(Luke 10:1-21)
Now, after this, the Lord chose and appointed seventy others and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come (visit) (verse 1). Seventy others disciples YAHSHUA chose for a specific task- that of preparing the way ahead of Him. He warned them of danger ahead by saying, I send you like lambs in the midst of wolves. He specifically told them the manner in which they were to behave on their way: Carry no provisions bag, no sandals; refrain from saluting and whishing anyone well along the way (redeem the time), whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this household! Stay on in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, do not keep moving from house to house; heal the sick and say to them, The kingdom of God has come close to you (verses 3-5,7, 9). That was the beginning of the church era. These are what were they to say and do: Shalom- a salutation that brings calmness to the heart of people. So, they brought peace, they healed the sick and announced that the kingdom had come near them. When YAHSHUA sent them away, He provided them with everything needed to accomplish the task. They did not need money, extra clothes or sandals, shelter and food were provided. Their physical needs were met; and for the spiritual battle field they were to enter, YAHSHUA provided them with authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions over all the power that the enemy possesses and nothing shall in any way harm them (verse 18). When YAHSHUA sent them out, He knew what they were going to encounter, even though they did not. He sent them dressed with God’s full armor, for they were not going to wrestle with flesh and blood (human), but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere (Eph. 6:12).
When they returned, they were excited and joyous with all they had accomplished in the way of victory over demons. They said, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! YAHSHUA then answered them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning from heaven. (Verses 17-18). Satan couldn’t withstand the power given to those disciples. That was a good beginning of the ministry of YAHSHUA’S church. Powerful, courageous, determined against the evil one. That’s how we His church should be. So powerful that Satan will flee from us, since YAHSHUA is the cornerstone, the foundation of His church. As Paul said, His church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Messiah YAHSHUA the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined together harmoniously into a holy temple in the Lord. (Eph. 2:20-21). In another day, when YAHSHUA entered the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples a question, a very important question: Who do you say that I am? He had only forty days left on earth before His departure from this world and wanted them to know Whom He was. Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of living God. To Peter YAHSHUA said, And I tell to you, you are Peter- [Greek, Petros which is a large piece of rock] and on this rock [Greek petra, which is a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it (Matt. 16:18). We see here that the difference between petros and petra indicated that YAHSHUA was talking about Himself as the rock where His church was to be built, not Peter, as many think. When Satan could not withstand the power coming from the seventy disciples, that was the prophetic picture of the power YAHSHUA was giving to His church.
Light from the Word 