Covenant Series | Man of Dominion | Part 2
Video Description
Did Adam surrender mankind’s dominion over the earth to Satan when he sinned? In Luke 4, Satan claimed that the authority of the world’s kingdoms had been delivered to him and that he could give it to whomever he pleased. Yet Daniel 4:17 declares that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wills. This study examines Satan’s extraordinary claim in light of God’s original appointment of mankind to dominion, the consequences of Adam’s fall, and the distinction between rightful authority and the power exercised through deception and bondage. Following the testimony of Scripture from Genesis through Daniel, the Gospels, and Hebrews, we examine why Satan’s power over fallen humanity does not establish that he inherited mankind’s dominion, and how Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, fulfills God’s original purpose.
Bible Study Written Version
Did Adam Give His Dominion to Satan?
One of the commonly repeated explanations for Satan’s influence over the world is that Adam surrendered his God-given dominion to Satan when he disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.
According to this interpretation, Adam originally possessed authority over the earth, but through his disobedience that authority was transferred to Satan, who subsequently became the rightful ruler of the world.
This explanation is often connected to the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4, where Satan claimed that the authority of the kingdoms of the world had been delivered to him.
But does Scripture actually establish that such a transfer occurred?
To answer that question, we must distinguish between two fundamentally different things: the rightful authority to rule and the power to exercise control.
The Scriptures establish that Satan exercised tremendous power over fallen mankind. They do not, however, establish that God transferred mankind’s rightful dominion to Satan.
This distinction is central to understanding both the fall of man and the redemption accomplished through Jesus Christ.
1. Satan’s Claim to the Kingdoms of the World
In Luke 4:5–7, Satan brought Jesus to a high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world.
He then made an extraordinary declaration:
Luke 4:6–7
“All this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If you therefore will worship me, all shall be yours.”
Satan made two important claims.
First, he claimed that the authority of the kingdoms had been delivered to him.
Second, he claimed that he could give that authority to whomever he chose.
The second claim is particularly significant because it concerns who possesses the final authority to appoint rulers over the kingdoms of men.
Satan was not merely claiming influence over earthly governments. He was presenting himself as the one who determined who would receive their authority.
Furthermore, he demanded that Jesus worship him as the condition for receiving these kingdoms.
In effect, Satan was presenting himself as the ultimate authority to whom even Jesus must submit if he wished to receive dominion over the nations.
But Scripture had already established who possessed that authority.
2. Daniel 4:17 Directly Contradicts Satan’s Claim
Hundreds of years before the temptation of Jesus, God revealed an important truth concerning earthly kingdoms through the prophet Daniel.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had received a troubling dream concerning his kingdom and his own humiliation.
Daniel interpreted the dream and explained the purpose behind the judgment that would come upon the king.
Daniel 4:17
“This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.”
The stated purpose of the revelation was that the living would know three things.
First, the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.
God is the ultimate ruler over the kingdoms of mankind.
Second, God gives the kingdom to whomever he wills.
The final authority to determine who receives earthly dominion belongs to God.
Third, God sets men over these kingdoms.
The passage concerns God’s appointment of human rulers, even those who may be considered the basest of men.
Now compare this declaration with Satan’s claim in Luke 4.
Satan declared:
“To whomsoever I will I give it.”
But God had already declared:
“The most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will.”
These statements present competing claims concerning the ultimate authority over earthly kingdoms.
The question is not whether Satan possesses influence over earthly rulers. Scripture provides abundant evidence of his influence.
The question is who has the final say.
Suppose Satan desires that one man rule a kingdom, but God determines that another man will rule.
Whose will prevails?
Daniel 4:17 answers that question.
The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wills.
Satan cannot overrule the will of God.
The Liar Standing Before the Truth
Jesus described Satan’s relationship to truth in John 8:44:
“There is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
This is important when evaluating Satan’s statements.
Satan’s words cannot be accepted as truthful merely because Scripture records that he spoke them.
