Jesus is talking to the seventy disciples who had just come back from their missionary tour. "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke 10:18) When did this happen? Of course we answer quickly, When he sinned and got kicked out of heaven.
Here's the passage we usually think of. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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." (Revelation 12:7-9) But notice that when we make this connection, we are actually equating two different phrases. Jesus said that Satan "fell," but in Revelation 12 it says he was "cast out." So perhaps these verses are referring to different events.
Notice what Jesus said in this verse. "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (John 12:31) This was just before the crucifixion, when Satan would again be "cast out." Does that mean that Revelation 12 is really talking about the crucifixion as well as Satan being cast out of heaven in the beginning?
Here is how Ellen White uses Revelation 12. "Christ bowed His head and died....'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.'" (DA 761) Why is Ellen White quoting that verse when she's talking about the crucifixion? Is it because the second casting down is more important than the first casting out? The first casting out was just an exile from heaven. The second casting out was a loss of Satan's credibility, which is what the great controversy is all about.
We need some more clarification. "After the crucifixion, [Satan] saw that he had overreached himself....Satan saw that his disguise was torn away, that the character he had tried to fasten on Christ was fastened on himself. It was as if he had the second time fallen from heaven." (12 MR 411) This is definitely at the cross. It's like there is something about these two events—the fall of Satan from heaven and the death of Christ on the cross—that is so similar that inspired writers seem to put them all together.
Actually, Ellen White sometimes make the linkage even stronger. "God...looked upon the victim expiring on the cross, and said, 'It is finished. The human race shall have another trial.' The redemption price was paid, and Satan fell like lightning from heaven." (YI June 21, 1900) So there we have stages one and two in Satan's fall.
Let's move on to stage three. "The accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12:10-12) This does look familiar, doesn't it? And it really is stage three.
Let's focus on a few details. The accuser of the brethren was "cast down" at the death of Christ. Now a new group is introduced. There is a group of people who have beaten the devil, placing their lives at risk in the process. Because they overcame, the heavens and everyone who lives there can rejoice. But these events appear to be bad news for all those who live in the wrong place—the earth—because the devil is running out of time and he's really angry.
When does all this come together? Of course, at the end of time. "'Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.' Fearful are the scenes which call forth this exclamation from the heavenly voice. The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows short, and his work of deceit and destruction will reach its culmination in the time of trouble." (GC 623)
So this passage in Revelation 12 is really talking about three different episodes. We've got the fall of Satan, about 6,000 years ago; the crucifixion, about 2,000 years ago; and the time of trouble, in our near future. What do these three events have in common?
"Satan...is an accuser of the brethren, and his accusing power is employed against those who work righteousness. The Lord desires through His people to answer Satan's charges by showing the results of obedience to right principles." (COL 296) These three events are all based on Satan's accusations against Christ.
So how will Satan's accusations be answered? "The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within. It is the atmosphere of this love surrounding the soul of the believer that makes him a savor of life unto life." (AA 551) Answering Satan's charges involves more than pure doctrine. Far more important are the lives God's people live.
In Desire of Ages, page 490, four stages are put together in one passage. "Like the apostles, the seventy had received supernatural endowments as a seal of their mission. When their work was completed, they returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy name.' Jesus answered, 'I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.' (Obviously, we are reviewing stage two) The scenes of the past and the future were presented to the mind of Jesus. He beheld Lucifer as he was first cast out from the heavenly places. (This is stage one) He looked forward to the scenes of His own agony, when before all the worlds the character of the deceiver should be unveiled. He heard the cry, 'It is finished,' announcing that the redemption of the lost race was forever made certain, that heaven was made eternally secure against the accusations, the deceptions, the pretensions, that Satan would instigate. (This is the near future for Jesus, which is stage two) Beyond the cross of Calvary, with its agony and shame, Jesus looked forward to the great final day, when the prince of the power of the air will meet his destruction in the earth so long marred by his rebellion. Jesus beheld the work of evil forever ended, and the peace of God filling heaven and earth. (This is stage four, the final destruction of sin and Satan, his last fall from heaven) Henceforward Christ's followers were to look upon Satan as a conquered foe. Upon the cross, Jesus was to gain the victory for them; that victory He desired them to accept as their own." (This is stage three, not as detailed as the others, but still there)
Stage one (6,000 years ago) – The members of the Godhead understood Satan's plans and arguments, and rejected them.
Stage two (2,000 years ago) – Angels and unfallen worlds understood Satan's plans and arguments, and rejected them.
Stage three (near future) – The 144,000 will understand Satan's plans and arguments, and will reject them.
Stage four (1,000 years later) – The wicked will understand Satan's plans and arguments, and will reject them.
So there's the fall of Satan. Naturally it's easier to understand the first two stages, since they've already happened. But it's stage three that should most interest us, since we actually have a chance to do something about that one. At the very least we should be working on it. ( In passing, notice that the righteous dead are missing from the list above. We'll come back to them shortly.)
Stage Three
We will start with a familiar verse. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) Everyone is familiar with this sequence. But is there a reason for this order of events? It is a common assumption that the gospel must go to all the world before the end can come. This assumption is correct, but why? It isn't so everyone will have a chance to be saved. Billions of people have already died without hearing the gospel. A number of inspired passages tell us that even the "unenlightened heathen" can be saved. (Zechariah 13:6; Romans 2:13-15; DA 638; SD 364; COL 385) It looks like God has a way of dealing with that problem.
So why does "this gospel" need to go to all the world? More importantly, which gospel is "this gospel"? If the pope could preach an evangelistic series that was broadcast to every person on earth, would the end come? How about Benny Hinn, or Pat Robertson, or James Dobson, or Joel Osteen? What about Ted Wilson, or Dwight Nelson, or Doug Batchelor, or Mark Finley? The point is, "this gospel" must be the true gospel. It has to be complete, mature, and powerful enough to bring on the end. That is the "gospel of the kingdom." To whatever extent my gospel falls short of that, I will fall short of ever finishing God's work, no matter how much I do. In the Lord's service, quality is always more significant than quantity. Our failure to master the science of salvation is the greatest cause for the delay of the end of time.
