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Why Satan Must be Removed
Fred R. Coulter—September 28, 2009
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Today is the 10th day of the 7th month of the Calculated Hebrew Calendar, the sacred calendar of God. Lev. 23 will tell us about today. Today is a very important day not only for us, but also for the world. We'll see some similarities between the Day of Atonement and events leading up to the Passover.
Leviticus 23:26: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Also, on the tenth day of this seventh month, is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a Holy convocation to you. And you shall afflict your souls…" (vs 26-27)
Now, 'afflict your souls' means that you fast without water and food. There are some certain exemptions for people who have severe medical problems
"…and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD" (v 27). We don't offer animal sacrifices, but we do offer offerings on every Holy Day, and being able to come together on the Day of Atonement before God; fasting, looking to Him for:
- His help
- His strength
- His Spirit
- His love
This is a time to bring a good offering to God to show your love and appreciation for Him, and also in understanding that, as human beings, we're nothing but the dust of the earth; we're nothing but a vapor that comes and goes or the grass that dries or the flower that falls off, that's the way that human life is.
When we're fasting we realize it more than ever before. When we're eating and we're strong and we have water and we have plenty of everything, we never think about how much we really need these things on a day-to-day basis. Here's a command for this day; and in particularly it tells us:
Verse 28: "'And you shall do no work in that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, in order to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God… [so, no work] …for whoever is not afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people" (vs 28-29).
That means that God will separate him out in the midst of the people, even though he's still alive and connected with people. There's a difference between those who are just people in the world—don't have the Spirit of God; don't understand the Truth of God—they're cut off from God and blinded anyway. But if someone who knows the Truth and does not do it, then this will happen to people again; be cut off!
Verse 30: "And whoever does any work in that same day, the same one will I destroy from among his people."
That doesn't necessarily mean that a person has to be exterminated. There are many different ways through which people can destroy their lives: through sin and neglect and all of those things
Verse 31: "You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of rest… [all Holy Days are a Sabbath] …and you shall afflict yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at sunset, from sunset to sunset, you shall keep your Sabbath'" (vs 31-32).
This why God has given the sunset. Everyone can look out and see when the sun has set and knows when the day begins. We don't have to worry about noon. We don't have to worry about midnight. We don't have worry about any other thing. Sunset begins and ends the day! So, He wants everyone beginning their fasting, beginning the day Atonement at the same time, as it comes to them wherever they are on the earth.
(pause for offering)
What I want to do is go back to Exo. 12 and we'll look at some things concerning the Passover, because people have wondered why do we have the Day of Atonement when—for those who are the firstfruits of God, those who are of the Church of the Firstborn—we keep the Passover and also the Day of Atonement. Well, we're going to see we keep both of them because God says so!
But here's a key that's important to understand: The Passover was for Israel, to bring them out of sin, bring them out of Egypt and bring them to God!
Now, let's look at some things here that are important to understand. We know that the 1st day of the 7th month is the Feast of Trumpets. The 10th day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement has something similar to what the Passover has—but not quite exactly. Yet, there are parallels, which indicate to us some very important things.
Exodus 12:1: "And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 'This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you'" (vs 1-2).
However, the Calculated Hebrew Calendar is figured on the Feast of Trumpets in the 7th month. What is the difference? This is the beginning of the month for observing the Holy Days and the 1st day of the 7th month for calculating the Hebrew calendar is to have the calendar so that it covers the whole year so that it will be accurate in the spring for the 1st month, and accurate in the 7th month for the Feast of Trumpets.
Verse 3: "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them each man a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for a house.'"
So the 10th day of the 1st month was when the lamb was selected. We're going to see something similar for the 10th day of the 7th month for the Day of Atonement. But notice, each one was to select it for their own house. If the household was too small then a neighbor would combine with him. They were to keep up until the 14th. We won't go through all of that because we cover this at the Passover. In the fall we have
- the Feast of Trumpets, the 1st day
- the Day of Atonement, the 10th day
- the Feast of Tabernacles, the 15th day.
