What Will the World Be like Without Satan?

Here we have a Day of Atonement. Sometimes, I think our children think this is a celebration of Joshua's long day, where the sun just stayed in its place for a while and didn't move one way or another. But we do have those who are fully enjoying this day. The Weckerleys are languishing even as I speak. They're languishing in Hawaii. They are fasting in Hawaii today. We'll have to speak to them later about that. But they certainly, for all that family that's gone through, they can use the rest. We're very happy for them to be there. You know, Brendan, this is a day, even though you're at right now, some of us more than others of us, some of us are built for fast days, and it's not such a big deal to fast for 24 hours in terms of our physical pain. Others of us really have a hard time with it. And I can appreciate that, and my sensitivities go out to you understanding that. But you know, atonement does picture a time when the suffering of mankind is going to cease, in terms of the one who brings suffering to mankind. Satan is going to be bound. He's the primary cause of so much of the suffering that this world goes through. There's coming a time where God the Father and Jesus Christ say, enough is enough. You've had your opportunity, that we've had an experiment running 6,000 years. Mankind has learned his lesson, at least we hope he's learned his lesson, that this way of life under Satan's rule just does not work. It's a time where this day has a special kinship with Passover. Passover shows the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. This day shows that there are other sins, not other sins, but another individual, another entity that has a part to play in our sin. Certainly we've got a part to play in our sin, a very large part to play in our sin. But there's also an entity that spurs us on, that tempts us, that wants us to fail. And so this is a day that pictures that entity getting dealt with. It's a time that shows atonement, as I think it was Steve brought out in the opening prayer, a time of reconciliation. It's not possible without Satan being bound. Not in the same way. Also, atonement pictures a time. And let's take a look at this, Revelation chapter 20. And this is such a beautiful thing for us to contemplate. Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 3.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having to keep to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of all who was the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up, and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations. No more till a thousand years were finished. So during the time that we are about to experience, called the Feast of Tabernacles, the millennium, Satan is bound for that one thousand year period. That doesn't mean the human nature is taken out of the way. That doesn't mean that his fingerprints are not going to still be on people who live from this world and into the next age. Because that will be the case. But for one thousand years, Satan and his demons will be bound. He will then be let loose for a little while. We take a look here toward the end of chapter 20.

Revelation 20, we think, we're not going to go through this, but verses 7, 8, 9, talk about after the millennium is done. And I gave a sermon on this not too long ago. After the millennium is done, it's finished, Satan is let loose for a short period. And the Bible doesn't tell us how long a period that is. It's a matter of weeks or months, or what it is. But after that, you know, he is dealt with, and we see that in here in verse 10.

The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and a false prophet, and should be said here, were. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. So, I'm going to get back to this verse a little bit later in the sermon. But here we see where, and when we look at this story flow here, then we've got verses 11, 12, and 13.

The talk about the great white throne. Satan is not going to be allowed to, he or his demons, be allowed to be a part of even that period of time. Not a part of the millennium, not a part of the great white throne judgment period. And again, we don't know how long that period is. There's one verse in Isaiah that indicates maybe 100 years.

We don't know. It's one verse. We do fully expect, though, that God is going to give everybody who's resurrected in that second resurrection a full lifespan. Whatever that means to God. Be very generous. God's going to give everybody a full opportunity to understand his truth. Regardless of how long they lived in this age, and regardless of the fact that they may have known the name Jesus Christ, they may have called himself a Christian, but you know, there are those who just simply don't know the real truth of God.

That's when God will, you and I, God the Father and Jesus Christ, will work with that proof. But what I want to get to today, brethren, is a question, and hopefully to some degree answer the question today. The question is this. What kind of world will we have without Satan? What kind of world will we have without Satan? Now, I believe, and you've seen as I've given various sermons over the years, that one way to understand something is to show contrasts. And so, for the first portion of the sermon, I want to show a contrast.

I want to show the creation of Satan's world, and what we've had to experience after we've gone through that. I want to show a world without Satan, and what human beings will experience, what we'll all experience at that point in history. Let's begin our discussion by going to Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1.

Right at the very beginning of the Bible. Genesis chapter 1. My Bible's gotten so old, I turn there, and that section of the Bible is detached from the rest. So I've got to watch. I'm opening it up, because it tends to want to kind of fly away like a paper airplane. But here in Genesis chapter 1, verse 1, it says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. So here we see that God tells us a little something about the creation story.