Scripture talks about that delay in the Lord's plans. "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." (Revelation 7:1-4) So what is holding things up? It is the sealing that is holding up God's plans. By the way, it is also holding Satan up. He started falling a long time ago, and he should have hit the rocks by now. It's only because we aren't ready for the sealing, that he's still sort of floating around in mid-air.
But why can't God's plans go forward without the sealing? What makes it necessary? What does it accomplish? Let us look at another verse. "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." (Ephesians 3:10) Notice that it says "by the church." Somehow the church will provide a demonstration of "the manifold wisdom of God" that is so different from anything else that has ever been seen, that "the principalities and powers in heavenly places" will learn something new. And that demonstration is to be made through the sealing. So now we can say that it is the need for the demonstration of the wisdom of God that comes through the sealing of the 144,000 that is holding things up.
So what is this wisdom of God? We will ask four questions about this specific part of God's wisdom that is to be demonstrated to the principalities and powers in heavenly places by the church. 1. What plans are being held up? 2. What wisdom of God could possibly require demonstration? 3. What specifics need to be demonstrated? 4. Can the sealing demonstrate what is needed?
What plans are being held up? Obviously it is God's plans for the end of time that is to come after the gospel goes to all the world. In other words, everything from the sealing on. This includes the close of probation, the time of Jacob's trouble, the second coming, the reward of the righteous, and the destruction of the wicked.
What wisdom of God could possibly require demonstration? Remember, this is for the benefit of the principalities and powers in heavenly places. That's a loyal audience. Don't they trust Him? It is the last two items that need clarification—the reward of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked. Satan has been complaining about God's plans on these two issues for several thousand years. And the unfallen inhabitants of the heavenly places have a stake here as well. Angels have good reasons to make sure that God's plans don't endanger heaven and don't execute the wicked unfairly.
What specifics need to be demonstrated? Suppose a teacher gave a math test and everyone flunked. But suppose the teacher announced later that seven students would get passing grades anyway. You would want to know what made those seven different, wouldn't you? And if the teacher said, "It's because they have blue eyes," you wouldn't think it was fair, especially if you didn't have blue eyes! The problem is that blue eyes have nothing to do with math tests. That's just not a good reason. Well, what would be a good reason? Maybe if the class studied the lesson again, and then took another test. If the seven students showed that they had learned how to do the math, it would make more sense. But does that second test guarantee that they will never again mess up another math question? Is that reason really any better than blue eyes? So, does it sound like a good idea to take people to heaven. Even people who have passed a second test? What a risk! And what about those who failed twice? What if the teacher gave them another chance? How many chances should someone get before the teacher says, "I give up. This student is hopeless."? The situation is much more serious when the consequence isn't just a failing grade—it's eternal death.
So we must look at our question more carefully. What specifics need to be demonstrated? To justify His government's rulings on the reward of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked, God needs to do three things. 1. He must show that there is a good reason some are lost and some are saved. This is necessary to counter Satan's claim that because God's people have sinned, they are no more entitled to salvation than he is. Or better yet, he deserves salvation just as much as they do. 2. He must show that the people He wants to take to heaven are safe to have there. This allays the concern of the unfallen inhabitants of the universe about taking people like you and me to heaven. The righteous need to be completely safe to save. 3. He must show that there is nothing more that even God could do to help the wicked. This establishes God's love and justice as being entirely compatible. The wicked need to be completely irredeemable.
Can the sealing demonstrate what is needed? This is our fourth and most important question. We all know some basic information about the sealing. The seal of God is contrasted with the mark of the beast. A seal—an official sign of authority—gives the essential information (usually the name, title, and jurisdiction) of the individual, organization, or government which it represents. This information is found in the Sabbath commandment: Name—Lord; Title—Creator; Jurisdiction—Heaven and earth. The mark of the beast is readily identified as the claim to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday. The sealing is "a settling into the truth...so they cannot be moved." (The Faith I Live By, p. 287)
So we know that the Sabbath is the seal of God's government, and that determined opposition to God's authority by the exaltation of Sunday is the mark of the beast. When God's people settle into the truth intellectually and spiritually so that nothing can move them, they will receive the seal of God. We also know that the seal of God is placed in the foreheads of the 144,000 before the close of probation, and the close of probation marks the end of Christ's work in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. Sometimes we think of the seal of God as some sort of heavenly diploma after we pass the final test. But the reality is that the seal is given before the final test. Teachers don't do that. You don't hand out diplomas before you know whether or not the student has passed the final test. So what's going on here?
We also know that the conflict between the observance of the Sabbath and the mark of the beast reaches its peak during the time of Jacob's trouble, when those resisting the combined religious/political authority of the world are condemned to death. This is clearly after the close of probation. Perhaps we need to look more closely at Jacob and this "trouble." "For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:5-7) Jeremiah is clearly referring to the story of Jacob's night of wrestling by the Jabbok.
We know the story. Jacob is returning home after his twenty year absence when he gets word that his brother Esau is coming with 400 armed men. Realizing that his only hope is God, he spends the night praying. At midnight someone attacks him. "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said,...as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Genesis 32:24-28)
Please note that the One Jacob has been praying to is the same One he has been fighting. What does Jacob believe? That God loves him and wishes him well, or that God hates him and wants him dead? It's faith versus sight (and feeling and hearing and smelling and the taste of blood). Which is stronger? This is the basic test of the time of Jacob's trouble.
Jacob is not the only illustration of this test? Under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, when to Job it seemed that God was out to kill him, still he maintained his trust and loyalty, when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." (Job 13:15) It is important to note that this whole test was Satan's idea, and God went along with it. Lest anyone think that this was an insignificant event, remember that it cost the lives of about 100 people to set up this test for Job.
But the ultimate example is Jesus. "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,...My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34) Jesus was willing to complete the plan of redemption even when it seemed that His Father had deserted him completely.
