The third temptation was Satan's offer of all the kingdoms of the world and their glory in exchange for Jesus's worship — a temptation centered on worldly power and authority.
Satan took Jesus to an exceeding high mountain and showed Him every kingdom of this world — real, material kingdoms — then promised them all if Jesus would fall down and worship him (Matthew 4:8-9). Les Feldick emphasizes that the offer was genuine because these kingdoms are Satan's dominion, but Jesus refused, knowing He would receive the kingdoms anyway as His own and establish a glorious kingdom.
Matthew 4:8-10 — This is the passage that records the entire third temptation — the high mountain, the offer of all kingdoms, and Jesus's response.
Matthew 4:8–10 records the third temptation. The devil took Jesus up into an exceeding high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and said, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Jesus answered, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." The passage makes clear that the offer was concrete: the visible kingdoms of the world in all their glory, presented as a gift in exchange for worship. Daniel 2:35 also describes what will ultimately happen to such kingdoms — they become like chaff of the summer threshingfloors, carried away by the wind, while the stone that smote the image becomes a great mountain filling the whole earth.
Les Feldick teaches that the third temptation was an offer of power over all the real, material kingdoms of this world. When Satan took Jesus to an exceeding high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them (Matthew 4:8), he was not showing something "ethereal or invisible" — these were the actual kingdoms of human history. At that moment Rome ruled from the British Isles to the Ganges River of India, and behind them stood the great empires of Egypt's pharaohs, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. Because Jesus and Satan are both spiritual beings, they could see beyond the physical horizon — all the way back to the Garden of Eden and all the way forward to the end of time. The condition of the offer was simple: "Fall down, worship me, and I'll give them to you." Les asks whether it was Satan's to give, and answers, "Yes. Absolutely they're his dominion tonight." Yet Jesus was not tricked. He knew that one day these kingdoms would be His anyway, and He did not have to fall down and worship Satan to get them. Les also points out that Satan evidently did not comprehend that Christ was going to have those kingdoms, obliterate them like the dust of the summer threshing floor, and set up His own glorious kingdom.
According to Les Feldick, yes. He says, "All these things I will give you. Was it his to give? Yes. Absolutely they're his dominion tonight." The kingdoms of this world belong to Satan's dominion, so the offer was real. However, Jesus was not tricked — He knew that one day He would have those kingdoms anyway and did not need to worship Satan to get them. Satan also failed to comprehend that Christ would one day possess these kingdoms and set up His own glorious kingdom.
Scripture records Jesus's reply: "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10). Les explains that Jesus could refuse with confidence because He understood what Satan did not — the kingdoms of the world were already destined to be His. The power of Satan's offer held no sway over Christ.
Les describes these as the real, visible kingdoms of human history — not something ethereal or invisible. The Roman Empire of that day stretched from the British Isles to the Ganges River of India, and looking back, there had been the pharaohs of Egypt, the Babylonian Empire, the Medo-Persian Empire, and the Greek Empire. Because Satan and Jesus are both spiritual beings, from that exceeding high mountain they could look even beyond physical sight — all the way back to the Garden of Eden and forward to the end of time.
The Three Temptations Everyone Faces — Eve to Jesus Explained
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Now what's the lesson? In spite of our physical appetites, whatever they are, what do we have to temper them with? The spiritual things that are far more important. You know I've tried to stress, not only to my own kids, but to other people, and to myself, my wife, is that we have to keep our priorities straight. See this is what happens to so many people.
Satan's Offer of Every Kingdom
Les describes the third temptation as Satan taking Jesus to an exceeding high mountain and offering Him all the kingdoms of the world — from the British Isles to the Ganges — on condition that Jesus fall down and worship him.
The Kingdoms Are Real, Not Invisible
Les emphasizes that the third temptation concerned the literal kingdoms of this world, not something ethereal, and he lists the great empires already come and gone: Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
Satan Misunderstood Christ's Inheritance
Les explains that Satan offered his kingdoms on condition of worship, but evidently did not comprehend that Christ would one day possess them, obliterate them like chaff on the threshing floor, and set up His own glorious kingdom.
It Was Satan's to Give — But Jesus Didn't Need It
Les affirms the offer was genuine — the kingdoms were Satan's dominion — but notes Jesus knew He would have them anyway and did not need to worship Satan to receive them.
Spiritual Sight on the Mountain
Les reminds readers that both Satan and Jesus are spiritual beings, even though Christ was in the flesh, which explains how the kingdoms could be shown in this way.
Seeing from Eden to the End of Time
Les describes the audacity of Satan's offer: from that high place the two spiritual beings could look back to the Garden of Eden and forward to the end of time, and Satan still offered only what Christ would inherit anyway.
From the Temple Pinnacle to the High Mountain
Les transitions from the second temptation to the third, noting that Jerusalem sits geographically at the center of the planet, which sets the stage for showing 'all the kingdoms of the world.'
Matthew 4:8: Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
The opening of the third temptation — the exceeding high mountain and the vision of all the world's kingdoms.
Matthew 4:9: And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Satan's condition: worship him and receive all kingdoms.
Matthew 4:10: Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Jesus's refusal and His quotation of Scripture.
Daniel 2:35: Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Les references this verse when describing Christ obliterating the kingdoms like chaff.
According to Les Feldick, yes. He says, "Was it his to give? Yes. Absolutely they're his dominion tonight." The kingdoms of this world belong to Satan's dominion, so the offer was genuine. However, Jesus did not need the offer because He knew the kingdoms would be His anyway.
The condition was explicit: "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:9). Les summarizes it as, "Fall down, worship me, and I'll give them to you." Jesus refused and instead told Satan, "Get thee hence."
Les teaches that Jesus refused because He knew that one day He would have all those kingdoms anyway — He did not need to fall down and worship Satan to get them. Satan also failed to understand that Christ would obliterate those kingdoms and set up His own glorious kingdom.
Yes. Les emphasizes that "we're not talking about something out there that's ethereal or invisible. We're talking about the kingdoms of this world." At that time Rome reached from the British Isles to the Ganges River, and the great empires of Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece had already come and gone.
Watch the Teaching: The Three Temptations Everyone Faces — Eve to Jesus Explained