The End of Satan's Kingdom

II Thessalonians 2:3,4

I believe people will know they are worshipping Satan.

I. What are we going to be doing just before the tribulation period?

A. I don't believe we will be here during the tribulation period, but what will we be doing shortly before the tribulation begins?

B. Daniel 7:15-28.

1. Verse 15-17 speaks about the four kingdoms the Anti-Christ comes from.

2. Verse 18 speaks about the victory that the saints of God have.

3. Verse 21 speaks about the final kingdom (the Anti-Christ) and his making war with the saints.

4. Why is it that Verse 18 speaks about the victory of the saints of God and verse 21 speaks about the saints being overcome by the Anti-Christ?

a. Remember this mornings message, "It must look like Satan has won."

b. It may "look like" Satan has won, but he hasn't!

c. This is exactly the same principle found in Rev. 11 where Satan kills the two witnesses in an attempt to prove that he has defeated God.

5. Verse 22 - Speaks about the final victory in Christ and the saints possessing the kingdom.

6. It is so that the Anti-Christ will prevail over the saints of God for a time so it will "look like" Satan has won.

a. People may not want to see the victories of Christ, but that doesn't mean He has failed.

b. The first U. S. Astronaut went into space, declaring that God was there, and they read from Gen. 1 concerning the creation of the world.

c. The Russian astronauts declared they didn't see God.

d. Some people would be so spiritually blind as to go into heaven, look at Christ and ask, "Who is that?"

7. Verse 23 - The Anti-Christ shall devour the whole earth. (We are talking about a world government.)

a. The word "devour" means to "eat up for self interest".

b. This morning we talked about a world religion.

8. Example.

a. The United States fighting wars because the U. N. (and NATO) say we need to.

b. We aren't following the best interest of our country, but the "best interest" of the whole world.

c. Verse 24 - the ten kings shall give their power to the beast.

d. This Anti-Christ is the exact same person as in II Thess. 2.

C. Verse 25 - The anti-Christ shall "wear out" the saints of the most high.

1. God's people will simply get tired of fighting this battle.

2. Matt. 24:12 - Iniquity abounding and the love of many shall wax cold. A sign of the end times.

a. The word "wax" means to slowly increase or slowly decrease.

b. His anger waxed hot.

c. God's people will grow so cold, so slowly, they won't even realize it is happening.

d. The world has got more and more wicked, and God's children have also grown colder and colder.

e. II Cor. 10:12 - We shouldn't compare ourselves with anybody, but should compare ourselves with the rule of God.

f. Many saved people today will sin in ways their parents would never even think of.

D. The Bible says the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church that Jesus build.

1. This is absolutely true, but this is not our question.

2. What will we be doing when Christ comes back?

3. Note: Rev. 2:1-7 - The church at Ephesus had left their first love, although they were doctrinally sound.

4. Rev. 3:1-6 - The church at Sardis had a name they were alive, yet they were dead.

5. Rev. 3:14-22 - The church at Laodicean was worshipping God, yet Jesus Christ was on the outside, knocking on the door, trying to gain entrance.

6. These are still churches, yet they weren't very faithful.

7. The main question is: What will we be doing just before the Great Tribulation begins.

E. Luke 18:1-8 - The widow woman continually asked the unjust judge for what she needed.

1. We must be very careful to continually ask God for those things we need.

2. We ought to pray without ceasing.

3. Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

4. James 5:1-7 - We ought to pray to God about injustices toward us, because God will hear and will judge.

II. The end of Satan's Kingdom.

A. The main principle that will destroy Satan's kingdom is its diversities.

1. Each group or person is looking to fulfill their own goals instead of trying to fulfill the goals of the group.

2. Rev. 17:1 - Pagan Babylon sits upon many waters.

a. This is not necessarily Rome, or the Catholic church.

b. It consists of every false religion, of which Rome is a principle part.

3. Verse 15 - the many waters are nations, peoples, multitudes, and tongues (languages).

4. This is like the Tower of Babel, when men tried to build a religion that would reach to heaven. God confused that bunch and scattered them over the earth. Satan has brought all these nations together, which God put apart.

B. Rev. 17:16 - The ten kings shall hate the whore for God has put in their hearts to fulfill His will.

1. These kings shall hate the religion of Babylon, but will give their authority to her to fulfill their own personal goals.

2. Satan's kingdom will be build upon lies, hypocrisy, and threats to men, and it will fail.

C. Rev. 19:11-21 - The rule and reign of Christ.

1. Satan's kingdom has an end, but the kingdom of Christ is forever.

2. Verse 11 - the beginning of the end of Satan's kingdom.

a. The white horse is not one of the seven seals.

b. The white horse in the seven seals is a copy of this horse.

c. Satan is always an imitator, never an initiator.

3. Verse 12 - Many crowns - Because he is the king of kings, and Lord of lords, not just 7 crowns like Satan.

4. Verse 13 - Christ comes in a garment dipped in blood.

5. Verse 14 - We keep our white garments because God fights the battles.

6. Verse 17,18,21 - The destruction of the people of Satan.

a. They shall spend 7 months burying the bones of the dead.

b. They shall burn the weapons for firewood.

c. Zech. 14:12-13 - This is the way the people of Satan shall die.

7. Verse 20 - The beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the Lake of Fire. (Without a judgment!)

8. Rev. 20:1 - An angel takes Satan, binds him, and casts him into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.

a. You can understand here that putting criminals in jail is not the answer.

b. You can lock up a criminal for 20 years, and when they get out, they will do exactly what they were doing when they went in jail.

c. This is what Satan does.

d. What do you do with criminals? Do with them what the Bible says!

9. Rev. 20:6 - This passage explains that the first resurrection is 1,000 years long.

10. Rev. 20:4 - some saints will be beheaded for the testimony of Jesus.

a. What if God calls upon us to give our lives for Christ.

b. Will we follow Christ to the death?

11. Rev. 10:7,8 - Satan goes out to deceive people again.

a. It is very amazing to me that some people have lived under the perfect reign of Christ and still decide to follow Satan.

b. Notice: I don't like living under a liberal government, but here are others who don't like to live under a conservative government.

C. The second resurrection.

1. Rev. 20;11-15 - The lost will come out of hell, stand before God at the Great White Throne judgment.

2. They are judged, not for their salvation, but for their works, as to how severe the eternal Lake of Fire will be for them.

3. All the lost are cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.