What makes the test of the 144,000 after the close of probation special? Millions have faced death for their faith. What is the difference here? This is not the normal test of martyrdom, because at this time—with no High Priest to intercede in the heavenly sanctuary—the 144,000 feel no sense of God's abiding presence. Every sensory input tells them that God is their enemy. "Those who live in the last days must pass through an experience similar to that of Jacob. Foes will be all around them, ready to condemn and destroy. Alarm and despair will seize them, for it appears to them as to Jacob in his distress, that God Himself has become an avenging enemy." (Signs of the Times, Nov. 27, 1879)
After making every sacrifice imaginable to remain true to God's government, facing imminent death because they refuse to disobey His commandment, with no possible hope in anything but God, that's when God seems more like an enemy than a helper. DO THEY STILL TRUST HIM? Why such a test? Because it has to be the absolute most difficult test of faith possible ever, under any circumstances. Nothing less can show that they trust God so much that they will do His will even when it doesn't make sense to them. Nothing less can show that they are "saved enough" to be safe in heaven.
Before we continue, we must digress to look at the end of this test. "Dangers thicken on every side, and it is difficult to fix the eye of faith upon the promises amidst the certain evidences of immediate destruction. But in the midst of revelry and violence, there falls upon the ear peal upon peal of the loudest thunder....God utters His voice from His holy habitation. The captivity of His people is turned. With sweet and subdued voices they say to one another, 'God is our friend.'" (Signs of the Times, Nov. 27, 1879) The hardest test of all time can be passed by anyone who has learned that "Jesus loves me, this I know."
So, what does this test show? By placing His seal on the 144,000 before this most difficult of all tests, God provides convincing evidence that He can correctly identify those who are safe to let into heaven. The seal is not a diploma! It is a demonstration of God's wisdom that helps His loyal subjects feel more comfortable with people like you and me. But it does more.
Because everyone on earth at this time is familiar with "this gospel," and only those who have faith pass the test, and all those who have faith pass the test, this test shows that faith is necessary for salvation, and faith plus a knowledge of "this gospel" is sufficient for complete obedience. This is why the gospel has to go to all the world. This test can't be carried out properly without simplifying the situation down to a single variable. Only when the question of knowledge is standardized can the role of faith be clearly seen. It's a little like working on a car. You don't do a major engine overhaul and switch gasoline brands at the same time. You wouldn't know which change solved the problem. You must stick with one variable.
And why is all this important? Aside from proving that the 144,000 are safe to let into heaven, this demonstration just happens to be exactly what is needed to take care of the one group of people who got left out of the four stages of Satan's fall—the righteous dead. Let's use a great hero to illustrate this. Martin Luther didn't keep the Sabbath. He was all confused on infant baptism. He lived on roast beast, sauerkraut, and beer. He was not the most patient of individuals. But he had faith. Now Jesus says, "I can teach Martin Luther the details of 'this gospel' when I get him to heaven. But the investigative judgment has already found that he had true faith. Is it alright with everyone if I take him home with Me?" And there won't be a single voice raised in objection, because righteousness really is by faith. Martin Luther's faith allows him to be saved with an incomplete knowledge of God and His plan of redemption, but something more is necessary before Satan's arguments can be cast down.
What is the final test really for? "All heaven is waiting to hear us vindicate God's law." (Review and Herald, April 16, 1901) "If there was ever a people in need of constantly increasing light from heaven, it is the people that, in this time of peril, God has called...to vindicate His character before the world." (Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 746) "The honor of the law of God is to be vindicated before the unfallen worlds, before the heavenly universe, and before the fallen world." (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 338)
The final test is not about my salvation, but about the vindication of God's law and His character (which are exactly the same). It is God Who is really being examined here. Is God's way really a foolproof way to preserve the universe? Notice the future direction of these statements. This is not about Stage 2 and what happened at the cross. This is about "us" and "the people" that live at the end of time. Notice also that this vindication demands "increasing light from heaven" because God can only be vindicated by pure truth, never by honest untruths about His law and character. Martin Luther lived in a time of limited light and thus could not vindicate God. Martin Luther's faith was sufficient to save him, but insufficient for the final vindication of God and the defeat of Satan.
This last test is not really about our salvation, although that is involved. It is to answer all remaining questions on all levels, fallen and unfallen. The remnant of Revelation 12 was not called into existence to repeat the mission of Martin Luther or John Wesley or Billy Graham. It was called to vindicate God's way of accepting and rejecting sinful men and women. Is God's way fair to all and will it protect the universe from repeating the whole sorry mess?
The test shows that God is fair in saving people with limited "light" on the basis of their faith. The sealed final generation shows that true faith will lead to obedience to complete "light" when it is available. Therefore, those who died with limited "light" will not jeopardize the safety of the universe, because their genuine faith will always respond in obedience to "new light."
The ultimate mission of the last prophetic church is not to be saved or even to lead others to salvation, although both of these goals will be accomplished by them, but to annihilate Satan's last remaining arguments against God, His character, His law, and His method of saving sinners. We are here as God's final piece of evidence necessary to end the experiment of sin and preserve the universe from any similar experiments in the future.
Stage Four
After a thorough examination of the books of record to answer every question about why this one or that one is not among the redeemed, the time has come to finish sin and sinners forever. We know the story. After 1000 years Jesus descends on the Mount of Olives. The earth splits to create a great plain, and the New Jerusalem comes to rest. Soon the wicked are raised to life. After a period of unknown duration during which they
prepare their weapons and organize their forces, they are ready to attack the city.
"At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on—an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite the forces for this final struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. With military precision the serried ranks advance over the earth's broken and uneven surface to the City of God. By command of Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city and make ready for the onset." (GC 664)
Up to this point, I don't know of any means by which God has shown the universe that it is absolutely impossible to reclaim those who have rejected faith. What about the little old lady down the street who grew pretty roses, and gave cookies to the neighborhood children, but never accepted Christ? Isn't there some way to reach her? Just on more chance? Wouldn't you ask? Wouldn't Jesus—the One who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8); the One who said, "[whoever] comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37); the One who has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezek. 33:11) — wouldn't Jesus let a repentant and trusting sinner in?
So one more thing needs to be revealed. "As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart—all appear as if written in letters of fire. Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption." (GC 666)
In this great panorama in the sky, every individual will see what God did to save them and what they did to reject His love. "It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death....All see that their exclusion from heaven is just....Those who have united with [Satan] see the total failure of his cause....Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven....His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced....And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence....Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain....God's wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated." (GC 668-670)
In all that multitude outside the city, not one can be found who has faith in God's love. As the faithful 144,000 pass the hardest of all tests and show the power of faith, so the faithless wicked fail the test and show their total depravity. Now the entire unfallen universe knows that there is nothing more that even God Himself can do to save them. More time will not help. Miracles will not help. Additional demonstrations of love and patience will not help.
"Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God's justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth....He rushes into the midst of his subjects and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury and arouse them to instant battle. But of all the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end." (GC 671)
With this evidence before them, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess the justice and righteousness of God. Now, finally, all that must be demonstrated has been shown. It is time to end the conflict forever. With the storyline clearly laid out before us, the only thing left is for us to make a choice. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed." (Isaiah 45:22-24)
God has told us what to expect. It shouldn't be a mystery for anyone who reads the Bible. The only real question is, Do we have faith enough to obey? Do we trust God without questioning? Will we be on the inside of that city?
[Much thanks is due to Dave Fiedler, who put this presentation together, and graciously allowed others to use and adapt it. It is his hope and mine that this story will motivate and unite those who are waiting for Christ's return to take a proactive role in causing that return to be sooner rather than later.]
We will begin with some of the most dramatic passages of Scripture in the Bible.
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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." (Rev. 12:7-9)
"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." (Rev. 12:3-5)
Satan's most decisive attack against God after being cast out was against God's Son directly, but he was unsuccessful, so he turned his fury against the church which Christ established.
"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days….And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth." (Rev. 12:6, 13-16)
For 1260 years the Christian church suffered the wrath of Satan, hiding in the hidden places of the earth in many cases. But again Satan failed to accomplish his purpose, so he turned all of his forces against the very last generation to live on planet Earth.
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev. 12:17) "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." (Rev. 13:11-15)
It is at this point that God decisively enters the picture again, to turn the apparent victory of Satan into final defeat.
"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped." (Rev. 14:14-16) "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 out God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Rev. 12:10-11) "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." (Rev. 14:12)
What a dramatic story, from the first battle in heaven to the final battle on earth. This is the storyline that we are living in on a day by day basis. We are very near the endpoint of the whole story, and we need to understand as clearly as possible what the battle is all about, and what part we are to play in the final battle.
The Beginning
To understand what is at stake, we need to go back to the beginning of the battle. From its very inception the great controversy has been over God's law. Satan challenged the law of God as being the enemy of peace. Satan said, "While the Creator demands self-sacrifice and self-denial of others, He Himself practices no self-denial and makes no self-sacrifice." Sin, Satan claimed, was because of God's law. God was responsible for sin.
How could God prove that His law is a law of love? Once the great controversy broke out in heaven, the stability of the divine government depended on someone unfolding the law of God-someone demonstrating to the whole universe what a beautiful thing God's law is.
When the scene of the battle shifted to this earth, Satan immediately challenged the truthfulness of God's commands. "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4,5) In other words, God is a liar. God's warning is meaningless. Eve would suffer no harm from disobeying. She need not obey God. Satan also propounded a theory that is still very popular today. He claimed that unalloyed goodness is not desirable; instead, a mixture of good and evil is far better.
The clearest picture of the early struggle between God and Satan is found in the book of Job.
"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. 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. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast thou not 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. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." (Job. 1:6-11)
Satan claimed ownership of this earth, and God challenged this claim by pointing to Job as His faithful follower. Satan responded that Job did not really serve God out of love, but only for selfish reasons.
How nearly Satan came to success in his attempts to thwart the plans of God for this earth is noteworthy. During the Flood, only eight persons survived to continue the human race. Only a small remnant returned to Judea from Babylonian captivity.
God's Response
In the very day that Satan succeeded in turning Adam and Eve to his side, God made a far-reaching promise. "And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed (Satan's followers) and her seed (the Deliverer); it (the Deliverer) shall bruise thy (Satan's) head, and thou (Satan) shalt bruise his (the Deliverer's) heel." (Gen. 3:15)
The controversy begun in heaven would continue on earth. It would be fought out over every individual. Ceaselessly, Satan and his angels would seek through deception to introduce dissension into every family, every workplace, every community, and every nation. They would persuade people to disregard God's health laws in addition to His moral laws.
The high point of God's response to Satan came in the person of His own Son, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2:6-8)
Christ's whole life was an unfolding of the law of God. Satan said that God's law was a law of selfishness. Jesus came to show that it was not. "The law of Jehovah is the tree; the gospel is the fragrant blossoms and fruit which it bears." (1SM 212) In other words, the law of God is the source from which all God's blessings flow, including His gospel of grace to repentant sinners. God's love and mercy are simply extensions of the principles of His law.
What does Calvary show us about the great controversy? Calvary shows us that God's law is good. If we love Calvary we must love the law of God, because Calvary is the law of God. Calvary shows what a beautiful thing God's law is. Calvary shows that Satan, not God, was responsible for sin. "At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face….Satan…made it evident that the real purpose of his rebellion was to dethrone God, and to destroy Him through Whom the love of God was shown." (DA 57)
"The death of Christ upon the cross made sure the destruction of him who has the power of death, who was the originator of sin….There will be no danger of another rebellion in the universe of God….It is through the efficacy of the cross that the angels of heaven are guarded from apostasy. Without the cross they would be no more secure against evil than were the angels before the fall of Satan….The plan of salvation, making manifest the justice and love of God, provides an eternal safeguard against defection in unfallen worlds, as well as among those who shall be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb….Oh, we do not comprehend the value of the atonement! If we did, we would talk more about it….Why should man not study the theme of redemption? It is the greatest subject that can engage the human mind." (ST Dec. 30, 1889)
It is only in the light of Calvary that we can see what sin is. The fact is that someone else has joined Satan in his rebellion. The whole world stands charged with the murder of the Son of God. "Not a soul knows what God is until he sees himself in the light reflected from the cross of Calvary, and detests himself in the bitterness of his soul." (TM 264,265)
The lightnings flashed, the thunders crashed.
The bolts of wrath He bore for me!
Then in the dark some fiend I see,
He nailed God's Son upon the tree.
That angry face was full of hate:
Just who could be, could be so vile?
He spat upon that lovely face;
Who could it be? Who could it be?
The darkness breaks; that fiend I see,
Oh, it was me! Yes, it was me!
