Satan in End Times
What Does The Bible Say • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsSatan is cast down, bound, defeated.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Where is Satan Now?
Where is Satan Now?
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Where does Satan currently reside?
Satan currently has access to heaven and earth.
How do we know that is where he is?
We are given examples in scripture - Job’s trial states on two separate occasions Satan was in the midst of the heavens when the sons of God presented themselves to the Lord. When asked where he had come he answered from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.
What is Satan’s purpose of being on the earth and in heaven?
Ephesians 6:12 explains the purpose is for evil in the heavenly places - can’t you imagine from the conversation in heaven with the Lord that Satan is not sitting in heaven pointing out each and every flaw we make trying to tarnish our reputation. However, through his conceit he cannot understand that, as Christians, the Lord no longer sees our sins. 1 Peter 5:8 goes even further to warn us that he not only is seeking to discredit us, but is out to destroy us. That is why we must be on guard at all times.
How does he do this?
He disguises himself as good. Think of how he deceived Eve in:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
When will Satan Be Cast Out?
When will Satan Be Cast Out?
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
As signs they were symbols of something that God was about to reveal and usually contained an element of prophetic warning. Though this sign was seen in heaven, the events which followed obviously occurred on earth.
The woman symbolized Israel, as indicated by Genesis 37:9–11, where the sun and the moon referred to Jacob and Rachel, Joseph’s parents. The stars in the woman’s crown clearly related to the 12 sons of Jacob and identified the woman as Israel fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant.
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Leads up to the fall of Satan.
When will Satan be cast out?
The time of this war in heaven was not indicated but the context refers to the end time.
Who fights in this battle?
Michael (archangel - Chief of angels) and his (good) angels.
Satan and his (evil) angels.
What happens to Satan and his angels?
Defeated, thrown down to earth.
How is Satan referenced in this passage?
Accuser - Legal term describing a person who claims another is guilty of a crime or a moral offense. The Hebrew word for accuser (diabolos - slanderer/false accuser) is used 34 times as a title for Satan.
How does the fall occur?
Our brothers (all believers) have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
Why would there be rejoicing in heaven and woe on earth?
Heaven has been rid of Satan and his negativity, while earth gains him and the fury he has as a result of being cast out of heaven.
How is Satan Defeated Eternally?
How is Satan Defeated Eternally?
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
What happens prior to the millennial reign?
Satan is bound for 1,000 years.
How is he bound?
Seized and bound with great chain, threw into the pit, shut and sealed over him.
What happens after the 1,000 years?
He is released for a little while.
What is the PURPOSE of his binding?
So he could not deceive the nations any longer, for a period of time.
What is the purpose for his release?
To deceive the nations! In particular Gog and Magog. In Ezekiel 38&39, we find a prophecy against Gog - chief prince of Meshech and the land of Magog.
THE ATTACK BY GOG REPULSED (CHAPS. 38–39) Israel has been trampled underfoot by her enemies, but God will intervene in the future to insure her safety. He will defend His people and judge her enemies in distant countries (judgment on the nearby countries had already been cited, chaps. 25–32).
Dyer, C. H. (1985). Ezekiel. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1299). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
There is no indication as to why Gog and Magog is used by John, potentially it was symbolic of those in rebellion against God and were enemies of Israel.
What is the final outcome?
Complete destruction of those opposing God with fire. Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, to be tormented (like he is known for now) for eternity.
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Most significant as a support of the doctrine of eternal punishment is the concluding statement, They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. The word “they” includes the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. The lake of burning sulfur is not annihilation, for the beast and false prophet are still there a thousand years after they experienced their final judgment (Rev. 19:20).