Satan: The Adversary is Real and So is His Destiny

(14) Ken Loucks - The Adversary is Real and so is His Destiny - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqpzvE6IMHw

Transcript:
(00:00) So, I've been continuing I'm going to continue uh in tackling various of our fundamental beliefs. And today, I want to do essentially two things. I want to I want to tackle a fundamental belief, but I also want to give you a pre-atonement message because I won't be here for atonement this year.
(00:26) As you realize, Rebecca and I are going to Australia and we leave the Friday right after um trumpets. So, we will be out early. We'll be in Australia keeping the uh feast of atonement there. So, I wanted to give a pre-atonement message. I realize that skips trumpets in a way, but I think it's important and it does help us to do essentially get two birds with one stone. Well, we're going to tackle one of our fundamental beliefs and it will be a preparatory message also.
(00:52) So the title, if for those of you who want a title, is Satan. The adversary is real and so is his destiny. The adversary is real and so is his destiny. You know, one of the most successful deceptions Satan has ever accomplished is convincing the world that he does not exist. In our modern age, belief in a literal devil has largely been dismissed and outdated. In fact, many picture today Satan as some kind of a fictional figure.
(01:25) You know, horns, pitchfork, red suit, the whole deal. Symbolic, not real imagery, but nothing tangible. According to a 2020 Bara research study, now you might remember this, but Bara does research of Christianity as a whole, and he evaluates various different subjects to find out what do people think about different things.
(01:55) So he did a research study evaluating the question of is Satan real? And he found that over 56% of those professing to be a Christian, over 56% believe that quote Satan is not a living being but is a symbol of evil. Over 56% of people professing to be Christian believe that Satan is not real. Only about 40% affirmed belief in Satan as a real spiritual entity.
(02:28) So most don't actually believe what the Bible plainly teaches that Satan is a real individual, a real being. And of course, what's striking to me is that these same Christians say they believe in God, revealed to the pages of their Bible, the same pages that reveal Satan, but they don't believe in him. So the question we need to ask ourselves is, do we understand and know who Satan is? Do we believe he's real? And I want to make sure that we do this before atonement because it's important to understand his role
(03:08) in the sins that we commit as a refresher for you. Okay. So I want to begin here point number one. I want to begin here with this reality. Satan's creation and role before he fell. Satan is a created being. I'm going to begin over in Ezekiel chapter 28 today. And if you want to make a note for yourself, there are there are two primary places in the Old Testament where Satan is revealed to us in several great details.
(03:42) And that is Ezekiel 28. So Ezekiel chapter 28 and Isaiah 14. So Ezekiel 28 is where we're going first. And I'm going to read verses 12-4. So Ezekiel 28:es 12-4. Well, I'm going to begin here in verse 11 just for context. It says, "Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Ty and say to him, thus says the Lord God, you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty." You were in Eden.
(04:30) We have to pause right away to recognize a challenge that's presented to us right here. The King of Ty is a real person. He's a real individual who ruled entire as king. So here we have God addressing this human being apparently. But we transition very rapidly into the power behind the throne of King Ty of the king of Ty because this does not apply to the king of Ty. It wouldn't apply to any individual.
(04:59) Who is the seal? Which human being is the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty? No human being meets that description. Moreover, it says you were in the in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering. The king of Ty was not in Eden, the garden of God. That garden went away after the flood. No one's ever found the Garden of Eden since the flood.
(05:28) So, we know the king of Ty, this is long after the flood, was not in the Garden of Eden. So it says here that he was adorned. Every precious stone was your covering. The sardis, topaz and diamond, barrel, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and emerald with gold here. Okay. So it says, "The workmanship then of your timberalss and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
(05:55) You were the anointed carob who covers. I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. So this passage that we just read reveals several key truths about this individual we know as Satan. And this is the individual before he fell. Very plain descriptions. First, it says he was the seal of perfection.