As you're well aware, God doesn't give us the truth on any subject in any one verse. You've got to look. You've got to do some detective work to put the story together. But here we see God creating something. Now, if you would like, you can put a marker here.

We're going to come right back here in just a moment. But turn to Job chapter 38. It is thought that the book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible, in terms of what it was written. Older even than the book of Genesis itself. Because Job was written before Moses wrote those first five books of the Bible. So in terms of when it was written, Job is perhaps the oldest book of the Bible. Job chapter 38, verse 4, your God is speaking, Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know. Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Now, brethren, I quote this section of Scripture because this directly relates to Genesis 1.1. When God made a creation, it was so beautiful that the angels, verse 7, when the morning stars, the angels sang together and shouted for joy.

It was such a beautiful creation. When God creates something, He creates it beautifully. But now we go back to Genesis chapter 1 and we look at verse 2. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 2. So God has created something. God has created something with breathtaking beauty. But we see something different now in Genesis chapter 1 and verse 2. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

So sometime after the world was originally formed, things dramatically changed. The earth became without form and void. If you understand the words to you and bow you here in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2. God didn't create it that way. Something took place between verse 1 and verse 2 that took a beautiful creation and made it into a wreck. Much like when you take a look into the heavens and you see the various stuff.

They can look at our moon. Once upon a time, that orb was probably gorgeous. And now it's potmarked, lifeless. Those who've been on the moon, walked on the moon. We've seen their footprints. You know, just so much dirt. Does anything survive there? We're not quite sure. But certainly that's not the way God created originally. The angels shouted for joy. So back now to Isaiah chapter 45. Or go to Isaiah chapter 45.

What we're going to do here is give a brief history of the rise and fall of Lucifer-Satan. Isaiah chapter 45.

Verse 18.

For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain.

Now again, this goes back to Genesis 1.1, Genesis 1.2. God did not create it in vain.

The words there are the same words that are used over in those two verses.

Who formed it to be inhabited? I am a Lord, there is none other.

So the earth was not created in vain.

To you is the word that is used here. Same word that was used over in Genesis 1.2.

So God didn't create it in vain. Somebody else had something to do with it.

In Genesis chapter 1 and verse 2, it said the earth became. It says it was, but that also can be translated became. The earth became chaotic.

If you want to, you can put that in your notes again, Genesis 1.2, where it says the world was, to you and to bow you, and actually that can be translated, the world became chaotic and confused.

So again, the question is, God didn't do it, who did it? Well, let's do a little more detective work. Ezekiel chapter 28.

You know, brethren, I think it's important for us to go through these things from time to time. I know this is relatively basic, but you've got people who hopefully are coming into the church, hopefully will be contacting us, and they want to have basic information.

I was talking to an elder just the other day on the phone. He said in his congregations, he gave a series of sermons that he thought were just so very basic. Then afterwards, so many members came and said, I really appreciate you going through that, because we had not really discussed that in such a long time. So, brethren, let's not ever forget the basics. We always want to make sure we're very well-founded and well-grounded in that. Any professional who knows his craft always starts with the basics. I don't care whatever it is that you do.

Whether it is somebody who plays sports, you take an example of those who play golf.

You've got pros who are earning fabulous millions of dollars per year, and all of them have golf coaches. Virtually all of them have golf coaches. Those golf coaches will say, well, you know, you're not playing as well as you used to. You're not making the kind of money you used to. Here's why. In El Starweaf, well, first, your grip is not proper. One of the most basic things. How you grab the club. Now, here you're talking to a professional golfer who, in most circumstances, would beat 99.9% of the golfing public. But he wants to be one of those 125 golfers on the PGA Tour. And to be one of those 125, you've got to be the best in the world. And to be the best in the world, you've got to know your basics. Same thing is true for us. We want to be world-class Bible scholars in the sense that we want to be able to talk to new people as they come to us and express why is the world the way it is. So here in Ezekiel chapter 28, notice what we read.

Ezekiel 28, God begins this chapter by discussing a human ruler. As the chapter progresses, you can tell a shift is taking place where God is no longer talking about a human world ruler. He is talking about a spiritual ruler of the world. Let's start here in verse 12.

You were in Eden, the garden of God. Verse 12. Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre. Okay, this is how we're starting with a human being. But now it switches very quickly. And say to him, Thus is the Lord God. You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. That's not talking about a human being. You were in Eden. Well, there were only two human beings in Eden. So obviously, this is talking about somebody else, another entity that was there. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering. The sardust, and it goes through these various things. End of verse 13. The workmanship of your temporals and pipes was prepared for you on a day you were created. A created being, not a born being, a creative being. You were the anointed carob who covers. So obviously, now we're getting to the real nitty gritty. I establish you. You were on the holy mountain of God. You know, you were up there in heaven with me in the throne room of God. You walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity was found in you. So there came a point in time where Lucifer began to have other ideas. Now, as I've said to you on a number of occasions, brother, and this is important that we understand this.

