17-CHAPTER XIII SATAN, THE ADVERSARY OF GOD
CHAPTER XIII SATAN, THE ADVERSARY OF GOD
Satan also has his history. It is the clear, well recognizable teaching of Scripture that Satan is no mere abstract idea, but is a concrete, personal, transcendental Reality, gifted with the highest intelligence, fallen indeed, but none the less an exceedingly powerful spirit being.1 To destroy his work, and to win back the fallen creation to God, and in God and for God to transfigure it, was the chief end of the redeeming work of Christ (1 John 3:8).
According to revealed history we can discern six consecutive chief stages in the history of salvation and the development of the demonic. These differ in length.
Lucifer in the Highest Heavenly World
Although Holy Scripture indicates but little of the transcendental background of universal affairs, and speaks only with the greatest reserve of the origin and permission of evil, it is evident that Satan, now the great Adversary of God, cannot always from of old have been in this condition. For if God is the Creator of the whole universe (Colossians 1:16) then must the existence of Satan be traced back to Him. But then it is clear that because the holy God cannot allow anything sinful and imperfect to proceed direct from His creator hand, this creature cannot have been from the beginning evil, but must originally have been spotless and pure. Therefore only later, at a point of time beyond our perception and in a manner wholly inexplicable by us, must Satan have conceived the first evil thought and have fallen away from God.
Certain hints of Scripture allow the supposition that pride was the essence of this first demonic sin (comp. 1 Timothy 3:6; Ezekiel 28:14-17). For originally Satan was a Lightbearer (Lat. Lucifer) of the Divine glory. Indeed it appears that to him, as a special angelic prince, a large part of the universe had been entrusted to rule (Luke 4:6). In this original state of light this angel prince of God was in the highest heavenly realm.
Satan in the Lower Heavenly Places
Then came this ancient event which lies at the root of all the misery in the universe. Lucifer fell away from God and since then stands as Prince of an organized kingdom of darkness opposed to God and His kingdom of light. He had become an Enemy and Adversary.2 With this moral fall was connected his being cast out from the highest heavenly regions. "I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven," declared Christ (Luke 10:18). Satan’s realm was involved in his fall. He himself remained in the lower regions of heaven (Ephesians 6:12), the "prince of the authority of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). Yet the history of Job (Job 1:6; Job 2:1), the prophecy of Zechariah (3:1), and the Revelation (12:10), show that on appointed occasions he has access to the throne in heaven. In the lower heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12) he will remain until the time of the End, when Michael the archangel will cast him down to the earth with his angels (Revelation 12:7-13). See on the Chart the great flash of lightning representing the ancient fall of Satan and the flaming Divine judgment connected with it, and also the black serpent-line. In this whole immeasurable period there may be perceived three chief sub-sections. Satan as the adversary of God in the period of the pre-Adamic earth, that is, from his fall to the creation of man. In this period Satan was the lord of the ruined creation.
Satan as the Adversary of God in the pre-Christian human ages. In this period after his victory over man (Genesis 3:1-24) Satan is the unconquered lord of the human race he had conquered. This is from the fall of man to the death of Christ. Satan as the Adversary of God in the period of the Christian church. This endures from the victory of Christ on the Cross till Satan shall be cast down to earth by Michael (Revelation 12:7-13). In this period he is conquered by the Cross in principle,3 but, outside of the church (Colossians 1:13) he is still ruling on earth:4
Thus with the fall of man there enters human history likewise a black serpent line. Thenceforth it issues in three directions: in the underworld—for it creates the death line; the wages which sin pays is death. in the human world—for there it effects the demonizing of national and cultural history (Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:20); and in the upper world of spirits—there Satan thenceforth, and also in reference to the development of man, is the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). But at length there entered this mighty event: Satan was in principle conquered at the Cross. The Prince of the world was judged (John 12:31; John 16:11), the strong one was conquered by the Stronger (Matthew 12:29), the head of the serpent was trodden underfoot (Genesis 3:15). And with the Prince of Darkness his realm also was conquered. Through the Cross He whose heel had been bruised (Genesis 3:15) threw off from Himself the principalities and powers, robbed them of their armor, set them in the pillory, and openly triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15). From then there goes on a progressive deliverance of mankind from the power of demons. For every time that a man by faith claims his title in the saving work of the Crucified, his personality, which is a part of Satan’s realm, is wrested from the Evil one; the Prince of this world is cast out (John 12:31), a portion of his kingdom is freed from demonic control, and the saved man is translated out of the authority of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13; Acts 26:18). Thus Satan is the great loser.