- the Passover season, the 1st day
- selecting the lamb, the 10th day
- for the Passover; the 14th day
- the Exodus, the 15th day
Now in the fall, the similarity between the 14th ends at that particular point because it begins with the Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th. We will focus in on 1, 10 and 15! What happened when the children of Israel left on the exodus?
- they were free
- the firstborn had been saved
- all Israel had been saved
- and they were on their way to meet God and to learn of God's way
We will see something similar when we come to the Day of Atonement and the 10th day and the 15th—the 10th day being Atonement; the 15th being the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. And that's when all the world will receive salvation.
The 15th day of the 1st month was the beginning of the salvation of Israel. When we come to the New Testament we also have something very important for us to understand. Let's see where Jesus Himself—and you'll have to follow that in A Harmony of the Gospels, as it's all broken down by the flow of events chronologically.
This is actually where God selected Jesus. No man could select the Lamb of God. John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus, said, 'Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.' But when was He selected for the crucifixion? That was on the Sabbath, just like when the children of Israel selected the lamb on the 10th day of the 1st month, that was likewise on a Sabbath.
John 12:20: "Now there were certain Greeks among those who had come up to worship at the feast. And these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee; and they asked him, saying, 'Sir, we desire to see Jesus.' Philip came and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus" (vs 20-22).
It's very interesting when you go through and you analyze how Jesus answers. He really doesn't answer their particular question, but He answers with a meaning that covers many, many different things. So always keep that in mind.
Verse 23: "But Jesus answered them, saying, 'The time has come for the Son of man to be glorified…. [they only asked to see Him] …Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit'" (vs 23-24).
In a parable, He was talking of Himself. He was that grain that was to die and be put into the earth, so that the fruit of the New Covenant and those coming into a relationship with God, would be granted—upon repentance and baptism—the Holy Spirit. And hence they would be on their way to salvation.
Verse 25: "The one who loves his life shall lose it… [and that is in this world] …and the one who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life."
How are we to hate ourselves if we are to 'love our neighbors as ourselves.' Well, it's this way: We are to hate the sinful nature that we have, so that we can understand and realize that must be eliminated and replaced by the operation of the Holy Spirit and conversion! Tie in Luke 14:26. If you come to Christ you have forsake everything!
So likewise, in order to save the world, Jesus had to forsake everything to become that perfect sacrifice. But as we know—and here's the difference between Passover and the Day of Atonement—the Christian Passover applies to those that God has called, and has blinded the rest of the world. As we will see, Atonement answers the question: How is God going to solve the problem of blinding all the rest of the world and cutting people off from salvation, when (as we will see during the Last Great Day) He desires all men to be saved? So you'll have to wait for the Last Great Day to understand that. But all of God's plan is revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days.
"…the one who hates his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life. If anyone will serve Me, let him follow Me…" (vs 25-26).
That's why one of the greatest sins among the ministry of God and the ministers in the world is that they don't teach people to follow Christ, and have the relationship with Jesus Christ that they need; the relationship with God the Father so that they can be blessed with God's Spirit, grow in grace and knowledge. They follow a man! Everyone has to follow Christ: all the teachers, elders, ministers, deacons—everyone in the Church. Christ is the Head of the Church. He is to rule in our lives with His Spirit. So we're to follow Him.
Yet, there are some people who say you don't have to pay a lot of attention to a lot of the New Testament because that was for the Jews. 'However, since we're Gentiles Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles and we can select out of there everything that applies to the Gentiles, and anything that applies to the Jews we don't have to be bothered with.' So that's how they ignore the teachings of Jesus. How can they get away with this?
Verse 26: "'If anyone… [it doesn't say 'if any Jew'] …will serve Me, let him follow Me…'"
- do as He did
- keep the days He kept
- grow in grace and knowledge
- have the mind of Christ
- have the Spirit of God
So that you can have the 'fruits of the Holy Spirit'!
That's how you follow Christ. You follow Christ from the day you're converted until the day you die, or the day you're changed at the resurrection!