(06:26) The Hebrew word translated seal here carries the idea of a signate or stamp of completion. God is saying that this being embodied the full measure of wisdom and beauty among created beings. The only created beings at this point is the angelic realm. Long before the physical universe was created, God had created the angelic realm. So God is saying here that this being embodied the full measure of wisdom and beauty among created beings.
(07:00) He was the model of perfection in his original state. Second, he's described as full of wisdom. This is no ordinary angel. God endowed him with extraordinary capacity to understand, reason, and administer in the throne room of God. His intelligence was meant to be used in harmony with God's government, serving under God's authority. Third, he was perfect in beauty.
(07:33) The imagery of precious stones, Sardis, topaz, diamond, all of the stones listed. If you go back and you look at the description of the breastplate of the high priest, you will see all of those stones are mentioned and they represent the 12 tribes of Israel also representing beauty and the bride of Christ, the bride, excuse me, the bride of the word.
(07:56) And so they also represent beauty here as related to Satan in both cases. Okay. Fourth, the most significant issue is that he's called the anointed carob who covers. Now, that title ties directly back to the tabernacle which is described in the law. Go back to uh to Exodus chapter 25. Exodus chapter 25 and verse 20 where it says here and the carobim that means more than one when you add I am remember so that's carob and then with the I am that's plural more than one and the carobim shall stretch out their wings above covering the mercy seat with their wings and they shall face one another. The
(08:52) faces of the carob shall be toward the mercy seat. So these carob in the in the tabernacle, this is the physical representation of the heavenly throne, right? So that's what the tabernacle was. So these are symbolic representations of the an angelic beings stationed right at God's throne with their wings covering the throne.
(09:20) Now that's imagery for us to see, right? We don't we we can't see the spirit realm and have no access to God's heavenly throne. So we have a picture of it God gives us by these stationary figures molded and shaped into a symbol. Their wings outstretched over and touching above the throne. It signals permanent place or location. It's in the very throne room of God. They're above the mercy seat, which is the place that represents God's government and his authority.
(09:51) To be called the anointed carob who covers indicates that this being once held a position of the highest honor, serving at the throne of God himself, associated with his holiness, his law, and his government. Jameson Faucet and Brown notes that the covering carob refers to the one quote nearest the throne of God overshadowing it as it were with his wings.
(10:18) John Gills exposition explains that this phrase suggests he was quote an angel of the highest order, an immediate attendant on God's throne. So when Satan was created, he wasn't isolated from God. He was literally in the very throne room of God. It says that he was dwelling on the holy mountain of God.
(10:46) For your notes, if those of you are taking notes, compare that to Isaiah 2:es 2 and 3. Isaiah 2:es 2 and 3, which describes this very mountain of God as being the government of God. And then it says that he walked in the midst of fiery stones.
(11:07) That's language that points to the radiant brilliant uh yeah the brilliance that surrounds the throne room of God. You can find that description in Ezekiel chapter 1. I'll just give you verses 26 and 27 if you want to make a note. Ezekiel 1:26 and 27. Finally, Ezekiel says, "The workmanship of your timberalss and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created." And this wording suggests that he was created with remarkable capacity for not only physical beauty, but also for talent. Probably I would say probably means musical talent in this particular case.
(11:41) And obviously that would have been designed to glorify God. Some commentators see this as a reference to the majesty of his voice or the richness of his pres of his presence. So what do we see in this portrait of Satan that we have just read through? Well, we see that before he became Satan, he was a masterpiece of God's creation. He was wise. He was beautiful. He was honored. He was entrusted with responsibility.
