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necessary "to contend earnestly for the faith" and when they do present themselves we
pray that we may not be found wanting.
#14. The Muniment Room (1: 3 - 14).
The Threefold Charter of the Church.
"Before the foundation of the world."
Part 5: Showing that the kosmos "the host" of Gen. 2: 1 refers to
the conflict of the ages and cannot be disassociated from the idea of "war".
pp. 141 - 144
We have demonstrated from the Septuagint that the translation "overthrow" for
foundation in 1: 4 is fully justified, and that the word "world" kosmos embraces not only
the limited dominion and age of man, but includes the heavens, the earth and the starry
host. If we leave the matter there, however, we shall but play into the hands of the great
enemy of truth, who must already be rejoicing that some of the saints of God are using
their powers to blind the eyes of the believer to the judgment that fell on him in Gen. 1: 2.
The matter however involves our loyalty to Him Who is not only our Saviour, not only
our Head, but One Who has called us to be good soldiers, for remote as it may seem at
first sight, the introduction of the word kosmos (Gen. 2: 1) involves a reference to the
battle array of the Lord of Hosts. First let us turn to Ephesians, and consider the
occurrences of the word kosmos. In three references the word is simple, but in one, the
word is composite.
Kosmos in Ephesians.
A | 1: 4. Chosen . . . before the overthrow of the world.
B | 2: 2. The Prince of the power of the air . . . according
to age (aion) of this world.
A | 2: 12. Gentiles (who had been chosen as in A) were without Christ,
without hope, without God, in the world.
B | 6: 12. Principalities and powers, the world rulers of the darkness of
this age (aion) in heavenly places (cf. "the air").
It is evident that here we have a record that vitally influences our calling and walk.
Those Gentile believers whose election "in Christ" dates from before the overthrow,
found themselves "in the flesh" in an abandoned condition in the present world. The
prince (archon) of the authority (exousia) of the air, is balanced by the principalities
(arche) and authorities (exousia), while "the age of this world" is exactly answered by the
"world rulers of the darkness of this age". This also is "the authority of darkness" from
which we have been delivered, according to Col. 1: 13.
Kosmos is employed by the Septuagint in Gen. 2: 1 where we read "all the host of
them". The word translated kosmos in the Greek and "host" in the English is the Hebrew