Since we're talking about life and death at this point, when you are baptized you are conjoined into the death of Jesus Christ. Then you're raised out of that watery grave to 'walk in newness of life.' So, your faithfulness to the end and your death, at the end of your life—be it soon or be it late—seals and finalizes your part of the New Covenant with God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Remember, Jesus said, 'The one who endures to the end, the same shall be saved.' That's how we do it. The death of a saint is precious in the eyes of God. Therefore, it's precious in the eyes of God because the covenant for that individual—beginning with baptism and receipt of the Holy Spirit—has been finalized with their death, which they pledged when they were baptized. That finalizes it.
Part of the operation of God, so that we can eventually be one with God in the Kingdom of God as spirit beings is that this flesh must die! So, when someone dies in the faith, as Paul said, 'We're not to grieve like the rest of the people,' because we know the Truth! All who die, the next instant of their thought, after dying in the faith, will be resurrected as spirit beings and being carried off by angels to the Sea of Glass!So, all of that, when you take the rest of the Bible and apply it here, that's what He's talking about.
But notice, He's making a point with it, because not only do individuals have to do this, but Jesus Himself had to do this: He had to follow the Father, be faithful unto death, and the most excruciating death through the Passover events.
Verse 27: "'Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this very purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.'…. [then something startling happened] …Then a voice came from heaven, saying, 'I have both glorified it and will glorify it again'" (vs 27-28). That covers two things:
- the death of Christ
- the resurrection of Christ
This is when God the Father personally selected Jesus for the Passover Lamb on the 10th day of the 1st month.
Verse 29: "Then the people standing there, who heard it, said, 'It thundered.' Others said, 'An angel spoke to Him.' Jesus answered and said, 'This voice did not come because of Me, but because of you…. [so that you would know that He was chosen on that day] …Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to Myself'" (vs 29-32). He said this to signify by what death He would die!
Verse 31 again: "Now is the judgment of this world…. [everything concerning the world] …Now shall the prince of this world be cast out." That's Satan the devil who is the prince of the power of the air, who is deceiving the world, who is the god of this world.
Since the judgment has come upon him, why has he not been removed? That is answered in the Day of Atonement; because going through the ritual of the Day of Atonement the world—the children of Israel and even the high priest—could not tell the difference between Satan, as 'god of this world' and God as the true God! The whole world's blinded! They don't know who the true God is!
Now, let's go through Lev. 16 and see the parallels, because here we are, we've already had the Feast of Trumpets on the 1st day of the 7th month. Now the 10th day of the 7th month, which is the Day of Atonement.
Leviticus 16:29: "And it shall be a statute forever to you: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger who is living among you, for on that day an atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD" (vs 29-30).
Moses qualified for the first resurrection. All the house of Israel didn't. So, in order for God to deal with them, because they're blinded; because every time they left an obedient judge or king, they went right into apostasy and sin and Satan-worship, sun-worship, Ashtoreth-worship and the whole thing; and the whole world has been given over to that, only those who God reaches down and draws and calls are plucked out of that system. All the rest are there, so likewise with Israel. They couldn't tell; the priest couldn't tell. So likewise, with the world; the world can't tell who the true God is as differentiated from Satan who's the 'god of this world.'
Leviticus 16:2: "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Speak to Aaron your brother, that he does not come at all times into the sanctuary within the veil before the mercy seat, which is on the ark, so that he does not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.'"
He shows how he's to come in with his offering; the Holy garments, and then he was to take sin offerings and burnt offerings (v 5); a bullock for himself for his sin offering.
Verse 7 is a very strange ritual. And one that without the New Testament, and in particularly without the book of Revelation, you cannot understand its interpretation.
Verse 7: "And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel" (vs 7-8)—another name for Satan, and also a name for the wilderness where Satan abides!
Verse 9: "And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering." That's to take care of the sins of the children of Israel! They have their sins cleansed through this operation. God will deal with them for another year.
Notice what had to happen with the other goat, v 10: "But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement upon it and sent away into the wilderness for Azazel."
- Why would God do this?
We know that the sin offering, which was slain and the blood sprinkled on the altar, etc., represented a type of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
- Why the live goat?
- Why was it sent into the wilderness?
The world and people and even the high priest here could not tell the difference between the true Savior and Satan!
