- [Narrator] Mystery:
The Final State of Satan. Revelation 20 speaks in detail concerning the final state
of Satan and unbelievers. Verse seven remarks about the end of the 1,000-year millennial kingdom. Revelation 20, one to three. New American Standard Bible. "Then I saw an angel
coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the
dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan and bound him for 1,000 years. And he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive
the nations any longer until the 1,000 years were completed. After these things, he must
be released for a short time." We read, "An angel
coming down from heaven." The angel that will
subdue Satan is anonymous. We know if it is Michael, Gabriel, or any other high-ranking angel. A Bible commentator noted this. "The final importance of Satan is perhaps indicated in the fact that it is not the Father
who deals with him, nor the Christ, but only an unnamed angel. However we read about an angel
coming down from heaven." It is important to note that Satan is not considered
God's equal or opposite, yet God allows Satan to continue because even in his evil, he indirectly serves the purposes of God. We read the phrases, "Laid
hold, bound him, cast him. Shut him up, set a seal on him." Satan tried to imprison Jesus
in a tomb, but couldn't. However God has no
difficulty restraining Satan. Many have wondered is this a true event? Indeed it is, the battle is literal. The false prophet is literal. The slaying of the kings
and their armies is literal. Satan is literal and his
binding must be equally literal. We read that. "He should
deceive the nation's no more." The revealed primary mode of
attack by Satan is deception. Therefore the best defense and weapon against Satan is
the truth found in God's word. It is evident that Satan's
deceitful actions still persist, indicating that he is not confined in the manner portrayed in the passage. Peter stated that, "Satan is free to roam like a roaring liar, searching for those he can harm." Satan will be released
for one last battle, along with the misled
nations of the world. After he is defeated, we see the results. Revelation 20, nine to 10. New American Standard Bible. "And they came up on the
broad plane of the Earth and surrounded the camp of the
saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from
heaven and devoured them and the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake
of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the
false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day
and night forever and ever." We read, "Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." It is inaccurate to refer
to this as a final battle as there is no actual conflict. The outcome is predetermined with God ultimately
putting an end to the devil and his followers for good. Following the battle, Satan receives eternal judgment and torment, together with the beast
and the false prophet. Is this really eternal punishment? Yes, it is, the words mean
exactly what they appear to mean. "Then all unbelievers will be judged before the great white throne." Revelation 20:15 states,
"And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." In the next chapter, Revelation 21:8 adds, "But as for the cowards, and unbelieving, and abominable who are devoid of character and personal integrity and
practice or tolerate immorality, and murderers and sorcerers
with intoxicating drugs, and idolatists and occultists who practice and teach false religions, and all the liars who knowingly
deceive and twist truth. Their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone which is the second death." Hell exists in a realm
beyond our present realm. Revelation 20, 11 to 15. New American Standard Bible. "Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven flat and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small
standing before the throne, and books were opened and another book was opened which is the Book of Life, And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the
books according to their deeds. And the sea gave up
the dead who were in it and Death and Hades gave up
the dead who were in them and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second
death, the lake of fire, and if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Unbelievers experience ongoing torment and are unable to escape their judgment. The Bible tells us that
the judge is Jesus. John 5, 22 to 27. John 5, 22 to 27. New American Standard Bible. "For not even the Father judges anyone, but he has given all judgment to the son so that all will honor the son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly I say to you, the one who hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly I say to you, a time is coming and even now has arrived when the dead will hear
the voice of the son of God and those who here will live. For just as the Father
has life in himself, so he gave to the son also
to have life in himself and he gave him authority
to execute judgment because he is the son of man." The Earth and the heaven fled away. Earth and heaven flee from this throne. This is not a trial trying to
determine what the facts are. The facts are in. Here is the sentencing of
someone already condemned. We also read, "And the dead were judged according to their works." If people are not listed
in the Book of Life, then each one is judged
according to his works. We read, "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire." Sin's lingering effects have been eradicated including death. The last traces of sin's unlawful
power are done away with. When a person refers to hell, the lake of fire is what
they usually have in mind. We read, "This is the second death." A Bible commentator noted, "As there is a second and higher life, so there is also a
second and deeper death. And as after that life
there is no more death, so after that death
there is no more life." At the end of time, Satan and unbelievers will
experience the second death in which they will be in the lake of fire. This dreadful situation is
one no person would desire. This is why God has offered
salvation through Jesus to anyone who will believe and patiently offers this
salvation still today. John 3:16, Amplified Bible, AMP. "For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that he even gave his
one and only begotten son so that whoever believes and trusts in him as
savior shall not perish, but have eternal life." This is a far cry from
