Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death upon the cross, defeated satan and bound him with a great chain. The purpose of this binding was "that he should deceive the nations no more." As the result of satan's binding, the glorious gospel of Christ has been carried into the four corners of the earth. And our Lord has been gathering his elect out of the four corners of the earth for two thousand years. But he told us that, when the time appointed (symbolized by the thousand years) was fulfilled, satan must be loosed for a little season.
My subject tonight is Satan's Little Season. Read Revelation 20:7-10. What do these verses of Scripture tell us about Satan's Little Season?
1. At the end of this present gospel age, just before the coming of Christ, satan will once again be turned loose upon the nations of the world. (v. 7).
2. He will be allowed to deceive the nations of the world with false religion once more – (v. 8).
Gog and Magog represent all the nations of the world, set in opposition to Christ, and his church, and the gospel of his grace. The terms "Gog and Magog" are borrowed from Ezekiel 38. But John never imagined anyone making them to mean Russia, China, or any other literal nation! He tells us plainly that Gog and Magog represent the nations of the world under the influence of satanic deception. Read verse 8!
3. Under the satanic delusion of false religion all the nations of the world will rise up in opposition to Christ, his gospel, and his Church (v. 9).
Here again we are warned about the great battle of Armageddon. This is the same battle described in Revelation 16:12-16 and 19:19-21. It is the final assault of satan against the Lord Jesus Christ. The meaning of the vision is clear; Toward the close of this gospel age, before Christ comes in glory, satan will deceive the hearts of the world with a false gospel, a false Christ a false god, a false spirit, and a false faith, and the world, in the name of Christ will turn in violent persecution against Christ, his Church, and the gospel of his grace.
4. But, thank God, satan's last assault, like all that have preceded it, shall be failed in the end – (v. 10).The purpose of God will not be frustrated. The truth of God shall not be overturned. The saints of God shall not be deceived. The Church of God shall not be harmed. And the Christ of God shall thoroughly defeat his enemies. The punishment of the beast and the false prophet has already been described (Rev. 19:20). Here John assures us that satan, the beast, and the false prophet will all be cast into the lake of fire forever. In that horrible place of damnation they will be unceasingly tormented forever. This battle will end in swift and decisive victory for us, when Christ comes in power and great glory (II Thess. 2:8).
What does all of this mean to us? Tonight, I want, by the Spirit of God, to tell you what it means. My subject is awesome, sobering and profound. We are considering Satan's Little Season. It would be fearfully alarming, but for one thing.
Proposition:God's elect cannot be deceived (Matt. 24:22-24; Mark 13:20-22).
Divisions: 5 Statements of Fact!
1. We Are Living In An Apostate Religious World.
2. The Apostate Religion Of This World Is The Result Of God's Judicial Reprobation.
3. God's Saints, In These Dark Days, Have Great Cause For Thanksgiving.
4. These Days Of Darkness Place Us In A Position Of Great Responsibility.
5. There Is No Cause For Despair.
I. Here is a fact which cannot be disputed by anyone with spiritual perception and understanding in Divine Truth – We Are Living In An Apostate Religious World.
The New Testament teaches us plainly that before Christ comes as this dispensation is drawn to a rapid conclusion, there will be a general, universal, wholesale departure from the faith of the gospel.
It is true, this departure from the gospel began during the days of the Apostles. Satan has been around from the beginning. And antichrists were abundant even in the apostolic churches "of the world so openly denied the gospel of Christ and so unanimously accepted, promoted, and preached the lies of satan. Never before has the philosophy of the world and the religion of the world been so completely united. I am not talking now about the apostacy of Rome. Romanism has always been apostate. Papacy was antichrist from the beginning to their harlot mother, not in name, but in doctrine.
The major tenets of all organized "christian" religions are purely Roman doctrines. These are things held in common, throughout the world by Presbyterians, Mormons, Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, Campbellites, Pentecostalists, Russellites, Liberals, Conservatives, Fundamentalists, Catholics, Non-Catholics, Protestants, and Non-Protestant. They are even held in common by Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Budhists.