God had to make the choice. When it comes to the finality of this, the symbolism of removing the live goat represents Satan who is a spirit being who does not die. That's why in the book of Revelation we will see that Satan is 'bound in the abyss.'
This is what was done. Then the man who took the goat for Azazel into the wilderness, he had to come back and wash his clothes, wash himself and his garments and so forth, and then he could enter back into the camp. The burnt offerings, the sin offerings and the goat for the sin offering were all taken outside the camp and burned—skin, intestines, dung and everything!
Later, when they had the temple in Jerusalem… Up on the Mt. of Olives, near the top where they could look straight into the temple area, they would have a priest watching down into the ceremony for the Day of Atonement. He was the attendant at what was called the Miphkad Altar. Now the Miphkad Altar was the altar without the camp where all the sin offerings and all the skin and everything were burned. So, he was the one who would administer all the things brought to him by the different Levites, the skins and the entrails and everything. All of that would burn outside the camp.
Now, let's look at a parallel here. Let's see the fulfillment of this—Rev. 20—then we will see the fulfillment of this with Christ, and why the goat that pictures Christ for the Day of Atonement in prophetic fulfillment actually means that this is when God will remove Satan the devil, and then beginning on the 15th day of the 7th month—the Feast of Tabernacles—which pictures the Millennial reign of Christ—brings salvation to the whole world.
But in order to remove the blindness, in order to remove the false god, you've got to get rid of Satan the devil. He's got to be bound. Just like with us: Though we have our sins forgiven every day when we ask for forgiveness:
- Is Satan still in the world?
- Is he still out there after us? Yes!
- Does he still have the world captive? Yes!
The truth is, God cannot and will not bring salvation to the world until Satan has been removed—cannot happen! That's the timing of God's plan.
Let's see the fulfillment of taking the goat for Azazel into the wilderness. Some people have said that 'because the sins are put upon him, that must mean that that's another type of Christ going to heaven.' Well two things are wrong with that:
- you have to have an animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin
- you must have Satan removed in order to get rid of the author of sin
All sin rests back upon Satan the devil; because he's the instigator of it, the father of lies and sinned and rebelled and took a third of the angels with him in his rebellion. Satan and the demons must be removed, and also the sons of God must be spirit beings to rule and reign with Christ before salvation can come to the earth!
After the last battle—Armageddon—Revelation 20:1: "Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Then he cast him into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were fulfilled; and after that it is ordained that he be loosed for a short time" (vs 1-3).
You have to come to day seven of the Feast of Tabernacles for the rest of the story as to why that. But you see, the Millennium does not begin until Satan is removed!
- that's going to take away the covering of the blindness
- that's going to take away the sin
- that's going to take away the deception
- that's going to take away all of those things from the world
That's why it happens this way! Then they will have the sacrifice of Christ applied to them.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ does not apply to the world, yet! It will at the set time. It applies to the Church now! When it comes time for it to be applied to the world, then what we read of in Heb. 9 and what happened with the operation of Christ—when He ascended and was accepted by God the Father as a sin offering—then salvation will be opened to the whole world through Christ! Satan will be removed; there will be no guesswork involved.
Hebrews 9:1: "Truly then, the first tabernacle also had ordinances of worship and an earthly sanctuary. For the first tabernacle, which is called Holy, was furnished; in which were placed both the lampstand and the table, and the loaves of showbread. But behind the second veil was a tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies, containing a golden censer, and the Ark of the Covenant, which was overlaid on all sides with gold; in which was the golden jar containing the manna, and the rod of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant; and arching above it were the cherubim of glory spreading their wings over the mercy seat, concerning which now is not the time to expound in detail" (vs 1-5).
Verse 6: "Now, with these things prepared in this manner, the priests enter into the first tabernacle at all customary times in order to perform the services… [that was to offer incense, that was to light the candles] …but the high priest enters alone into the second tabernacle once a year…" (vs 6-7)—on the Day of Atonement!
I want you to think of the contrast between that and what has been given to us. What has been given to us is: We have been given access to God any minute of any day so that our prayers can come up into the Holy of Holies in heaven above!