(12:13) all of that right at the very throne of God. And he was created perfect in every way. But you know what's interesting? If you combine perfection with free will, like I was just thinking to myself, how long would we last if that was a description of us? Like me personally, if this was my a description of who I am and you give me some free will, how long until some pride creeps up? Like do you know any other human beings? Like probably all of us would say, "Yeah, that I probably I don't know how long Satan existed before this got to
(12:55) him." Probably quite a long time by human years. We don't know exactly how long. So this is the individual who is created perfect. Then something happened to him. Ezekiel, let's go back to Ezekiel 28. We'll pick up in verse 15. Now Ezekiel 28 15-17 it says you were perfect in your ways from the day you were created till iniquity was found in you by the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within and you sinned.
(13:57) Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God and I destroyed you, oh covering carob, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. So something happened to Satan. He wasn't created this way. It says that something was found in him. Iniquity.
(14:24) The Hebrew word for found means uncover or discover or bring to light. So something was uncovered in him. Something was discovered in him that had not been there before. Something was brought to light. that was not visible before. So that does not mean that God created him with sin. He was created perfect without sin.
(14:51) Sin was later found in him. Barnes note says the sin quote originated in himself not from without. And then John Gil adds that it was quote of himself and proceeded from his own free will. What was once hidden finally came to the surface. Also notice this phrase, your heart was lifted up because of your beauty.
(15:26) You know, if you look back in the Old Testament, you'll see a number of times where this phrase lifted up is used and it always refers to pride. That shouldn't be surprising. It's listed by God as the number one enemy that God hates. Pride. The very qualities that were meant to glorify God, which were wisdom and beauty and splendor and all of the other attributes that were given to him as he was created, became twisted in him.
(15:53) Now, we can go over to Isaiah chapter 14 to realize what his am ambitions were or had become. Isaiah chapter 14 verses 12-4 where it makes there's no confusion about who we're talking about. It says how you are fallen from heaven oh Lucifer son of the morning.
(16:27) So now we know the name of this being as he was originally created. He was called Lucifer. It says, "How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.
(16:50) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high." That's not the language of obedience. That's clearly the language of defiance. Five times Satan declares, "I will." And his desire was to seize the throne of God, to overthrow the government of God, and to place himself above all of God's creation.
(17:23) In doing so, he abandoned his role as the servant of God and became the adversary of God. That was his choice to become the adversary of God. Jesus Christ testified as we just read. He was cast to the ground and Christ himself in Luke gives eyewitness testimony. Luke chapter 10 and verse 18 to what the fate of Satan was from that rebellion. Luke chapter 10 and verse 18.
(17:58) And he said to them, this is Jesus Christ. He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. This fall was swift, decisive, and catastrophic. It wasn't, we don't see here a gradual decline. We see his demise immediately given to him. His overthrow was thwarted very rapidly. But when he fell, he became Satan.
(18:32) He became the adversary. He became set in permanent opposition to God. But he didn't fall alone. Notice Revelation chapter 12. We touched on some of this this week in the Bible study on watch and pray. So we're in Revelation 12 verse verse 9. It says so the well let's pick it up here nine.
(19:07) It says so the great dragon was cast out that serpent of old called the devil and Satan. So we know who we're talking about. There's no ambiguity here. Every way you would have thought about this being, he's being identified who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth but not alone. His angels were cast out with him. This is the adversary.
(19:38) His work is defined as deception not just in one place or with one people but over the entire world. And from the moment of his fall, his role shifted from guardian of God's throne, helper of God, accomplishing his work to adversary, enemy of God. This is how sin entered the spiritual realm. The one who was created perfect became the first slave of lawlessness.
(20:03) Pride lifted him up and rebellion exposed his corruption. His wisdom was twisted. His beauty became his downfall. And having chosen opposition, he will never again serve as God's or in God's throne room. His destiny is sure. It's already now decided. So what happened to him? Where where is he? What's his job now? So the first point we were talking about that that he was a created being and where he was when he was created. The second point was that he fell. He changed. He made a decision to rebel against that government. So what's he
(20:47) doing now? The third point is Satan's dominion over the world today. Notice that Satan claimed himself to be the ruler of this world. over in Luke 4. Luke 4:es 5-7. This is the beginning of Christ's ministry. So Luke 4:es 5-7.
