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This is what R.C. Sproul said about Satan: Even at this moment, as I’m discussing this question, Satan’s authority and power are limited and subordinate to the authority that is vested in Christ. Christ right now is the king of this earth. His kingdom is invisible, and not everybody acknowledges it. People are giving more allegiance to the prince of darkness than to the Prince of Peace, but that is an act of usurpation on the part of Satan. His power is restricted, limited, and temporal. What has happened briefly is this: The power and authority of Satan has been dealt a fatal blow by Christ. The Cross, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, and the Ascension tremendously weakened any power or authority that Satan enjoyed, but it didn’t annihilate him. That will come later, when Christ completes his work of redemption with the consummation of his kingdom. All things will be brought into captivity to him, and every knee will bow to him, including the fallen angels, who will bow in submission to his authority.
R.C. Sproul is correct and the big Question is- has the “casting out of Satan and his angels” happened or is it still in the future? Here is my VIEWPOINT: Do you believe that Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME? This would be soon after Satan rebelled against God. This is often stated as being right before the Serpent tempted Adam and Eve. This is taught in seminaries and therefore, is the teaching of most pastors. This thinking is also spread by the Catholic Church and all orthodoxy. So, I ask you Why would God Cast Satan out at that time? This could mean that man’s sin is superseded by Satan’s actions causing havoc and rebellion on earth. Adam and Cain could have said Satan made me do it. In other words, Satan and his angels could be accused of being the agents of all evil on earth and thus the flood would NOT necessarily remove this evil, for Satan would still be on earth after the flood. This is not what the Bible says. The cause of the flood was 100% man’s sin: “God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart were all evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had mad man….” This does not say Satan was causing this evil nor influencing it- for God would have said so. God brought the flood to destroy the earth and mankind’s evil and evil intentions. If Satan was on the earth in “great fury” as Revelation 12 states, the whole scenario would repeat quickly after the flood, and man could say he was not responsible. No, it is man’s sin that brings the wickedness and evil. Satan and his angels were in heaven when God allowed Satan to cause the trials in JOB’s life as an example of Faith for us (and most believe that the book of Job is the oldest book of the Old Testament). Satan can influence us and affect how we choose to act, but he is has not yet been “cast out of heaven.” He is the Accuser of the Saints in heaven.
God all along has kept Satan in heaven to keep him and his angels under his control for His purposes. As the saying goes: “Keep your friends close but keep your enemies even closer.” God who taught us to love our enemies allowed Satan in heaven for His purpose. God is in the act of molding us with dignity, value, and free will. God does not want to violate or negate mankind’s dignity, value, and free will. He allows us to fail or sin by our free will for we will be judged for that sin. It is not Satan that controls us- God has dominion. God does allow Satan certain access such as Tempting Jesus in the Wilderness or “roaming like a lion” to bring trials in people’s lives or even to change the course of history temporarily—as happened with some of those possessed or influenced by Satan or demons. God is teaching that there is a real history behind evil; that the Garden of Eden was a real event; that we must lean on Him and search His Word for our protection and guidance; and that we can go to Him in prayer for comfort, help, direction, understanding etc..
Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven prior to the Great Tribulation – as Satan will enter the Anti-Christ and, in his fury, will seek to kill all Jews and Christians. This is the “day of evil” mentioned in Ephesians 6:13 (and when the day of evil comes Satan and humanity will have freedom to fulfill the Promises that God has made concerning the Tribulation .) It also says, “do not sin — for it will give Satan a foothold.” Satan is working to weaken us and to cause us to stumble as he did with Job. He, however, is not on earth causing the fury prior to what Revelation 12 speaks of. Revelation 12 tells us that there is a SHORT TIME in which Satan will be furious on earth for he knows his time is short. This time element or period of time is key, for God created time and the Word carries forth a definition of time – we know that He limits time and evil. So, when He states the word “SHORT,” He is giving us a certain period of time – a gift of Grace because He knows that the destruction will grow so great that He will eventually have to limit the whole end-time event. Matt: 24:21-22 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would survive. But for the sake of the elect those days (the Great Tribulation) will be cut short.” Thus, the word “SHORT” cannot imply 6000 years as would be the case if Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven near the “Creation of Earth.” Satan is still in heaven and is still accusing the Saints while Jesus Christ is our Advocate. Remember that Revelation 12 defines what happens when Satan is cast out of heaven. It says that Satan and his angels war against Michael the Archangel and his angels and are cast out of heaven. “Satan is furious because he knows his time is short.”
TO UNDERSTAND MORE GO TO: my new book- Cosmic Crossroad Countdown: The Invisible War and the Final Chapter.