- that's why it's a greater covenant
- that's why it's a greater way
- that's why God only calls a few now
But after Satan has been bound, then this will apply to all human beings, salvation will be universal. That's what this world needs, and that's why we've been called.
Verse 7: "But the high priest enters alone into the second tabernacle once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins that the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit signifying this: that the way of the Holiest has not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is still standing" (vs 7-8). God destroyed it!
Let's also understand something very important that we'll cover during the Feast of Tabernacles: In the beginning with Adam and Eve, He was dwelling with them in the Garden of Eden—no temple. In New Jerusalem there's no temple there, but God the Father and the Lamb are the light of it. So all of this temple thing was temporary! Let's understand something: God destroyed it twice: 586B.C. and 70A.D., because of the sins of the people and their rejecting God because they were blinded and could not tell the difference between Satan the devil and the true God. That's why he has to be removed.
Verse 9: "Which is a symbol for the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are being offered that are not able to perfect the one performing the service, as pertaining to the conscience."
That's the whole operation of the New Testament. Just going to the temple and offering a sacrifice for your sin does not change your heart and mind. It only cleansed you and all Israel to be accepted by God at the temple, because that's where God met them. He put His presence in the temple and their access to God was only through the temple. Now we have access to the temple in heaven above, directly to God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Verse 10: "These services consist only of meat and drink offerings, and various washings and physical ordinances, imposed until the time of the new spiritual order. But Christ Himself has become High Priest of the coming good things… [New Covenant and on into the salvation of the world later on] …through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by human hands (that is, not of this present physical creation)" (vs 10-11).
Concerning animal sacrifices and the sprinkling of their blood, v 14: "To a far greater degree, the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, shall purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
You need to understand that every thought that you have—whether good or evil—without the Spirit of God and without the cleansing of the Spirit of God are works that are evil or dead works which do not purify the conscience although you may do some good things. How do you understand that? Very simple: If you don't have the Spirit of God, you do not have the power to be converted and have the law of 'sin and death' removed from you by 'the washing of the water by the Word. The law of death being enacted when you die, dying in the faith, seals and finishes that covenant with God, cleanses the conscience.
Verse 15: "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the New Covenant: in order that through His death, which took place for the release of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." That's what it's for!
Let's prove a point. There were those who claimed to be Jesus' disciples. There were those who said they believe in Him. Jesus told them that they were not of Him, 'but of their father, the devil!' Where did this take place? Right at the temple in Jerusalem!
John 8:31: "Therefore, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him…"
They said, 'Oh yes, we believe. Oh yes, look, this man does miracles. He's a wonderful man. Oh, let's follow Him.' Jesus gave them a test. Everyone's going to have a test. If you say, 'Oh, I believe in Jesus' you may not pass the test; and if you don't the devil's going to come and take out of your heart what was put in there.'
"…'If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free'" (vs 31-32). So, you've got to:
- know the Truth
- know Jesus
- understand about His sacrifice
Notice their answer! They weren't converted though they believed in Him. Good lesson for everyone who says, 'If you believe in Jesus you'll be saved.' You're never baptized; you never receive the Holy Spirit. False conversion! Not true! A lie! Notice also, you have to continue in His Word, keep the commandments and all that sort of thing.
Here's their answer. They were relying on who they were; v 33: "They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. What do You mean by saying, "You shall become free"?' Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a servant of sin" (vs 33-34). That comes from Satan the devil!
(go to the next track)
Verse 34: "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a servant of sin."
This is why when you are converted you don't practice sin, you can't live in sin, because the Holy Spirit will prick your conscience so that you will repent.
Verse 35: "And the servant does not live in the house forever; but the Son lives forever. Therefore, if the Son shall set you free, you shall truly be free" (vs 35-36).
He's talking about free from sin and free from Satan the devil, because here they were right at the temple. The children of Israel? Yes, indeed! Notice what Jesus said in answering them:
Verse 37: "I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you are seeking to kill Me, because My words do not enter into your minds. I speak the things that I have seen from My Father, and you do the things that you have seen from your father'" (vs 37-38).
This is why the Day of Atonement shows why Satan must be removed! You can have good intentions may be on the surface, but what's really in their hearts and minds? You can never get rid of those things as long as Satan is around, he must be removed!
