This world is totally deceived. In His very first words to His disciples in the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus sternly warned, “Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5).
Most of you brethren are well aware of the false doctrines circulated about in modern “Churchianity” about Satan the Devil. The familiar tunes of the “preachy-toned evangelist shouting, “We’re sure gonna twist ole Satan’s tail tonight!” is just one of many examples.
Some people believe he is merely the embodiment of all that is evil, and therefore not a real being, but just a BAD “idea” in the mind of men. Others believe Satan appears as a red dancing monster with wings like a bat, a tail and a pitchfork. Still others believe Satan is merely the lustful and evil part of human nature.
Surely most of you know, after having studied your own Bibles, listening to the old World Tomorrow broadcast and reading the articles in The Plain Truth and Good News magazines that Satan is the god of this present evil world
Paul expressly calls him that! “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Corth. 4:4).
Now, in trying to overthrow Christ, Satan boasted, “All this power will I give you (all the kingdoms of his world), and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Luke 4:5-6).
Had Satan made this statement falsely, Christ would certainly have refuted it! And yet, Christ said not one word to contradict Satan ’s presumptuous remarks about the kingdoms of this world. Jesus did, however, rebuke the Devil for tempting Him by means of the kingdoms of this world! Jesus warned His disciples that the majority would be deceived, and going in the broad, wide, easy way, the way of following that which seems right to a man, to destruction! (Matt. 7:13).
The deceiver is called the “prince of the power of the air” in Eph. 2:2. John’s vision plainly showed Satan as the deceiver of the whole world, who was cast down with his angels, who are now called demons (Rev. 12:9). God reveals how Satan became the god of this world, and why! Perhaps many have falsely assumed the Devil is the god of this world against the will of God! Many, perhaps, have unknowingly followed another deception of Satan by believing the false idea of this world of some kind of great controversy between God and Satan! This doctrine represents the Devil as being much more powerful than God! After all, the world is totally wrapped up in sin, isn’t it? Such religious teachings represent just one more example of the thoughtless myth which Satan has done his work of deception.
Your very own Bible reveals that Satan is a created being, created of God. In Ezekiel the 28th chapter, God uses the king of Tyre (a type of Babylon) as a type of Satan the Devil. The type blends into the antitype, which is Satan, in the middle of verse 12. “Thou sealest up the sum full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” This could not be talking about any man!
Reading on, “Thou has been in Eden the garden of God, every precious stone was thy covering in the day that thou wast created” (verse 13). Again, in verse 15, God shows Satan as a created being. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”
Another chief text about the origin and history of Satan is found in Isaiah the 14th chapter. Here, God uses the king of Babylon as a type of Satan. “How art thou fallen from heaven ,O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations (vs. 12)
Remember, Satan was cast down from heaven to this earth! (Rev. 12:4). Jesus Christ saw it happen! “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18).
Lucifer means shining star of the dawn, or light bringer! In his
original office, Lucifer was assigned to this earth, as proved by
Ezek. 28:13. While he was perfect in his ways from his creation, be
became lustful for more power, more authority, from the standpoint of
vanity! This, by the way, is a vital lesson for us to learn! Lucifer
was a created being. He was created perfect. But character is that
which cannot be instantaneously created, but must be developed through
trial, testing and experience! Lucifer had not gained his perfection
through years of earnest fighting against the self, of sacrifice, of
humility and obedience!
As a created spirit being, he visualized himself as exalted above God.
He said “ I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation,
in the sides of the north, I ascend above the heights of the clouds
(clouds over this earth), I will be like the most High!” (Isa.
14:13-14).
As a result of this attempt at rebellion, the earth became empty,
waste, and in total confusion!
The word “was” in Genesis 1:2 should be rightly translated
“became.” Notice! “In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth. And the earth (became) without form, and void,
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”
In the book of Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 33, Paul tells us that
God is not the author of confusion, and did not originally create the
world in chaos and confusion! Notice Isa. 45:18: “God Himself
that formed the earth and made it, He hath established it; He created
it not in vain (waste).” The Hebrew words used in Genesis 1 and
in Isaiah 45 are the same: “tohu and bohu,” which means
empty and in confusion.
Lucifer’s attempted usurpation of God’s throne resulted in
the ruin of the surface of this earth. When God created Adam on the
earth, Satan was already here, pretending to be a “light
bringer,” but now an evil spirit, in rebellion against the
government of God.