You've got people in the world who say, well, if we could just get right government, everything would be okay. Well, you don't get any better right government than God and Jesus Christ ruling over the holy righteous angels. It didn't get any better than that. Other people say, well, if you, you know, it's all about environment. Well, you don't get any better environment than Lucifer had. No better environment. So we're talking about the best possible government, the best possible environment.

He was a tremendous being, Lucifer, who had tremendous authority. He had power. He had position.

You know, there was everything going for this being and then iniquity was found in him.

And as I've said again on a number of occasions, brethren, God didn't short change that process. God allowed that to play out. People want to say, well, why does God allow? Well, God is wanting very much to see where either created beings are going to go or people who are born in the flesh are going to go. We've got free moral agency. What are we going to choose to do? God wants those who choose to do right and will even fight against the wrong. That's what God is looking for. He's looking for real children. Isaiah chapter 14. Isaiah chapter 14. You know, back there in Ezekiel, we saw where iniquity was found in his heart. Well, here we're going to see a little more, doing a little more detective work, saying exactly what was what it was that was found in his heart.

Isaiah chapter 14 verse 13. 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 in the mountain, the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north, I will send above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. So we've got a mouthful here. You know, he began reasoning in his heart. Remember in the scripture, brother, where Paul said to us as Christians, that we need to bring every thought into captivity.

The woes of this world for 6,000 years began because some entity didn't get his thoughts under control. Lucifer began to allow his mind to wander. And then he took a third of the angels with him. We don't know how many that is. Maybe millions, maybe billions for all we know. But he took a third of the angels with him and caused all this havoc in the human race for the last 6,000 years because an entity didn't want to get his thoughts under control. What does that say to you and I? For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. Now he was ruling on earth.

That wasn't good enough. It wasn't like as though he was in charge of a county or he was in charge of the state fair or he was a neighborhood block leader. I mean, this guy was in charge of the whole world. But he didn't want just the world. He wanted to ascend into heaven. I'll exalt my throne, the throne he had on earth, above the stars of God, talking about the angels. I will sit on the mountain of the congregation, on the far the sides of the north. He wants to go right where God lived and take over for God. And this also shows something, brethren, that as you and I allow our thinking to sour, as you and I allow our thinking to go the wrong way, then our reasoning processes just become warped. Lucifer actually thought he could take God on and win. You know something? He still thinks that way. He is spiritually insane. At the end of the age, he's going to try this all over again. He's going to ascend to the heavens. He's going to try once again to knock God off of his throne. But like that saying that you've heard so many times, when you keep on doing the same thing, you keep on failing, isn't that the ultimate definition of being insane? Irrational. In verse 14, I will send above the heights of the clouds. I will be not just like the most high. He wanted to be God. Knock him off the throne. He wanted to be number one. Revelation 12. Let's do a little more detective work. Revelation 12, verses 3 and 4.

I may have mentioned this a moment ago, but let's nail this down with Scripture. Revelation 12, verse 3. And another sign appeared in heaven, behold, a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his heads, talking about the rulership he has. Verse 4, his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven. So Satan took one third of the angels with him and threw them to the earth, and a dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour the child as soon as he was born. Of course, there's other topics here on this verse, but we'll stick with the idea that Satan was able to bamboozle one third of the holy righteous angels. People say, well, why don't we have more people in the church?

Right, and if you can have Lucifer taking one third of these angels, who were at one point holy, righteous, obedient, law-abiding, surface-oriented beings who love God anytime they want to, they could speak directly with God or Jesus anytime they wanted, he was able to seduce them spiritually. Now, if that's the case, why do you think we as fleshly human beings, it's, you know, where are we going to stand when you've got that kind of power that is coming to bear upon us? So we see now where Lucifer sours, he becomes Satan. We go now to Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis chapter 3. In our discussion, Satan has seduced humanity for thousands of years, but here we see where it all began.

Genesis chapter 3 verse 1. Now the servant was more cunning than any beast of the field which God had made, and he says to the woman, God, has God indeed said, you know, here's a question, has God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman says to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die, for God knows that in a day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So here you've got mankind falling for the arch deceiver, the seducer, and of course you know the story from that point to this.

