In my study of the bible, I have come to respect certain teachers of biblical prophecy. I have learned so much from people like Dr Chuck Missler, LA Marzulli, Derek and Sharon Gilbert, Dr Michael Heiser, Gary Stearman and Prophecy Watchers, Tom Horn and Skywatch TV, and many others who have brought back a supernatural understanding of the bible, something that has been lost in western Christianity. What I’ve learned is that if we can understand the culture and spiritual setting of those through whom the scriptures were given, we get the meaning intended.

A Lost Hermeneutic

What most of the church has forgotten for so long is that the bible is the most supernatural set of writings in existence. And among the writings of the bible, the gospels are the most supernatural of the supernatural. Unfortunately, a naturalistic bias has existed for a long time in the church, probably since Augustine, and is still prevalent today.

That which is clearly supernatural is viewed and interpreted through the lens of our normal, materialistic, western, socio-economic experience. Many churches dismiss the supernatural as irrelevant for today and so remain unaware of the devil’s schemes. There is no understanding of the unseen realm: the demonic forces identified by Paul in Ephesians 6 and how they operate to bring deception and darkness into a church.

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6:10-13

The Supernatural Darkness of the Present Culture

What are these spiritual entities Paul speaks of? Are they still at work today? What do your church members know about them and how to biblically engage? When was the last time pastors taught on the unseen realm as described in this passage or in the gospels? Biblical understanding about this very important topic is lacking despite the enormous amount of intel we have throughout the scriptures. Did you know that Jesus Christ gives unique insights into the demonic realm that is rarely a topic of study? I have never heard a sermon in church about how the demonic realm operates. I have only recently discovered how much incredibly valuable information the Lord gives about this topic. He wants us to be aware.

There are elements of the supernatural that have come into the church. Unfortunately, the wrong kind. Many churches have opened the door to practices forbidden in the scriptures. Tarot cards have become angel cards, apparently more acceptable by undiscerning Christians. For $23.99 on Amazon, you can get your own set. That’s right, churches are doing this! Yoga, Buddhism, Tai-Chi or other eastern mystical practices are unwisely invited into the church under the auspices of ministry. So called prophets who practice divination under the auspices of “the prophetic”. When occultic practices are invited into the church, the spiritual forces that energize them also step right in.

There are many people deeply in darkness that hate God, that hate Christians and absolutely believe in and practice the supernatural – and for good reason. Its real, and its powerful.  Don’t underestimate it. The New Age, witchcraft, overt satanism, and the rest of the occult in general are opening doors into the dark, spiritual realm that cannot be closed or restrained by electing the right public official, starting another boycott, or signing another petition. Political and social activism of Christians is exactly what the spiritual enemy wants.

The spiritual forces of darkness spoken of in Ephesians 6, at work in the culture around us, are more than happy for the church to ignore them and focus on the visible, temporal realm. We need to understand the unseen realm as taught in the scriptures. We need to return the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit to their proper and biblically exercised role for the edification of the church. The unappreciated and suppressed gifts of spiritual discernment need to be brought back. Saved people sitting in pews in bible believing churches have this gift. Find them. Equip them in the biblical practice of this gift.

The sea change in the culture – what we see and understand with our carnal minds – are manifestations with deep spiritual roots. There is spiritual malevolence behind what is happening with greater momentum in our schools, the workplace, and even in our churches. Without understanding, the church continues to engage an unseen enemy in the social and political realm with zero results.

I think the western church is at mission failure. I would submit that this is due to the lack of a supernatural understanding of the scriptures and the unseen forces at work today. We ignore the dark, unseen realm at our own peril but also to the detriment of oppressed, possessed, and deceived people right outside our church doors.

Supernatural Hermeneutic Leads to Supernatural Ministry

Ministry was always supposed to be supernatural because that’s the way the unseen realm operates. We don’t understand the enemy anymore despite enormous amounts of information in the bible. A supernatural viewpoint needs to be brought back into biblical hermeneutics to properly understand the biblical worldview, the unseen realm, history, the prophetic writings. But it has to become more that just understanding. The practice of the supernatural in accordance with biblical procedure and in alignment with the mission of the gospel must become our normative approach to ministry as followers of Jesus in our own day.

People are not being saved in the numbers needed to sustain the church into the next generation. That is because the way we operate today is not the same as the way the church operated in the first century. The first century church was effective; we are not. Why? What did they have that we don’t? Its time we figured that out. A good start is to compare our current model with the original wildly effective model of the first century. There are a lot of differences.

I think a return to the first century model of the church as depicted in the Book of Acts is the only thing that will get us back on track with the mission. It means hard choices not many can accept. That’s OK. Ephesians six says take a stand. And I believe that begins with a return to a supernatural hermeneutic – that is, understanding the bible through a mindset of a first century believer. How we understand the scriptures will drive our approach to ministry. It will either continue to be worldly and ineffective, or in accordance with the scriptures. What if we structured our church ministry along the lines of the following passage:

For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, ¹⁶ and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). ¹⁸ With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints. ¹⁹ Pray for me also, that I may be given the right words when I begin to speak —that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:13-20

What if a church was filled with people who:

• Understood the spiritual enemy.
• Lived in righteousness
• Knew how to clearly communicate the gospel message
• Maintained a biblically informed, Spirit filled faith that refused the deceptions of the enemy
• Knew they are saved and are seated in the heavenly places in Christ, far above the enemy.
• Prayed at all times, in the Spirit, with all perseverance (never stopping no matter what), for al the saints in the church and around the world, and for boldness for any who preach the gospel.

We can only be effective in advancing the gospel if we get back to our training provided in the New Testament about how to engage on a supernatural level to accomplish the mission. Lets start with a deep dive into the ministry of Jesus Christ. He trained 12 Apostles and many other disciples in how to do the mission. He recognized the supernatural opposition from forces of darkness and demonstrated how to overcome them. This is our model. Its time we returned to it.

We must ask for God’s help in having not only knowledge of the bible but a right understanding according to His Word. I think a right understanding must include bringing back a supernatural element into how we interpret and apply scripture.