Perhaps many of you have heard how Satan began his deception by
introducing the doctrine of the “immortality of the soul”
to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He told her, “Thou shalt not surely
die” (Gen. 3:4). Since that time, the Devil has succeeded in
palming off his own aspirations and his ultimate destination of
gullible human beings as their chief religious doctrines, which are not
found in the Bible!
Please listen! Satan (Lucifer) wanted to go to heaven! The churches
teach a doctrine of going some day to heaven! Lucifer is a spirit, and
is therefore immortal! The churches believe man has an immortal
spirit! Christ said an everlasting fire awaits Satan and his angels.
The churches teach an everlasting fire awaits all “sinners.
” Satan fell from his attempt to overthrow God. The pagan
misconception is that man fell!
These are only a few of the more prevalent doctrines that Satan has
palmed off as truth to this gullible world.
God shows that fully one third of all the multiplied millions of the
angels followed Lucifer in this rebellion, and were cast down to the
earth with him! (Rev. 12:4 and Rev. 1:20). These fallen angels,
remember are Spirits, not human beings! To accomplish his work of
deception, with the ultimate goal of destroying human beings, Satan
utilizes these millions of disobedient spirits! He is called the
prince of demons (Matt. 12:24).
Contrary to the belief of some, Satan the Devil does not have some
kind of spiritual essence which is a counterpart of God’s Holy
Spirit! Satan can’t be everywhere present as can God through His
Spirit. Satan cannot act directly upon nations through a spirit!
Instead, he utilizes the natural pulls of human nature, and his
demons!
Satan himself is always concerned with his attempt to destroy
God’s plan. Notice how he began by trying to destroy Adam and
Eve, the very first (and therefore a primary aim) humans of the earth.
Again, when God sent His own Son, Satan tried by many clever
subtletries to cause Christ to sin against the law of God. All through
Christ’s ministry, Satan tried to have Him killed, to thwart His
every purpose! Finally, when it was time according to God’s
purpose to allow Christ to be killed, Satan the Devil was a direct
instrument in executing Christ. He entered personally into Judas!
It is not at all inconceivable that Satan could personally,
individually tempt one of God’s people! However, many people
attribute many insignificant things to the Devil, not realizing that
he is concerned with the top level jobs in his evil plan! Many of
these things are nothing more than the pulls of their own human nature!
But make no mistake about it! Peter warns us that Satan is as a “
roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour!” (I
Peter 5:8). Perhaps more often than any of us realize, a demon is
attempting to influence us, either directly, or through another person.
Since the Devil, is concerned directly with the primary targets in
trying to upset God’s plan, it also follows that the most
important target on earth is God’s True Church!
God thunders a warning at every one of us that the Devil is yet to
come down to this earth in GREAT WRATH, knowing he has but a short
time left, to persecute God’s True Church, our Church! “And
the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ!” (Rev. 12:17)
Paul said he was not ignorant of Satan’s devices ( II Corth.
2:11) are you?
WHAT ABOUT THE EVERLASTING FIRE?
The time is rapidly drawing nearer when Satan the Devil will no longer
be permitted to deceive the nations! At this present time, God is
directly allowing Satan to be used as His instrument in blinding the
world, so the lesson of mankind will be so firmly and completely
etched in its own blood that there will never again be a society
existing in total rebellion against God’s government! God is the
One who has “concluded (shut up) them all in unbelief, that He
might have mercy on all” (Rom 11:32). He says He is not willing
that any should perish, but that all should finally come to repentance!
( II Peter 3:9).
At the beginning of Christ’s millennial rule over the nations,
Satan is to be bound, and cast into an abyss (Rev. 20:1-3). This
condition of restraint will last during the thousand years, and then
the Devil will be given his freedom to deceive the nations again!
(verse 3). But let us consider what occurs next!
Jesus said He is going to cast unrepentant, carnal minded humans into
“everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”
(Matt. 25:41). This parable of the sheep and the goats is another
example of a parable of Christ that makes no special reference to the
time element, but is showing a spiritual lesson and principle to be
learned! The separation described in verse 32 takes place over a
period of 1,100 years, to the end of the 100 year period after the
millennium.
Notice, however, that these wicked human beings are cast into an
everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. Fire is a
physical chemical thing! Fire is the combustion of physical objects
with oxygen which changes the physical objects into ashes and gaseous
vapors!
