On Saturday, December 6, 2008, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Forgotten God.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
A new member letter was written for December. In the letter, Dave Harris discusses several prophecies dealing with the future of the USA and Britain, as well as the endtime Church of God, and concludes with a challenging warning for God’s people.
The following new sermon was posted on Google Video and on our Website:
Norbert Link, “Bible Study–Stubbornness, a Sure Way to Destruction,” November 15, 2008
Set forth below are recent comments from our readers and StandingWatch viewers:
I have watched the standingwatch.org website. It’s really a great blessing for us as we could understand about the prophecies in the Bible. I just want to have a copy of The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. And if you can send some more booklets which may be helpful to us, please do send us, so that we can spread the word. (Viewer from England)
Circuit City is closing hundreds of their stores. When that happens. people will lose their jobs. When people lose their jobs, they have no money to spend. When they don’t have money to spend, companies will have to go bankrupt or just close down their businesses (Viewer from the USA)
Thank you for your lovely teaching about the word of God, more especially the teachings of holy days of God. I have been a member of… conference church but I have never heard this wonderful teaching [as explained on] your web site [church of the eternal God]. Friends, because of this truth which I have found on your web and I believe that even if I can take this teaching to the church…, I know they will reject the message, but the coming Sabbath I will give it a trial to see if they will accept your message, and I will let you know next week. Be continually blessed in the Christ, and I request you to send to me the literature of [Mr. Herbert W.] Armstrong to help me to understand more of the truth (“Elder” from Kenya)
I want to thank you for all the strength you give me in my knowing [for] sure that Jesus Christ is my only savior (Reader from Holland)
To properly understand what Paul is saying–and what he is not saying–let us read the entire passage of 1 Timothy 2:1-7, in context:
“(1) Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for ALL MEN, (2) for kings and all who are in authority, THAT WE MAY LEAD A QUIET AND PEACEABLE LIFE in all godliness and reverence. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires ALL MEN to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, (5) For there is ONE God and ONE Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself a ransom FOR ALL, to be testified in due time, (7) for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle–I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying–a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
As this passage clearly shows, we are to pray for governmental leaders, regardless of whether they behave and rule righteously or unrighteously. But how, exactly, are we to pray for them?
The Life Application Bible explains:
“Paul’s command to pray for kings was remarkable considering that Nero, a notoriously cruel ruler, was emperor at this time (A.D. 54-68). When Paul wrote this letter, persecution was a growing threat to believers. Later, when Nero needed a scapegoat for the great fire that destroyed much of Rome in A.D. 64, he blamed the Roman Christians so as to take the focus off himself. Then persecution erupted throughout the Roman empire. Not only were Christians denied certain privileges in society, some were even publicly butchered, burned, or fed to animals…
“When our lives are going along peacefully and quietly, it is difficult to remember to pray for those in authority, because we often take good government for granted. It’s easier to remember to pray when we experience problems. But we should pray for those in authority around the world so that their societies will be conducive to the spread of the gospel.”
This is a correct statement. True Christians ARE to pray that God would influence leaders, especially in societies hostile to Christianity, to allow the unhindered and unrestricted preaching of the true gospel (compare 2 Thessalonians 3:1). Paul is not telling us here that we are to necessarily pray for the conversion of these leaders–God will convert people in His due time–but that they be motivated to make decisions allowing us to lead peaceful and quiet lives. We are not asked to pray that God would reward evil leaders for and in their sins.
We are to pray even for our enemies (compare Matthew 5:44)–not, that they will be blessed in their sins, but that they perhaps come to the understanding of the truth and change their way of life (compare Romans 12:20). The king of Nineveh and the entire city-state repented of their evil deeds, when they heard Jonah’s warning–and as a consequence, they were spared from destruction. Jonah should have prayed for such a change in the minds of the people–but he did not. This should be a lesson for us today, not to act and think as Jonah did at that time.
There are occasions, of course, when we are not to pray for the benefit and welfare of a particular governmental leader. After God rejected King Saul, He told Samuel to cease mourning for the king (compare 1 Samuel 16:1).