It is true that he continues to be a Prince, if fallen and darkened (Jude 1:9); it is true that still he seeks by power and deceit to delude man (2 Corinthians 4:4), to rule and destroy him (Ephesians 2:2); it is true that still he also attempts to burden and accuse even the redeemed and saved.5 Nevertheless it stands fast that Christ is the Victor and His own will share His victory.
Satan on Earth
All things ascend to climax. Therefore the antagonisms will not gradually be smoothed out but will get sharper. Therefore the end of nominal Christianity is not a gradual Christianizing of civilization but Antichristendom. Therefore the final development will be the deciding battle between God and the Devil. Therefore will Satan, in spite of all his rage, be then the suppressed. There arose "a war in the heaven," and Michael and his angels cast the dragon and his angels down to the earth (Revelation 12:7-9). This will mean indeed that Satan now in quite special degree will rage on the earth, so as to demonize unbelieving men, and will incite an antichristian international system to a devilishly inspired rule and power (Revelation 13:4). But this bluster and rage are but the convulsive spasms of a wild revolutionary given over to defeat and fetters (Revelation 12:12). At length the final blow falls. Christ appears, and with Him the hosts of heaven (Revelation 19:11-16), and though Satan and the rebellious antichristian nations will be allowed to have the last word but one in the history of man, yet Christ will now have the very last word:"And the Beast and the false Prophet were seized . . . and cast alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20); and as regards Satan himself John the prophet says; " I saw an angel come down from heaven who had the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand; and he seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and he bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss and locked and sealed it over him" (Revelation 20:1-3).
Satan in the Abyss during the Millennium
Satan remains in this imprisonment during the Millennial kingdom. Now mankind can again breathe freely, for the power of the Devil to tempt is eliminated (Revelation 20:3). The black serpent line on the Chart which, since the time when Michael cast Satan from the lower heaven to the earth, turned sharp downward and for a time (Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24; Revelation 19:1-21) wound around upon the earth, now is forced to the underworld, beneath the history of the Millennium, and coils and twists itself there during the whole period of the thousand years (Revelation 20:3; Revelation 20:7). But it can have no influence upon the events taking place on earth. This means for mankind an extraordinarily great relief and easement in submitting to God. On the other side it means a heightening of responsibility if man nevertheless sins. From this arises the liability to sharper judgment in the Millennial kingdom.6 Satan Again onEarth:
Gog and Magog But at last this brilliant period of the visible kingdom of God must be tested by the results. Even the peoples of the Millennium shall have the possiblity of a free decision. No one shall be compelled to serve God in eternity. Therefore after the thousand years Satan must be set free, if only for a short time (Revelation 20:3 b, 7). The effect is shocking. Men reject the gracious God Who, during a thousand years in which peace ruled, had showered upon them an inconceivable Savior of blessings, and choose His deadly Enemy, the Devil. Therefore world judgment and world destruction is the only answer the holy God can now give (Revelation 20:7-15).
Satan in the Lake of Fire But the Devil who seduced mankind will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where also the Beast and the false Prophet are (Revelation 20:10). And at the last judgment before the great white throne all will follow them whose names are not found written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15).
Holy Scripture knows nothing of an escape from the lake of fire and a final salvation of those condemned in the last judgment. Therefore in our Chart the lake of fire stands alone and is not merged into the universal circle of the history of salvation moving from God to God. The Bible shows no connecting line from the lake of fire back to God. This is intensely serious. It behoves us to remain bound by the Divine Word. How affecting is all this! How fearful are the powers that stand behind all the sin and misery of fallen mankind. But how powerful and just is God! He conquers the foe, makes manifest His own victorious power, and to those who take their stand on His side He gives eternal life.
Therefore the solemn question: On whose side standest thou? On the side of God or His adversary? Here there is no neutrality. Either Christ is thy bliss or Satan thy fate! On thy personal attitude depends thine eternal destiny. Therefore choose Christ, the life, that thou mayest live!
Notes 1Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 10:18; Romans 16:20; Revelation 12:7; etc.
2The Hebrew word Satan means Enemy, Adversary; quite in general, 1 Kings 11:14; 1 Kings 11:23; 1 Kings 11:25; in a court of law, Psalms 109:6 :in Numbers 22:22 even of the angel of the Lord. The word Devil comes from the Greek dia-ballo to throw across, to censure with words, with the adverse purpose to prove one guilty, either by lying (2Ma 4:1) or by speaking the truth (Daniel 3:8; Luke 16:1; comp. Revelation 12:10).
3 (John 12:31; John 16:11; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14.) 4 1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 2:2.
5Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1-10 :if.; Job 1:6; Job 2:1.
6Psalms 2:8-9; Revelation 2:26-27; Isaiah 11:4; Zechariah 13:3; Zechariah 14:17; Zechariah 14:19; Micah 5:7-8.