When this age ends Satan will make a final effort in opposing God. He
will be permitted to succeed for a brief time and do what is in his
heart to do. This takes place after the true church has left the
earth. Satan will then be cast out of heaven and coming down to this
earth once more in person, he manifests great wrath, knowing that he
hath but a short time (Rev. xii:12).[5] The mystery of lawlessness,
which has been at work from the beginning will break out fully and find
a consummation through the power of Satan. The thirteenth chapter of
Revelation gives the future history of Satan's seeming success and
triumph. He will succeed in forming a great empire, which is the old
Roman empire in a revived form. This empire, which is called a beast,
will receive Satan's power, and will have over it a wicked leader, whom
Daniel saw as the little horn on the ten-horned beast.[6] The dragon's
plan to control the earth has seemingly been realized. He then
institutes the great tribulation. But there is a second beast
mentioned in Revelation xiii. He has two horns like a lamb but speaks
as a dragon. This is the Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of
perdition. Like the little horn, the political leader, this second
beast is Satan's man. He leads the religious apostasy and tries to
stamp out what is left of the truth of God on the earth. He himself
claims to be God and takes the place in the temple of God (in
Jerusalem), and by lying signs and wonders backs up his claims. His
work is described in Rev. xiii:11-18 and 2 Thess. ii:3-12. Fearful
will be those days when the true church is gone and when God, as a
judgment, lets Satan rule over those who rejected the offers of His
love in His blessed Son. Another work of his is seen in the final
Babylon and the scarlet clad woman, who rides the beast (the revived
Roman empire). And finally when the hour approaches of Christ's
visible and glorious return, Satan summons "the kings of the earth and
their armies, gathering them together to make war against Him that sat
on the horse and against his army" (Rev. xix:19). But then his defeat
has come. The King of kings and Lord of lords appears in glory. The
glory-flash, the brightness of His Coming strikes down the beast and
the false prophet (Antichrist). The battle of Armageddon of short
duration is over. Satan and all his hosts are utterly defeated. In
Revelation xx we have the record of what will happen to the dragon,
that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan. He will be chained and
cast into the pit of the abyss for a thousand years so that he can
seduce the nations no more. He is dethroned and Christ is enthroned.
Christ and His Saints reign over the earth. During this millennium
righteousness and peace will reign. Wars will be no more, for the
supreme war-lord is chained in prison. Armies will be unknown, for he
who is behind it all has no more power. Idolatries and its degrading
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