At the same time, we are asked to pray with thanksgiving. This may be easy to do when we are living in peace. It is more difficult to do so when we are encountering persecution. But still, we need to include in our supplications and intercessions the giving of thanks in and even for those circumstances. We know that nothing just happens in our lives of which God is unaware. Whatever God allows to happen in our lives is for a reason. We read that God will see to it that even our enemies make peace with us when our ways are pleasing to God (compare Proverbs 16:7). If our enemies don’t make peace with us, then, perhaps, our ways are not as pleasing to God as we may think. Also, we are asked to be joyful in persecution, as we know that our reward will be great in heaven (Matthew 5:10-12). There are many reasons why we can be thankful even in adverse circumstances. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Teach Us to Pray” and “Human Suffering–Why and How Much Longer?”
The following commentaries explain quite succinctly how to pray for governmental leaders–and WHY. As we will see, Paul emphasizes the outcome of our prayers–to be able to lead quiet and peaceful lives in furtherance of the preaching of the gospel and walking the way of God.
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states that Paul is asking Christians to pray for “supreme governors, as the emperor of Rome, and kings of particular nations; and for all sub-governors, or inferior magistrates, as procurators or governors of provinces, and proconsuls, and the like; all that were in high places, and acted under the authority of those that were supreme.”
The commentary continues to explain the phrase, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty,” in the following way:
“… which does not merely design the end [or goal, purpose, aim] of civil government by kings and magistrates, which is to preserve the peace and quiet of the commonwealth; to protect the persons and properties of men, that they may possess their own undisturbed; and to secure to them their civil and religious rights and liberties… nor does this clause only point out the duty of saints to live peaceably under the government they are, and not disturb it… but also expresses the thing to be prayed for; and the sense is, that since the hearts of kings are in the hands of the Lord, and he can turn them as he pleases, prayer should be made to him for them [kings, etc.], that he [God] would… bring them [kings] to the knowledge of the truth, [which] they now persecuted; or at least so dispose their hearts and minds, that they might stop the persecution, and so saints might live peaceably under them…”
Vincent’s Word Studies adds that we are to pray for governmental leaders that we may lead a “quiet and peaceable life,” by explaining that “quiet” arises “from the absence of outward disturbance,” while “peaceable” or “with tranquility” arises “from within.”
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible points out:
“The design of the Christian religion is to promote prayer; and the disciples of Christ must be praying people. Pray always with all prayer [Ephesians 6:18]. There must be prayers for ourselves in the first place; this is implied here. We must also pray for all men, for the world of mankind in general, for particular persons who need or desire our prayers…
“Pray for kings…; though the kings at this time were heathens, enemies to Christianity, and persecutors of Christians, yet they must pray for them, because it is for the public good that there should be civil government, and proper persons entrusted with the administration of it, for whom therefore we ought to pray, yea, though we ourselves suffer under them… [We] must not plot against them… and give thanks for them and for the benefit we have under their government…
“Here we see what we must desire for kings, that God will so turn their hearts, and direct them and make use of them, that we under them may lead a quiet and peaceable life… Here we have our duty as Christians summed up in two words: godliness, that is, the right worshipping of God; and honesty, that is, a good conduct towards all men…
“The Jews at Babylon were commanded to seek the peace of the city whither the Lord had caused them to be carried captives, and to pray to the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof they should have peace [Jeremiah 29:7]…
“As a reason why we should in our prayers concern ourselves for all men, he [Paul] shows God’s love to mankind in general… God will have all men to be saved; he desires not the death and destruction of any [Ezekiel 33:11], but the welfare and salvation of all. Not that he has decreed the salvation of all, for then all men would be saved; but he has a good will to the salvation of all, and none perish but by their own fault… There is one Mediator, and that mediator gave himself a ransom for all.”
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states:
“… As it is a positive maxim of Christianity to pray for all secular governors, so it has ever been the practice of Christians… Indeed they prayed even for those by whom they were persecuted. If the state be not in safety, the individual cannot be secure; self-preservation, therefore, should lead men to pray for the government under which they live. Rebellions and insurrections seldom terminate even in political good; and even where the government is radically bad, revolutions themselves are most precarious and hazardous. They who wish such commotions would not be quiet under the most mild and benevolent government…
“Good rulers have power to do much good; we pray that their authority may be ever preserved and well directed. Bad rulers have power to do much evil; we pray that they may be prevented from thus using their power. So that, whether the rulers be good or bad, prayer for them is the positive duty of all Christians; and the answer to their prayers, in either [case], will be the means of their being enabled to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:
“… while all people should be the subjects of prayer, those should be particularly remembered before the throne of grace who are in authority. The reason is, that so much depends on their character and plans; that the security of life, liberty, and property, depends so much on them. God has power to influence their hearts, and to incline them to [do] what is just and equal; and hence we should pray that a divine influence may descend upon them. The salvation of a king is of itself of no more importance than that of a peasant or a slave; but the welfare of thousands may depend on him, and hence he should be made the special subject of prayer.”