Scripture faithfully records the claims of Satan, but recording a claim does not establish that the claim is true.
In Luke 4, the one whom Jesus identified as the father of lies was standing before Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, and claiming authority that Scripture had already assigned to God.
Jesus did not submit to Satan’s demand.
Instead, he answered with the authority of Scripture:
Luke 4:8
“Get behind me, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.”
Jesus rejected Satan’s demand for worship and appealed to the authority of God’s word.
The testimony of Daniel establishes that the Most High possesses the final authority over the kingdoms of men.
Satan’s claim to distribute those kingdoms according to his own independent will directly contradicts that testimony.
3. To Whom Did God Originally Give Dominion?
To understand whether Satan could have inherited mankind’s dominion, we must first establish to whom God gave that dominion.
Genesis 1:26
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…”
Notice the language.
God declared that he would make man in his image, and then said, “Let them have dominion.”
Dominion was not merely assigned to Adam as a private possession belonging to one individual.
It was established with mankind as a created order.
God appointed man to exercise authority over the works of his hands.
Genesis identifies the creatures placed under mankind’s dominion, including the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the earth.
But the testimony of Scripture expands this appointment beyond its initial description in Genesis.
Psalm 8 Expands the Dominion of Man
Psalm 8:6
“You made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.”
David describes mankind’s appointment in much broader terms.
All things are placed under man’s feet.
This declaration is subsequently taken up by the writer of Hebrews.
Hebrews 2:8
“For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.”
Here Scripture establishes an essential distinction.
God placed all things under man’s feet, yet we do not presently see that dominion fully realized.
The appointment of dominion and the complete manifestation of that dominion are not the same thing.
God established the calling before its ultimate fulfillment.
Adam possessed that calling in its beginning, but its fullness was yet to be realized.
This is particularly important when examining what happened after Adam sinned.
4. Did God Revoke Mankind’s Dominion After the Fall?
Genesis 3 records the consequences of Adam’s disobedience.
The ground was cursed.
Man would labor in sorrow.
Death would enter his experience, and he would eventually return to the dust from which he had been formed.
But one declaration is notably absent.
God never declares that mankind’s dominion has been revoked.
He never states that Adam’s authority has been transferred to Satan.
He never warns Adam that disobedience will result in Satan becoming the rightful ruler of the earth.
This absence becomes especially significant when we examine what God says about mankind after the fall.
God Reaffirms Mankind’s Position After the Flood
In Genesis 9:1–2, following the flood, God blesses Noah and his sons.
He commands them to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.
He also establishes their relationship of authority over the creatures of the earth.
This language closely resembles the original appointment given to mankind in Genesis 1.
If Adam’s disobedience had transferred mankind’s dominion to Satan, why does God continue addressing mankind in terms of its original appointment?
The testimony continues in Psalm 8, written long after Adam’s fall.
David still describes man as the one appointed over the works of God’s hands.
And Hebrews 2, written after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, still speaks of the dominion appointed to man and its ultimate fulfillment.
The consistent testimony is that God established dominion with mankind and never revoked that appointment.
Man’s condition changed through sin.
His ability to exercise dominion faithfully was corrupted.
But the calling itself remained.
The fall corrupted man’s exercise of dominion; it did not transfer mankind’s rightful appointment to Satan.
5. The Difference Between Dominion and Power
This distinction is fundamental to the entire argument.
Dominion concerns the rightful authority to rule.
Power concerns the ability to exercise control or influence.
A person may possess rightful authority while being prevented from exercising it.
Likewise, another person may exercise tremendous power over someone without possessing the rightful authority that belongs to that person.
Consider a ruler who has been taken captive.
His captor may control his movements, restrict his freedom, and prevent him from exercising his authority.
But the act of taking him captive does not automatically make the captor the rightful heir to his throne.
Captivity and inheritance are different things.