We'll see in a little bit, likewise, Satan is still after the Church. Likewise, he wants to get us who have been removed from the world, spiritually, and placed in God's way. He wants to get us back from that into his way, into the world. I'm afraid in too many cases, he has succeeded, because people just do not have a deep commitment to serve God unto death!—especially in today's 'comfortable' world. Well, that's soon going to change!
Verse 37: "I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you are seeking to kill Me, because My words do not enter into your minds. I speak the things that I have seen from My Father, and you do the things that you have seen from your father.' They answered and said to Him, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham…. [What did Abraham do? He believed and obeyed!] …But now you seek to kill Me, a man who has spoken the Truth to you, which I have heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father.' Then they said to Him, 'We have not been born of fornication. We have one Father, and that is God'" (vs 37-41). Deceived! They think that God is their Father.
Verse 42: "Therefore, Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I proceeded forth and came from God. For I have not come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why don't you understand My speech? Because you cannot bear to hear My words" (vs 42-43).
Why? Remember, here there were those who believed in Him; they were all at the temple! The thing is, the physical temple on earth does not convert a person! You need to understand that! Here's a good example of it. Here He identified it.
Verse 44: "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to practice…."
Even though Jesus was there in person, at the temple in person, and they were there at the temple in person, sin still existed because Satan has not been removed! And a lot of these pretenders were of their father the devil.
"…He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the Truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I speak the Truth, you do not believe Me'" (vs 44-45).
Yet, it said over here these were the Jews who had believe in Him. Not belief unto conversion! There is a belief, 'Oh yes, God exists. Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! Let us continue in our sins.' There is a belief to conversion, and that's through repentance and baptism!
Verse 46: "Which one of you can convict Me of sin? But if I speak the Truth, why don't you believe Me? The one who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason you do not hear, because you are not of God'" (vs 46-47).
There they were, very 'religious.' That's why Satan has to be removed. That's why the Day of Atonement they have that special sacrifice with the two goats—one to be presented for the Lord and offered as a sacrifice, the one upon whom the sins were confessed because he's the author of sin. And Satan must be removed bearing his own sins because there is no forgiveness for all the sins that Satan has been responsible for bringing upon man! Now, some people do not like me to say that Satan inspires. But he puts in the heart, and if he puts in the heart, to me that's inspiring, that he caused all people to do! He has to be removed!
Because they were deceived, because they were blinded, that's why then all of those who lived and died in that condition you'll have to wait to hear the message for the Last Great Day. They will have an opportunity for salvation, but not the kind of salvation that comes with the first resurrection! That's special! That's a special calling!
I want you to understand it. We also need to realize this: Satan is still out there and the ones he is after are those of us—you and me! That if he can get us to
- deviate from the way of God
- turn from God
- become filled with vanity and self
- become filled with self-righteousness and stupidity
- believing false doctrines
- looking to ministers of Satan the devil who appear as ministers of righteousness, because Satan appears as an angel of light
We're living in those days when there's going to be many false prophets, many false teachers showing great signs and wonders to even deceive us. That's what Satan wants to use to deceive us.
On this Day of Atonement we have got to resolve in our mind, with the same commitment, the same kind of yieldedness to God that we did on the day we were baptized, that we will resist Satan the devil and fight him because he is still in the world and out after us.
Now let's see the prophecies of how Jesus said that Satan would be after us, and how the churches fall victim to the wiles of the devil! Remember Peter. Jesus was telling the disciples:
Look, I have to go to Jerusalem and I'm going to be arrested, I'm going to be killed and I'll rise the third day. I will suffer many things from the elders, the chief priests and the scribes and everything.
And Peter said, 'Lord! That'll never happen to You.' And what did Jesus say to him? 'Get you behind Me Satan, for you savor the things of men, not the things of God!'
Right there in the midst with the disciples, and just before that the accounts says of Peter, 'Whom to men say that I am?' Some say Jeremiah, some of the prophets. But He said, 'Who do you say that I am?' Peter said, 'You are the Christ! The Son of God.' Jesus said, 'The Father revealed that to you, Simon.'