Satan's original state. Before he became the devil or Satan as he is also known, the devil was known as
the anointed cherub. His name according to
Isaiah 14:12 was Lucifer which means the shining one. Unfortunately Lucifer,
the anointed cherub, turned into the devil. Now in Ezekiel 28, we are told about a specific cherub who can be identified as Satan. This anointed cherub embodied the pinnacle of wisdom and beauty. He was a wonderful created being. In the heavenly hosts,
Satan held positions of high rank, status, and responsibility. Don't misinterpret the reference to Eden as the one in Genesis. We know that Satan was
present in the garden as well but in the form of the serpent. This is a reference to a prehistoric Eden. The Garden of Eden was a
garden of plants and trees. However in this Eden, the garden is made of precious stones. Many people believe that Satan directed the praise music in heaven because of the musical
instruments mentioned in verse 13. We all know that music
has tremendous power, whether for good or evil. We've seen how Satan has used music to send false messages
to our minds and hearts. We must remember that music has the power to either
lift a heart to God or drag a soul to him. As Lucifer, Satan was a shining star. The son of the morning, his privileges should have made him the most thankful cherub. Satan became corrupted,
inequity was discovered in him. The Lord then goes on to list three sins, violence, arrogance, and irreverence. He violated the holy position in which he ministered
in God's sanctuaries. One unbreakable biblical
spiritual principle is that when we exalt
ourselves, we will fall. Satan attempted to exalt himself, but God said he would be cast into hell. However when we humble
ourselves before the Lord, we will be lifted up. We don't have to worry
about lifting ourselves up when we humble ourselves and submit to his will. It'll be taken care of by God. Luke 10:18, New King James Version. "And he said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like
lightning from heaven.'" We may easily become discouraged if we only consider who Satan is and what he is capable of, yet he is a condemned person. It's simply a matter of time. When Jesus died on the cross, he demolished the devil's apparatus. Hebrews 2:14, New American Standard Bible. "Therefore since the children
share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise
also partook of the same so that through death, he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is the devil." So why is Satan still active? Is it because he doesn't recognize he's been out of business? The devil is running around like a chicken with its head cut off. He's dead and doesn't even realize it, but God stated he shall
be no more forever. We don't know much about Satan. He is now a condemned being who will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone one day. Until then, the Bible instructs believers to remain alert and attentive. The devil wants us to
collapse like he did, but we can hold our ground. Not only has the Lord Jesus saved us, but he is also the only one who can preserve us from falling. According to what Jesus taught, hell does not have a set amount of time but rather exists forever. Those who are tormented in hell are doomed to an eternity of torment. Jesus was quoted as saying,
"The fire never goes out." Jesus said this as a warning to people that caused others to stumble. Hell is also called the lake of fire in Revelation 20, 13 to 15. "A place prepared for the devil and his angels," Matthew 25:41. A popular Bible commentator
said about this verse, "A child with a spoon
may sooner empty the sea than the damned accomplished their misery. A river of brimstone is
not consumed by burning." There is no way out of hell and neither is there any relief from it, nor any solace to be found there. Luke 16:26, Amplified Bible. "And besides all this, between us and you people, a great chasm has been fixed so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able and none may cross over from there to us." If you haven't put your trust in him yet, now is not the time to
put it off any longer. It is not too late to
turn to God right now, but someday it will be too late. Regarding hell, C.S. Lewis once wrote, "There is no doctrine which
I would more willingly remove from Christianity than
this if it lay in my power, but it has the full support of scripture and especially of our Lord's own words. It has always been held by Christendom and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must
be possible to lose it." Jesus talked a lot about
hell in his teachings. In fact, we can glean more information about hell from Jesus's words than from any other chapter
of the Bible combined. Jesus spoke of hell as outer darkness. Matthew 8:12, "While the sons
and heirs of the kingdom, the descendants of Abraham who will not recognize me as Messiah, will be thrown out into
the outer darkness. In that place which is farthest
removed from the kingdom, there will be weeping in sorrow and pain and grinding of teeth
in distress and anger." At the end of time, everyone will stand before Jesus Christ and he will separate humanity into sheep. Those who display their faith in Jesus via their good actions and goats, those who do not demonstrate their faith in Jesus
through their good works, those who did not trust in Jesus Christ. The goats, on the other hand, will go away into eternal punishment and the sheep will get eternal life. God the Father blesses and gives an inheritance to the
sheep on Jesus's right hand. The goats on Jesus's left hand are doomed to eternal hell fire because they are prepared
for the devil and his angels. The explanation offered it is
that they had an opportunity to minister to the Lord, but did nothing. The damned asked, "Lord,
when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger,
or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?" Jesus replies, "I tell you the truth. Whatever you did not do for
one of the least of these, you did not do for me." Jesus then ends the
discourse with a contrast. They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Matthew 25:46, Amplified Bible. "Then these unbelieving people will go away into eternal
unending punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God will go by his remarkable grace into eternal, unending life." Jesus unfailingly distinguished hell from the kingdom of God. Hell is the opposite of excellent fellowship
with God eternally.