The commentary continues that we ought to pray for governmental leaders so “That their hearts may be so inclined to what is right that they may protect us in the enjoyment of religion, and that we may not be opposed or harassed by persecution.”
The Broadman Bible Commentary explains:
“Prayer for the emperor contrasted with worship of him. The practice reflected Christian fidelity to established institutions and the belief that power for orderly government came from God…”
For more information on this vital issue–how and in what way power for orderly government is derived from God–please read our Q&A on Romans 13:3.
The Broadman Bible Commentary continues:
“The aim of the prayer would be not the conversion of the emperor but the welfare of the state, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.”
In conclusion, we are instructed to include governmental leaders in our prayers so that we may be able to lead quiet and peaceable lives, enabling us to preach the gospel of the peaceful Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness. We are not asked to pray for the conversion of our leaders, but rather, that they may be motivated not to persecute us or to cease from their persecution. Instead of praying for a violent overthrow of our government, we are to pray that God will influence our leaders to do good and refrain from evil. Anarchy, insurrections and revolutions don’t establish peace, but they are, by their very nature, hazardous and violent. Our prayers for governmental leaders with the goal of leading peaceful lives would also include praying that, subject to God’s Will, our leaders do not decide to go to war, and that they are motivated to end whatever wars their nations might be engaged in.
We are to pray always and without ceasing, including on behalf of our leaders and even our enemies, so that we may be allowed to lead peaceful lives. In this world of hatred, violence and war, such kinds of prayers are necessary and very pleasing to God.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
On Saturday, November 29, 2008, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “When the Sons of God Saw the Daughters of Men…”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
Set forth below are recent comments from our StandingWatch viewers:
It all comes down to one word: greed. Man can get away with greed for a while but it will catch up to you, and it did, worldwide! It is good to know that a better and “greed-less” future is coming!
God’s will shall be done regardless of who is the president, I did not vote for [Obama] or McCain.
Numerous passages in the book of Zechariah and in other places in the Old and New Testament reveal that the city of Jerusalem will be facing a terrible time of destruction, but that it also will be subsequently blessed beyond human comprehension.
Jesus stated in Luke 21 that Jerusalem will be surrounded by Gentile armies which will make the city “desolate” (verse 20). He added that the city will be “trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (verse 24). We read in Daniel 11:41 that the “king of the North” — a military leader — will “enter the Glorious Land” and “plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain” (verse 45)–apparently establishing the city of Jerusalem as his new headquarters.
Paul adds in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that the “man of sin” or the “lawless one” — a religious leader — will sit “as God in the temple of God,” claiming to be God. His powers will be given to him by Satan (verse 9). This passage indicates that a physical temple will be built in Jerusalem, and that the “lawless one” will be sitting in that temple. That an end-time temple may be built can also be seen in Zechariah 6:15.
Revelation 11:1-2 seems to confirm that a physical temple will be built in Jerusalem, and that the Gentiles will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months–that is, for three-and-a-half years. They will kill God’s “two witnesses” in Jerusalem–a city which by that time is compared with the city of Sodom (verse 8). But God will resurrect the two witnesses, and an earthquake will strike the city, destroying a tenth part of it, and 7,000 people will die in that earthquake (verse 13).
We also read that sacrifices will be given in Jerusalem until the king of the North, the man of sin and the Gentile armies take them away (Daniel 11:31; 8:9-14).
Joel 3:2, 11-14 reveals that at the time of Jesus Christ’s return, ALL nations–that is, their armies–will move to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, outside Jerusalem, in order to fight there. Revelation 16:14, 16 tells us that they will first assemble at a place called Armageddon–but according to the book of Joel, they will then move towards Jerusalem. At that time, the modern nations of Israel and Judah will have already been defeated in war and have become captives of Gentile powers (Joel 3:1, 6; compare Jeremiah 30:10). The book of Joel informs us further that Jesus Christ will return to Jerusalem to fight for it–and THEN “Jerusalem shall be holy” (verse 17). He and His saints will overcome all of God’s enemies, including the king of the North, the man of sin and their armies–their attempt to fight Christ and His saints will be defeated (Revelation 17:14).
