EP: 421 The Ascension and the Defeat of the Gods with Dr. Joel Muddamalle

Dr. Joel Muddamalle joined us in the studio in front of a live audience to tackle a question most churches never even think to ask: what actually happened when Jesus ascended? Joel connects the dots between the final verse of Psalm 82, where Yahweh commands an Elohim to rise and judge the earth, and the moment Christ physically rises into the heavens in front of witnesses. The lexical connections between the Hebrew and Greek are not coincidental. The Ascension is the fulfillment of the cosmic judgment pronounced against the rebellious gods of the nations, and it changes how we understand every use of the words rulers, authorities, and powers in the New Testament.The conversation goes from there into what spiritual warfare actually looks like on this side of the cross. Joel argues that the decisive battle has already been won and the gospel is the announcement riding out to every corner of the battlefield. He unpacks the ambassador language of 2 Corinthians 5, the armor of God as Yahweh's own armor from Isaiah, and why the dark powers today are disarmed cockroaches trying to take as many people down with them as possible before the King returns. This is a live, unscripted, deeply theological hour that also features a Cal Ripken conspiracy theory and a sloppy wet kiss.Dr. Joel's book can be found here: The Unseen Battle: Spiritual Warfare, the Three Rebellions, and Christ’s Victory Over Dark Powers .A live Q&A session was recorded with the audience at the conclusion of this episode and is available for all Blurry Creatures members. For information on how to become a Blurry Creatures member and for a description of all the perks and access included, please click here. - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices