The devil on God's throne
“Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.” (Job 22:21).
“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:3). If we don’t spend the time getting to know the only true God, Satan will move into God’s place very quickly, alter our way of understanding God’s character, and then inspire us to worship him in God’s place. “They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.” (Deut. 32:17).
“There be Gods many, and Lords many.” (1Cor. 8:5). Referring to Baal, which means—Lord; and Baalim, meaning—Lords. They are called Lords, but they really are the satanic hosts in sheep’s clothing.
“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” (1Cor. 10:20). They thought they were sacrificing to the Creator, fellowshipping with the true God; so Paul emphatically stated that this was not so. They were fellowshipping with devils; and since the conniving devils know zero love, those who associate with them are unsuspectingly sucked dry of love and life, and have the worst passions brought out in them. This is why the name of Yahweh was so important throughout the Old Testment. To worship Yahweh meant a whole different kind of worship than Baal worship. It was a solemn, yet joyous occasion to come before the Holy One. A Father’s love was there. A Father’s grace as well as His high standard of righteousness.
This misunderstanding of the only true God pervaded the world in Job’s day. The deceived world substituted the devil and his coworkers into God’s place. Great, powerful phenomena were naturally assumed to come from God.
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that [Job] hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. And there was a day … there came also another [servant], and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them....” (Job 1:12,13,16). Satan had made use of the Lord’s natural elements for his own end and everyone believed it was the work of God. Even Job was taken in Satan’s imitation of God.
To sit in God’s place is to receive the utmost honor, affection, fear and praise. “[The son of perdition] who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped..., as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2Thess. 2:3,4).
The real escape from Satan’s great deception comes in knowing God through Jesus. To know God means spending the time soaking in His life-giving word to a dying world. He has revealed His deepest self through the Bible. We must get with Him there in its pages every day and talk to Him about it when we don’t understand something we’ve read. We must use His Book to us for communication, instead of simply for information. When we know His character of love up close and personally, we will have a true understanding of the confusing events happening around us and find in that knowledge His divine love and righteousness. The meaningful relationship makes us open to the Spirit’s guiding and makes us candidates for His promise of being locked into companionship with the God of love. This is the desire of all nations. But to neglect the meaningful relationship and the intimate knowing of Jesus is to step into Satan’s ground. He will woo us so unsuspectingly deep into his territory. And before we know it, it takes much effort to get back to Jesus, with Satan’s helpers continually standing by to resist us. In many cases, the fallen soul never returns and is lost in the oblivion of an endless and famished pursuit of happiness.
Multitudes in that lost group will die bogged down in religion. “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22,23). Doesn’t this beg the question, How could this ever happen? It seems impossible; yet Jesus says it will occur. Shouldn’t we daily ask ourselves in all honesty, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22).
“But [Paul and the apostles] have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2Cor. 4:2-4).
“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1). Here is a prime example of how Satan can work his spells. Was it God the Father who forbade the tree of knowledge of good and evil? No, it was the Lord God—the Son of God, who said it. (Gen. 2:16,17). “It was God,” that distant and mysterious personage whom the first couple did not know personally, “who gave a command.” Thus said the serpent in partially hidden language. Only he knew the psychological effects that framing the description of a distant God would effect. Christ, the One who had spent precious time with them, whose name they would have recognized and loved and who would have evoked immediate abhorrence of disobedience, must be covered in distraction by the tempter. The commandment suddenly seemed dogmatic and arbitrary under the influence of the self-assured, soft voice of this dazzling new friend. So while Eve was being moved off of her sure foundation that her Savior and Friend actually gave the command, Satan was wrapping her in his sophistry.
Jesus has been our Mediator from the foundation of the world. He alone can perfectly declare the Father, and He alone, our Creator in whose image we are, knows how to perfectly bring out of us the deepest love and peace. He is the bread of life, typified by the table of unleavened showbread (situated on the north side of the tabernacle.) But Satan wants that coveted place, and in his genius knows that is the true strategic office. “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” (Is. 14:13). The seat of explaining the Infinite One, the mysterious God of love, is the most important position in the entire universe. It’s the way to the tree of life. Whoever controls that access point controls the whole world. The whole world seeks that access to peace, and those who break from the self-indulgence pushed on the world by the adversary will find surely Him. Everyone else will sink deeper and deeper into his intoxicating spell.
Jesus is that true access. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (Jn. 14:6). “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:19-22). He has the key code for entrance: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:24,25). Here is where the true God resides—in self-denial and self-sacrificing love. This is His assured territory which Satan can never accept to enter, nor would he ever desire to overthrow it. The enemy must alter the self-denial into self-service. And his professed heavenly religion will reflect this. Self will be given free rein to weave itself in.
This condition was seen in the pure religion of Christ’s redemption during the Dark Ages when the Papacy controlled Christendom. Beginning slightly deverging from the truth, it ultimately became a full-glown worship of self, all the while claiming to be the humblest service to Jesus. “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” (Dan. 11:36,37).