The same distinction applies to Satan’s relationship with mankind.
Satan brought the creature appointed to dominion into a condition of bondage.
But bringing mankind into bondage did not establish Satan as the lawful recipient of mankind’s appointment.
Satan Had Access to Man Before the Fall
The serpent was already present in the garden before Adam sinned.
He could approach mankind, speak, and introduce temptation.
Therefore, Satan’s ability to approach and influence man did not originate with the fall.
What changed through the fall was mankind’s response to that influence.
The serpent persuaded Adam and Eve to act contrary to God’s command.
Through their disobedience, sin and death entered the world.
Satan gained power over mankind through deception, sin, and bondage.
But this was not the same thing as receiving mankind’s rightful dominion.
Obedience Creates Bondage
Romans 6:16 establishes an important principle:
“To whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey…”
The one to whom a person yields obedience gains power over that person’s conduct.
This explains the nature of Satan’s influence over mankind.
Through deception, Satan persuaded man to obey a voice contrary to God’s word.
Man’s disobedience brought him into bondage.
Satan’s power operated through that bondage.
Yet Scripture never states that this bondage constituted a lawful transfer of mankind’s dominion.
The distinction is especially clear in Hebrews 2.
6. Satan Had the Power of Death, Not Mankind’s Rightful Dominion
Hebrews 2:14
“That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Notice the specific language.
Scripture describes the devil as the one who had the power of death.
It does not describe him as the one to whom God transferred mankind’s rightful dominion.
These are two fundamentally different claims.
The devil exercised power over fallen mankind through sin and death.
But the dominion God established with man was not thereby transferred to him.
This distinction also explains why the redemption accomplished through Jesus Christ is presented as deliverance from bondage.
Mankind had become captive.
The creature appointed to dominion was unable to free itself from the condition into which sin had brought it.
Christ came to destroy the one who held the power of death and deliver those held in bondage.
The issue was not that Satan had become the lawful owner of mankind’s dominion.
The issue was that the man appointed to dominion had become a captive.
7. Jesus Demonstrated the Kingdom Through the Defeat of Satan’s Power
During his earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly demonstrated his authority over devils.
These works were not merely isolated miracles.
Jesus directly connected them to the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 12:28
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come unto you.”
Jesus then explained the significance of these works through the illustration of a strong man.
Matthew 12:29
“Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”
The strong man must be bound before his goods can be taken.
This illustrates the nature of Christ’s victory over Satan.
Satan exercised power over those held in bondage.
But when Jesus came, that power was overcome.
The casting out of devils demonstrated that the Kingdom of God had come and that Satan’s hold over mankind was being broken.
The issue was not a contest between two equal authorities.
God’s power was greater.
The question was how Satan had brought mankind into bondage in the first place.
And the answer is deception.
Satan’s Power Operates Through Deception
Satan is identified in Scripture as a liar and the father of lies.
His power over mankind operates through deception, bringing people into agreement with things that are contrary to God’s truth.
This is why Jesus connected freedom with the knowledge of truth.
John 8:32
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Truth exposes deception.
When a person comes to know the truth and rejects the lie, the power of that deception is broken.
Satan brings mankind into bondage through deception.
Jesus Christ brings freedom through the truth.
This is central to understanding the redemption accomplished by Christ.
He did not come to negotiate with Satan for the return of a dominion that God had supposedly transferred to him.
He came to destroy Satan’s works, overcome the power of death, and deliver mankind from bondage.
8. The Son of Man Receives Everlasting Dominion
The ultimate fulfillment of mankind’s dominion is revealed in Daniel 7.
Daniel 7:13–14
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
The one who receives everlasting dominion is the Son of Man.
This is the fulfillment of the purpose God established when he created man and appointed him to dominion.
The dominion that began with Adam finds its fullness in Jesus Christ.
This is why the humanity of Jesus is essential.
He became man.
He did not take upon himself the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham, as Hebrews 2:16 declares.
