Satan Cannot Come To Power Until God Allows It

For the Christian who is trying to serve god, prophecy ought to be a source of comfort as he sees the things that go on in this world and remembers that God warned about what is happening and that it is going according to his plan.  Unfortunately, prophecy teachers frequently misuse prophecy to manipulate people, whether through fear or pride.  For example, in the 1700’s, John Nelson Darby used the idea of the pre-tribulation rapture to convince thousands of Irish Catholics to join the Church of England so they wouldn’t have to go through the Tribulation.  Later, he split with the Church of England and helped start the Plymouth Brethren.   He developed the doctrine of Dispensationalism based on the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 to convince people to leave other churches and join the new group. 

Modern pastors and “evangelists” use these same doctrines and others to get people to give vast amounts of money or bring large numbers of people to their meetings.    Like John Nelson Darby, they focus on the horrors of the Tribulation period, creating fear in the hearts of Christians.  Paul addressed this problem in II Thessalonians 2:1-2.  “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. “  He says that we are not to allow such preaching to upset us regardless of the supposed qualifications of the preacher or evangelist. 

Politicians and “medical experts” have played on people’s fears during the Corona virus pandemic to cause conflicts, changing our culture and damaging our economy in ways that we may never recover, possibly even resulting in another depression or civil war.     Prophetic teaching that plays on people’s fears can have equally devastating effects on churches and the lives of individual Christians. With that in mind, II Thessalonians 2:3-5 tells us what has to happen before it takes place.  “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” 

Paul was quite specific that the Lord will not return until after the Antichrist is revealed.  Jesus said we didn’t need to worry about it until the Antichrist was revealed, in Matthew 24:14-21.  “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.  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Satan has been working throughout history to take over the world, but has been restrained and will be unable to take over until the proper time.  For all these centuries, God’s people have been protected from him.  He cannot bring the Antichrist to power until the being that holds him pack is taken away, as II Thessalonians 2:6-7 tells us.  “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”  Daniel 12:1 speaks of that event,  “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

When Michael the Archangel steps aside and stops restraining Satan, he will be free to set up his world government and under the Antichrist, and attack God’s people, as II Thessalonians 2:8-10 describes.  “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

The tribulation period is designed especially for Israel.  They will see the evil of the Antichrist’s kingdom and be forced to make a choice whether to serve God or Satan, as will the rest of the world.   The Gospel message of John 3:16-20 will be preached everywhere,  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

While many will come to Christ during that time, many others will not, preferring the evil Satan offers.  God will enable those who make that choice to  convince themselves that they are right even when Satan is losing control,  much like the Nazi’s who continued to believe they would rule the world right up until Hitler committed suicide.  II Thessalonians 2:11-12 describes this.  “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”  Even seventy five years after World War II, former Nazi’s like George Soros, and their descendants still cling to those delusions. 

Knowing Satan cannot come to power until God allows it is comforting, especially as we see what is going on in the world around us.