(21:29) So at the very beginning of his ministry, actually let's pick this up at the very first verse. We'll we'll get the context here laid for us. It says, "Then Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." Now, this is the tie-in to the day of atonement because it says here in verse two, "Being tempted for 40 days by the devil.
(21:54) " Well, where was the devil? In the wilderness, sat, excuse me, Jesus Christ was led to the place that represents where the devil was. And in those days, it says he ate nothing. Afterward, when they had ended, he was hungry. Okay, let's drop down to verse five. It says, "Then the devil taking him up on a high mountain showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
(22:18) And the devil said to him, "All this authority I will give to you and their glory, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish." Now, the being that was the word over the entire Old Testament is now Jesus the Christ, the physical being. He knows exactly who Satan is. He knows when he was created. He created him. All things were created by the word. There was not anything that was made that was not made by the word.
(22:51) Therefore, he created this being. This being says, "I have been given authority." Now, if that's not true, this is when Christ needs to speak up and say, "That's not true." But he doesn't. And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind me, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve." Christ knew exactly what was being offered.
(23:17) Rulership right now. Seize rulership right now is what Satan tried to get him to do. And Christ said, "No, God has a plan. We're going to follow the plan." Christ's overcoming qualified him to depose Satan when he returns. But it wasn't just in overcoming Satan directly. It was a lifed sinless that also qualified him.
(23:51) Satan disqualified himself through his sins and his sinful nature. Later, Christ corroborates Satan is in fact this ruler that he claims to be. John 12 and verse 31. John 12 and verse 31. It says now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. That cannot be any physical being.
(24:37) There was no single ruler of the entire world. So this is referring to Satan. And over in John chapter 16, let's keep going in John now. John chapter 16 and verse 11 where it says of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. He stands condemned not yet removed. His dominion continues for a time, but his fate is sealed. The Apostle Paul reinforces this truth over in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4.
(25:28) 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4. I'm going to start here in verse three real quick. It says, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it's veiled to those who are perishing." That's those whose minds are deceived, who are blinded, who cannot see the truth, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them whose minds the God of this age. It says Paul says who the God of this age is.
(26:09) Satan also is called the prince of the power of the air. Notice here in Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2, I'll start here in verse one. It says, "And and you," he's talking to those that are baptized, members of the church.
(26:42) She says, "And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince, the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." So we see here that Satan is called the god of this age. He's called the prince of the power of the air. And that of course that suggests his pervasive influence, unseen but real.
(27:08) His spirit works actively in those who disobey God, guiding them, tempting and misleading. He has a role in sin. He can't force us to sin, but he obviously promotes it, encourages it in every possible way so that we will sin. When we look at the suffering of this world, we see wars, oppression, injustice, poverty, broken families, violence everywhere. I mean, it's not hard. It's all over the news. It's all over social media.
(27:46) We all know it's true. How often have you heard people say they can't accept that God is real because they see this world? They think that this is God's world. That all that we see is the product of what God is doing. But that is not what the scripture tells us. God is not the God of this world. He gave authority to rule this world to Satan. And so what are we seeing if it's not the fruits of the God of this age? It's his world.
(28:21) It's his government that's ruling. The consequences are of people who listen to what he says, who go his direction, who live the way he wants men to live. That's the product of the suffering. It isn't God. God gets an unfair rap for this. 1 John chapter 5 where the apostle writing late in his life. 1 John chapter 5 verse 19 where John acknowledges here in the late 90s AD he says we know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
(29:14) John's just saying what we can observe. God the Father and Jesus Christ are not the gods of this age. This is not their world. This is not how they will run this world. This is Satan's world. God has allowed humanity to experience the results of rejecting his law and following another ruler. This present age is not the kingdom of God. It's the kingdom of Satan.