So the question I asked originally is, what kind of world will we have without Satan? We've taken a look at how the world began, spiritually speaking, with Lucifer's falling, becoming Satan, what he did to you and what he's done now to you and beings. We know the story from that point to this. Now, let's contrast that with what we're going to see in the world that no longer has Satan active. Let's see a new world. And what you might do in my notes, what I've done here is I've made a graph. I've got two columns. The one column is entitled Satan's World. That's my left-hand column. My right-hand column is called God's World. And being a color freak, Satan's World is in red.

God's World is in true blue. So I know that you don't have various colored pencils unless you grab your kids. Start wrestling with them with your crayons. But under Satan's World, Revelation 12.9. I'm not going to turn there. Revelation 12.9, where it says, Satan deceives the whole world. That's Revelation 12.9. But under God's World, let's take a look at Isaiah 11 and verse 9. Isaiah 11 and verse 9.

You know, Satan deceives the whole world, but in contrast here, Isaiah 11.9, and they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

So no longer are people going to be deceived. God's way is going to be everywhere known.

Now, again, I don't know how education is going to be ordered in the world tomorrow. I don't know if everything is going to be homeschooling or how that's going to work. However it works, whatever places we have in terms of libraries, if we've got various educational institutions, if we've got great schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, all of them will be taught by probably spirit beings. All of them will have nothing but the truth being taught.

A complete understanding of the Bible. It's not going to be a hear a little, there a little. People will understand. If people don't quite understand and follow the thinking about why there was a flood, then there'll be an announcement made in school or maybe in the community that on thus and such a date Noah's going to come and speak to the group.

Noah just simply says, well, here's what it was like, folks. Here's what I went through.

And of course you'll have people saying, you know, people will be being resurrected, upset with God, this and that and the other. And God says, okay, okay, we're going to have another community meeting and we're going to have Job. Job's going to come and talk to the group.

You think you've got issues. You think you had issues back in the old world.

I've got a fellow here who, you know, if you want to look at scars, you know, he'll roll up his sleeves and show you scar for scar. And so this is the kind of world we're going to have in the world tomorrow. And yet, brethren, when you think about that, when you think about that, where you've got, you know, people like yourself who are now spirit beings and you're doing your part to talk in part what you've learned through your lifetime living in this world, you're working with human beings, but at the end of the millennium, after a thousand years of you working and people like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Noah, and Moses, and David, and all those good folks, and Deborah, and Esther, and all those people, after a thousand years, Satan's let loose, and people say, forget it! We're going to go his way! I have a hard time, you know, you and I appreciate Satan. We appreciate his power and his ability. But just, there's something about it that boggles my mind that after a thousand years of being in the millennium, he's let loose for a short season. And it says, you know, people like the sand of the sea are going to fall for his seductions.

Shows you how strong of the weak we need to be now.

Okay, let's go on to another thought. Under Satan's world, you can put 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 3 and 4. I'm not going to read that. 2 Corinthians 4 verses 3 and 4. It talks about Satan blinds people to understanding God's truth. The devil blinds people to God's truth.

Now, under God's world, that section, that column, let's turn to Isaiah chapter 25.

Right about now, I'd be reaching under the thing here for a nice, frosty glass of cold water.

These past days are such... But you know, I've got it easier this year and the past years. I remember when I was in North Carolina, two churches in the circuit. I was just the assistant pastor then, but we would have staggering services. I would speak in one church. The pastor would speak in the other church. Then we would switch in the afternoon, giving two sermons on atonement.

Then you really get thirsty. But it does tend to cut down your afternoon sermon a little bit.

Isaiah chapter 25. You know, Satan is blind people, but here in Isaiah 25 verses 6 and 7.

And in this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wine on the leaves, of fathings full of well refined wines on the leaves. And he will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil will spread over all nations. So, yes, Satan wants to blind, and yet God is going to open up. He's going to open people's eyes and their ears spiritually. He's going to open up their hearts and their minds. They're going to be able to read the pure, unadulterated truth of God, and you will help lead them. That's the kind of world we're going to have without Satan.

Another idea. Under Satan's world, you're going to put Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 2, where Paul talked about people walking in the ways of disobedience. Ephesians 2 too.

And since we're here in Isaiah, let's go to Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 3. Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 3.

