Lesson 24 - Satan: His Work and Destinty

     “Two errors regarding Satan are current, and since he alone is benefited by them it is reasonable to conclude that he is the author of them.”[1]

1. Many believe that Satan does not really exist and that the supposed person of Satan is no more than an evil principle, or influence, which is in man and in the world.[2] Scripture reveals Satan as a real person with all the capacities of personhood, such as intelligence, volition and feelings.
2. Likewise, others believe the error that Satan is the direct cause of sin in every person. Scripture reveals people produce sin and are held responsible for it ( 2:16-17; 3:1-7; 6:5; Mark 7:20-23; Jam. 1:13-15).

The Work of Satan

     "Isaiah 14:12-17 is only one of the many passages bearing on the work of Satan. This passage reveals Satan’s original and supreme purpose. He would ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and be like the most High. To this end he will use his unmeasured wisdom and power; he will weaken the nations, make the earth to tremble, make the world as a wilderness, destroy the cities thereof, and refuse to release his prisoners. Though every phrase of this passage is a startling disclosure, two in particular may be noted."[3]

1. The expression “I will be like the most High” (v. 14) indicates the supreme motive that guides all his activities after the fall.[4] (Read page 162)
2. The expression that He “opened not the house of his prisoners” (Isa. 14:17) seems to refer to Satan’s present power over unsaved people as well as his incapacity to help them in their eternal judgment. Those who are born into this world are born into Satan’s system, which is a place of slavery. It is a kingdom of darkness (Col. 1:13), where men are held captive (2 Tim. 2:26), and said to be blinded to the gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4). (read page 162-163)

The Destiny of Satan

     “As the Word of God is explicit regarding the origin of Satan, so it is explicit regarding his career and destiny. Five progressive judgments of Satan are to be distinguished.”[5]

1. Satan’s moral fall, with its necessary separation from God, is clearly indicated, although the time in the dateless past is not disclosed (Ezek. 28:15; 1 Tim. 3:6).[6]
2. A perfect judgment of Satan has been secured through the Cross (John 12:31; 16:11; Col. 2:14, 15), but the execution of that sentence is yet future. This sentence with its execution was predicted in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15).
3. Satan will be cast out of heaven. In the midst of the coming Tribulation and as a result of a war in heaven, Satan will be cast out of heaven and be limited to the earth. He will then act in great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time to continue ( 12:7-12. Note also, Isa. 14:12; Luke 10:18).
4. Satan will be confined to the abyss. For the thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth, Satan will be sealed in the abyss, after which he must be loosed for a “little season” ( 20:1-3, 7). The purpose of putting him in the abyss is to make it impossible for him to be active and to continue deceiving the nations.
5. Satan’s final doom will come at the close of the millennium. Having promoted an open rebellion against God during the “little season,” Satan is then cast into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever ( 20:10).

[1] Lewis Sperry Chafer; John F. Walvoord; Major Bible Themes (Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing, 2010), 161.

[2] Ibid., 161.

[3] Ibid., 162.

[4] These two points are taken verbatim from Major Bible Themes, page 162.

[5] Ibid., 163.

[6] These five points are taken verbatim from Major Bible Themes, pages 163-164.