I drove the nails at Calvary!
The truth at last-at last I see!
Do we have a true concept of what sin is? Every time we depart from right, do we see it in all its hateful, malignant nature? "Those who have permitted their minds to become beclouded in regard to what constitutes sin are fearfully deceived." (9T 267)
When we sin, the great thing is not so much the deed itself. It is the enmity which lies in the heart. Every time we depart from right, do we realize that in our hearts there exists murder against God? When a person repents, he vindicates God. He says, "God is not responsible for sin." A person who fails to repent of his sin, a person who blames his circumstances, a person who seeks an excuse for sin, virtually says, "God is the cause." Calvary proves, and the live of Jesus proves, that no circumstance in which a person can be plunged can be made an excuse for sin. There is no excuse for sinning!
Why So Long?
If God is going to exterminate the devil and all evil eventually, why does He not do so now? Why did He not do so long ago? Why does a good God permit evil to flourish so long? Perhaps because of the challenge given by Joshua long ago.
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh. 24:15) God desires our love too much to destroy it by demanding it. Freedom to make choices on the basis of evidence underlies the entire great controversy. God knew it was best for the universe to become wise about Satan and sin and about Himself and His love through examination of evidence.
But if Christ's life and death convinced all the loyal angels of God's goodness and of Satan's wickedness, could not God have destroyed Satan right after the cross? If the main questions about God's law and His character were answered by Christ's life and death, why did the great controversy need to go on? Why didn't God destroy the devil and all evil as soon as Jesus died on the cross?
The principal reason seems to be the dull stubbornness of human beings. Millions-billions-of us still prefer to believe what the serpent says about God instead of what the Bible says. Many of us are on Satan's side in the great controversy.
The Closing Argument
In the flesh of a Jew Jesus demonstrated that not only could Adam have overcome Satan in Eden, but also that ordinary people could overcome him. God wants His loyal people to help vindicate Him and His laws. In Ezekiel 36:23 He says that the nations will know that He is the Lord when He will be vindicated "in you before their eyes."
Soon everyone on Planet Earth will have taken sides, and only two clear-cut parties will remain. One of these parties will be composed of people who have chosen to believe Satan's falsehoods. On the other hand, the people who have faith in God and who have sought to have characters like His will be found obeying Him, lovingly observing all of God's commandments.
Satan still challenges God. He says to God, "All right, Jesus defeated me. Jesus lived the law of God. But where are the people who can do that? Yes, you have had people who have accepted Calvary and their sins have been forgiven. You cover them with the garments of your righteousness, and every now and then they commit sin again. Where are the people who will keep the law of God perfectly as Jesus did? You are in the sanctuary covering up the mistakes of your people. I have not been defeated yet." Then God says to Satan, "I will produce these people, through my grace, in the most degenerate age of earth's history. I will separate them from all sin completely. They will reflect the image of Jesus fully. I will step out of the sanctuary and they will live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor."
Such a people will be produced that will be the wonder of the whole universe. Through them Satan will be forever defeated, and every question that could be raised against the law of God-can humanity really keep it?-will be forever answered in that special people which Scripture calls the 144,000.
The Fit Man
Among the yearly feasts given by God to the Jewish nation there was a very special day called the Day of Atonement. The purpose of this day is concisely described in these words, "For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." (Lev. 16:30) This was a special day of cleansing in Israel, when all sin was removed from the sanctuary and the people.
Near the end of the ceremonies of the day an unusual thing happened. "And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." (Lev. 16: 20-22) As a necessary part of the cleansing of the sanctuary, they had to find a fit man, someone who was able, someone who was prepared, to lead the scapegoat out into the wilderness.
Before Satan can be cast out of this world, he must be cast completely out of the lives of God's people. All hidden iniquity must be revealed. The cleansing of the sanctuary is not just a work of cleansing in heaven, but it means the final making away of sin in the lives of God's people, taking away the dominion of the man of sin for all eternity. Here is a people who for the first time in the history of sin have had all their sins blotted out, and have been sealed for eternity. God can say, in the presence of the whole universe, "Here is a people who have been completely separated from sin." And He will promise, "They will never go back into sin again." And by virtue of the fact that these people will never go back into sin after the final work in the most holy place, by the mere fact that once they have been separated from sin they will never touch the stuff again, Satan is proved to be responsible. But on the other hand, if Satan could lead them into a departure from right in the least particular, he would win his point.
In the Day of Atonement ceremony there had to be a fit man that could lead the scapegoat into the wilderness. There had to be someone who could take him away, who was able and fit enough and strong enough to do it. While the real scapegoat is being led away he makes a desperate attempt to escape. During the plagues all the energy of Satan is expended against the 144,000. "While the plagues are falling, the scapegoat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that leads him. If he should effect his escape, Israel would lose their lives. I saw that it would take time to lead away the scapegoat into the land of forgetfulness after the sins were put upon his head." (Spalding-Magan, p. 2)
When Jesus steps out of the sanctuary He virtually says to Satan, "Here are my people, Satan. You can do whatever you want to them, but you cannot take their lives." Satan has full charge of the world and all the legions of darkness. All the wicked join with him, and a whole vanguard comes against God's people to overthrow them. But he is held fast! If Satan could lead one of the 144,000 into sin, if he could lead one of them to depart in the least particular from the law of God, he would triumph.
But the fit man will be able through the strength of Jesus to hold Satan fast. He will stand tall. It is in the 144,000 that Jesus finally wins the great controversy. It is a desperate struggle between Jesus and Satan. In the Incarnation it was a struggle between Jesus and Satan personally, and during the time of the plagues it is again a struggle between Jesus and Satan, but this time between Satan and Jesus lived out in the experience of the 144,000. By the mere fact that they do not fall into sin, but keep the law of God perfectly, Satan is defeated. His cause is lost, and he is held fast.
God has to give the angels in heaven some assurance that the plan of salvation is completely successful. What assurance do the angels have that the redeemed who have died down through the ages will not go back into sin again? Some of them accepted Jesus on their deathbeds. What assurance do the angels have that they will never sin again?