(29:47) So when we see evil flourishing, we shouldn't be blaming God for that. He's not the ruler of this age. And the suffering of this world reflects the dominion of the adversary. The one called the ruler of this world. The one Paul called the god of this age. So what are Satan's tactics? We know he's the present ruler of this world.
(30:14) So how does he maintain power? What is he doing? What's he trying to accomplish? Well, we read earlier in Revelation 12:9 where it said that serpent of old called Satan the devil who deceives the whole world. So, one of his tactics clearly is deception, blinding the world to the truth, not letting people see and understand. And God has allowed this. Paul explained that clearly when we read 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse4 where it said the God of this age has blinded those who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should shine on them. This is the condition of the world blinded as Paul said
(30:56) deceived as John wrote in Revelation. The word blinded means obscure, to make dull, to cover over. So, Satan prevents people from seeing the truth. This is why most who read the Bible cannot grasp its meaning because it's covered by the adversar's influence. But of course, his deception isn't always blatantly obvious.
(31:27) 2 Corinthians chapter 11. 2 Corinthians chap 11 verses 14 and 15 for sure. Well, let's I'm going to grab 13 just for a bit of context. It says, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ." And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
(32:02) Therefore, it's of no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness whose end will be according to their works. Satan's greatest counterfeits are religious in nature. False Christianity, false prophets, false teachers. They appear as light. They appear sincere, but the message is false, which means it doesn't come from God, but leads people away from God's law and the truth.
(32:38) And many people are persuaded that they serve God, that they follow traditions that are rooted in Satan's lies. Jesus illustrated another tactic in the parable of the swer over in Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8. This gets called the parable of the sewer. And you already know I don't really like that title for this section because the sewer doesn't change. The seed doesn't change.
(33:10) The ground changes. So it's this parable of the ground. But let's notice here Luke 8 and verse 12. It says those by the wayside. So this is the seed that fell on the ground by the wayside. It says those by the wayside are the ones who hear. Then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved. This is his current work. Deception.
(33:40) And the moment somebody begins to realize they may be seeing the truth, then he's right there to steal it away from them if at all possible so that they don't understand the truth. He uses things like distraction and temptation and doubt so that the word does not take root. Paul described him as the prince of the power of air and we read that in Ephesians 2:2 which means he influences the very atmosphere of human thought our culture his spirit broadcasts pride and rebellion and lust and violence everything opposed to God.
(34:21) But this shapes our societies and makes that look natural. It makes it look okay and it makes obedience to God seem strange. Strict obedience. In this way, he deceives entire nations and keeps the world under his sway. But yet, his strategy is not just this global deception. It's also very personal to the church.
(34:50) He specifically targets God's people. Back in Revelation chapter 12, notice what it says about Satan in verse 10. It says, "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come. For the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down.
(35:32) You know, you go back to Job, we be right to the opening pages and God says, "Who is this being?" Satan comes before him and he says, "What you been doing?" "Oh, I've been scouring the earth, looking around, innocent me." He says, "Have you seen my servant Job?" Oh, yeah. He knows all about him. But what's his accusation? See, this says he's the accuser of the brethren.
(35:55) Does he accuse him? He says, "Absolutely." He accuses him. He says, "Yeah, Job's a real good guy because you set him up. You put a hedge around him. You blessed him like crazy. Of course, he's going to love you. But take that stuff away from him and he will curse you to your face." That's the accusation. This says he's the accuser of the brethren. All of us.
(36:21) You're being accused by Satan right now because you keep the Sabbath in the holy days. What's he accusing you of? You don't do it because you want to. Maybe you do it because you have to. There were a whole bunch of people back in 95 who when they were told they didn't have to do it anymore gladly stopped.
(36:48) We're being accused constantly because Satan wants to undermine us with God. Thankfully, we have an advocate sitting at his right hand called Jesus Christ who's up there saying, "That's not true. That's not true." More lies and more deception from the accuser of the faithful. But notice that his accu his his hostility goes beyond accusation. Let's see here.
