openly challenged and contradicted. Revelation 14:7 tells us that ‘the hour of God’s judgement has come.’ The judgement of God involves ‘every nation and kindred and tongue and people’ so it is global. Satan has taken his side openly against God with numerous followers, who live as he does, by destroying, hurting and cheating out for their own ends. Is there anybody on the side of God? Anybody who is totally loyal to God? This is what the trial is looking for. God needs witnesses.
4. How will this loyalty be revealed, because we cannot see what is in the heart? Revelation 14:7 tells us, that who we worship and obey is the key factor in revealing our loyalty. God gave the ten commandments in Exodus 20. Satan, through men, has changed them. Therefore which version we keep, shows who we are loyal to. Sometimes the words are changed, sometimes traditions are added to the commandments, making the change in people’s thinking. But in either case, to keep man-made tradition is to worship God ‘in vain’. See Mark 7:7 All of us ‘are made a spectacle unto the world , and to angels and to men.’ 1 Corinthians 4:8. God has allowed Satan to develop his way of ruling a world. We do not like it, and this is why we ask the questions, but God could not destroy Satan until Satan had shown his hand completely. The unfallen angels could otherwise have thought that God was afraid of Satan, or that Satan was really
right. Or it might be that they would think God was a tyrant who could not handle a challenge to his government.
5. How long will the misery continue? The time now, is very close to when Satan will be destroyed along with his angels and his followers. And God has promised that affliction will not rise up the second time. Suffering of all kinds will be finished forever.
But it seems that we are caught in the middle of this struggle. It does not seem fair.
At least God has been truthful with us. He said ‘In this world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.’ John16:33. When Jesus died on the cross, God gave the ultimate demonstration of love. The punishment for rebellion under God’s government, is death, and we have all rebelled and taken Satan’s side at some time. By rights we should die with Satan at the end. But Jesus, who is God, died in our place so giving us a probationary lifespan, plus all the information in the Bible, to help us choose to whom we would be loyal. He has also told us that one day it will all come to a head and He will intervene. Those on God’s side at that time will have a permanent escape –Christians call this eternal life, and those who have preferred Satan’s way of life will be destroyed. Everyone has a chance to make the decision. Reading this information may be your opportunity to decide.
Satan has been overcome, which is why he is angry and in the meantime he is trying to take as many to destruction with him as he can while he still has the time. On the cross Jesus exclaimed ‘It is finished.’ God had made his demonstration by enduring the same pain and suffering and privation that we experience. He died to take our death penalty, but also to show that it does actually exist. This is just the point on which Satan had contradicted God in the beginning. He had said ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ God does love us. It is not just words.
But HOW does God care about us today? How do we know he cares?
Because we live in this world no-one is exempt from suffering - children, or the innocent - not even Jesus himself, when he came to live with us. Satan does not mind who gets hurt in his final anger. He knows his system of rule has almost finished. In the Bible there are many promises for us. When Jesus suffered he was alone - My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? But to us he says, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. Isaiah 43:2. ‘Fear not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen the yea I will help thee.’ Isaiah 41:10. God has made these promises to us about our suffering, and this is how we know he cares. If we can be -
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