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Devilish
Opposition to Christianity Conclusion
We shall conclude our study of the kingdom of God by
considering the remainder of the 20th chapter of Revelation.
Mention has already been made of the "devil" being
bound for a thousand years. In verse 7 it says, "when the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison." In order to gain a correct understanding of this
portion of Scripture we should compare it with other references
to the devil in John's writings. For instance, in Ch. 2:10 we
read, "For behold the devil will cast some of you into
prison that ye may be tried." The "devil"
mentioned here is, obviously, men working under the influence of
Satan. It was men inspired by Satan that crucified the Lord. The
devil also persuaded men to persecute the followers of Christ.
This persecution was endorsed by, the pagan Rome State. In
John's time the vision described in Daniel of "the little
stone cut out of the mountain without hands and smiting the
image on the feet," was in the process of fulfillment.
Christianity was committed to destroy paganism and idolatry and
all for which that devilish system stood. Already, that great
image and all it symbolized had received a mortal blow from the
impact of the dauntless Spirit-filled witnesses of Jesus Christ.
The kingdom of God was assuming mountainous proportions and
spreading over the earth. Because the Christians refused to
worship the Roman emperor, they came into violent conflict with
the civil authorities. This accounted for the terrible
persecutions in the days of Nero and other Roman tyrants who
sought to exterminate Christianity and uphold idolatry. In Rev.
12:3, 4, we have a description of the same dragon that is
"bound" in Chap.20:2. It is really a symbol of Roman
Paganism.
Instead of fighting back, the Christians simply testified of
the resurrection, and the gospel spread in spite of all the
diabolical persecutions of Rome. Eventually, Constantine became
emperor and granted freedom to the Christian faith thus ending
civil persecution. This was an event of tremendous significance
to the followers of Christ, and John prophesied of it as
follows: "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is
come salvation and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the
power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they
overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." Rev.
12:10,11. this meant that the great image and all that it stood
for was shattered and the little stone of Divine origin (the
kingdom of God) was the cause.
Devil Loosed a Little Season. It is quite apparent
that Rev.12 is describing the same period of time as the 20th
chapter. As the titanic struggle between darkness and light
progressed, different phases projected themselves in the course
of time. The 12th chapter depicts the early stages of the
conflict, while the 20th deals with the closing phase. The great
dragon, which in Rev. 12 is "called" the devil and
Satan (v.9), is referred to in the latter chapter as the devil.
In reality, John is describing Paganism under its Roman form
signified by a cruel devouring remorseless consuming dragon.
When the infant church began to propagate the gospel in the
world, the pagan state of Rome sought to exterminate it. John
symbolized this as the dragon "trying to devour the child
as soon as it was born." Rev. 12:4. For more than 200 years
the church was subjected to the bitter torture sanctioned by the
pagan State. What was endured only eternity will reveal. Such
volumes as "Fox's Book of Martyrs" tell some of the
examples of heroism that have been preserved to posterity. The
dark stinking dungeons, the torturous racks, the bloody
gladiatorial combats, the avenging fire and sword, all
contributed remorselessly to the pains endured by men, "Who
loved not their lives unto the death. At last Emperor
Constantine ascended the throne and in due course of time, he
declared Christianity a legal religion. The old dragon was cast
down, that accused the saints day and night," in other
words, the "devil was bound," and could no longer
exert undisputed sway. He was limited. The period of his being
bound is described as "1000 years" after which he is
loosed a little season. This prophetic period has now passed and
the world is again confronted with civil governments in many
lands that are essentially pagan and anti-Christian, and which
are committed to the abolition of Christianity, and the
eradication of every vestige of it from the earth. The devil has
gone forth to "deceive the nations" and to
"gather them to battle." We do not know how long the
little season will last, nor how many nations will be totally
deceived, but the ultimate triumph of evil will only be thwarted
by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. This phase of the
prophecy is dealt within Rev. 20:8-15. The Second Coming will
usher in the judgment. The dead from land and seas will rise to
meet the summons from the skies and will assemble in two
divergent companies, the believers on the right hand and the
unbelievers on the left. Every one will be judged according to
his works and the parting will be sealed for eternity, for
either heaven or hell.
Harmony Maintained Throughout Scripture Prophecy
John's manner of describing the events leading up to the
Second Coming of the Lord differ from those of Peter and Paul,
but the truth he sets forth is identical with theirs. John tells
by symbols of the early struggles and persecutions of the
kingdom of God in its conflict with paganism. He traces its
triumphs and struggles right through to the end, including the
last final conflict between the devil and the believers. He
shows how the Christians and the unbelievers are both here in
this world until the day of judgment, which is in agreement with
Christ, Peter and Paul. With the coming of Christ, he shows the
same sequence of events, in that this earth flees away and
eternity with the new heaven and new earth takes place.
Let us review once again the beautiful harmony of the
Scriptures on the kingdom of God. First, Abraham is shown as
"the Father of them that believe." All who believe in
Christ are his children by faith and in that sense Abraham is
the father of many (different) nations and in him all the
families of the earth are blessed. The "Jews" who are
God's chosen people are not exclusively Abraham's descendants
but all those who have Abraham's faith. The only people that
inherit the promises of the New and Everlasting Covenant are the
Israel of God, which includes the believing remnant of Israel
together with all other believers from the beginning of the
gospel era until the Second Coming. The message of the kingdom
of God is identical with the gospel of God. It requires the new
birth to see the kingdom and also to enter into it. Believers
will be present in this world until Christ returns on the
judgment day to resurrect all mankind, judge the world, and
usher in eternity. Matt. 16:27. The final separation of the
righteous and the wicked will coincide with the coming of the
Lord, at which time, the present heaven and earth will be burned
up and a new heaven and earth will take place.
Final Triumph of the Kingdom of God. The Bible very
plainly asserts that this is the last time. 1 John 2:18. The
resurrection of the dead is to take place on the last day in
answer to the summons from the last trump, we have no
alternative other than to conclude that there is no future day
for this world after the present dispensation. There can only be
one last day and one last trump. That trump will wake the dead.
Since the dead will be raised when Christ comes, there is
absolutely no time for a future millennium as our hope, but
heaven. John 14. What a wonderfully satisfying future to look
forward to! When Christ comes, we shall be forever with the Lord
and the doom of the Devil and his angels will be sealed for
eternity. What a glorious kingdom our Lord reigns over! What a
wondrous plan of salvation! Matchless Son of Man! Exalted Son of
God! Let us Exalt His Name! Amen. | ||||