Through his death and resurrection, he defeated the one who held the power of death.
Through redemption, he delivers mankind from bondage.
And through his life dwelling in his people, he brings them into the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
The members of Christ’s body are brought into the eternal reality of his kingdom.
The dominion established with mankind was not abandoned.
It was fulfilled in the faithful Son.
God’s Purpose Was Never Independent Human Rule
The original purpose of dominion was not that man would rule independently of God.
Man was created in God’s image and appointed to exercise authority under him.
Jesus Christ fulfills that purpose perfectly.
He receives everlasting dominion as the Son of Man.
And through him, God’s dominion is manifested in mankind.
This is the purpose toward which the testimony of Scripture has been pointing from the beginning.
Conclusion: Dominion Was Corrupted, Not Transferred
Did Adam lose mankind’s dominion to Satan?
The Scriptures never tell us that he did.
What Scripture establishes is that God appointed mankind to dominion, that man fell into sin and death, and that Satan exercised power over mankind through deception and bondage.
But God never declared that mankind’s rightful appointment had been transferred to Satan.
Instead, Scripture continues to identify mankind as the created order appointed to dominion.
And the New Testament identifies Jesus Christ as the Son of Man in whom that dominion finds its ultimate fulfillment.
The distinction is essential.
Satan possessed power over fallen mankind.
But power exercised through bondage is not the same thing as rightful dominion established by God.
Christ did not come to recover a title deed that Satan had lawfully inherited.
He came to deliver mankind from bondage and fulfill the purpose God had established from the beginning.
The calling was established in Adam.
The redemption was accomplished through Jesus Christ.
The fullness of dominion is realized in the Son.
God’s purpose was never that man would rule independently of him, but that God would manifest his own dominion through man.
And that purpose has never changed.
Questions and Answers
1. Did Adam give his dominion over the earth to Satan?
No. Zion Ministries teaches that Scripture never records God transferring mankind’s dominion to Satan.
Genesis 3 describes the consequences of Adam’s disobedience, including the curse upon the ground and the entrance of death, but it never declares that mankind’s rightful dominion was revoked or given to Satan.
Genesis 9, Psalm 8, and Hebrews 2 continue to identify mankind as the created order appointed to dominion.
The fall brought mankind into bondage, but it did not transfer mankind’s rightful appointment to Satan.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:26–28; Genesis 3:16–19; Genesis 9:1–2; Psalm 8:4–6; Hebrews 2:5–9.
2. Did Satan tell the truth when he claimed authority over the kingdoms of the world?
Satan’s claim in Luke 4:6–7 must be examined in light of the rest of Scripture.
He claimed that he could give the kingdoms to whomever he willed.
But Daniel 4:17 declares that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wills.
These claims cannot both be true if Satan is claiming independent, ultimate authority over earthly kingdoms.
Satan may exercise tremendous influence over earthly rulers, but he cannot overrule God’s will.
Jesus identified Satan as a liar and the father of lies in John 8:44.
Therefore, Satan’s claim cannot be accepted as establishing his rightful dominion merely because Scripture records that he made it.
Key Scriptures: Luke 4:5–8; Daniel 4:17; John 8:44.
3. Who has the final authority over the kingdoms of men?
God alone possesses the final authority over earthly kingdoms.
Daniel 4:17 expressly declares that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wills.
Satan’s influence over governments and rulers does not place him above the authority of God.
Key Scripture: Daniel 4:17.
4. What is the difference between dominion and power?
Dominion concerns the rightful authority to rule.
Power concerns the ability to exercise control or influence.
Someone may exercise power over a rightful ruler without becoming the lawful recipient of that ruler’s authority.
Satan exercised power over fallen mankind through deception, sin, and death.
But Scripture does not establish that this power constituted a transfer of mankind’s rightful dominion.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 1:26–28; Romans 6:16; Hebrews 2:14.
