In the last chapter we saw clearly that there are two sources in the universe, that in these two sources are two lives, and out of these two lives come two kingdoms. God has His life, and out of His life the kingdom of God comes into existence. Satan has his evil life, out of which the kingdom of Satan comes into existence. Therefore, in the universe there are two kingdoms—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.
We need to see that both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are something of life. The kingdom of God is a matter of the divine life, and the kingdom of Satan is a matter of the satanic life. If you consider the world situation, you will see that the entire human race is a kingdom, not merely of human life, but even more of the satanic life. Today's human society is a kingdom of the satanic life. Humanity has become the totality of the satanic life with all its activities. Thus, the human kingdom has become the satanic kingdom, the kingdom of Satan.
Matthew 12:22-28 mentions the kingdom of Satan. A blind and dumb person, who was demon-possessed, was brought to the Lord Jesus. As we mentioned in chapter two, in the Bible a demon signifies rebellion against God. The Lord Jesus cast out the demons. According to our understanding, this is simply the casting out of demons and the recovery of a human being. According to the Lord's interpretation, however, something far greater was involved. This was not simply the casting out of a demon and the healing of a sick person; it was the coming of the kingdom of God. Wherever the demon is cast out, there the kingdom of God comes. The Pharisees hated the Lord Jesus and they criticized His action, saying that He cast out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons. The title Beelzebub refers to the ruler of the demons. The Pharisees knew that Satan was the ruler of the demons and they scorned the Lord Jesus, accusing him of casting out demons by Satan. He rebuked them saying, "If I by Beelzebub cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?" (12:27). What the Pharisees said to the Lord Jesus was a falsehood, but what He said to them was the truth. Remember that the Pharisees were extremely religious. In their own eyes and in their own understanding, they were people who worshipped God. However, the Lord Jesus told them that their sons cast out demons by Satan. According to their concept, they were worshipping God; in actuality, they were joined with Satan. Surely the Pharisees felt that they were serving God, worshipping God, and doing everything to please Him. They were not pagans. They were not idol worshippers, and they did not practice witchcraft. They were people who tried to worship God and to serve God. But, the Lord Jesus exposed them, saying that their sons cast out demons by the power of Satan. This means that they were one with Satan.