Doorways of Inheritance

"Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." — Exodus 34:7

An Overlooked Doorway

Demonic bondage can be inherited, and the doorway of inheritance is one of the most frequently overlooked.

We are no longer under the old law, because of the new covenant in Christ's blood. But the Old Testament contains principles we badly need — and one of them is this: any sin not brought under Christ's blood by us remains legal ground.

There are many references to the sins of the fathers passing to the sons. Exodus 20:5. Exodus 34:6–7. Numbers 14:18. Deuteronomy 5:9.

"The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." (Exodus 34:6–7)

Note both halves. Mercy for thousands. Iniquity to the third and fourth generation. The proportions are deliberately lopsided, and they are both true.

What Revival Always Included

Here is a pattern that runs through the whole Old Testament and is almost never noticed:

Every time there was a major revival in Israel, the people came together in fasting and prayer to confess not only their own sins, but the sins of their fathers.

"Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers." (Nehemiah 9:1–2)

The same appears in the reforms under Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29) and Josiah (2 Chronicles 34), and in the prayers of Daniel and Ezra.

The sins of our ancestors do have a grave effect on our own lives, and the doorway of inheritance must be closed — by prayer, by confession, and by the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

What Is Passed Down

Specific abilities and specific bondages pass from generation to generation. A commonly recognized example is the "gift" of water-witching, which runs in families.

Particularly damaging are:

Any involvement in the occult in the family line.

Any idol worship — which is in reality the worship of demons (1 Corinthians 10:14–21).

Any existing infestation in a parent or ancestor.

Any oaths taken by parents or ancestors that are binding on descendants — and most occult, pagan, lodge, and secret-society oaths are written to bind descendants explicitly.

That last category is the one most families have and least suspect. Read an old lodge oath sometime and note who it commits.

Point to Ponder

Mercy for thousands; iniquity to the fourth generation. The proportions are lopsided on purpose — but both halves are true.

Verse to Remember

"Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin... visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." — Exodus 34:7

Question to Consider

What was my family involved in that I have never thought to renounce?

Today's Practice

Two parts: find out, then close it.

Find out. Ask living relatives directly. What organizations did my grandfather belong to? What religion was our family? Did anyone practice fortune telling, healing, water-witching, or anything similar? What happened to those who died young? Look at old photographs for rings, pins, aprons, and emblems. Obituaries often list lodge memberships proudly.

You will not learn everything. Proceed anyway.

Close it. Pray this out loud, and confess both what you know and what you do not:

"Father, I confess the sins of my forefathers — their idolatry, their occult involvement, their oaths, their violence and immorality, and everything I do not know about. I acknowledge all of it as sin and I do not defend them.

Separate me completely from the iniquity of my forefathers by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

I renounce every oath, vow, and covenant made by anyone in my family line to any power other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and I renounce their penalties and their terms. I belong to Jesus Christ alone.

Close the doorway of inheritance forever with the blood of Jesus.

And in the name of Jesus Christ I command everything that came down that line to leave me, my children, and my children's children now and never return."

Then destroy any physical regalia, certificates, or ritual objects in your possession.

Prayer

Father, I did not choose what came down to me, and I do not carry my forefathers' guilt — Your Son settled my standing before You.

But doors were opened before I was born, and they are mine to close.

I confess the sins of my family line, known and unknown. I renounce every oath sworn over descendants, every allegiance given to anything that is not You, and everything my family served that was not Christ.

Separate me from all of it by the blood of Jesus. Close the doorway of inheritance forever.

And let it stop here. Let my children inherit mercy rather than iniquity — the mercy You keep for thousands.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Most lodge oaths commit descendants explicitly. Read one sometime and note exactly who is bound.