With this brief background, let us now focus on what is stated in the book of Zechariah, regarding the end-time fate of Jerusalem.
The LORD or Jesus Christ, the Messiah, tells us that He will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and that His house shall be built in it (Zechariah 1:16). He assures us that Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls–that is, it will be peaceful (2:4). When God dwells in Jerusalem, it shall be called the “City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain'” (8:3). Then, “Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem… The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets…” (8:4-5). The captives of Israel and Judah will be brought back to Jerusalem “from the land of the east and from the land of the west… And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness” (8:7-8).
As the modern nations of Israel and Judah will become a curse among the nations just prior to Christ’s return, so they will become a blessing when Christ saves them (8:13). Christ is determined to do good to Jerusalem in the end (8:15). Then, “many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem And to pray before the LORD” (8:22). The Jews will be respected at that time–rather than still harboring anti-Semitic feelings, Gentile nations will ask the Jewish people to show them the way to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (8:23).
In Zechariah 9:9-10, we read about Christ’s first AND second coming to Jerusalem. At His first coming, He rode peacefully on a donkey (verse 9). At His second coming, He will also bring peace to the city–by DESTROYING all the weapons of war (verse 10)–and–as we will see–by DESTROYING those who want to destroy the city.
Just prior to His return, Christ will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against it (12:2). Verses 3 and 4 tell us: “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day… I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness… and will strike every horse of the peoples [soldiers] with blindness.”
Verses 8, 9 and 11 continue: “In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem… It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem… In that day there shall be great mourning in Jerusalem…”
When Christ returns to Jerusalem, He will “cut off the names of the idols from the land” and He will “cause the [false] prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land” (13:2). We also read that two-thirds of all the inhabitants of the land of Judah will die, and that the remaining one-third will be refined in fire–that is, they will repent during the “Great Tribulation” and the “Day of the Lord,” and become converted (13:8-9).
The last chapter of the book of Zechariah (chapter 14) gives us, without doubt, the great crescendo or final climax of the fate of the city of Jerusalem–picturing first its terrible future destruction, and then its subsequent glorious destiny.
Note these highlights from chapter 14, which bring into focus, in a coordinated fashion, the various statements quoted in this Q&A pertaining to Jerusalem’s future:
“(1) Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. (2) For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, the houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. (4) And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley… (5) Then you shall flee through my mountain valley… As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with [Him]… (7) It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD [God the Father]…
“(12) And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongue shall dissolve in their mouths. (13) It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will… raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand; (14) Judah will also fight at [better: against] Jerusalem [speaking of those Jews who escaped captivity by supporting the Gentile armies, compare Daniel 11:32]… (15) Such also shall be the plague On the horse and the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those [military] camps. So shall this plague be.”
But Christ also tells us in the 14th chapter of the book of Zechariah what will happen AFTER His return–when He begins to RULE in Jerusalem, sitting on the throne of David (compare Luke 1:31-33):
“(8) And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem… (9) And the LORD shall be King over all the earth… (10) Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place… (11) The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, But Jerusalem shall be inhabited… (16) And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (17) And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. (18) If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (19) This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
“(20) In that day ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD’ shall be engraved on the bells of the horses… (21) Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite [an unconverted, rebellious person] in the house of the LORD of hosts.”
The entire book of Zechariah, all its visions and prophecies, point at this most important event in the history of man–the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He will come to establish the righteous and peaceful Kingdom of God on this war-stricken earth. May God speed THAT day, and let us pray, “Your Kingdom COME,” while making sure that we are coming out of spiritual Babylon, lest we “share in her sins, and lest [we] receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
The “fatal sequence” of an empire is most commonly attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler. It states that a nation progresses as follows:
From Bondage to Spiritual Faith
From Spiritual Faith to Great Courage
From Courage to Liberty
From Liberty to Abundance
From Abundance to Selfishness
From Selfishness to Complacency
From Complacency to Apathy
From Apathy to Dependency
From Dependency back into Bondage
There may be debate as to whether they all have followed this course, but when looking at it, there are some undeniable accuracies. For some time now the English speaking countries have been the dominant empires. So this begs the question, where might we be in Tytler’s cycle?
If we are honest, we would have to say that we are near the end… in more ways than one. We are near the end of the list as well as being near “The End.” The Bible long ago predicted that the end-times would come and that there would be indicators that we are living in those times. Those events are presently happening all around us, and harbingers of future events are becoming clearer every day.
There is no question that these prophecies are going to take place and this present day empire will come to an end. This WILL happen! What is not clear is whether we as individuals will get caught up in the surge and suffer the same fate.
What are our tendencies? Is it to head towards bondage and away from godliness? Or is it to head towards spirituality and away from carnality? As we live in this world and walk through it, is the world wearing off on us or are we wearing off on it?
In the parable of the sower, Christians are warned about “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13:22)–that they will choke off the Word of God and cause us to become unfruitful. If we succumb to these temptations, then we are in danger of receiving a great trial and tribulation (Matthew 24:21) to help get us back on the track.
We have been given a tremendous blessing in the calling and knowledge that has been bestowed upon us. Matthew 13:16-17 says: “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
God brought us out of bondage and led us to the spiritual faith of Christ where He has given us courage, liberty and abundance in His way of life. Now we must be ever vigilant not to be caught in the vicious circle that leads back to the ignominy of bondage. Where are we in this “fatal sequence”?
New Sermons posted on Google Video:
Norbert Link, “Bible Study–The Biblical World of Animals, Part 1,” October 25, 2008
Norbert Link, “Bible Study–The Biblical World of Animals, Part 2,” November 1, 2008
A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “Can Mr. Obama Deliver and Save Us?” In the program, Norbert Link points out that the world reacted with great euphoria and optimism to Barack Obama’s “historic election” as the 44th President of the USA. International governmental leaders and reporters expressed hope for “change” and the “dawn of a new era.” But can Mr. Obama fulfill his promises in light of unparalleled “seismic challenges”? Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, terrorism, climate change, Afghanistan, Iran, healthcare, unemployment, financial recession and depression are just some of the issues to be addressed. Is our hope and trust in a human leader totally misplaced?
A new StandingWatch program in the German language was posted on AufPostenStehen and YouTube. In the program, Norbert Link discusses the question whether abortion is EVER justified, and when the life of a human being begins.
Recent Comments from our StandingWatch viewers:
Mr Obama is faced with very challenging problems for the nation of USA. Like you say, his success and that of the country depends on obedience and TRUST in God. For example, think of how much money could be reallocated from the defense budget if the nation had faith and trusted in God for deliverance. Imagine what the healthcare industry would look like if all trusted God for healing. Unfortunately, these concepts are so foreign to most and seem ridiculous.
I think everyone will sober up when he starts appointing his cabinet. Things are going to start getting very strange after that. We will see how far left this country can go. Check Mr Obama’s voting record. Left always, more than anyone else in the senate ever.
It looks like the American way of life — including greed, which you rightly point out — is no longer serving us well. It’s comforting to know there’s a better future ahead.
wow these are the events of before and to world war 2 all over again đ
It is true that things are not going to get better, no matter who the president is and no matter what type of “solution” is going to be tossed out there. You are right when you say how the Bible prophesies what is going to happen, what is happening right now in the world. All hope is not lost however, thanks to these informative programs on what we all NEED to be doing! Well Done!!
As you have recommended watching the [StandingWatch program] âComfort in terminal sicknessâ, I did and I believe it is true and it is also biblical that the fervent prayer of the believers in Christ will help heal a sick person… I am no longer interested in physical healing. I am more interested in my own spiritual healing and my familyâs salvation. Pray for our salvation. Salvation is to me more important than physical healing. Physical healing will come second, after spiritual healing and salvation. That is what I am looking for. I know that my time will end soon. The degeneration has already reached my neck. I know that it will just be a matter of time before it reaches my brain and I will lose my mobility at first… We know now that becoming a true Christian is not that easy. It takes time and effort to become one with God. I am more concerned about my family than myself.
Continue enjoying your “punchy” deliveries on StandingWatch.
by Simon Akl
The Feast of Tabernacles has come and gone, and I am now back to my everyday life of school and work. The amount of school work that was awaiting me seemed to be insurmountable. With all the usual school distractions it is very easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out. However, the Feast was a reminder of the need to prioritize what should be important in my life.