When God blots out the sins of the living saints, He allows Satan to test them to the uttermost. Satan puts them through every trial that he can devise, under the most discouraging circumstances, but they prove that the plan of salvation is a success. But if the scapegoat could escape, all Israel would lose their lives, not just the 144,000. God is waiting for a people upon whom He is going to stake His throne. God is going to risk all on the 144,000. If the scapegoat should escape, Israel would be lost. The plan of salvation would be proven a failure.
There is only one thing this group will fear during the time of Jacob's trouble. They realize that everything depends on them. They realize that they could disgrace God's throne. This is why this company is going to taste more fully than any other people the experience of Jesus.
In the book of Hebrews there is a listing of the great heroes of the Bible. At the end of the list is this remarkable promise. "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (Heb. 11:40) There could be no resurrection of the righteous without the development of the 144,000. These heroes are waiting upon God's church for someone who can vindicate God's character, someone who will defeat Satan, someone who can lead the scapegoat away.
When God raised up a movement in 1844, it was not His purpose to raise up just another church, along with many other churches. The special work of the 144,000 is to call out a people to receive the seal of the living God. Not until that is done can the work be finished, and that work is to finish with sin. He is waiting for a people whom He can use to do this special work.
Sometimes we lose sight of the purpose of the third angel's message. God has not raised up a movement just to prepare men and women for death. If we go on in the way we are going, Satan could never be led away and the work could never be finished. The devil comes along and tells us, "You are doing a wonderful work in the world. You are raising up schools and hospitals and institutions and churches. Just carry on with the good work you are doing." Anything to blind us to the work that is being left undone in the most holy place. God wants to blot out our sins and give us the seal of the living God. Such a victory is waiting for God's people in the most holy place.
Jesus says, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door." The door is open, the latter rain is waiting. It awaits the demand and reception of the church. Jesus is waiting to finish with sin. If God's people set their faces like a flint to go up to the sanctuary, that work will be done.
May we indeed see the purpose of the third angel's message. May we see what Jesus is waiting to do. May we, through Jesus' grace, strive with all our might to be among that special company which is called the hundred and forty-four thousand.
The greatest trial in history was brewing. The most majestic created being was filing suit against his perfect Creator-God. Lucifer, son of the morning, allowed his mind to become filled with pride because of his superior beauty, ability, and position. After all, Lucifer was the five-star general of the angelic host.
We are going to look through some inspired windows to understand what actually transpired before sin ever came down to this earth.
But when God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image," Satan was jealous of Jesus. He wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. (EW 145-146)
The first thing we learn about this challenge to God's authority is that the tipping point came over God's plan to create the human family. Thus our existence and Satan's rebellion were tied closely together.
He complained of the supposed defects in the management of heavenly things, and sought to fill the minds of the angels with his disaffection....Thus the seeds of alienation were planted, afterward to be drawn out and presented before the heavenly courts as originating, not with Satan, but with the angels....In secret he whispered his disaffection to the angels…A word here and a word there opened the way for a long list of suppositions. In his artful way he drew expressions of doubt from them. Then, when he was interviewed, he accused those whom he had educated. He laid all the disaffection on the ones he had led....The Lord saw the use Satan was making of his powers, and he set before him truth in contrast with falsehood. Time and time again during the controversy, Satan was ready to be convinced, ready to admit that he was wrong. But those he had deceived were also ready to accuse him of leaving them. What should he do? --submit to God, or continue in a course of deception? (RH Sept. 7, 1897)
This process had to take a fair amount of time to develop, and so we learn that nothing was done in haste as Satan and God moved ever closer to a showdown.
To curb this brewing palace-coup, the Father called an assembly of all the heavenly host, and explained that the Son had from all eternity been equal with Himself in omnipresence, in omniscience, in power and authority. Although Lucifer was convinced, and almost surrendered to Christ, his growing pride prevented him. In turn he assembled the angels and described how unjust it was for God to bar him from their secret councils. "As one aggrieved, he related the preference God had given Jesus to the neglect of himself." (SR 14) Lucifer finally declared that he would take the throne of Christ by force. With this threatening news, loyal angels rushed to inform Christ of Lucifer's plans.
They found the Father in conference with His beloved Son to determine the means by which, for the best good of the loyal angels, the assumed authority of Satan could be forever put down. The great God could at once have hurled this archdeceiver from heaven; but this was not His purpose. He would give the rebellious an equal chance to measure strength and might with His own Son and His loyal angels. In this battle every angel would choose his own side and be manifest to all....All the heavenly host were summoned to appear before the Father, to have each case determined. Satan unblushingly made known his dissatisfaction that Christ should be preferred before him. He stood up proudly and urged that he should be equal with God and should be taken into conference with the Father and understand His purposes....Then Satan exultingly pointed to his sympathizers, comprising nearly one-half of all the angels, and exclaimed, "These are with me! Will you expel these also, and make such a void in heaven?" He then declared that he was prepared to resist the authority of Christ and to defend his place in heaven by force of might, strength against strength. (SR 17-18)
This brings us to the first record of this challenge in the Scriptural record. "For thou has 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: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High." (Isa. 14: 13,14)
Then we read the distressing outcome of this rebellion. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angel fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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." (Rev. 12: 7-9)
What happened shortly after this is most significant, since it revealed the true character of Lucifer and that of Christ.
After Satan and those who fell with him were shut out of heaven, and he realized that he had forever lost all its purity and glory, he repented, and wished to be reinstated in heaven. He was willing to take his proper place, or any position that might be assigned him. But no; heaven must not be placed in jeopardy. All heaven might be marred should he be taken back; for sin originated with him, and the seeds of rebellion were within him. Both he and his followers wept, and implored to be taken back into the favor of God. (EW 146)
Here we have Satan repenting with weeping, and imploring God for mercy. Surely this should be enough for God to give him another chance.