Many people shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways. We shall walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. So whereas in Ephesians, we see people walking in the ways of disobedience, here in Isaiah chapter 2, we see people walking in God's paths, walking in God's ways. Because Satan is not there to muddy the waters. Satan is not there to lead people astray. He's not there to say, Well, did God really say that? Implant doubt. Plant hesitation in people's minds. Yet another area, another scripture you can write under Satan's world is 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11 verses 14 and 15, where Paul warns the Corinthians that Satan can present himself as an angel of light. He can look really good. He can look really appetizing.

The things that he wants you to believe can look so, so good, so logical.

And the people who promulgate his lies, they seem like such good folks.

Isaiah chapter 30.

Well, I'm sure that in many ways those folks are well-intentioned. They mean no harm. But they themselves are deceived. They don't know they're deceived.

But here in Isaiah chapter 30, we see something else in a world without Satan. Isaiah chapter 30 verses 20 and 21. Isaiah 30 verse 20, And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the waters of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers.

Your ears shall hear a word from behind you saying, this is the way walk in it, whether you turn to the right hand or whether you turn to the left.

So yes, in the world tomorrow, we will have people who will give godly instruction.

Nothing to be confused here. There won't be any doubt as to which way to turn, which way to go, which way is right. Now, having said that, that doesn't mean that we don't see something in the scripture saying, and these entities, these beings, are going to force you to go God's way.

If that were the case, if you were being forced to go God's way, then there would be no free moral agency. You would build no character. The people here would build no character.

But the people will be told, this is the way walk in it. And what you're doing now is only to cause hurt, and your eventual destruction, if you keep on that same path, they will be told that. What they do with that, then, is up to them. But the ways of God will not be, you know, in any way, obscured. Something else under Satan's world, 1 Peter 5 and verse 8. 1 Peter 5, 8, where it talks about how Satan is a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He is our adversary.

So, that's what we have under Satan's world, under God's world.

Revelation chapter 21. Toward the very end of the story.

Revelation chapter 21. Next to the last chapter of the Bible.

Revelation chapter 21 and verse 3.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God. Don't have to worry about a roaring lion trying to destroy us, or sift us as wheat, as Christ told Peter. No, we've got God living with us at that point in God's world. Of course, at this point in time, there are no human beings. Either people have been resurrected to be in a family of God, or they've gone into the third resurrection, a second death. So here, God is living with us. We're all spirit at this point. It's a totally beautiful world under God. In John chapter 8 and verse 44, we see a couple of things. I'm not going to turn there. Under Satan's world, you see that Satan is a murderer and a liar.

You find both of those things in John chapter 8 and verse 44. A murderer and a liar.

Let's go over to the book of Zechariah.

In the Old Testament, that's just the fourth book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.

Zechariah chapter 8.

Excuse me.

So, under Satan's world, because we've got little ones in the audience, I won't go into any graphics, but you know what happens to little people.

But in the world tomorrow, with God and God's government, God's world, Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 5, the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

We're looking at a happy time, a beautiful time, where little boys and little girls, they're going to learn from an early age what the truth of God is from their parents, from their grandparents, great-grandparents, whatever, in their homeschooling or whatever schools we may have in the world tomorrow. There'll be safety, not going to be gangs, there won't be drive-by shootings and all that sort of thing. It's going to be a totally different atmosphere in the world tomorrow. So, we don't have to worry about murders, as we see boys and girls here playing in the streets, representing a time of safety.

And here in John chapter 8 and verse 44, we see where Satan is called a liar and a father of lies and father of murderers. On God's side, on that part, God's world, Revelation chapter 21.

Revelation chapter 21 and in verse 8, actually, let's start in verse 7, Revelation 21 verse 7.

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I'll be his God, and he shall be my son.

So, this is you and I. This is hopefully you and I, as we overcome, we prevail, we are resurrected, we are in the family of God, we're spirit beings. But notice, notice who's left out, verse 8. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars. No liars in God's world, in terms of what God wants.

Shall have their part in a lake which burns with fire and brimstone. Again, here we're looking at after, you know, human beings have all come and gone. They're either spirit beings at this point, or they've gone into the lake of fire. So, there comes a point where there will be absolutely nothing of an untruth in God's world. Finally, as a bit of a postscript for winding down the sermon today, let's take a look at just a few scriptures. 1 John chapter 3 verse 8. I want to take a look at the destiny. I said I would return to this thought earlier in the sermon today. 1 John chapter 3 verse 8. 1 John 3.8. He who sins as of the devil, for the devil of sin from the beginning, for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, he may destroy the works of the devil.

So, Satan, you know, he is going to be destroyed, well, his works are going to be destroyed.

