Is the Devil a Myth?Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin)
Religion
Is the Devil a Myth?
Wimberly, C. F. (Charles Franklin)
Devil; Good and evil
"For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time."--_Revelation xii. 12._
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the
dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him
a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him
up, and set a seal upon him."--_Revelation xx. 1-3._
The fact of a possible victory through the Name of our great Conqueror
does not alone satisfy all the items of the indictment. If such were the
only background to the picture, great as it is, the human drama is not
only a fierce tragedy, but a miserable farce. Thank God, personal victory
is not all; there is a rift in the dark satanic cloud which has hung over
the world for so many millenniums. Satan is in great wrath, and his power
and influence grow steadily stronger; more and more his iron grip fastens
about the throat of the world. The Apostasy of which Christ and His
Apostles wrote is becoming a reality.
Satan will score one more gigantic victory; then is our "blessed hope of
His glorious appearing," when He shall come and catch away His Bride--the
Church, both dead and alive; that part of His following who are united to
Him and are earnestly yearning for His coming. This event is called by
devout scholars "The Rapture." Just where, how, when, or how long, we have
only a vague prophetic conjecture. "Where, Lord?" they ask. "And He said
unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together."
When the Rapture shall have taken place, Satan will have undisputed
dominion; then shall the "Man of Sin" appear, setting himself up as
God--to be worshipped. His reign will be the Great Tribulation; all the
influences of righteousness will, for the time, be removed--the earth will
reek in corruption and bloodshed. It is implied that, so terrible will be
this time, divine intervention must necessarily shorten the Tribulation,
else no flesh will be left on the earth. The Great Tribulation will be the
climax of the Devil's rule on earth. It seems that he will incarnate
himself in a Man, giving him supernatural knowledge and power.
However, something spectacular and sensational will soon occur. When the
leader of a gang of thugs or desperadoes is arrested, his followers are
filled with fear and consternation; then think of the excitement. An Angel
officer will break in on the scene--yes, that is exactly what the Book
tells us: the High Sheriff of Heaven will suddenly step down from
headquarters, and will lay hold--arrest the Old
Dragon--Satan--Devil--Serpent (observe all his names are mentioned).
Whatever his titles and distinctions of the past have been, they will not
save him in that hour. The Apocalyptic Vision is unmistakable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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