Notice that the wicked (the same ones Christ referred to) are to be
ashes under the feet of the righteous! (Mal. 4:3). Therefore, this
fire Christ spoke of in Matthew 25 is a fire that consumes human
beings! But Satan is a spirit being! And spirit beings are not
affected by fire! They are not material.
Yes, it may be possible that Almighty God could create a fire that
could consume a spirit, since all things are possible with God! (Matt.
19:26). But it is not a question of what God can do, it is a question
of what has God willed to do!
The word “everlasting” in Matthew 25:41 is
“aonian” in the Greek language. “Aonian” comes
from the root “aion” which means age! The correct
translation into the English language should be “age-lasting
fire.” Does the Bible bear this up? Yes it does!
Next, let’s notice carefully some significant facts about the
fire Christ will use to destroy His enemies!
When Jesus returns to this earth as King, His first act will be to
destroy, not all the wicked, but the “wicked one” who is
going to be working miracles and deceiving the nations1 ( II Thess.
2:8). Together with this great false prophet, Christ will lay hold of
the Beast who is yet to arise, and throw them both into a lake of fire,
burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20). These two are human beings,
physical, breathing men, who are alive and drawing breath at this very
moment. The fire will consume them. This lake of fire is going to be
burning all during the millennium! (Isa. 66:23-24 and Rev. 20:10).
During Christ’s time, the Valley of Hinnom, just outside of
Jerusalem, was the place where refuse and the bodies of criminals were
thrown into fires that were kept constantly burning. God uses this as
a type of the coming lake of fire!
During the millennium reign of Christ and His saints, this valley will
once more be kept perpetually burning, and the incorrigible wicked
ones who will continue in rebellion against God’s laws will be
thrown into this “lake of fire” as a stern witness to all
the rest of the world!
Next, turn to Revelation 20:10. “And the devil that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and
the false prophet were cast.” There is no verb
“are” in the original Greek as the King James revisers
have added in italics! See the Companion Bible, Diaglot, or any
concordance!
Notice that the Devil will be cast into the (not just “a,”
but the definite article “the” is in the Greek) lake of
fire where the Beast and False Prophet were cast! This is the same
fire!
It was burning at the precise beginning of the millennium when the
Beast and False Prophet were thrown into its flames, it will be
burning at the end of the millennium, when Satan is thrown into the
same fire!
That’s why it is called an age-lasting fire in Matthew 25:41,
because it does, literally, last for an age, the millennium age!
WHAT ABOUT THE DEMONS?
Christ said the fire was being prepared for the Devil and his angels!
So they, too, are to be thrown into the lake of fire! A commonly
misunderstood explanation of this is found in I Peter 3: 19-20. People
have assumed, because they base their religious philosophies on the
doctrine of the immortality of the soul, that Christ was busy preaching
to spirits in hell. What folly! Let’s understand what really
happened!
Your Bible plainly states the time element in these verses. Christ did
the preaching, not during the three days and nights of His tomb when
He was dead ( I Corth 15:3, 20) but “when once in the
longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a
preparing” (I Peter 3:20).
But notice to whom Christ witnessed about the flood! “By which
also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (verse
19). Who were these “spirits?” Certainly not men, nor the
“souls” of men, since men do not have immortal souls!
Turn to II Peter 2:4 for the answer! “For if God spared not he
angels that sinned, but cast them down to prison ( “hell”
is a mistranslation from the Greek tartaroo which means a condition or
position of restraint, as an imprisonment) and delivered them into
chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgement.”
The spirits in prison are the sinning angels or the demons that have
perverted their ways and followed Satan, and are bound to the earth,
imprisoned here by the power of God until their day of judgement. The
final enemy of Christians is death itself. When the plan of God is
finally completed, even death is to be completely destroyed ( I Corth.
15:26). Just before the establishment of the new heaven and new earth,
all that is corrupt, all that is physical, combustible, will be
consumed in a vast world-wide lake of fire!
This tremendous conflagration will be so intense, so white hot, that
the surface of the whole earth will literally melt with fervor of the
flames! Peter describes this awesome time as a melting of the very
elements. A time when all the works on the earth are burned up,
dissolved! ( II Peter 3:10-11). Christ shows this time occurs after
the final Great White Throne Judegment when God’s plan is
complete, and all who have been added to His Family are already born
of Him. After this final judgement, even death and the grave are
destroyed. (Rev. 20: 13-15). The surface of the earth will become for
a time just as if it were the blazing surface of the sun. This is the
great Gehenna Fire that Christ talked of, that will destroy the
wicked. It is into this vast, seething lake of fire that Satan and his
angels will have been cast.