Surely, the day of satan's little season has begun! Professing Christianity is in a state of almost total apostacy. Thank God, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. There are a few individuals and churches scattered throughout the world who believe and preach the truth of God. But by comparison, they are a very small remnant. The nations of the world have been deceived with the satanic lie of free-will, works religion. This is precisely what God told us would happen in these last days. There are perilous times for the souls of men. (I Tim. 4:1-5; II Tim. 3:1-15; 4:1-4; II Thess. 2:1-8).
Our Lord said, "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive" (John 5:43). And so it has come to pass. False prophets come in their own name, and men and women flock to hear them.
II. This too is a fact plainly revealed in the Word of God. The Apostate Religion Of This World Is The Result Of God's Judicial Reprobation.
"This is a reprobate age, an age that cannot be explained apart from the judgment of God" (Rolfe Barnard).
Here is one of the most solemn things setforth in all the Word of God. When God gives men the light of the gospel and they refuse to walk in it, they are in danger of being reprobate, cast off, and deceived by satan. And this is the work of God!
1. It is the Lord Jesus Christ himself who turns satan loose upon the nations for a little season. (Rev. 20:3, 7).
2. It is God the Holy Spirit who ceases to restrain the powers of darkness (II Thess. 2:7-8).
3. It is God The Father who sends men a strong delusion, that they might be damned. (II Thess. 2:9-12).
Can you imagine anything more solemn? The Scriptures tell us that God Almighty sovereignly employs satan and his hellish religion to secure the damnation of those who hear, but will not receive the love of the truth?
Hear me, and be warned. God will not trifle with those who trifle with his Son and the gospel of his grace.
B. Are There Any Marks By Which These Messengers of Satan May Be Identified And Distinguished?
Yes, they are identifiable, but only by discerning souls. And their identification is disturbing. You may not like what I am about to say, but say it I must. The false prophets by whom satan deceives the nations of the world may be identified by three things. Some of them have all three of these marks, some have two, some have only one. But every false prophet can be identified by these three marks.
1. A false prophet can be identified by His Enchanting Miracles (II Thess. 2:9; Rev. 16:13-14).
2. A false prophet can be identified by His Evident Motives (II Pet. 2:3).
3. A false prophet can always be identified by His Enticing Message.
He may, or may not, pretend to have apostolic gifts. He may, or may not, be an evidently covetous man. But every false prophet in the world has the same message. He will always mix something, somewhere, with the work of Christ (II Cor. 11:1-3; 13-15).
Every false prophet and every false religion, every satanic delusion, makes salvation, acceptance with God, and eternal life, to one degree or another, dependent upon man.
Somewhere or another, by one means or another, at one point or another, all false religion makes salvation conditional upon something done by the sinner.
And I declare, as plainly as I know how, that any man who preaches conditional grace is a deceiver of men, an instrument of satan for the damning of man's souls. Salvation is conditioned upon the work of Christ alone!
III. Now here is a third fact, which cannot be disputed. God's Saints, In These Dark Days, Have Great Cause For Thanksgiving (II Thess. 2:13-14).
If you are one of God's elect, a trophy of his almighty grace, snatched out of this apostate religious world, you have something for which to be thankful. Can you imagine the shouts that must have erupted in the hearts of these Thessalonian believers when they got to verses 13 and 14? Rejoice, my heart, and give thanks to God for his unspeakable grace and abundant mercy. Look at what God has done for us!
A. He has Chosen Us as the Objects of His Love.
B. He has Redeemed Us by the Blood of His Son (II Cor. 5:21).
C. He has Caused Us To Hear The Gospel (Rom. 10:17; Amos 8:11-12).
D. He has Called Us by the Power of His Spirit (Ps. 65:4).
E. He has Given Us Faith in Christ and Saved Us from Eternal Ruin by His Omnipotent Grace (Eph. 2:1-5, 8-9).
F. He has Kept Us from the Apostacy of This Age (I John 2:19-28).
IV. If you are still with me, you will readily acknowledge this fourth fact. Those Days Of Darkness Place Us In A Position Of Great Responsibility.
V. These are dark days and perilous times. I have spoken to you soberly, in plain terms. But I want you to go home confident of this fifth fact – There Is No Cause For Despair! (Rev. 20:10).
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