A little while later on the same journey, He says to Peter, 'Get you behind Me, Satan, for you savor the things of men not of God.' And then on the Passover night, what happened to Peter? Jesus told him, 'Peter, you're going to deny Me three times.' But He said, 'I have prayed for you. Satan has requested you. But I have prayed for you so that your faith will not fail. When you have been strengthened, strengthen the brethren.'
Peter did deny Him three times! Right there! Where was Satan on the Passover night? Right in the room with Jesus and the disciples! With Judas Iscariot. So, Satan is also after the Church. And we need to understand it in these last days. He's going to persecute the Church. He's going to make war against the Church (Rev. 12).
Let's look at just a little bit of Revelation 2 & 3 concerning the status of the Church, and how people respond to God.
The Church at Ephesus
Revelation 2:2—Jesus says: "I know your works, and your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil; and that you did test those who proclaim themselves to be apostles, but are not, and did find them liars… [they did a lot; they were vigilant right at first] …And that you have borne much and have endured, and for My name's sake have labored and have not grown weary; nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love" (vs 2-4).
They began to cool down. That means that they began to love people and things more than God, and preaching the Gospel and doing what they should. So, He tells them to repent. But they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans (v 6).
The Church at Smyrna was faithful unto death and they were commended—no sins!
The Church of Pergamos
Verse 12: "And to the angel of the Church in Pergamos, write: These things says He Who has the sharp two-edged sword…. [He's saying that for a reason] …I know your works and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; but you are holding fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells" (vs 12-13).
What happens when you get in the middle of where Satan has his chief headquarters? or Where Satan has other headquarters? He has many locations on the earth! You get in a city like New York City or Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, California, or San Francisco, California, you're right there, people living in sin and living in lies and living duplicitous lives and committing all kinds of sin. It's going to affect you. It affected them.
Verse 14: "But I have a few things against you because you have there those who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication."
They were bringing in idol-worship. They were probably not taking the Passover the way that they should, but were into what is now called, in Christianity today, 'the Lord's Supper.' They would bow down before a cross. Just like they do in the Catholic Church today.
When they go against the Laws of God, they are committing fornication with idols. And remember, Paul wrote, 'you cannot eat of the table of the Lord and the table of demons'! You cannot take the world's way, of their interpretation of the Lord's Supper and communion and say 'Oh, isn't that nice?' and they do this every Sunday, 'Isn't that lovely.' It's an abomination to God!
Verse 15: "Moreover, you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."
What is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? That is an over-lording lordship over the brethren, plus a false grace, that once you have been saved you've always been saved and even though you're living in sin you're going to be saved. That's the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. You have seen what God has done to the Church for those churches that follow that—right? Yes! Where are they? Some still have to be reckoned with!
Verse 16: "Repent! For if you do not repent, I will come to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of My mouth."
Christ fighting His own church because they have practices in there, inspired by Satan the devil, because they absorbed it by living in the world and too close to the things of Satan the devil. They thought, 'Oh, this is good! Oh this works!'
Just like today, ministers and teachers are not called ministers and teachers, they're speakers and psychologists and CEOs. They're interested in their money and their retirement and not in teaching God's way to the people. That's where hierarchies lead to:
- look at the Catholic Church
- look at the Anglican Church
- look at the Worldwide Church of God
There are three other Churches of God out there that those who are the leaders of it better listen up and pay attention, because the sword of the Lord is coming upon you for your hideous sins and your arrogance and authority that you have in ruling over the brethren. If any of you brethren who are under that, you better get out from underneath that lest you suffer with them! Christ will fight against you!
Verse 17: "The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…."
This is Christ talking to His churches. We better listen up and pay attention! They didn't pay much attention, because the next church became even worse!
The Church at Thyatira
Verse 20: "But I have a few things against you, because you allow the woman Jezebel…"—the Roman Catholic Church! Jezebel; that's what God thinks of you!
"…who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants into committing fornication and eating things sacrificed to idols" (v 20).
That's what the whole service of the Roman Catholic Church is about: idolatry and blaspheme against the sacrifice of Christ!