Remember this! This fire is physical! It consumes the bodies of the
wicked, and is so intense it even melts the rocks and elements of the
earth until they are liquefied. But satan and his angels are spirits
beings! Fire is physical, it cannot burn spiritual beings! Spirit is
not combustible!
NOW NOTICE AN IMPORTANT VERSE!
In the glorious picture of the new heavens and new earth, John wrote a
description of the temple, and the beauty of God’s new creation.
A key scripture is Revelation 21:27! God expressly shows Satan and
his angels will not be in the new heavens and the new earth! “And
there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither
whasoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are
written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Satan will not be
there! And the fire will burn up the wicked, and the works of the
earth (Rev. 20:14, 21:8).
Peter tells us we can look forward to the new heavens and new earth
wherein dwell righteousness (II Peter 3:13). It is evident from
God’s word that Satan and his angels will not be anywhere in the
new heaven and new earth! Then where are they to be? Let’s go on
and see what your Bible actually reveals!
Since fire can’t consume spirits, then how can they be punished?
Many people fail to realize that mental torment is far worse than
physical torment!
God created our bodies with a type of “safety device”
against too much pain! When the physical human body is subjected to
extreme pain, it will reach a certain point and then lapse into
unconsciousness! The mind does not continue to register the pain, even
though the body continues to suffer! Mothers recognize the truth of
this immediately. The thought of seeing their children suffer, having
to stand the mental agonies of seeing their own children being
tortured, would be far worse than having to suffer physical pain
themselves.
A disembodied spirit, one that can’t any longer physically
manifest itself, is an uncomfortable, miserable spirit! Jesus described
this condition of mental torment when He said, “When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking
rest, and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I
came out” (Luke 11:24).
This is further illustrated by the account of Christ’s
experience with the many demons who had entered the man in the country
of the Gadarenes. Jesus commanded the spirits to come out of the man,
and they “besought him much that he would not send them away out
of the country” (Mark 5:10). “And all the demons besought
him, saying, send us into the swine, that we may enter into
them” (verse 12).
When Philip was performing miracles at Samaria, he cast out many
demons, who came out of people “crying with loud voice”
(Acts 8:7) showing their frustration and anger at being deprived of
their dwelling place! (Luke 8:28).
The Great God says the demons “KNOW” of His power, they
are aware of the great authority of God! We are told that willful
sinners are going to be left with a certain fearful looking for of
judgment (Heb. 10:26-27) and that it is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God! (vs. 31).
James said, “Thou believest that there is one God? Thou doest
well, the demons also believe, and tremble!” (James 2:19). They
fear the awesome judgement awaiting them, and are therefore in
torment! “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out
fear, because fear hath torment” ( I John 4:18). When Satan comes
down to the earth in great wrath, it it because he knows he has but a
short time left! (Rev. 12:12).
His punishment will plainly be mental, spiritual, not physical!
Many have misunderstood verse 16 of Ezekiel 28. Notice that God is
speaking of the beginning of the creation in this account of
Satan’s original rebellion. But, just as the Bible so often uses
DUAL meanings, so this is history and prophecy at the same time! God
refers to the “stones of fire” in verse 13. Notice how
these same stones are used in the description of the Holy City!
Compare with Revelation 21:18-21). Remember, the “Mountain”
(nation, or government) of God is ultimately going to be on this
earth! God cast Lucifer out of that mountain, throwing him down from
his attempt to be above God’s throne! God’s throne is then
to be on this earth! God will again cast Satan out of His presence!
“Therefore I will (both past and future) cast thee as profane
out of the mountain of God, and I will destroy thee, O covering
cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezk. 28:16). The
word destroy is explained by the word “from.” God does not
say Satan is to be destroyed! He does say Satan is to be destroyed
from a certain place, the midst of the stones of fire, or the location
of God’s seat of authority.
Now let’s notice further proof that Satan is not to be
destroyed. Turn to Revelation 20:10. I did not explain this verse
sooner for a definite purpose, as you will see.
Notice that the Devil is cast into the lake of fire where the Beast
and the False Prophet were cast, and he and his demons shall be
tormented day and night for ever and ever!
