of, or the stories he heard were very graphic, because of this ugly history of abuse toward Israel, Jonah hated the Assyrians. These feelings of hatred were so intense that Jonah was willing to commit suicide to avoid bringing the prophetic message to them. What was Jonah's message? It offered no hope, and he gave none; at the end of forty-five days, Nineveh will be overthrown. All of Jonah's feelings and emotions can be summed up in one verse, which comes after the Ninevehites repented, hoping that God would change His mind or relent. Well, God did, and we find Jonah lamenting that decision.

Jonah 4:2 NET. "He prayed to the LORD and said, "Oh, LORD, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish! -- because I knew that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment."

I could expound upon other aspects of Jonah's saga, but they rely on history and logical speculation. The question you should ask is, why would a people so warlike, fearless, and bloodthirsty give such immediate attention to a man like Jonah? The answers are there if you are interested and willing to dig just a little.

What kind of mental picture is painted about Zephaniah?

Nothing so ominous. Living between 679-648 BC, he would have been primarily influenced the Assyrian empire, just as Jonah was. We are told that Zephaniah operated prophetically under the rule of Josiah; however, a timeline shows Josiah's influence to be from 640 – 609 BC and therefore have no impact on Zephaniah's life. He did, however, live under Manasseh's rule. So how did we get to Manasseh?

2 Kings 20:19-21 NET. "Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The LORD's word, which you have announced, is appropriate." Then he added, "At least there will be peace and stability during my lifetime." 20) The rest of the events of Hezekiah's reign and all his accomplishments, including how he built a pool and conduit to bring water into the city, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 21) Hezekiah passed away, and his son Manasseh replaced him as king."

Dr. J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary, said this of Hezekiah.⁵

“This may seem like an awful thing for me to say, but Hezekiah should have died when the time came for him to die. Three things took place after God extended his life that were foolish acts: he showed his treasures to Babylon, which will cause great trouble in the future; he begat a son, Manasseh, who was the most wicked of any king; he revealed an arrogance, almost an impudence, in his later years. His heart became filled with pride. 2Ch_32:25 tells us, "But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem." You see, it might have been better if Hezekiah had died at God's appointed time.”

Since we are now aware of Manasseh's reign, let's see what we can learn about the damage he did.

Smith's Bible dictionary informs us of Manasseh.

"The thirteenth king of Judah, son of Hezekiah, 2Ki_21:1, ascended the throne at the age of twelve, and reigned 55 years, from B.C. 608 to 642. His accession was the signal for an entire change in the religious administration of the kingdom. Idolatry was again established to such an extent that every faith was tolerated, but the old faith of Israel."⁶

From Easton's dictionary, we get this.

"Though he reigned so long, yet comparatively little is known of this king. His reign was a continuation of that of Ahaz, both in religion and national polity. He early fell under the influence of the heathen court circle, and his reign was characterized by a sad relapse into idolatry with all its vices, showing that the reformation under his father had been to a large extent only superficial (Isa_7:10; 2Ki_21:10-15). A systematic and persistent attempt was made, and all too successfully, to banish the worship of Jehovah out of the land."⁷

Now I can begin to understand the heart of the man giving the prophetic word.

Manasseh had turned Israel into an idolatrous wasteland and was attempting to remove the worship of Jehovah from the land. Sounds a bit like the world we live in today; no wonder God declares with such zest how God will wipe all flesh from the land.

Here it is, August 26, 2018. Pastor Greg Laurie recently completed his massive salvation campaign at the Anaheim Stadium. However, even Pastor Greg had some contention, as just before the series of meetings, some whiner cried loud enough to force them to change several of the billboards that pictured Greg holding a Bible. If you are a follower of Christ, then you know that the Bible offends many people, including some “Christians.”

Here in California, we are on the verge of passing Assembly Bill AB 2943, which will make books and methods that convey the idea of gender modification (a return to the physical sexual orientation you were born with, whether it be in thought or deed) illegal. That means that the Bible may become an unlawful piece of literature. By the way, that bill did not pass.