5. If Satan did not receive man’s dominion, how did he gain power over mankind?
Satan gained power over mankind through deception and disobedience.
The serpent was already able to approach and tempt man before the fall.
Through deception, he persuaded Adam and Eve to act contrary to God’s command.
Romans 6:16 establishes that the one to whom a person yields obedience gains power over that person’s conduct.
Through sin and death, mankind entered a condition of bondage.
This explains Satan’s power without requiring a transfer of mankind’s rightful dominion.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 3:1–6; Romans 6:16; Hebrews 2:14–15.
6. Does the Bible say Satan had the power of death?
Yes.
Hebrews 2:14 explicitly identifies the devil as the one who had the power of death.
However, possessing the power of death is not the same thing as possessing mankind’s rightful dominion.
Christ came to destroy the one who held that power and deliver those who were in bondage.
Key Scriptures: Hebrews 2:14–15.
7. Did mankind retain its dominion after Adam sinned?
Zion Ministries teaches that mankind retained its God-given appointment to dominion, although its exercise was corrupted through sin.
Genesis 9 reaffirms mankind’s relationship of authority over the creatures of the earth after the flood.
Psalm 8 continues to describe man as appointed over the works of God’s hands.
Hebrews 2 explains that the fullness of that dominion has not yet been manifested and identifies Jesus Christ as the one in whom it is fulfilled.
Key Scriptures: Genesis 9:1–2; Psalm 8:4–6; Hebrews 2:5–9.
8. What did Jesus demonstrate by casting out devils?
Jesus declared in Matthew 12:28 that his casting out of devils demonstrated the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
He then compared the situation to entering a strong man’s house, binding him, and taking his goods.
These works demonstrated Christ’s authority over Satan’s power and his ability to deliver those held in bondage.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 12:28–29; Luke 11:20–22.
9. How does Satan hold people in bondage through deception?
Satan operates through lies that bring people into agreement with things contrary to God’s truth.
Jesus identified Satan as the father of lies in John 8:44.
In John 8:32, Jesus declared that knowing the truth makes people free.
The truth exposes the lie, and through Jesus Christ mankind is delivered from the bondage produced by deception and sin.
Key Scriptures: John 8:32; John 8:44; Romans 6:16.
10. Why is Jesus called the Son of Man in connection with dominion?
God originally appointed mankind to dominion.
Psalm 8 describes that appointment, and Hebrews 2 connects its fulfillment to Jesus Christ.
Daniel 7:13–14 presents one like the Son of Man receiving everlasting dominion over all peoples, nations, and languages.
Jesus fulfills mankind’s calling because he became man.
Through his death, resurrection, and exaltation, he brings the dominion established with mankind to its intended fulfillment.
Key Scriptures: Psalm 8:4–6; Daniel 7:13–14; Hebrews 2:5–9; Hebrews 2:14–16.
11. Did Jesus have to obtain dominion from Satan?
No.
The argument that Jesus had to recover mankind’s rightful dominion from Satan assumes that Satan lawfully received that dominion.
Scripture never establishes such a transfer.
Instead, Daniel 7:13–14 describes the Son of Man receiving everlasting dominion in the presence of the Ancient of Days.
Jesus did not need Satan’s permission to receive the kingdom.
His authority came from God.
Key Scriptures: Daniel 4:17; Daniel 7:13–14; Luke 4:5–8.
12. What is the central teaching of Zion Ministries concerning man’s dominion?
God created man in his image and appointed mankind to dominion over the works of his hands.
Through sin, mankind entered bondage to death, and Satan exercised power over fallen humanity.
But mankind’s rightful appointment was never transferred to Satan.
Jesus Christ became man, defeated the one who held the power of death, and brought mankind’s calling to its fulfillment.
God’s purpose was never that man would rule independently of him, but that his own dominion would be manifested through man.
The dominion was corrupted through sin, not transferred to Satan. Its fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ.