Satan—"god of this world"

Fred R. Coulter—September 19, 2015

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services. Since this is the Sabbath before Atonement, we're going to cover the question: When did Satan become 'the god of this world'?

I have this from a man that I knew years ago, and he sent it in. I just want to make one comment in starting, before we do, because in his communication to me through e-mail he uses the sacred names.

Think of this: Rev. 7, the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude—especially the great innumerable multitude, from every nation, kindred, tongue and language—won't have the faintest idea of what a sacred name is. Remember that at the beginning of the Tribulation, you have the three-angels' messages come first.

• fear God
• preaching the Gospel
• warning about the mark of the beast

When should you warn about the mark of the beast? Before it's implemented by force? or After it's implemented? Obviously, before!

The great innumerable multitude and the 144,000 of Rev. 7 are about two years into the last three and a half of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is seven years long, half peace, half the trauma and the Tribulation.

When you get down to it, you have to ask: Of all the languages that are in the world, who was the one who created all of them originally? God did (Gen. 11)! Whatever was in their mind, He changed the languages in all the people's minds according to their family grouping. Just like when He created Adam and Eve, He created them with a working language.

The Jews do not even know the correct pronunciation of the sacred names. I get a kick out of this always, there's a man who has the Church of Yahweh in Bethel, Texas, and he pronounces it 'yaah-waaay.' You don't find in the New Testament any of the sacred names from Hebrew there. We do have a couple of Aramaic names that Paul put in there, which are Abba Father. Then you have the Aramaic that is there when Jesus said, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?' They put it in there 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani' (Matt. 27).

That shows that they spoke generally Greek as the first language; Hebrew or Aramaic as the second language; and Latin as the third language as it relates to some of the Romans, because most of the Romans spoke Greek.

Let's get into the topic. When did Satan become 'the god of this world'? (from the e-mail:)

The question is asked supposing the context that there was a time he wasn't.

Yes, we'll find out that there was a time he wasn't!

Was it at the time of creation? Was it when Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord?…. [I'll change Yahweh to the Lord] …Was it at the crucifixion of the Messiah? Was it when Paul was alive? Could there be some other Biblical authority to tell us?

We will examine it all. He has several other questions in here. We will answer all of those by Scripture.

First of all the place to begin is in the beginning. A proper reading of the first verse is very important. Then we will get other Scriptures that will pinpoint for us when Satan rebelled and when he became 'god of this world.' Those are two different events.

Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God…"—full stop in the Hebrew! That means God was there before anything else. How do we understand that? We don't, because that's at a level that God understands! We can just say, when we are born again into the Kingdom of God, the Family of God, then we will have greater understanding and we will be able to know.

"…created the heavens…" (v 1)—full stop! That means there's an indeterminable period of when God created the heavens.

"…and the earth" (v 1). That came after creating the heavens! That's why there's the full stop.

The earth is considerably older than the 6,000 years that many of the Protestants like to claim, because they fail to put the Scriptures together to determine how old the earth is. You can't determine exactly how old the earth is.

Verse 2: "And the earth was… [or became] …without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep…" There was already a flood by v 2!

• How did that flood come about?
• Did God create the earth in chaos and confusion and covered with the flood?

We will see here the flow of creation:

• God
• heavens
• earth

But between heavens being created and earth being created, we will see that the angels were created. So, you've got:

• heaven
• angels
• earth
• rebellion
• first flood
• man

It doesn't give us any number of days, years, eons or anything like this. Let's see heavens being created, and think about this for just a minute: If God created everything 6,000 years ago and He lives forever, what was He doing up to time of 6,000 years ago? Nothing? We will see that the proposition of only a 6,000-year-old universe and earth is not true, and we will see why.

Job 38 will tell us some very important things. Remember when Job said, 'Oh, that the Lord would answer me.' Be careful what you wish for, Job, because God did!

Job 38:1: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?'" (vs 1-2).

Sidebar: It's hard for people to understand what Job's sin was. He was righteous, like he said. All of it was righteousness that came from God, which is true. But his sin was he took all credit for it rather than giving God the credit. That's a summary as to why none of his three friends were able to find out what it was that he did because he was righteous.

This also tells us and gives us proof that by your own works, even though it's what God says, you can't earn salvation!

Verse 3: "Now gird up your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?.… [there was a time when God laid the foundations to create the earth] …Declare it if you have understanding! Who has determined its measurements if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it? On what are the foundations fastened to? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (vs 4-7).

Morning stars and sons of God are two classifications of angels. We will see before Satan sinned he was called the morning star.

What does this show at this point about the earth? All the angels were in agreement with what God did. They shouted for joy because that was to be their habitation. As we will see later, they left it! We will see why they left it.

We find that there was a time that the one who was called 'the anointed cherub that covers,' and 'the morning star' (Isa. 14), that there was no sin.

• What caused them to sin?
• Where can we find it in the Bible?
• It is there!

It's interesting that the phrase 'son of man' is used of Ezekiel almost exclusively all the way through Ezekiel.

Sidebar: Jesus called himself the Son of man, especially when He was in Judea, because of all of the religious leaders there. There were a couple of times that He called Himself the Son of God. Then they came after Him with 'all barrels blazing' as it were.

Ezekiel 28:12: "Son of man, lift up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You seal up the measure of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You have been in Eden the garden of God…"'" (vs 12-13).

Stop and think here! Who was in the Garden of Eden? Adam, Eve, the Lord and later Satan! After they sinned, only God was in the Garden of Eden and He put the cherubim with the swords to keep the way so they couldn't come to the Tree of Life or come into the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was destroyed at the Flood.

"…every precious stone was your covering… [it lists all of them] (v 14): You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I set you so; you were upon the Holy mountain of God… [that's where the throne of God is] …you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire" (vs 13-14)—because it's all like sapphire stone and the fire is not necessarily heat; it's probably the reflection of the glory of God's creation.

Verse 15: "You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created…" First of all God created the heavens, then the angels, then the earth!

"…until iniquity was found in you" (v 15). When was iniquity found in him?

This also shows that it was a choice. He chose to do so. When did that occur? Isn't it interesting that this question could not be possibly answered for nearly 4,000 years in the writings of the Bible? But here in the very last book, the book of Revelation, God gives us a vision of what happened and why Satan rebelled.

Remember that God said He laid the foundation of the earth and the 'morning stars and the sons of God sang for joy.'

Revelation 12:1: "Then there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." This is God's plan summarized in the woman who was to be Israel and the Church!

Sidebar: This woman changes meaning in Rev. 12: to Israel, to Mary, and because the woman had the man-Child who was to rule all nations, Christ; which brings up the question we can't answer: What is the reward of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the Kingdom of God in relationship to what the Father did in impregnating her with the Son of God? We don't know! Does this tell us something about it? I don't know! Verse 1 is the epitome of Israel and the Church.

Verse 2: "And being with child, she cried in travail, and was in pain to deliver. And another sign was seen in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads" (vs 2-3).

The prophecy of being with child projected forward quite a ways, but it came back to the time of when Satan rebelled.

Verse 3: "And another sign was seen in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads; and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth…." (vs 3-4).

This is the rebellion of Satan and one-third of the angels. This is when the rebellion took place; this is when, maybe not the thought of sin, but the action of rebellion against God by his thoughts of vanity and sin that he had there in Ezek. 28 were manifested.

Then it projects forward to the coming of the Messiah, which was first prophesied about to Adam and Eve right after they sinned. Satan wanted to kill the child (Matt. 3) with the three wise men and Herod, etc., but God intervened.

We will see all the way through that Satan wants to supplant God and Christ. Here is the rebellion that took place; this is when he sinned. Was it when he found that God had another plan before He created the angels, that He didn't tell them about until He laid the foundation of the earth? We have to put the Scriptures together to get the story flow. It's not all in one place.

Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things with Christ."

Remember, if it is spoken of by God before it occurs, it is as good as done! The Scripture cannot be broken and God cannot lie.

Verse 4: "According as He has personally chosen us for Himself before the foundation of the world…" God had this plan before the foundation of the world, before we ever existed! That's what it's referring to, not that we existed somewhere before the foundation of the world.

"…in order that we might be Holy and blameless before Him in love" (v 4). We'll just short-circuit the rest of that: We would become the sons and daughters of God and be over the angels.

• Didn't Paul say we will judge angels?
• Doesn't the superior judge the inferior? Yes, indeed!
• Is that when Satan rebelled?