I don't know about you, but it sounds more and more like there is a systematic and persistent attempt being made to banish the worship of Jehovah out of the land (just as in the days of Manasseh); and I see it happening all across this nation called America.

Some may read this and get angry; others will consider a piece like this and decide it's time to get off their behinds and get proactive.

Do I know these are the things that motivated Zephaniah?

No, but sin has not changed; it merely spreads faster in the modern world.

The caption, as verse two begins, is this:

The Coming Judgment on Judah

While the caption points to Judah, the Southern Kingdom, look at this next verse.

Zephaniah 1:2 GNB  The LORD said, "I am going to destroy everything on earth,"

This includes the whole earth.

The GNB tends to be rather childish in its translation, so let's expand the translations.

The Amplified puzzles me.

(AMP)  “By taking away I will make an end and I will utterly consume and sweep away all things from the face of the earth, says the Lord.”

If you have read your Bible, then you know that the concept of "utterly" can only occur at the end of the thousand-year reign, when He burns up everything.

(CJB- The Complete Jewish Bible)  "I will completely sweep away everything off the face of the land," says Adonai.”

Zephaniah 3:8 BSB  "Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation— all My burning anger. For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy."

This, too, points to the end of time when everything will be purged, but in this case, with fire.

To substantiate a destruction by fire, I give you 2 Peter 3:7.

2 Peter 3:7 BSB  And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

The finality of judgment will only come with the great throne judgment that we see in the end, after the 1000 years.

1The Biblical Illustrator By Joseph S. Exell, M.A.

2Dake's Study Notes (Finis Dake) Copyright © 1961, 1963, 1989, 1991 by Finis Jennings Dake. All rights reserved in U.S.A. and Other Countries.

3Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible, published 1847-85

4John Gill's Exposition of the Bible; Dr. John Gill, D.D., (1697-1771); Published in 1746-1766, 1816; public domain.

5Thru the Bible Commentary By J. Vernon McGee; Thomas Nelson Publishers Nashville; Copyright 1981 by J. Vernon McGee

6Smith's Bible Dictionary, By Dr. William Smith. Published in 1863; public domain.

7Easton's Bible Dictionary. These Dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton, M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Published in 1897; public domain.

One of the frequent discussions I hear centers on this phrase, “as it was in the days of Noah.”

 One of the frequent discussions I hear centers on this phrase,

“as it was in the days of Noah.”

This comes from Luke 17:26, where it says, “And [just] as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man. (AMP)” 

Those that speak on this subject talk about how people just went about their business, getting married and having birthday parties, as though everything was good for their level of advancement (instead of merely banging two rocks together.)

What I just brought up doesn't even come close to assessing how bad the world was at this time. So let's start in Genesis 6:1-2 and see where this takes us.

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” (Genesis 6:1-2 ESV)

• “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,”

  It is not the multiplying part that creates the problem; there was plenty of land. It was this next aspect that God was paying close attention to.

• “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”

Who were the sons of God?

They were angelic beings, and though there are both righteous and fallen angels our focus is on the fallen ones. Jesus in trying to explain a twisted and unusual question to some Jews, spoke of the angels that did not fall, when He said,

"... For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." Matthew 22:29-30 NKJV)

What can I make of this? 

That the angels, that remained subject to God and heavens laws, do not participate in sexual activity.

One of our primary pieces of evidence that these were fallen angels comes from an interaction between God and Satan, found in the book of Job.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God (the righteous ones) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?”
(Job 1:6-9 ESV)

Some obvious things you might have picked up on, as Satan - who the Revelation describes as being thrown out of heaven, is meandering about in the heavenlies with the angels that did not fall, is that he is there and nothing no one is doing much to challenge him. 

Satan doesn't seem to care if he is welcome or not, and so what do we see? 