It allowed me to take a step back and realize how many of the tasks that I view as large mountains are really a small drop in the ocean compared to Godâs plan. Focusing on more important reasons behind my purpose and existence helps me put everything in perspective and reduces some of the daily obstacles that I am confronted with. I find that some of the toughest times of trials and tribulations tend to come right after the Feast. They tend to divert me and force me to forget about all the great lessons that I have just finished learning during the Feast. They tend to depress me when thinking about the tough time that I am about to face.
It is important for me to always keep the right mindset and focus to keep reminding myself of what truly is important. Satan does whatever he can to knock me off the righteous path and deceive me. That is why I constantly have to try and refresh my thoughts with lessons that I have learned while at the Feast, as well as trying to apply them in my everyday life.
The question of the ultimate destiny of Satan and demons has been hotly debated for centuries and even millennia. However, just based on the revelation of the Bible, we cannot conclude that Satan and his fallen angels will ever cease to exist. If they will, then the Bible has simply not revealed that to us. What is revealed points clearly at a never-ending life of Satan and his demons, cut off from God and existing in the blackness of spiritual darkness forever.
We explain the fate of Satan and his demons in more detail in our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” on pages 51 and 52. We are quoting below a few excerpts:
“… The angels who sinned are presently in chains of darkness, to be reserved for future judgment (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). They are living today in a state of darkness. They are spiritually imprisoned by their own perversions… Satanâs spiritual torment, and that of his angels, will continue. After a time period called the Great White Throne Judgment, Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41). Their torment will be spiritual, as they will see all of their evil works destroyed by fire (compare 2 Peter 3:10â13), and their influence on others will be gone forever. Their final fate might be revealed in Jude 13, referring to ‘wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.’ Compare, too, 2 Peter 2:17. God knows what is in store for them, and so do they.”
We need to realize that Satan and his demons are fallen ANGELS–and angels CANNOT die (compare Luke 20:36). As invisible spirit beings (Colossians 1:16), both God’s righteous angels and the rebellious angels are “ETERNAL” (2 Corinthians 4:18)–that is, they are created spirit beings, incapable of dying. When God gives us ETERNAL life, we will live forever. There is never a possibility to lose our eternal destiny–because God has promised it to us, and God cannot lie.
Some have speculated that Satan will cease to exist, claiming that God will change him from a spirit being into a mortal being, who is then capable of dying. However, there is no biblical evidence that God will do this; nor, that this could be done. God is faithful to His own word–and He declared through Jesus Christ that angels cannot die. Nowhere does the Bible say that angels or demons CAN die; nowhere is it mentioned that any angel or demon EVER died; and nowhere do we find it expressed that an angel or a demon EVER changed into a physical being. (We find that God’s angels materialized on occasion, appearing in a human form–but they did not CHANGE into a human being. We also find, however, that Satan and his demons were deprived of that ability. This is fully explained in our booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” on pages 42-44.)
Some have pointed out that God cannot die, either, but that Jesus Christ–the God of the Old Testament–became a man so that He could die. This is true–Christ divested Himself of His divinity–He, who had been a God being, chose to BECOME flesh for the purpose of death. But note HOW this was done. Christ was conceived in the womb of a human mother–the virgin Mary. God the Father did not simply change Him from a God being into a man by fiat–Christ became a man by being conceived of God’s Holy Spirit, and He was then nurtured in the womb, until the day of His birth as a little baby. If we allow the Bible to tell us HOW God changed a spirit being into a physical being–the only time this EVER happened, based on the Scriptural record–then here is the answer. However, nowhere does the Bible as much as suggest that God will do with Satan, as He did with Christ. Surely, God will not change Satan into a physical being by having him conceived in the womb of a woman. It is interesting that Hollywood movies portray this kind of diabolical scenario–something which was undoubtedly inspired by Satan himself. He might want to WISH this to happen–but God will NOT allow it.
Some have pointed at a passage in Ezekiel 28 which describes the fall of Lucifer, who became Satan. They say that this passage shows that Satan will be burned up and that he will therefore cease to exist.
However, we need to understand that Ezekiel 28 speaks about a human being, as well as Satan. In Ezekiel 28:1-10, God addresses the “PRINCE of Tyre” (verse 2), a mighty human leader. Beginning with verse 11 and until verse 17, God then addresses the real power behind that human leader–Satan the devil, who is identified in verse 12 as the “KING of Tyre.” But beginning in verse 18, God returns to the description of the prince of Tyre–the human leader–and it is the human leader who will be “devoured” and “turned… to ashes,” and he “will be no more forever” (verse 19).