When Satan found out the plan that God had and, instead of being the super-ruler that he thought he was, now he was going to be a servant to human beings, less than he was, and that they would have the privilege and destiny greater than his, as he was only a covering cherub, an angel. Human beings were destined to become after the God Family, after the God-kind.

You think about human situations. In human situations when someone finds out that this lowly person is going to be promoted over you, there would be rebellion. That's exactly what happened!

• How long were the angels on the earth before the rebellion took place?
• Before God revealed to the angels what His plans for human beings would be?
• How that they would be made after the likeness and image of Godand the angels weren't?
• What happened?

Jude 6[corrected]: "And the angels who did not keep their own original domain… [on the earth] …but deserted their habitation…" in rebellion against God to ascend to heaven to make war against God (Isa. 14), where Satan said, 'I will be like the Most High. I don't like His plan. I'm going to get rid of Him and I'm going to set up mine.'

"…He is holding in eternal bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day" (v 6).

Satan is called the one who is the power of darkness! So, he is in darkness and has no light in him. He's also the father of lies. Then we'll see some of the powers that Satan has with people.

When Paul was knocked to the ground, Acts 26:15: "And I said, "Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.'"

Isn't that interesting? If you persecute the children of God, you're persecuting Jesus. God will take vengeance on them accordingly.

Verse 16: "Now arise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of what you have seen and what I shall reveal to you. I am personally selecting you from among the people and the Gentiles, to whom I now send you to open their eyes…" (vs 16-18)—to the Truth!

 What did Satan tell Adam and Eve? 'I will open your eyes and you can decide.' What really happened was that their eyes were open to see evil, but not good. In other words, their minds were closed to the good of God, blinded as Satan does wherever he goes.

Would not God have known that Satan was going to rebel? If you give free choice, God does not intervene with free choice. I am sure that Satan had free choice. If he were a robot, then he would have been made a robot to be righteous only. But since Satan had choice, there was always the possibility that he could sin, but there was always the possibility that he would choose not to sin. Same thing with us, we have to choose.

He sinned because they—Satan and the angels with him—left their first estate. The first estate must have been fantastic and beautiful. Whether that was the age of the dinosaurs or not, I don't know. But it probably was.

Verse 18: "To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, so that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified through faith in Me."

When did Satan become Satan from Lucifer? or the morning star? or the covering cherub? When he began to form his rebellion! How long that was we don't know. How did he get a third of the angels to go with him? Probably promising them positions if they could overthrow God, then they would set the agenda for the whole universe.

When did he become 'god of this world'? He became 'god of this world' after it was re-created for man to live on and Adam and Eve sinned by listening to the serpent, instead of God! At that point he became 'god of this world,' or this age, the age of mankind. That's when he became that.

Note these Scriptures regarding Satan:

• the devil means the adversary. Satan is only used once in the Old Testament (1-Chron. 21).
• destroyer/Apollyon: "…the angel of the abyss…" (Rev. 9:11).

In other words, wherever all the angels are imprisoned, he is the one who is over them. A lot of them are not allowed on the earth, and they won't be until that fifth seal is opened.

One of the first things God is going to do is get rid of the unclean spirits in the land (Zech. 13). That tells us when Satan is bound, the demons will be bound with him also.

• deceiver of the world (Rev. 12:9)
• the prince or ruler of this world (John 12:31)
• the prince or ruler of darkness (Eph. 6:12)
• a roaring lion (1-Pet. 5:8)

You have the true Lion, which is Jesus (Rev. 5), the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Then you have the counterfeit, the lion Satan the devil.

• Beelzebub, prince of the demons (Matt. 12:24)
• the dragon (Rev. 12:7)
• the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10)
• that ancient serpent (Rev. 20:2)
• a liar from the beginning, the father of lies (John 8:44)

He also has his children. Who are his children? Those human beings who worship him directly! That's vs the children of God, or the children of the Kingdom, who are us! So, there's a lot to it.

Luke 10 is when Jesus sent out the 70 to heal the sick, cast out demons, and they came back. He told them to go heal the sick, raise the dead, preach the Gospel.

Luke 10:16: "The one who hears you hears Me…" Why? The disciples and the apostles only taught the Word of God and the teachings of Christ! Never did they teach any of their own teachings. In one place, I think it is 2-Cor. the King James Version translates it: 'Keep the traditions that I told you.' That should be ordinances and is so in the Faithful Version.

"…and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and the one who rejects Me rejects Him Who sent Me" (v 16). Why? Because:

• Jesus taught what the Father commanded Him to do!
• He did what He saw the Father do!
• He accomplished what the Father wanted Him to do!
• He represented the Father, because He is the Son!

Sidebar on Son: Even the Pharisees and Sadducees understood that if He was really the Son of God He would be equal with God! That's why they tried to kill Him, because that was the ultimate blasphemy. Who could be like God? That's why in writing the book From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God—Why Were You Born? the last great revelation given to the Church to all the apostles and all the prophets is that we will be the very real sons of God the Father! Only those in the first resurrection will be in that category!

Whatever the category of the rest are, it's not in the Family of God. We will be the children of God the Father. All of those coming into the Kingdom of God after that through the Millennium, Jesus will be the Father of those: 'For unto us a Son is born, for unto us a child is given, and His name shall be called Wonderful, the Everlasting Father' (Isa. 9). That's talking about Christ, not referring to the Father, but to Himself as the Father, because He will be Lord over the whole earth, God of the earth. We will be there with Him in the Kingdom and all of those that come into the Kingdom of God during that time will be the children of Jesus Christ and the Church, the Bride of Christ. This opens up a lot of understanding when you put it together.

Verse 17: "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us through Your name.'" Notice how the demons and Satan are connected together, just like they were in Rev. 12.

Verse 18: "And He said to them, 'I was watching when Satan fell from heaven like lightning.'" It is as he was falling from heaven, cast back down to the earth!

Everything that the angels had on the earth was destroyed, covered with a flood. How long the earth was in that condition, we don't know. How old the earth actually is, it is probably as old as they can calculate the age of the earth really is.

Sidebar on how old the earth is and how old bones are: If you find bones in sediment, which came first the bones or the sediment? The sediment!

Ever heard of the Piltdown man, the hoax in England? One man made the bones look real old, buried them in the ground, left them there for a couple of years. Lo and behold, he dug them up and said, 'Look what I found.' All the scientists came over and said, 'Yes, this is Piltdown man.'

You can never tell the age of the bones buried because there's transference of minerals, from the bones to the earth and from the earth to the bones. It even happens with plants. You ever heard of petrified wood? It's stone! How did it become stone? The minerals from the earth migrated into the wood! So how old is the wood? As old as the stone, because it's now stone. How old was it actually, because it fell on the ground, it had to be a tree that grew and when it fell to the ground, then how long was it becoming petrified? We don't know! So, the truth is you can never really tell how old anything is that has been buried in the earth!

In South Africa they unearthed a down-deep grave of so-called sub-human beings. They were probably some kind of human being. I think their research will be totally mistaken if they do not compare that with recent and alive Pigmies in Africa, because they are about the same size. So, you don't know. It will be interesting to see.

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We will do what the Bible does. We'll tell you what we should do and then tell you what the schemes are.

2-Corinthians 2:11: "So that we may not be outwitted by Satan… [Satan is after us] …for we are not ignorant of his schemes."

Let's add one more to the list of names of Satan. This is one I came up with: Infiltrator! Remember the last Passover? Satan possessed Judas and he was infiltrating the Passover ceremony. Then we'll see a little later, wicked spirits in high places: infiltrators! What happened to the Church of God? Got infiltrated! Agents of organizations whose god is Satan; ignorant of his schemes. He plots it; he plans it. Now we will see how Satan works.

2-Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain… [Trinity Broadcasting System; watch some of those shows] …not walking in cunning craftiness… [Satan's business] …nor handling the Word of God deceitfully… [Satan's business] …but by manifestation of the Truth…" (vs 1-2).

This book I'm reading Jesus' Stenographers is really quite a good book considering what he had to deal with. He said that the apostles and ministers were set on teaching the Word of God and the words of Christ, not their own.

I think that was really very well put that way. That's why when we teach, when we go through the Bible, what do we do?

• We go through the Bible!
• We read the Scriptures!
• We compare 'line upon line; precept upon precept; a little here, a little there'!
• Put it all together!

That's exactly what we're doing here now!

"…by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God" (v 2).

What does that mean? We say, 'Prove it in the Word of God! Don't believe what we say. We're not teaching ourselves.' We don't want anyone to follow us. I don't want anyone to follow me, but if I teach what is true in the Bible, then we all have to live by it, every one of us.

The Church gets in trouble is when they adopt some of the organizational schemes of Satan where there is the equal, that is all the brethren, and the more-equal, the hierarchy. The more-equal can do things that the equal cannot do, which is a satanic lie and one of his schemes. Now you know one of the reasons why the Church had to go down.

Verse 3: "But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this age…" (vs 3-4)—world! When did he become god of this world? When Adam and Eve believed him, followed him, obeyed him, and sinned against God! Remember what he told Jesus in the temptation. The temptation of Jesus is one of the most powerful sections in the New Testament.

Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, like one of a giant television screen, like today. It would be hard for people to figure it back before there was television and screens that big. Remember the first ones they came out with were about 6-inches, then it got to 12, 18, and now we have the whole wall. In the stadiums, a 100-feet by 60-feet. You can see everything on it.

Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said, 'All of these I will give you.' The reason he said that is because he knew that Christ was going to take them anyway. He said, 'I'll give them to you now IF you will bow down and worship me.' So, Satan became 'god of this age' when Adam and Eve sinned.

"…has blinded the minds of those who do not believe…" (v 4). Jesus said they are blinded, they don't see, they don't hear, because they don't believe and they don't obey (Matt. 13).

Whenever Satan comes in, sneaks in—we will see that he's organized and we will see that he has come against the Churches of God—he brings something that sounds blessedly true, but it's not. Then you begin to have spiritual blindness. After a while it all goes away. That's the work of Satan!

"…has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we do not preach our own selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake" (vs 4-5). That's what it is, we teach the Word of God! That makes some people angry and mad.

We've covered these before, but let's put it into the equation here. Did not Jesus say there would be false christs? Yes, indeed! The christ of this world is a false Jesus. Jesus was never like that, but they are comfortable with it. They claim the name of Jesus. You can't worship Christ with the ways of the pagans.

What would happen if there was a Catholic who was really, really interested—maybe they got lied to, maybe there was a scheme against them, maybe there was something that took their money—and they're really angry because they have been lied to. Yet, they are good Catholics. If that presented an opening, you could say—especially if they're mad at the Catholic Church—'What if everything you believe is a lie, but sounds blessedly true?' That would be pretty hard to take!

2-Corinthians 11:1: "I would that you might bear with me in a little nonsense; but indeed, do bear with me. For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God because I have espoused you to one husband…" (vs 1-2).

All those who are in the Church are espoused to Christ. However, there may be another revelation in the book of Revelation that narrows that down to certain ones in the Church that will be the Bride. Since I said it, let's turn there.

Let's understand that Rev. 7 tells us that those 144,000 are from the children of Israel and the great innumerable multitude are from all nations, tribes, languages and so forth. That identifies them. I'll have to bring a sermon on it to show the difference between the two sets of 144,000.

Revelation 14:1: "And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb standing on Mount Sion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. Then I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of great thunder; and I heard the sound of lyre players playing their lyres. And they were singing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth" (vs 1-3). Doesn't tell us when we're redeemed. Not from the tribes of Israel!

Here is a qualifier and a descriptive, v 4: "These are the ones who were not defiled with women…"

Who was the great whore? The religions of this world (Rev. 17)! They are likened to women, because the whore has daughters. Are daughters women? Yes!

"…for they are virgins…" (v 4). They never committed spiritual adultery! Would Jesus marry a virgin? Yes, indeed!

"…they are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes…. [not sidetracked] …They were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, and no guile was found in their mouths; for they are blameless before the Throne of God" (vs 4-5).

We will see if we can maybe get a clue as to who the second group of 144,000 are. They are different than the first group.

2-Corinthians 11:2: "…so that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

• What happens if they follow the false prophets? No longer virgins!
• Could they repent and come back? Yes, but they are no longer virgin!

Verse 3: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ…. [obey My voice] …For indeed, if someone comes preaching another Jesus…" (vs 3-4). They were doing that back then! The world's full of it today.

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name? And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?'" (vs 21-23).

He will say, 'Oh, welcome, blessed, come into the Kingdom.' NO! He will say, 'I never knew you.' They were using the name of Jesus, but following a different Jesus.

2-Corinthians 11:4: "…another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit…"—which comes from Satan the devil! Can he influence people? Yes!

"…which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you put up with it as something good" (v 4). 'We're open-minded and want to listen to everything. We want to be fair and balanced.' If you're fair and balanced, then you have half-lies and half-truth. No longer virgins.

Verse 13: "For such are false apostles—deceitful workers… [preaching these things] …who are transforming themselves into apostles of Christ…. [not the real thing, but fake] …And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (vs 13-14).

Isn't that what he did with Adam and Eve? Isn't that what he does for all people? 'We will bring you enlightenment!' It is indoctrination into darkness. What did Jesus say? 'If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!' So, it is a dark light, not the bright Light of Christ.

Verse 15: "Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants… [Satan has many servants] …also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness—whose end shall be according to their works." That's what we see going on in the world!

Let's come over here to Rev. 2 & 3 so we will connect the two together with Rev. 14.

Sidebar: Jesus Christ says to every one of the churches, 'I know your works.' Therefore, it can't be by faith only. If it's faith only, it is dead (James 2). By works your faith is perfected, because you believe God and do what He says. They go hand in hand.

Church of the Ephesians, Revelation 2:2: "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."

But what happened? They got worn out, because they left their first love (v 4) and He tells them to repent. If you leave your first love, what is the first love? Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and being, and your neighbor as yourself, and the brethren as Christ loves us! If they left their first love, that means they are no longer virgins.

Verse 6: "'But this you have: that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate'"—which then is the hierarchy.

The Church of Smyrna, v 9: "I know your works and tribulation and poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan."

Did they succumb to that? No, they didn't! This tells us an awful lot!

They went into prison for ten years. They were killed, but they were "…faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life" (v 10). They were faithful under the most trying of circumstances unto death, no sin!

Church at Pergamos is full of sin. Where are they? Verse 12: "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos, write: 'These things says He Who has the sharp two-edged sword'"—His Word!

Sidebar: When I gave a sermon on this back in 1986—Ron Carey brought this up to me and I said what I'm going to tell you here now: If you go too far against God, Christ will fight against you! Did He not do that with the Jews in Jerusalem and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon? He said, 'My servant Nebuchadnezzar, is going to come and take you down.'

Christ says, v 13: "I know your works and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is…[Rome] …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."

Did it affect them? Yes! Teachings of Balaam, teaching the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which He hates.

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."

I said in 1986 that I see this happening to the Church that Christ is going to fight against His own Church because of their sins. Here we are many years later. Did it happen? Yes, it did! Those of Pergamos cannot be considered virgins. If they repent, they will be accepted.

The Church of Thyatira went into depths. Also, we find that Satan is organized: Synagogue of Satan; the throne of Satan. Here we have Jezebel, the harlot. Again, false doctrine and God tells them that they have to repent. If they don't repent, they are going to lose their salvation, because He's going to "…kill their children with death…" (v 23).

Verse 24: "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…"—no longer virgins of any sort at all! Can they repent? Some of them are not going to!

"…I will not cast upon you any other burden, but hold fast what you have until I come. And to the one who overcomes and keeps My works unto the end…'" (vs 24-26).

That's what you have to do. If you do the works of God that He commands, you're not doing your own. It requires our full participation, agreement, working, doing, choosing and all of that.

The Church at Sardis is a corpse with a pulse. He says, Revelation 3:5: "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life..."

Even if you may not have sinned greatly by having incomplete works, you are sinning to the point of being blotted out of the Book of Life. So, if you just hold to the name of Jesus and the Passover and the Sabbath, you'll probably be accepted. But if you leave that, blotted out, no longer virgins.

The Church at Philadelphia: No sin, withstood the synagogue of Satan against his organization. But notice, what did we read in Rev. 14? What name was on that 144,000? Name of the Father!

Verse 12: "The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out any more; and I will write upon him the name of My God… [the Father] …and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name."

The Church of the Laodiceans are lukewarm and naked. They're not virgins. Out of the seven churches, two are virgins. If you have the attitudes in the seven churches existing all the way down through history and blossoming in the end-time, then this applies consistently through the history of the churches. That maybe helps explain the other 144,000.

Let's look at some of the schemes of Satan the devil and how he does it. Let's add one more to the name of Satan the devil, since there is no place in the Scriptures for this: entertainer and comedian! Next time you watch any comedies or any cartoons for children, how many are teaching sin or making fun of sin? The way you introduce sin is with a joke! So he is entertainer and comedian.

Let's see how he works. Every once in a while I get a postcard from someone who says, 'You say that Satan can inspire. I say only God can inspire.' What do I mean by 'Satan can inspire'? I mean he can put a thought into the mind of a human being! If that happens, that is inspiration. Acts 5: Ananias and Sapphira, remember that?

So they said, 'Let's sell all of our property and bring it in because there are so many disciples here, we'll share with everyone.' They said yes, we'll sell our property for so much. So, they got more. Then they decided to lie. Lying breaks the commandment, 'You shall not bear false witness!' They bore false witness to Peter saying we got it for so much.

Acts 5:2: "And kept back part of the price for himself, his wife also being aware of it; and he brought a certain portion and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…'" (vs 2-3)—because you had the Holy Spirit within you and Peter had the Holy Spirit within him!

"'…and to keep back part of the price of the estate?'" (vs 2-3).

• Did Satan put it in his heart? Yes!
• Can Satan inspire? Yes!

We'll see how that works!

Have you ever gone along and then all of a sudden this thought comes into your mind? Where did that come from? You weren't thinking it! You didn't intend to do it! What you do is rebuke it, because that's coming from Satan the devil. If they told Peter they sold it for more, can they keep some of it? He probably would have said yes!

He says here, v 4: "Before it was sold, was it not yours? And after you sold it, was it not in your own authority? Why did you contrive this thing in your heart?"

Matt. 6 is where Jesus tells the apostles what's going to happen to Him when He goes to Jerusalem. Remember what Peter did? He took Him aside and rebuked Him. He said, 'No, Lord, this isn't going to happen to You.' With the impression, 'We'll fight for You. We'll save You.'

What did Jesus say? 'Get you behind Me, Satan, for your thoughts are not on the things of God, but on the things of men.' So much for the first pope. Of course, he wasn't the pope! On churchathome.org, we have 21 segments on Was Peter Ever in Rome?

Ephesians 2:1: "Now you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world… [being of the world; we're not to be] …according to the prince of the power of the air… [Satan the devil] …the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (vs 1-2). He has the power to project and give thoughts to people so they will disobey.

How do people all of a sudden come along and they're living just fine, and they run out and commit adultery. They run out and rob a bank. They do something else. Where did the inspiration come from? Satan the devil!

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in… [here's what he appeals to]: …the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world."

How does he do it? Remember the cunnings of the devil! Here's it's called the wiles:

Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God…" (vs 10-11). God expects us to resist! God expects us to cast those thoughts down, to expel them from us!

"…so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood…" (vs 11-12). This is a spiritual battle!

Think of all the things that Satan has today to get into the minds of people. Television, portable phones, magazines, books, entertainment, music and movies. How many really good movies could you say glorify God? Zero! Maybe some come close to it. Who is behind it? Satan the devil!

Just to show you how it works. Remember the name Kim Davis? She was the county clerk back there in Kentucky who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses. About four years ago she came to Christ, probably one of those Protestant churches that is for Jesus. There are some who are against Him. She had a very unseemly life. She stood for the Truth and was thrown in jail. All the media went in her background and said, 'Look at what this woman has done.'

• they don't understand repentance.
• they don't understand forgiveness

Why? Because they never want to forgive anyone!

So we have to put on the armor of God! We stand against the wiles of the devil!

Verse 12: "Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities… [high level demons] …and against powers… [evil powers of this world; authorities in the world] …against the world rulers of the darkness of this age…" Those spiritual powers behind the super-elite who worship Satan the devil!

You look at those video tapes from the Center for Medical Progress, about what they do with abortions, they have to be dedicated to Satan the devil to accept that as an ordinary course of work for the day: to kill, to destroy, to pull apart, to maim and so forth. And then talk about it while you eat a chicken salad and drink your wine, and laugh that you need more live cadavers so that you can buy a Lamborghini. The one woman who said that, when I saw her I said that woman looks like the epitome of one who is dedicated to Satan the devil.

Then it shows what we need to do, v 13: "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand."

• you have to stand against the enemy
• you have to stand for the Truth
• you have to stand for the Way of God
• you have to stand for the Word of God

It's like that Kim Davis did. Got thrown in jail. It is true! We have to stand!

Let's understand something, too. In doing this, we have to do it with the Word of God. Satan's temptations are always presented as a benefit. Think about that. Isn't that what he did with Ananias and Sapphira? 'Look, you have a benefit. You get a little more money. Don't tell them anything about it.' Always a benefit that is not gained lawfully, but contrary to the Law of God.

That is how Satan presents everything. Look at the lotto. You'll get a benefit; you'll win. But when I send some money overseas I send it by money-gram. Money-gram is in Knob Hill. I was standing in line and here was this man, he was a daily buyer of lotto tickets. Just to make a little chit-chat I said, 'How much have you won?' He says, 'I buy a ticket every day.' How much have you won? He says, 'I think one time I won $50.' I let the conversation drop there because I didn't want to ask him how much he spent to get that $50.

You'll get a benefit; buy this ticket. Then you see someone who wins and you lust. 'Look, they won, I can win, I'll buy some more tickets. Get this one, that one, buy Powerball, win $100-million.' That's all lust! You're taking money from someone else based upon a lie. 'We'll do good with it. We'll use the money for schools?' Really?

Here's what we need to do spiritually, v 14: "Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with Truth, and wearing the breastplate of righteousness. And having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace" (vs 14-15). Always walking in the way of God, that's what it is.

Verse 16: "Besides all these, take up the shield of the faith, with which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." A lot of those things come right through the television!

Verse 17: "And put on the helmet of salvation…" You've got to have your brain protected!

That's what's so evil with the coming of the mark of the beast. They are going to control your thoughts! What's the next rage? Implanted, high-tech! 'You will be the smartest around. You can control machines by your thoughts, wave your hand.' Won't tell you the end of it, but that's a benefit.

Helmet of salvation: protect your brain. It says to diligently guard the door of your mind (Prov. 4:23). That also means heart.

"…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (v 17). In other words, you must know the Word of God! What have you heard repeated over and over again your whole life in the Church? Study and prayer! There it is right there.

Verse 18: "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

We know the wiles of the devil. We know his tricks. We know his benefits. We also know the Word of God. When we come to the Day of Atonement, then we're going to see what God is going to finally do with Satan the devil to remove him.

God loves the world so much that we need to put in here that even all of those people who have sinned against Christ, committed all of these horrible sins, if they haven't committed the unpardonable sin, they will be raised to a second physical life to have an opportunity for salvation, and Satan won't be around!

How is that for fairness, justice, judgment and love? Fantastic! We're the ones that are going to help them!

Scriptural References:

• Genesis 1:1-2
• Job 38:1-7
• Ezekiel 28:12-15
• Revelation 12:1-4
• Ephesians 1:3-4
• Jude 6
• Acts 26:15-18
• Luke 10:16-18
• 2-Corinthians 2:11
• 2-Corinthians 4:1-5
• 2-Corinthians 11:1-2
• Revelation 14:1-5
• 2-Corinthians 11:2-4
• Matthew 7:21-22
• 2-Corinthians 11:4, 13-15
• Revelation 2:2, 6, 9-10, 12-13, 16, 23-26
• Revelation 3:5, 12
• Acts 5:2-4
• Ephesians 2:1-3
• Ephesians 6:10-18

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 7
• Genesis 11
• Matthew 27; 3
• Isaiah 14
• Matthew 3
• 1-Chronicles 21
• Revelation 9:11
• Zechariah 13
• Revelation 12:9
• John 12:31
• Ephesians 6:12
• 1-Peter 5:8
• Revelation 5
• Matthew 12:24
• Revelation 12:7, 10; 20:2
• John 8:44
• Isaiah 9
• Matthew 13
• Revelation 7; 17
• James 2
• Revelation 2:4
• Matthew 6
• Proverbs 4:23

Also referenced:

Books:

• From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God—Why Were You Born? by Fred R. Coulter
• Jesus' Stenographers by B.J.E. Van Noort

Sermon Series: Was Peter Ever in Rome? (churchathome.org)

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 10-16-15
Reformatted/Corrected: 1/2020