This expressly states Satan will be tormented for the ages of the
ages! (See Critical Commentary, Ivan Panin N.T., and Diaglot). This
expression is the Greek means for all eternity, for time everlasting!
Notice carefully the verse states Satan will be thrown into the lake
of fire and tormented forever! It does not say that he will remain in
the fire forever! The fire is on this earth! The fire is an
agelasting fire, which will not be burning after God’s new
heaven and new earth are established! Since Satan is to be tormented
forever, and the fire is to finally consume the physical objects it is
burning until it burns out, Satan does not remain in this lake of fire
forever!
Satan is a spirit! Fire cannot consume spirit, a SPIRIT CANNOT DIE!
Jesus Christ said so! For a clinching proof, turn to Luke the
twentieth Chapter. In verse 34, Christ begins to explain to the
hypocritical Sadducees about the resurrection. “The children of
the world marry, and are given in marriage, but they which shall be
accounted worthy to obtain that world (age), and the resurrection from
the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage, NEITHER CAN THEY
DIE any more, for they are equal unto the angels (vs. 34:36).
Jesus tells us the angels cannot die! Satan is a fallen angel!
Therefore Satan cannot die!
Remember, Peter and Jude both attest to the fact that the sinning
demons are reserved unto a time of Judgement! Without realizing it,
many people have assumed the “judgement” is a final
sentencing, that is passed in one instant at Christ’s coming!
Such is not the case!
A judge must investigate the merits of each case and arrive at a
decision based on the facts! God is calling out His children to become
Kings and Priests with Christ, and to RULE this earth!
A vital part of the job of each of God’s children will be
judgement! Believe it or not, the Creator of all that exists is
actually permitting us to have an opportunity to become judges of this
world! Many have not understood the scriptures already mentioned in I
Peter 3:19-20 and II Peter 2:4, simply because they have not
understood an important phase of that judgement!
The apostle Paul gives us the amazing answer in I Corth. 6:2-3!
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if
the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the
smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? There it is!
We shall judge angels! Remember, the wicked spirits, including Satan,
are presently being reserved, being kept in restraint, unto judgement!
That judging is yet to be done!
The Bible plainly reveals Satan will be cast into the lake of fire,
but the lake of fire will end when the new heavens and new earth are
established, and Satan is to be tormented unto the ages of the ages!
It also shows his torment while in that fire is going to be mental, at
seeing all he has strived toward, worked for, plotted for, burned up.
Christ preached to the spirits on this earth during the time of the
flood as a witness to them! The flood was a type of the yet future
destruction of the earth, this time by fire! Christ was warning them
of the impending destruction of all their works, and their everlasting
banishment from this earth! The exact nature of their Eternal
punishment is yet to be decided!
Your Bible reveals you may be instrumental in deciding that
punishment!
Jude gave a slight indication of the possibility of the nature of that
punishment he used the demons as a type in warning Christians about
false teachers who had crept in unawares. In reading through the book
of Jude, you come to verse 6, where the demons are mentioned, to the
next few verses, where these “filthy dreamers” are
described. Notice how their error is exactly that of the sinning
angels in that they too tried to usurp authority! “They ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the
gain saying of Core.” (verse 11) See Numbers 16, where Korah
tried to usurp the position of God’s chosen servants.
Jude continues to describes, “Raging waves of the sea, foaming
out their own shame, wandering stars, (see Rev. 1:20 where stars are
symbols of angels) to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for
ever! (vs. 13).
Notice in Enoch’s prophecy, he spoke of coming judgement,
“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to
execute judgement upon all” (verse 14-15).
As has already been proved, the angels (demons) are definitely
included among those to be judged by the saints! Could this be an
indication of their final fate? They are miserable when disembodied,
wandering through “dry places, seeking rest!” Could this
statement in Jude give us a picture of their punishment? “
Wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for
ever!” (Jude 13)
Part of our awesome responsibility is going to be judging of angels!
Satan’s ultimate destination apparently is yet to be decided, by
the saints! Are you preparing yourself for such a job?
Such an overwhelming responsibility demands a tremendous amount of
wisdom and knowledge! God Almighty has called you and me to much more
than just some inactive, “fluff-fluff” eternity of
laziness and ease! We are going to have the responsibility to rule the
universe with Christ, to do what the fallen angels were unwilling to
accomplish. So great is that responsibility that God says it has not
entered into the hearts of man the things He has prepared for us! (I
Corth. 2:9).
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