Jump Start # 784

Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

In our Jump Start yesterday, we looked at a passage from Revelation that warned us about Satan. He is engaged in a battle with the people of God. He is at war with them. We continue with that thought and jump ahead to the end of the book of Revelation and the end of time.

Our passage shows the outcome. Satan is defeated, punished and removed as a threat. The beast and the false prophet are agents used by Satan to deceive nations. They had been punished prior to this. There are a few lessons for us here:

1. God is showing us the outcome. He already knows what is going to happen. The battle isn’t up in the air, as we might think it is. We can look around and believe that Satan is winning. We can see more bad than good and believe that the tide is shifting and possibly God will be overthrown. Not so! We know the winner, it is God. Satan is no power next to God. They are not equal in anything. The expression, “was thrown into the lake of fire” expresses punishment and rejection.

Now, there is an interesting thought with this for us. If we know Satan loses, shouldn’t I align myself with God, who is victorious? Why spend my life with things that will cause me to lose? Fear, worry, greed, lust, hopelessness, selfishness, materialism—these are not the things which ought to fill my heart. Not at all. God wins. Righteousness wins. Holiness wins. What wins are the things of God. Praising God wins over cursing God. Doing good wins over closing my heart to others. Studying the Bible, praying to God, attending church services—these are not a waste of time. These are the characteristics of those who are going to win. Arrogance, closed mindedness, and ignoring God is a sure sign of someone who is going to lose. It’s that simple.

Why does God tell us the outcome? Why does He not keep it a secret until it happens? Remembering the background of Revelation, many of the Christians were suffering and being persecuted, by a power greater than them. They had no armies. They had no resources to resist. If the Christians are wiped out, it seems that God loses. First, they weren’t all killed and God shows them the end of the story so they would hang in there. Overcome is one of the key words in Revelation. God shows them the end so they will remain faithful.

2.  Our passage today also shows us what happens to Satan at the end. He will be tormented day and night forever and ever. That’s a different image than what many have heard. We often get the idea, especially from the cartoons, long ago, that God is in charge of Heaven and Satan is in charge of Hell. Images of Satan, prodding people with his red pitch folk is very common. That’s not what this passage allows. Satan, himself, will be tormented. He’s not in charge, God is. God is in charge of Heaven and earth and that includes Hell. Satan’s future is set. He’s doomed. There’s no hope, no Savior, and no bright future awaiting him. He will be tormented for ever. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that Hell is prepared for Satan and his angels. I get from that, that God made Hell especially for Satan. People are not supposed to be there. People are supposed to be with God in Heaven. In John, Jesus told the disciples, I go and prepare a place for you. Heaven is made for us. To be with God. Hell is for Satan. It will be as ugly and harsh and nasty as he is. It is made just for him.

Don’t give up believing in Hell. Many have. Current statistics reveal that a majority of ministers across the board not only never mention the word Hell, they do not believe in it. God does. That reference in Matthew 25 ties everlasting life with eternal punishment. If Hell is no longer, then Heaven is gone, too. They are linked together. If there is a Heaven, then there is a Hell. Too many preachers are afraid of offending the audience by warning people of Hell. Shame on them. People do not like to think about grandma being in Hell. It isn’t a pleasant thought. So that has made us soften the message and reshape what God said. We’ve come to believe that if you are nice, then you go to Heaven. Nice people are in Heaven. Hell is for the Hitler’s, the child molesters, and the mean people. Be nice, we are told. The problem with that thinking is that a person can be nice and still ignore God. They can be a nice atheist. They can be a nice worldly person. It’s going to take much more than just being nice. We must follow God. We must obey God. God must be at the core of our character and the center of our life. Disciples of Jesus—that’s the key.

Secondly, God is showing these things so you don’t have to go to Hell. You can be triumphant with Jesus. God doesn’t send anyone to Hell. Our choices do. A life of ignoring God leads to an eternity without God. Our choice, not His. He wants us with Him. He’s done all that He can to make that possible by sending His Son, preserving the Bible, surrounding us with good examples. It’s up to us. Heaven or Hell? Jesus or Satan? Victory or defeat? Joy or punishment? We decide. Our choices, every day, decide.

Satan’s toast. He has no hope for the future. You do. It starts with making godly choices today!

Live as if one foot is already in Heaven.

Roger