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This is what R.C. Sproul said about Satan: Even at this moment, as I’m discussing this question, Satan’s authority and power are limited and subordinate to the authority that is vested in Christ. Christ right now is the king of this earth. His kingdom is invisible, and not everybody acknowledges it. People are giving more allegiance to the prince of darkness than to the Prince of Peace, but that is an act of usurpation on the part of Satan. His power is restricted, limited, and temporal. What has happened briefly is this: The power and authority of Satan has been dealt a fatal blow by Christ. The Cross, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, and the Ascension tremendously weakened any power or authority that Satan enjoyed, but it didn’t annihilate him. That will come later, when Christ completes his work of redemption with the consummation of his kingdom. All things will be brought into captivity to him, and every knee will bow to him, including the fallen angels, who will bow in submission to his authority.
R.C. Sproul is correct and the big Question is- has the “casting out of Satan and his angels” happened or is it still in the future? Here is my VIEWPOINT: Do you believe that Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME? This would be soon after Satan rebelled against God. This is often stated as being right before the Serpent tempted Adam and Eve. This is taught in seminaries and therefore, is the teaching of most pastors. This thinking is also spread by the Catholic Church and all orthodoxy. So, I ask you Why would God Cast Satan out at that time? This could mean that man’s sin is superseded by Satan’s actions causing havoc and rebellion on earth. Adam and Cain could have said Satan made me do it. In other words, Satan and his angels could be accused of being the agents of all evil on earth and thus the flood would NOT necessarily remove this evil, for Satan would still be on earth after the flood. This is not what the Bible says. The cause of the flood was 100% man’s sin: “God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart were all evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had mad man….” This does not say Satan was causing this evil nor influencing it- for God would have said so. God brought the flood to destroy the earth and mankind’s evil and evil intentions. If Satan was on the earth in “great fury” as Revelation 12 states, the whole scenario would repeat quickly after the flood, and man could say he was not responsible. No, it is man’s sin that brings the wickedness and evil. Satan and his angels were in heaven when God allowed Satan to cause the trials in JOB’s life as an example of Faith for us (and most believe that the book of Job is the oldest book of the Old Testament). Satan can influence us and affect how we choose to act, but he is has not yet been “cast out of heaven.” He is the Accuser of the Saints in heaven.
God all along has kept Satan in heaven to keep him and his angels under his control for His purposes. As the saying goes: “Keep your friends close but keep your enemies even closer.” God who taught us to love our enemies allowed Satan in heaven for His purpose. God is in the act of molding us with dignity, value, and free will. God does not want to violate or negate mankind’s dignity, value, and free will. He allows us to fail or sin by our free will for we will be judged for that sin. It is not Satan that controls us- God has dominion. God does allow Satan certain access such as Tempting Jesus in the Wilderness or “roaming like a lion” to bring trials in people’s lives or even to change the course of history temporarily—as happened with some of those possessed or influenced by Satan or demons. God is teaching that there is a real history behind evil; that the Garden of Eden was a real event; that we must lean on Him and search His Word for our protection and guidance; and that we can go to Him in prayer for comfort, help, direction, understanding etc..
Satan and his angels will be cast out of heaven prior to the Great Tribulation – as Satan will enter the Anti-Christ and, in his fury, will seek to kill all Jews and Christians. This is the “day of evil” mentioned in Ephesians 6:13 (and when the day of evil comes Satan and humanity will have freedom to fulfill the Promises that God has made concerning the Tribulation .) It also says, “do not sin — for it will give Satan a foothold.” Satan is working to weaken us and to cause us to stumble as he did with Job. He, however, is not on earth causing the fury prior to what Revelation 12 speaks of. Revelation 12 tells us that there is a SHORT TIME in which Satan will be furious on earth for he knows his time is short. This time element or period of time is key, for God created time and the Word carries forth a definition of time – we know that He limits time and evil. So, when He states the word “SHORT,” He is giving us a certain period of time – a gift of Grace because He knows that the destruction will grow so great that He will eventually have to limit the whole end-time event. Matt: 24:21-22 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would survive. But for the sake of the elect those days (the Great Tribulation) will be cut short.” Thus, the word “SHORT” cannot imply 6000 years as would be the case if Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven near the “Creation of Earth.” Satan is still in heaven and is still accusing the Saints while Jesus Christ is our Advocate. Remember that Revelation 12 defines what happens when Satan is cast out of heaven. It says that Satan and his angels war against Michael the Archangel and his angels and are cast out of heaven. “Satan is furious because he knows his time is short.”
TO UNDERSTAND MORE GO TO: my new book- Cosmic Crossroad Countdown: The Invisible War and the Final Chapter.
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