In terms of not being able to affect mankind during the millennium or the Great White Throne Judgment period. Then after that, there is a, you know, we speculate on the status of Satan.

Well, you know, Mr. Armstrong, you know, his feeling was that Satan is a spirit being. Because he's spirit, he can't be destroyed. That's one, that's a valid, I guess, point of view, is Mr. Armstrong's point of view. If I might be so bold to offer a second point of view, my point of view is that whatever God creates, he can destroy. And, you know, there's other scriptures, and again, this is all right now, I'm just speculating, there's other scriptures that talk about we as the family of God will get together and judge angels. Is God's, you know, we don't know the plan of God after we've all become spirit beings. What is God's plan? Is God going to populate all the worlds out there that are now barren? Are we going to make all those worlds livable? Are human beings going to be placed on those worlds? Do we want to keep Satan around, attempt those people as we've been tempted? You know, the Bible talks about how God's going to have a meeting with his family. Angels are going to be judged. Are we going to sentence Satan? Are we going to say, well, you know, maybe he has some value, maybe we should keep him round.

And who better to make that decision than those of us who've had to live under Satan? Now, again, that's all speculation. We label it. I label it as such. I label it as such. But we don't know. But there's coming a point in time when, so far as spirit beings are concerned, it is one big happy family. Genesis chapter 3 and verse 14. So Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust and all the days of your all the days of your life. So here, starting after what happened with Adam and Eve, Satan is placed under a perpetual curse. That is not speculation. That is pure Scripture. He's placed under a perpetual curse. Now we want to turn to something. It was the second Scripture I read today. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10. Let's revisit that. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 10. Revelation 20 and verse 10. The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire in Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were. You know, my new King James, the word ours in italics, that means it's not a part of the original translation. That's what the translators thought would be a good word to insert there. We understand the beast and the false prophet have died a thousand years earlier than this. So they're gone. They're, you know, they're not roasting along for a thousand years here. They've been long ago wiped out the beast and the false prophet. And it says here, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Well, who's they? Who is they in this Scripture here? This is applying principally to Satan and his demons. Now, since Satan is spirit, obviously fire does not affect them. But the idea here behind verse 10 of Revelation 20 is that all the works that Satan was trying to do on his planet with human beings, all of his plans, all of his little things he was trying to accomplish, and big things he was trying to accomplish, have all literally gone up in smoke.

They've been purified by the fires of God. It's as if you and I, we had this idea in our minds, we wanted to build something, then it burns, it burns and there's nothing left. Well, everything Satan worked toward is gone. It's all, it's all gone. That's what the idea here is behind verse 10 here. One final verse, well, actually two final verses before we conclude. Matthew chapter 25.

Matthew chapter 25 and verse 41.

Red lettering here in my Bible, New King James, Matthew 25 verse 41.

And you'll say to those on his left hand, depart from me, you curse it into everlasting fire, prepare for the devil and his angels. So we see where the demons are also placed in that lake of fire. Again, the idea is that their plans, their ideas, everything they are working toward, all goes up in smoke and flame. So today, brethren, we've taken a look, we've asked the question, what kind of world will we have without Satan? We will have a world where suffering will cease. We will have a world where there'll be global reconciliation to God. We will have a world during the days of the millennium and the Great White Front Judgment where Satan and his demons are no longer present. And we can turn to one final scripture over here in Acts chapter 3.

Brethren, as we're turning there, Mary and I wish each and every one of you a very fruitful Feast of Tabernacles on an eighth day.

Drive safe. Watch yourselves. Have a wonderful, and especially a wonderful spiritual feast. But enjoy the things that are available to you at the feast that you're going. Return safe and sound so that we can really enjoy one of this company and tell stories about what we all learned at the feast this year. Selfishly, I'd also ask a prayer for myself running a feast in Del's. Never done anything like this. I was joking to the man who takes care of the auditorium that he needs to have a car parked, well-gassed, and ready to go at the door. Just in case things kind of break out wrong. But you know, something always takes place where you don't expect, but I've done my due diligence, and right now I think I'm as prepared as it can be. But you just never know what's going to befall you in terms of something like that. So I would really appreciate your prayers. Acts 3, verse 19, Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that at the times of refreshing, when Satan is gone, we will truly have times of refreshing that will come from the presence of the Lord, they may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom the heavens must receive until the times of restoration, a time of restoration, restoring things to the way they were before Lucifer became Satan. Times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all of his holy prophets since the world began. Brethren, have a great feast.