We see a similar way of describing a human leader, and the spiritual power behind the leader, in Isaiah 14. Beginning in verse 3, God addresses the human king of Babylon (see verse 4). But beginning in verse 12, God speaks of the fall of Lucifer or Satan–the one giving his power and authority to the king of Babylon. But commencing in verse 16, God returns to the description and fate of the human king, addressing him in verse 16 as “the MAN who made the earth tremble…” He is a human being with children (verse 21), and he will not be buried, but he will be cast out of his GRAVE, as he disgraced the land (verses 19, 20). Clearly, God is here no longer talking about a spirit being, but He returns to the description of the physical king of Babylon, whom He had originally addressed in that chapter.
Returning to Ezekiel 28, we find that God said in verse 16 to Lucifer: “And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I DESTROYED you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.” Some claim that this passage proves that Satan will be “destroyed” in the sense of “annihilated.”
However, that is not the meaning of “destroyed” in that context. Please note that God speaks about the fall of Lucifer which occurred BEFORE the creation of man. It was already at THAT time that God “destroyed” him “from the midst of the fiery stones.” But Satan did not cease to exist at that time. He is still around today–and he will be around at the end of the Millennium, to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:7-10). All Ezekiel 28:16 is telling us is that God did not allow Lucifer any longer to dwell with Him on the mountain of God–in heaven. He was no longer allowed to fulfill any holy administrative functions in the service of God. Rather, he FELL down from heaven to this earth like lightning (Luke 10:18).
Even though the Hebrew word for “destroy,” “abad,” can have the meaning, by implication, of “perish,” it can also mean “wander away” or “to lose oneself.” Judging from the context and in light of the remainder of the Bible, it is clear that the meaning here is not, “cease to exist.” The New International Version translates, “… I EXPELLED you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.” Other translations say here, “drove out.”
Some have pointed at a question by demons at the time of Jesus, when they asked Him: “Did you come to destroy us?” (compare Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). They have concluded that this shows that demons know that they will be annihilated. This is, however, not what the passages indicate–apart from the fact that the Greek word for “destroy,” apollu,” can ALSO mean, “to lose off or away.”
John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible comments that the context of the passages does not mean, “… to annihilate them, but either to turn them out of the bodies of men, which to them was a sort of a destruction of them, and was really a destroying that power, which they had for some time exercised over men; or to shut them up in… prison…, and inflict that full punishment on them, which is in reserve for them…”
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible adds: “We may suppose this spirit to have felt and spoken thus: ‘Is this the time of which it hath been predicted, that in it the Messiah should destroy all that power which we have usurped and exercised over the bodies and souls of men?'”
The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary adds that the feared “destruction” refers to the power or the works of the demons, and does not imply that they themselves will be annihilated: “Conscious, too, that their power was but permitted and temporary, and perceiving in Him, perhaps, the womanâs Seed that was to bruise the head and destroy the works of the devil, they regard His approach to them on this occasion as a signal to let go their grasp of this miserable victim.”
The demons KNEW that their fate was not one of annihilation. Rather, we read that they asked Christ whether He had come to âtormentâ them âbefore the timeâ (Matthew 8:29).
To quote again from page 51 of our afore-mentioned booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”:
“Luke 8:31 adds that they begged Christ not to command them ‘to go out into the abyss.’ At this point in time, they are not yet in that ‘abyss.’ Satan is not in it either; rather, he will be placed in it at the beginning of the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-3, 7âthe word ‘abyss’ is translated there as ‘bottomless pit’). What is the ‘abyss?’ The word is used in Romans 10:7, where we read, ‘Who will descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).’
“In Romans 10, the ‘abyss’ is used as an analogy in association with the dead who are buried. It is also used as an analogy in Luke 8 and in Revelation 20. When Satan and his demons will be placed in the ‘abyss’ at the beginning of the Millennium, they will be as good as deadâunable to influence and deceive the nations any longer during that time period (compare Revelation 20:3). The fact that they wonât be able to destroy others will give them spiritual tormentâthat is why they asked Christ whether He had come to torment them before ‘the time.'”
Viewing all of the Scriptures in context, and based on what IS revealed in the Bible, we conclude that the fate of Satan and his demons is NOT one of annihilation or extinction; rather, it appears that they will become “wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13).
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