(37:12) We're in uh Revelation 12 verse 17 where it says, "And the dragon, this is Satan, was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." So earlier this week, we did the Bible study on Luke where we talked about watching and praying always where we talked about a place of safety offered by God for those he deems as what the scripture calls Philadelphiaians protected from what happens in the end and yet there's others who are also the
(37:51) children of God who are not protected and these are the ones that Satan targets to destroy them because they have what they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. They are God's children. They're just going to have to be tried and Satan is going to do the trying and God's going to allow that.
(38:17) But it shows his particular hatred for the church, the people of God who keep his commandments and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus Christ. And so, Satan is going to wage war against them, actively seeking to destroy their faith. Pet that's why Peter gives us a interesting his interesting in my mind analogy of who Satan really is in first Peter chapter 5 and now we're going to go to verse 8 because but just we need need to bear this in mind Peter as he's writing his first epistle believes Christ is going
(38:54) to return in his lifetime. It is his passion and mission to convince people to stay the course, to not let themselves be derailed, attacked, assaulted, and taken out of the church. Not when Christ is so close to returning. And we get to verse eight where he says, "Be sober. Be vigilant.
(39:16) " Why? Because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. That's obviously very vivid language. He stalks like a predator, waiting for weaknesses. He's searching for opportunity. His strategy against the church is to discourage, to tempt, to divide, ultimately to devour. So, we see Satan's two-fold strategy. He deceives the world at large. He blinds nations.
(39:50) and he directly opposes the church, accusing the and attacking those God has called. His rule is maintained by deception and his hostility is focused on the faithful. But what is his destiny? He's not qualified to rule. He disqualified himself long ago. Jesus Christ has qualified to to depose him. But God still allows him dominion for a time.
(40:21) Not because he's worthy, but because he's his way is exposed to those God is allowing to see it. We get to see and compare and make a choice. That's why we're under judgment now. We are choosing not to follow Satan's way deliberately because we can see it for what it is. This is what helps identify us as a first fruit. But what's the result of Satan's way? Violence, lies, deception, accusation, destruction. He's literally failed utterly as a ruler.
(40:56) He's not fit to rule this world. So, we read earlier where Christ overcame the temptation, offered to rule right now if he would just bow down to Satan, and he rejected that rulership. Christ is waiting for his time to rule which is coming when he returns to this earth not as a suffering servant but as a king but note that his I mentioned earlier that his life I'm going to go to Hebrews chapter 4 that his life also qualified him how he lived sinless Hebrews chapter 4 and verse1 15bs 4 verse 15.
(41:41) It says, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin." He didn't live a life that never had problems, that never had temptations. He recognizes the weakness in us. He just overcame all of those weaknesses where we have failed.
(42:06) He has not failed. He has qualified to be the ruler of this world by living a life perfect in obedience. Ephesians 1:es 20 and 21. Ephesians chapter 1:es 20 and 21. where it says which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above the principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
(43:00) He's waiting at the right hand of God to take his place. And when he comes, he's not going to compete with Satan for rulership of this world. No king in history lets another king rule side by side with him that he has conquered. That king is deposed and he is either killed or he is incarcerated. Satan is going to be incarcerated.
(43:42) Revelation 20:es 1-3, Satan's future. Revelation 20:es 1-3 says, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan. There's no question about who this is. And he bound him for a thousand years.
(44:07) And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and he shut him up, and he put a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. This is divine incarceration. I don't know what spiritual chains look like. that the angel coming down from heaven has along with the keys to the bottomless pit. But whatever they are, they work because Satan is incarcerated by them.
(44:37) And a seal is set on him so that he will deceive the nations no more. So he's going to be deposed. He's going to be incarcerated. The one who rules this world is going to be removed. Now, this let's go back here because I don't have the ability to kind of preach on this and to really anchor this with you, but I want to go to Leviticus chapter 16 and note the symbolism here.
