Jeff,

I think that the punishment was very practicle and well executed before the flood.  God warned the entire world of punishment for their deeds through Enoch (see Jude) and Noah.  When He executed his punishment, all those people experienced capital punishment for not obeying God.  Neither Noah nor Enoch killed or took vengence, God took it directly.

I am suggesting that God fulfilled His statement in Genesis 6:3 first in Moses, who lived exactly 120 years.  During the time of Moses, God gave his authoritative law and revelation of Himself against which all other laws and revelations were to be measured.  Moses predicts a coming prophet in Deut and commands us to listen to his words.  This is the same man whom God spoke from heaven to the three disciples, "Listen to Him."  All of history culminates in the rule of a man over everything, including fallen angels and Satan himself.  This is seen in Eph 1 and 2 Co 15:

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet.

I think that this isn't what you mean when you ask me, "Are you suggesting that Christ will rule over fallen angels in a kingdom? If so, what verses do you use to support that."  The above passages are referring to the end of the end.  In Rev 20 we see that Jesus, the man, also reigns over the dragon, which I believe to be Satan, and exercises His authority to have Satan bound and cast into the abyss for one thousand years.  He then sets Satan free from his bonds in the abyss for the explicit purpose that he deceive the nations and then judge them all with fire.  This is not too much different in concept to God sending the deceiving spirit to seduce Ahab in 1 Kings 22:

“The LORD said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’ “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

Perhaps this answers your question.  If the fallen angels that Jude speaks about are the same evil beings that come out of the abyss in Revelation, we see that God rules over them and lets them out with the key but limits their evil power in not permitting them to kill, just to torment.  I believe that the king of these evil beings, Abaddon or Appolyon, is still subject to the rule of the man Jesus who permits or forbids as He chooses.

Post Edited (Reader) : 4/29/2005 7:42:41 AM (GMT-5)

Reader: I think that the punishment was very practicle and well executed before the flood.  God warned the entire world of punishment for their deeds through Enoch (see Jude) and Noah.  When He executed his punishment, all those people experienced capital punishment for not obeying God.  Neither Noah nor Enoch killed or took vengence, God took it directly.

Jeff:  What evidence do you have to conclude that God killed people before the flood?  We know he didn't kill Cain.

Reader:  Perhaps this answers your question.  If the fallen angels that Jude speaks about are the same evil beings that come out of the abyss in Revelation, we see that God rules over them and lets them out with the key but limits their evil power in not permitting them to kill, just to torment.  I believe that the king of these evil beings, Abaddon or Appolyon, is still subject to the rule of the man Jesus who permits or forbids as He chooses.

Jeff:  But ruling by imprisoning is not analogous to ruling over nations with a rod of iron.  The latter is the normal since of ruling; the former isn't.  Peter seems to imply that the spirits that disobeyed in Noah's day were imprisoned during or after Noah's days.  And what evidence do we have that Satan was being ruled differently before the flood than now?

“Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. “When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear! “Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

Yes, Jeff, that is what I am saying. 

Because we have fallen men dealing out temporal justice and running civil governments, they lord it over us.  They are flawed and their implementation of the govenment delegated by God has massive flaws.  Still, according to Romans 12, we submit to them and pay our taxes as unto God.  We look forward to the time when there will be a perfect and just man on the throne.  I look forward to a glorified body that will no longer sin ever again that will noever have to be punished by this just and righteous king.