Satan shoves himself right up near the throne to get God's attention.

God asks Satan a question.

Does God ask questions because He is lacking answers?

Never, and so we can think of these inquiries as forensic – as He is studying the words you say and the manner in which you respond. You cannot lie to God.

How did Satan respond to God's question, Have you considered my servant Job?

Well, of course, he had, and it was probably the basis for his being there in heaven, among the sons of God, of which he was still considered to be one. Consider the response of the disciples after being sent out. (This sending happened on two occasions: In Mark 6:7, it was only the twelve, but in Luke 10, the number being sent out was seventy. On both occasions, they were sent in pairs.)

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
(Luke 10:17-18 ESV)

Satan didn't just trip and fall out of heaven, he was thrown out.

“A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. Then I heard a voice from heaven shout, "Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come! God's own Chosen One has shown his authority. Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out! Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives. The heavens should rejoice, together with everyone who lives there. But pity the earth and the sea because the devil was thrown down to the earth. He knows his time is short, and he is very angry." When the dragon realized that it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so that she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time. The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught. The dragon stood on the beach beside the sea.” (Revelation 12:7-18 CEV)

So the life-changing question that people ask is, When did Satan get thrown out of heaven?

Logic would tell you that this happened somewhere between Genesis 1:1 and the serpent showing up in the garden.

Genesis 2:2 indicates that God felt everything was done and good, but it was good once before and then not. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God made it perfect, to begin with.

“For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
(Isaiah 45:18 ESV)

So when I read a verse like Genesis 1:2, I can see that something cataclysmic happened.

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
(Genesis 1:2 ESV)

Well, Genesis 1:2 may have been the result of Satan's being tossed to earth.

Were there any people other than Adam and Eve on earth?

The answer is a strong maybe. Look, you put a young, naked man and woman in the most spectacular of settings, and they will find a multitude of things to explore ( if you get my hint.) Didn't you ever notice that God said to Eve, after the fall, now you will have pain in childbirth?

Why would He say that if she had never had children?

Give me a break; they had many. And, if all they knew was what Adam, their papa, said and acted like, then they, too, were Godlike. I know this opens a large “can-o-worms,” but try not to let your mind melt over this.

Then why didn't the serpent – Satan go after one of the others?

Because, in the long run, Satan was going specifically after “God's” creation,  those who had been given dominion over the earth, Adam and subordinately, Eve.

“And God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that crawls upon the earth."”
(Genesis 1:26 AFV)

Dominion is the Hebrew word râdâh and means to tread down, subjugate, have dominion over, prevail against, and most importantly, have rule over.

Adam had been given command over this planet, and just like Jesus, he only did what the Father told him, except for that moment in the garden.

In that brief moment of time, he handed the entirety of the planet over to Satan by following his wife's lead.

Now, if you read Genesis 1:26 attentively, you noticed that there is a plurality inferred, and you would be right, but God does not put a body on the man until Genesis 2:7, and then He only formed one of the two; so conversations about making humanity was all in the spiritual mode until He put flesh on them. All the instructions pertaining to this dominion were given specifically to the man, who, in time, informed Eve once she had been made.

If you can understand what I have just told you, then you will better understand what took place when the Serpent said to Eve, did God really say that?

Satan was trying to put a rift between God and Adam, Adam and Eve, and eventually all humanity that could never be repaired. In that masterful move, Satan sowed seeds of doubt, deceit, lying, and an unending heap of trust issues.

Oh, about that rift that could never be repaired. 

The laws that make this universe run are moral laws created and put in place by God himself. Therefore, the only one who could pay the price that justice demanded was God himself, and He did so by sending His Son, Jesus. He also bypassed an inherent problem we have had since the garden, and that is our built-in sin mode. Jesus did not have that, as He was not a creation of either man or woman and was, therefore, sinless. Jesus, being sinless, is the thing that Satan did not count on. So this irreparable rift was not too big of a problem as long as you have a sinless God-man to take your place, and Jesus did just that.