Satan trembled as he viewed his work....Where is he? Is it not all a horrible dream? Is he shut out of heaven?...The loss he had sustained of all the privileges of heaven seemed too much to be borne. He wished to regain these....His mighty frame shook as with a tempest. An angel from heaven was passing. He called him and entreated an interview with Christ. This was granted him. He then related to the Son of God that he repented of his rebellion and wished again the favor of God. He was willing to take the place God had previously assigned him and be under His wise command. Christ wept at Satan's woe, but told him...that...the seeds of rebellion were still within him....When Satan became fully convinced that there was no possibility of his being reinstated in the favor of God, he manifested his malice with increased hatred and fiery vehemence. (SR 25-27)
What a dramatic demonstration of the difference between outward repentance even with weeping, and heart surrender with faith that God knows best. Satan was sorry because he had lost his privileges and his future, and he showed that his spirit had not changed as he expressed his hatred against God. If Satan was truly repentant, would he not have acknowledged to Christ that his I-centered spirit was completely contrary to Christ's others-centered spirit?
The Scene Shifts to Earth
Why did Satan next focus on getting Adam and Eve to sin? "If...God would make some provision whereby they might be pardoned,...then himself and all the fallen angels would be in a fair way to share with them of God's mercy." (SR 27) We must remember that Satan's desire to return to heaven is an important key to understanding the ensuing great controversy. With malice he anticipated the creation and seduction of Adam and Eve. He wanted to take advantage of any mercy God would give to them as sinners, for his own reinstatement back into heaven.
As we follow the drama, now played out on earth, we need to understand what the controversy is really all about.
Jan Paulsen said it well. "In God's final and ultimate answer to the sin problem there are issues to be taken into account that are wider and larger than my personal salvation....For the larger picture--namely, for the eternal security of...(all) creation,...God will also have provided a far-reaching answer that deals with the roots as well as the consequences of rebellion." (Adventist Review, Nov. 30, 2000)
The student...should gain a knowledge of its (the Bible's) grand central theme, of God's original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption. He should understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for supremacy, and should learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found. (Ed 190)
You see, in a very real sense, God is on trial. For more than six thousand years He has been facing accusations, and the whole universe is watching to see how the drama will terminate. Will love, the foundation of His law and government, prove stronger than pride, self-exaltation, and competition against others? Romans 3:4 says, "You must win Your case when you are being tried." (Today's English Version)
Satan's charges against God are not easily resolved, because of his knowledge of God's fairness.
Satan has an accurate knowledge of the sins which he has tempted them to commit, and he presents these in the most exaggerated light, declaring, "Will God banish me and my angels from His presence, and yet reward those who have been guilty of the same sins? Thou canst not do this, O Lord, in justice. Thy throne will not stand in righteousness and judgment. Justice demands that sentence be pronounced against them." (5T 474)
Speaking cosmically, there is something far more important than your salvation or mine, or the salvation of all those who live in this tiny planet. From Romans 3:4 again, "So that you may be proved right in Your words and prevail in Your judging." (New International Version)
The plan of salvation had a broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe....The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. (PP 68,69)
Only in this way can Satan's plea for restoration to heaven be silenced.
How Will God Vindicate His Character?
The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God. Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him. (Ed 263)
Looking ahead to His coming death, Jesus said, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12: 31,32) The whole universe would be able to see the supreme example of the contrast between God's love and Satan's hatred.
When the disciples reported that they were able to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, He said, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke 10:18) This new fall of Satan from power and the sympathy of heavenly beings was far more important than his original fall described in Revelation 12. Now he was losing credibility in his accusations against God and Christ.
However, an inordinate preoccupation with the cross is a distortion of the gospel. The true Christian cross is not a crucifix on which Jesus still hangs. The true Christian cross is empty. He is not there; He is risen. The empty cross is a symbol of the risen Lord. Faith takes us not only to the cross but through the cross to the living Lord, to whom all power in heaven and on earth has been given, and against whom the gates of hell shall not prevail.
"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." (Heb. 4:14) "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:2)
Christ lives today and is seated at the right hand of God. This is good news! This is also the gospel. Without the resurrection the cross would only memorialize a wasteful martyrdom.
Although by crucifying the perfect Son of God, Satan had signed his own death warrant, and had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the heavenly beings, "yet Satan was not then destroyed. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed. And for the sake of man, Satan's existence must be continued. Man as well as angels must see the contrast between the Prince of Light and the prince of darkness. He must choose whom he will serve." (DA 761)
The Final Generation
Throughout the Bible, God makes it very clear that nothing is more important for all the universe than to have His reputation cleared and His name honored. And that is exactly what John is telling us in Revelation 7. Jesus will not return until God has a people who make guarding the name of God the most important purpose of their lives.
John saw four angels holding back the winds of destruction for a very specific purpose. "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." (Rev. 7: 2,3)
Why is God holding back these last-day winds of terror and destruction? God's people are not yet ready! God is saying, "Hold back the east wind of human madness. My people haven't caught on yet as to the purpose of the gospel. Hold back the west wind of satanic fury until my people are ready to carry out their last assignment. Hold the winds until my people are ready to be sealed. Hold the winds until my people are ready for me to use them in my final message to earth's last generation."
Down here in the days of the held winds, God is telling the universe when He writes His name in the foreheads of His faithful ones, "Listen to them. You can trust what they say. I can give them my seal of approval. The quality goes in before my name goes on." What could be more wonderful than to have our heavenly Father write His name across our foreheads? By that signature God is saying, "Here are people who have let my Holy Spirit do His work; people who indeed reflect my glory. I am not embarrassed by how they represent me, and they have my seal of approval."
What is this seal of God that makes Satan angry? "Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads--it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved--just as soon as God's people are sealed and ready for the shaking, it will come." (Mar 200)
This is the time when angels and all the unfallen universe are judging whether God is fair in His judgments about the men and women that He is sealing. He will seal them through a gospel of unlimited grace--grace that is powerful enough to overcome all inherited and cultivated tendencies to sin.
To prevent this sealing work, Satan offers some very attractive gospels of his own. He says, "Exalt the law as being so high above human attainment that no man or woman could ever hope to keep it, but don't worry, you don't have to keep the commandments, because Jesus kept the law for you."
He says, "You can't keep the commandments because you were born a sinner; you live in sinful flesh and you will always be falling short. But don't worry, as long as you are sorry for your sins, that is all the Lord requires. God looks at Jesus' record in the judgment and not yours."
He says, "You shouldn't try to keep the commandments, because if you do, you will be a legalist. The main thing is to have a relationship with Jesus."
