From His Beginning to His Eternal Torment
When someone speaks of the devil immediately some image comes to mind. Almost everyone has some idea about the devil as to his character, abilities, limitations, looks, and his doings. During the month of October, there is growing anticipation to the holiday of Halloween. I have heard Halloween called such things as the devils holiday, the devil’s night and the devil’s birthday. During this holiday many will celebrate darkness and evil. Some will go so far as to intentionally glorify the devil. Most people have many wrong ideas about the devil. We want to expose him. The Lord God who knows him best has given to us much information about the devil and his doings, for our profit. What do you believe about the devil? How much of it is myth and how much of it is truth? In this article we are going to give many details some you know and some you may not know.
1. Where did he come from?
Let us go to the beginning of our bibles to find out. Genesis chapter 1 there is no mention of the devil, Genesis 2 simply gives more details of the things that took place in Genesis 1 and there still is no mention of the devil. What about Genesis 3?
Genesis 3:1 -- Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The serpent is described as subtil. The word subtil means cunning or clever. This is not just a snake this is a who. Who is this serpent? The last book in the bible tells us who this serpent is.
Revelation 12:9 -- And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The serpent of course is the devil or Satan. Where did he come from and why is he here? This is the very first time the devil is mentioned, his beginning is not mentioned in Genesis. If we read further in the bible we will find the devil’s beginning in the book of Isaiah and Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 28:14-15 -- Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
This is a description of the devil before he had fallen from Heaven. From these two passages we see that there was a day when the devil was created and that the devil had a position, of a covering cherub. A cherub is an angelic being. The bible then says he was perfect in his ways until iniquity or sin was found in him. What was this sin?
Isaiah 14:12-14 -- How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
How did God respond to this sin?
Isaiah 14:15 -- Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Immediately he was judged, with a future judgement, his final judgement is still yet to come.
Ezekiel 28:16 -- By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
The curious question to all of this is, when did this take place? To believe that the devil was created in a day (as the bible says), to believe that God created everything in six days (as the bible says) and to believe that there were no days before day one, the only conclusion is that this Lucifer (the devil) was created during one of the six days of creation.
Exodus 20:11 -- For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is...
When did he fall? This would have to have been after the seventh day, because…
Genesis 1:31 -- And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God could not have looked upon HIS creation with a fallen angel in it and have said “behold, it was very good”. The devil had fallen after the sixth day but, before the events in Genesis chapter 3. This is to suggest that Lucifer (the devil) did not have his postion of a covering cherub very long. When did he begin his rebellion?
1 John 3:8 -- He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
Sometime after the seventh day we find this serpent, which is the devil, in the Garden of Eden and thus the work of the devil begins on man.
John 8:44…He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
2. The devil’s other names and titles?
The devil is given many different names and titles in the bible. Some we have all heard of and some are less known. In one scripture alone the devil is called four different things.
Revelation 12:9 -- And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
This scripture also has the two most common names of the devil. The first one is of course devil. Every name and title in the bible has a meaning. The word devil means a slanderer or a false accuser. The other popular name for the devil is Satan. Satan means an adversary or an enemy. This crowd out there who is involved satanic worship are worshipping the enemy of their very souls. Satan hates you, he hates me, he hates God, he hates this bible, he hates everything that is good, and he is the enemy. The devil is also likend to a great dragon, a serpent, and a roaring lion. The devil is also named in the bible Abaddon, Angel of the bottomless pit, Apollyon, Beelzebub, Belial, Father of lies, Lucifer, Murderer, Prince of demons, Ruler of darkness, and the Wicked one. Do you get the picture he is not our friend.
3. Where is he at now?
Most people would say he is in Hell, the lake of fire. This simply is not true. We have all seen hundreds of pictures, movies and cartoons of the devil holding a pitch fork at the gates of hell. This is not where the devil is. When he is in hell he will not be holding a pitch fork welcoming sinners in. Are you ready for this? This is what the bible teaches and this is what we know to be true.
John 14:30 -- Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
2 Corinthians 4:4 -- In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
Ephesians 2:2 -- Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
These three scriptures all speak of the devil. Most of us realize that the devil is amongst us, but do you realize how much of an influence and control he has amongst us. I am not going to go into detail of all his doings but I will say his power and authority is limited. For the child of God the bible says:
1 John 4:4 -- Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
The bible also says:
1 Corinthians 10:13 -- There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Not only is he among us but he also has access to the throne of God. The book of Job tells us what he does at the throne of God.
Job 1:6-12 -- Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
He accuses us. He speaks against us. The devil tries to move God against us. There is coming a day where this will come to an end.
Revelation 12:10 -- And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
4. The devil’s future
Now we come to the good stuff. What does the future hold for the devil, our enemy? This is the best part of the message.
Revelation 12:7-9 -- And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
This is a future event, this has not happened yet. This is going to take place in the middle of what is called the 7 year tribulation period. When this happens the devil will have his goings on in the world, but he will not be able to stand before the throne of God to accuse anymore, as he did Job and as he does us now.
Revelation 20:1-3 -- And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
This will take place after the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:7-8 -- And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth,
Now we come to the devil’s final judgement.
Revelation 20:10 -- And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The final judgement for all of his sin and rebellion is the torment of the lake of fire, for how long? Day and night for ever and ever. Does anybody know why this lake of fire was created?
Matthew 25:41-- Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
I am OK with the devil and his angels burning in a lake of fire forever and ever, but who is Jesus talking about here?
Matthew 25:31-33 -- When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
All though the devil and his angels will be tormented day and night forever and ever, Jesus is talking about unbelievers going there too. Jesus Christ is talking about people, all of humanity will be put into one of two catagories. He likens them to sheep and goats. Are you a sheep or a goat?
John 10:27-28 -- My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Do you know the Lord, are you truly saved, have you truly been born again? God did not create this lake of fire for you. Would you believe today?
John 3:18 -- He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If you know Christ, are you doing anything to keep anybody out of this lake of fire? We are to be like the apostle Paul, to let everyone know.
1 Corinthians 2:2 -- For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
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