Back to this paragraph,

“the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”

Having established that these “sons of God” were fallen angels that fell when they followed Satan in his folly, then they were taking the daughters of men, anybody at any time, as they chose. And I don't think they cared about looks (even though the passage, as though the writer had interviewed them, says they noted the attractiveness of women) as they were trying to manipulate the human genome even further. Hold that thought for a moment. 

We live in a day when science is consistently modifying or attempting to modify the human genome. The American Department Of Defense (under the guise of DARPA) has been doing it for years as they try to create super soldiers. 

Since the ingesting of that fruit changed the human genome and instilled a propensity within us to sin, it permanently damaged the DNA strain that was the base origin of humanity. Every human from that moment forward has that same damaged marker. If that be the case, then when science began looking at DNA, they saw a commonality in every human strand compared. This damaged marker, for which they cannot find a purpose, becomes an expected marker in all of humanity.

I know most translations are using delicate wording so that you cannot easily pick up on the offense of the word "took." Perhaps we could say they were merely grabbing these women, or shall I say abducting, whomever, whenever, they wanted. These fallen angels may not have copulated with their victims in the manner to which we are accustomed, but the scriptures tell us that they did it.

Do we have anything bizarre like this happening today?

Unfortunately, yes, we do. If you are into the paranormal, a Christian brother named LA. Marzulli writes books and speaks at conferences about demonic abductions. By the way, those that have withstood these encounters have only done so because they possessed ownership of the name of Jesus Christ because they had accepted Christ into their lives at some point, and they used it against what was happening to them.

LA Marzulli, along with others, like Brian Forester, have pursued unexplainable oddities, such as elongated skulls – that have had their DNA tested, and, though in this case found in Paracas, Peru, had parentage leading the researchers back to the Middle East and NO known earthly being.

Let's assume that you don't believe me at this point. Let me ask you a question;

Can you accept the Bible as non-challengeable?

I am not talking about known errors or translation disputations, of which there are many, but I know that God's unchanging moral authority runs through the entirety of scripture. I also know that there is nothing of note in the New Testament that cannot be validated by prophetic words in the Old Testament. Our standard for proving this comes from the Law.

“One witness shall not rise against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin which he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses a thing shall be raised up to judgment.”
(Deuteronomy 19:15 LITV)

So, no matter whether it is a law matter or the validation of God's Word, it can and should be validated by scriptural witnesses.

I brought up the possibility that Adam and Eve had other children. How do you explain that?

1. Time, as we understand it, began that day in the garden. If you wish to say the earth is only ten thousand years old, basing the presumption of time from the garden event makes all the sense in the world. Sin, death, and rebellion in the lives of humans all came out of the garden and the eating of that fruit.

2. What else happened that day? If you foolishly said that the plan of redemption began that day. To a degree, you would be right, but do you seriously think that God was caught off guard and had to come up with a plan now that the two people you have been close to for an untold amount of time will come to an end. Knowing that Satan would rebel and, in a way, take out God's man, Adam, the plan to recover His creation and entirely eliminate Satan came into being long before we were a thought – and based upon what King David said, you knew me before time began.

3. So children born outside of the garden do not fall under the category of sin, as sin, it would seem, became a genetic issue. The logical course would follow the change that began as the parents damaged their genetics and then passed that along to any children that followed.

   If they were outside of sin through genetics, then why would they have to be “judged” alongside everybody else?

   Good question, and maybe they are not. Consider that the fallen angels are given no recourse for their mutiny; perhaps those children which were not affected by tainted genetics sustained damage, just as the creation did and cries out for the day of their redemption.

   “All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.” (Romans 8:19-23 GNB)

So, anyone born outside of the garden was still affected by what happened there, just as the entirety of the earth was. 

Some would say, how would those born outside of the garden know about salvation? 