Of course, you recognize some half-truths in these attractive deceptions. But when you are told that it is either unnecessary or impossible to be overcomers, remember that somebody called Satan is redefining and confusing the plan of salvation. And John calls this deception the wine of Babylon.
Satan hates the everlasting gospel because the purpose of the gospel is to reproduce the character of Jesus, which just drives Satan furious. He is furious when people see through his false gospels, which are really a new legalism. When men and women think they can be saved by believing in a legal adjustment on the books of heaven without a character adjustment on earth, and then calling this righteousness by faith, then you know you are listening to the new legalism.
Can anyone imagine what it will be like when men and women wake up in the second resurrection screaming at their pastors and teachers, "You told me that grace covered my sins and that character did not count." Or, "You told me that my assurance of salvation was in believing that Jesus died for me and that I could not add anything to what He did." Or, "You told me that faith plus nothing was the way to avoid legalism." Or, "You told me that any attempt to add obedience to faith would be legalism." Or, "You told me that Ellen White had no theological authority."
Let us not be distracted with limited gospels straight out of Babylon. Limit not the Holy One of Israel. Give Him a chance. The good news is that Jesus changes people so that they can be sealed with His Father's approval. The faith of Jesus is the same kind of faith that kept Jesus from sinning. And all heaven is waiting to seal that kind of person in these last days before the wind blows, before this world becomes a madhouse.
How Does This Apply to Us?
If we are to be a sealable people, we must have an attitude adjustment. "The Lord has no place in His work for those who have a greater desire to win the crown than to bear the cross. He wants men who are more intent upon doing their duty than upon receiving their reward--men who are more solicitous for principle than for promotion." (MH 476,477)
Ellen White characterizes the popular gospel as "a way of escape from suffering rather than as a deliverance from sin." (COL 47) Lucifer wanted to be reinstated to the privileges of heaven without the character of heaven. Are we looking at heaven as an escape from a difficult world or as final freedom from our own selfishness?
A prisoner looks out of his cell window upon a beautiful park where his family and Jesus are waiting. The prisoner merely wishes to escape his restraints and have fun with his family. But Jesus and His family are hoping that we prisoners will desire godly fellowship enough to separate ourselves from the sins which hurt and imprisoned us in the first place. Christ wishes not merely to rescue us from the strife and suffering which our sins bring, but to rescue us from the selfish, impatient and deceptive dispositions which cause our bondage.
It is true that we need to be concerned about our character development. We do need to be concerned about our need for Christ's righteous lifestyle in order to be saved. But do we not also need to define Christ's gospel unselfishly, in the light of how our loving, cheerful obedience brings happiness and honor to God and to others? We tend to look at salvation focusing only on our own happiness and salvation. What we need is to see the broader and long-range picture--from eternity past to eternity future.
The great controversy between Christ and Satan puts those of us who are living in these last days on center stage as God's star witnesses, defending His justice for giving us mercy and an opportunity to learn and live like Christ. Should not the perfect inhabitants of heaven be given an opportunity to declare whom they would feel comfortable having as their neighbors throughout eternity? The underlying question which God places before the entire universe is this: "Is there sufficient power in Christ's gospel of the kingdom to cleanse teams of people from all unrighteousness?"
The nagging question remains--will Jeremiah 50: 20 ever be fulfilled? "In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found."
Just how important is God's last remnant to His eternal purpose? "In order to destroy sin and its results, He gave His best Beloved, and He has put it in our power, through co-operation with Him, to bring this scene of misery to an end." (Ed 264) What an incredible promise, and a revelation of how important we are to the fulfillment of God's plans.
Satan knows how much is riding on the success of the final generation, and he will not go quietly into the night. "While the plagues are falling, the scapegoat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that leads him. If he should effect his escape, Israel would lose their lives. I saw that it would take time to lead away the scapegoat into the land of forgetfulness after the sins were put on his head." (Spalding-Magan, p. 2)
The Last Chapter
The wicked are brought back to life. Seeing the vast multitude of his followers, Satan recovers from the hopelessness that he suffered during the millennium.
At the critical moment, high above the city, appears the throne of God, and like a panoramic view, all will see in detail the history of Satan's rebellion in heaven and the whole sad six thousand years of human misery. Each one, human and demonic, will see his or her own part in the great drama. Each one will see the infinite mercy and justice of God.
Lucifer and his angels resisted every effort of God and the loyal angels as they urged them to change their minds. The rebels knowingly chose the side of rebellion and decided to brave the consequences. At the end of the thousand years, of those within or outside the city, not even one would choose to change sides. The ones outside covet the wealth and splendor of the city of God, but they could not endure the atmosphere of holiness and love found inside. Heaven would be hell to them.
It is now that "Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence." (Mar 345) In full view of the panoramic evidence, he is compelled to proclaim that God has given him every advantage. God has given him all the talented humans he could deceive--all the healthy, wealthy, wise, powerful, skilled, handsome and beautiful he could employ--and they have all turned against him. Furthermore, Satan will be compelled to acknowledge that God maintained the very slimmest army possible--the weak, the ignorant, the unaccredited, the untitled and unknown, the poor, the unattractive--and with these leftover scraps He overcame all the hosts of evil.
Paul sums it up. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." (1 Cor. 1:27,28)
"Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven." (Mar 345) He is self-condemned, thus fulfilling the prediction of Paul, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,...and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2: 10,11)
For more than seven thousand years Satan has been plugged into a life-support system to which he had no right. Now of his own volition he acknowledges God's justice. God is absolved from all Satan's charges. The at-one-ment is complete. "Every mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless....The whole universe will have become witnesses to the nature and results of sin. And its utter extermination, which in the beginning would have brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will now vindicate His love and establish His honor before the universe." (FLB 71)
And how has God been able to accomplish this great victory and protect His universe from sin's entry ever again? "The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people." (DA 671) "The honor of Christ must stand complete in the perfection of the character of His chosen people....Your character is His glory revealed in you." (ST Nov. 25, 1897)
Let us determine to be that final generation through whom God can reveal His grace and His power. May He not have to search for another remnant because we were too careless and lazy to respond to His call. This is His hour and we can be His remnant.
[I am indebted to the insights of David Lee and Herbert Douglass in their studies of the great controversy and its implications for us living in these momentous times]