(45:04) Leviticus chapter 16 verses 21 and 22. This is talking about two goats on the day of atonement. Verse 21 says, "Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat." So two goats are set aside. One is sacrificed, the other is not. The other one remains alive.
(45:39) So Aaron will lay his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. It says here in verse 22, "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
(46:10) " This is incredibly important imagery for us. Why are those sins placed on the head of this goat that remains alive? Is the goat guilty of those sins? Now think about that critically. If it's true that he is the one who bears the guilt, then where is my sin? It's not that he doesn't have culpability. That's the point.
(46:41) But who was Satan's Satan when he sinned? Who influenced him to sin? Sin was found in him. And just like Satan, we've been given free will, choice. We get to choose. He cannot force any of us to sin. And so we own our sins regardless of influence. We own our own sins. Yet he's not innocent because he promulgates sin. He encourages sin. He broadcasts sin.
(47:18) He teaches sin. Everything about him wants us to sin and he is trying his level best to get us to do that. Therefore, he has the culpability for his part in our sins. And for that those sins are placed on the goat that represents him. And that goat is led where? To the wilderness.
(47:50) Where did Jesus Christ be led by the spirit to face the devil? It was in the wilderness. The wilderness represents the place of Satan's rule. This is why the goat is led to the wilderness. It symbolizes Satan going to his place, carrying his own responsibility and the judgment that has been brought upon him for that. That's why this is so important for us to understand. The two goats do not represent Jesus Christ.
(48:17) One goat does. One goat represents Satan. The aazle represents Satan. I don't want there to be any confusion about that because Satan has to be removed before true atonement. That's why we do this. That's what that symbolizes on the day of atonement. A day in which we fast. Why do we fast? To humble ourselves.
(48:42) To obey God. To become closer to God. The symbolism of us becoming one with God as spirit beings resurrected into the family of God. But back to Revelation 20 because this is not yet the very end of Satan. Revelation chapter 20 verses 9 and 10. Satan's going to be loosed. Excuse me. Let's uh let's we're going to pick this up in seven and 8 first.
(49:26) So verse 7 says, "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison. Will he have learned anything incarcerated for a thousand years? It says no because he's going to go out in verse 8 to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle whose number is as the sand of the sea.
(49:58) Once more, God's going to bring him out and he's going to allow mankind after the se second resurrection to compare God's way to Satan's way. God's way will have been the way of life for a thousand years on this earth. Satan will come back and try to deceive people into believing that what they see with their eyes, what they behold, what they can clearly understand is just not true.
(50:21) They'll have to make a choice. But notice the destiny. How does this end up? It says, "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." So all of those human beings who come together at Gog and Magog here at the end are going to be destroyed.
(50:47) Then verse 10 says, 'The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet, now this says are, but you notice it's italicized because there's no such word there. It's where they have been sent. It's not where they exist eternally in some sort of eternal burning hellfire.
(51:11) This is the future of the devil. He's going to be removed and will never again be able to influence human beings. This is his end. His influence will be utterly over. He will never again deceive. He will never accuse. He will never destroy. He will never again oppose God's plan. His rebellion ends in eternal confinement and destruction.
(51:36) Humanity's adversary is going to be removed forever. We live in a world under the sway of the adversary. His lies deceive nations. His accusations trouble the church. And his influence fills the earth. For now, God allows it so that humanity can learn the bitter lesson of rebellion. That Satan's way produces only misery and suffering and death. But this will not last forever.
(52:09) Satan's destiny is sealed. He will be bound. Yes, he's going to be released for a season, but then he's going to be removed forever. Our hope rests in Jesus Christ who has already qualified to replace him. By overcoming Satan, and by living a perfect life, being raised to glory, Christ has proven himself worthy to reign.
(52:36) Soon he will reign as king of kings when he comes to this earth to depose the ruler of this age. and he's going to establish the government of God over all the earth. When that day comes, the world will at last be free from the adversary, and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.