Well, first off, who was their daddy? Yep, Adam. Adam told Eve, and he also told them as well.

I told you that the garden and its sin were the basis of the world we live in. That moment in the garden initiated the prophetic insertion of Jesus into humanity and the plan of redemption's calendar.

Did you, as you read, pick up on the fact that the method of momentary relief from sin came through appropriate sacrifice?

God, on the same day as the conversation in which He told Eve that one of her seed would crush the serpent's head, killed animals - adequate enough to make appropriate coverings, and He showed Adam how to make sacrifice using those same animals. Do not assume that Adam had been stripped of his title; therefore, he was still meant to take dominion.

“for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29 NASB)

Testimony from the Old Testament.

“God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind! Does He speak and then not do it, or promise and not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19 TLV)

That meant he was still in the chain of command for the redistribution of information. Since we DO NOT see any mention of those born outside of the garden, the most logical assumption is that they fell and went out of fellowship with God, as Cain did. 

If you can't handle the idea that there were others born outside the garden and wish to hold to a chronological reading of the scriptures, then where did Cain get the idea that there were others, as violent as he, waiting to kill him?

“Since You expelled me today from the face of the ground and I must be hidden from Your presence, then I will be a restless wanderer on the earth—anyone who finds me will kill me!”” (Genesis 4:14 TLV)

Another bizarre anomaly also follows Cain as he went to a city (?) and found a wife (?). Keep in mind that we are trying to follow a chronological pattern. So, Cain, then, would have to wait for Mom and Dad to produce a daughter that he could have. 

But who was next to be born? 

Seth, a “righteous” son. Try to imagine how long you might have to wait before a sister was born that you could have for a wife. A bizarre train of thought, but so is the logic.

Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden. Cain was intimate with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
(Genesis 4:16-17 TLV)

Assuming that we have eliminated the possibility that children born outside of the garden could have been called the sons of God, then the only beings left, as we have pointed out when we looked at Job, are the fallen angels.

One of the boisterous arguments against the angels procreating with humans is that angels have no male organs and, therefore, have no sex. This is based on this passage, where the Pharisees, who were always trying to trap Jesus, brought up a scenario in which a woman is passed through the family members, much like a sex slave, to produce children with the family name.

“In the resurrection, when they (these family members who each had her) rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
(Mark 12:23-25 ESV)

Luke's gospel conveys this theme.

“In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
(Luke 20:33-36 ESV)

At the moment, we live in the age of grace; this age will come to an end with the removal of the church. At that point in time, those of us in heaven become a part of a term that I have come to despise, that “new age,” where we will be married to Christ, the groom. We will be like the angels in that they are eternal. We will be the Sons and Daughters of God that we were designed to be. Stop here. Our spirits are already eternal as we have been made in the image of God – an eternal spirit, and as such, we will merely go on living with our Father. Our relationship with Jesus moves us into what we call the body of Christ. So, in a sense, we are already married to the Lamb. The angels, who also have free will, for the most part, know their duties and place – and it does not include sex. Satan, his name was Lucifer, decided to supplant God, an act that exceeded the limits of his position. He managed to convince a third of the uncountable number of angels to follow him in this rebellion.

Did their spirits die?

No. Many of them were locked up in chains, as they, in their rebellion, became very dangerous. They will be cast into outer darkness, along with Satan and those who choose to follow him, to the place where there is gnashing of teeth, fire, and perpetual anguish.

The scripture leaves no one out, and the flooding killed everything that walked on land and breathed air, that includes half-breed angels, referred to as Nephilim. The giants died, but scripture tells us that they came back after the flood. 

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6:4 NASB)

This can be attested to by Joshua and Caleb's testimony upon their foray into Canaan and David's killing of Goliath. Because we have very few records of Titans upon the earth, anymore, then I would suggest that the fallen angels changed their techniques and game plan.

So, the question is, who will you willingly be married to?

There are only two options, Jesus or Satan.