Verse 21: "And I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their works" (vs 21-22)—and that came between 1000-1300A.D.! The Catholic church was in terrible turmoil with plagues and all things against them because they wouldn't listen.
Verse 23: "And I will kill her children with death…" No spiritual salvation through that!
That's what the Day of Atonement is all about. To give you the understanding between the true God and the true Savior and Satan the devil and his false messiah—though he calls him Jesus.
"…and all the churches shall know that I am He Who searches the reins and hearts; and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to you I say, and to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak…" (vs 23-24).
How far into Satanism can people go, even though they were in the Church of God? All the way! That's why Satan has to be removed. Plain and simple. There can be no salvation to this world until that is done! Satan was right there at the temple with Jesus and the disciples. Right there at the Passover with the apostles. Right there ready, begging, wanting for Peter. But Jesus prayed for him that he [Satan] wouldn't have him!
Now, you think about us, the days that we're living in and the things that we need to understand. That's why, since we have the whole Bible; we have all the Word of God; we know the plan of salvation. We better not treat it lightly. We better not treat it with contempt. We better not treat it with ho-humism. But we better rejoice in it and live and love it and thank God for it and stay zealous for God all the time!
The Church at Sardis
They're in pitiful shape. They have a name that they live, but they are dead! So, Jesus gives them an admonition; doesn't lay too much upon them.
Revelation 3:2: "Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die. For I have not found your works complete before God. Therefore, remember what you have received and heard, and hold on to this, and repent. Now then, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you shall by no means know what hour I will come upon you" (vs 2-3). Do you have enough to be saved or not?
The Church at Philadelphia
The one who is faithful to God, but notice what they have to fight. Notice what they have to constantly be on guard against, and they are the only ones who really were on guard against it.
Verse 8: "I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no one has the power to shut it because you have a little strength, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."
We deny Jesus' name by our works, by our attitudes and our relationship with God if we let it fall into losing the first love, following the ways of the world, getting involved deeply into satanism and spiritism or just becoming plain dead! We'll see the next one is lukewarm.
Verse 9: "Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who proclaim themselves to be Jews… [they know the way of salvation through Jesus, but they don't] …and are not, but do lie—behold, I will cause them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from the time of temptation which is about to come upon the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth" (vs 8-10).
The Church at Laodicea
Lukewarm; they're cool! Isn't it interesting that in this age that term is used for 'oh, that's great'—cool! They're lukewarm, 'neither cold nor hot'—many have already been 'spewed out of the mouth' of Christ and they still don't get it because they're looking to the physical things.
Yes, God blesses us with physical things, but when you look to those as the sign of your spiritual standing with God, you make a great mistake! If you want to learn a real good lesson, go back and read the life of Solomon who was the world's greatest Laodicean—rich and increased with goods of everything that you could possibly ever imagine! Was he spewed out of God's mouth? Sure was! Bible doesn't show that he repented. He divided the kingdom, did he not?
What has God done to the Church as we know it? We've been spewed out of the mouth of God. Out of that there are going to be:
- those who are faithful
- those who don't care
- those who are dead
- those who are going to go right back into the world
- those who will re-embrace Satan the devil
This is why Satan has to be put away! This is what the Day of Atonement is all about!
- Who is the true Savior?
- Who is the true God?
- Who is the deceiver?
The "angel of light" who wants to destroy all human beings and to destroy all Christians!
That's why Satan the devil be removed, and this Day of Atonement tells us the story of the account of God's plan and that He will do it.
Scriptural References:
- Leviticus 23:26-32
- Exodus 12:1-3
- John 12:20-32, 31
- Leviticus 16:29-30, 2, 7-10
- Revelation 20:1-3
- Hebrews 9:1-11, 14-15
- John 8:31-47
- Revelation 2:2-4, 12-17. 20-24
- Revelation 3:2-3, 8-10
Scriptures referenced, not quoted
- Luke 14:26
- Leviticus 16:5
- Revelation 12; 2:6
Also referenced: Book:
A Harmony of the Gospels by Fred R. Coulter
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-3-09
Reformatted/Corrected: 6/2020