The real Jesus stood for His Father’s Law of self-sacrificing love. In the light of His righteousness and trusting friendship those who look receive a power that transforms proud, self-centered hearts into humbled, self-forgetful hearts. But how many are hoodwinked into the wrong Jesus because of the love for self-indulgence! Repentance through renunciation of self, for the purpose of keeping the relationship with Jesus, is unknown by the sin-loving multitudes. Ellen White had a dream following the Great Disappointment, when the Son of God left the Holy Place and entered the Most Holy to cleanse it and to prepare for judgment. She explained what happened to the Protestant denominations when they rejected the preaching of Jesus’ Second Advent. Mrs. White relates:
There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, “My Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.
I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, “Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children. Early Writings, p. 55.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:3). If we don’t spend the time getting to know the only true God, Satan will move into God’s place very quickly, alter our way of understanding God’s character, and then inspire us to worship him in God’s place. “They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.” (Deut. 32:17).
“There be Gods many, and Lords many.” (1Cor. 8:5). Referring to Baal, which means—Lord; and Baalim, meaning—Lords. They are called Lords, but they really are the satanic hosts in sheep’s clothing.
“But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” (1Cor. 10:20). They thought they were sacrificing to the Creator, fellowshipping with the true God; so Paul emphatically stated that this was not so. They were fellowshipping with devils; and since the conniving devils know zero love, those who associate with them are unsuspectingly sucked dry of love and life, and have the worst passions brought out in them. This is why the name of Yahweh was so important throughout the Old Testment. To worship Yahweh meant a whole different kind of worship than Baal worship. It was a solemn, yet joyous occasion to come before the Holy One. A Father’s love was there. A Father’s grace as well as His high standard of righteousness.
This misunderstanding of the only true God pervaded the world in Job’s day. The deceived world substituted the devil and his coworkers into God’s place. Great, powerful phenomena were naturally assumed to come from God.
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that [Job] hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. And there was a day … there came also another [servant], and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them....” (Job 1:12,13,16). Satan had made use of the Lord’s natural elements for his own end and everyone believed it was the work of God. Even Job was taken in Satan’s imitation of God.
To sit in God’s place is to receive the utmost honor, affection, fear and praise. “[The son of perdition] who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped..., as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2Thess. 2:3,4).
The real escape from Satan’s great deception comes in knowing God through Jesus. To know God means spending the time soaking in His life-giving word to a dying world. He has revealed His deepest self through the Bible. We must get with Him there in its pages every day and talk to Him about it when we don’t understand something we’ve read. We must use His Book to us for communication, instead of simply for information. When we know His character of love up close and personally, we will have a true understanding of the confusing events happening around us and find in that knowledge His divine love and righteousness. The meaningful relationship makes us open to the Spirit’s guiding and makes us candidates for His promise of being locked into companionship with the God of love. This is the desire of all nations. But to neglect the meaningful relationship and the intimate knowing of Jesus is to step into Satan’s ground. He will woo us so unsuspectingly deep into his territory. And before we know it, it takes much effort to get back to Jesus, with Satan’s helpers continually standing by to resist us. In many cases, the fallen soul never returns and is lost in the oblivion of an endless and famished pursuit of happiness.
Multitudes in that lost group will die bogged down in religion. “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22,23). Doesn’t this beg the question, How could this ever happen? It seems impossible; yet Jesus says it will occur. Shouldn’t we daily ask ourselves in all honesty, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22).
“But [Paul and the apostles] have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2Cor. 4:2-4).
“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1). Here is a prime example of how Satan can work his spells. Was it God the Father who forbade the tree of knowledge of good and evil? No, it was the Lord God—the Son of God, who said it. (Gen. 2:16,17). “It was God,” that distant and mysterious personage whom the first couple did not know personally, “who gave a command.” Thus said the serpent in partially hidden language. Only he knew the psychological effects that framing the description of a distant God would effect. Christ, the One who had spent precious time with them, whose name they would have recognized and loved and who would have evoked immediate abhorrence of disobedience, must be covered in distraction by the tempter. The commandment suddenly seemed dogmatic and arbitrary under the influence of the self-assured, soft voice of this dazzling new friend. So while Eve was being moved off of her sure foundation that her Savior and Friend actually gave the command, Satan was wrapping her in his sophistry.
Jesus has been our Mediator from the foundation of the world. He alone can perfectly declare the Father, and He alone, our Creator in whose image we are, knows how to perfectly bring out of us the deepest love and peace. He is the bread of life, typified by the table of unleavened showbread (situated on the north side of the tabernacle.) But Satan wants that coveted place, and in his genius knows that is the true strategic office. “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” (Is. 14:13). The seat of explaining the Infinite One, the mysterious God of love, is the most important position in the entire universe. It’s the way to the tree of life. Whoever controls that access point controls the whole world. The whole world seeks that access to peace, and those who break from the self-indulgence pushed on the world by the adversary will find surely Him. Everyone else will sink deeper and deeper into his intoxicating spell.
Jesus is that true access. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (Jn. 14:6). “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:19-22). He has the key code for entrance: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:24,25). Here is where the true God resides—in self-denial and self-sacrificing love. This is His assured territory which Satan can never accept to enter, nor would he ever desire to overthrow it. The enemy must alter the self-denial into self-service. And his professed heavenly religion will reflect this. Self will be given free rein to weave itself in.
This condition was seen in the pure religion of Christ’s redemption during the Dark Ages when the Papacy controlled Christendom. Beginning slightly deverging from the truth, it ultimately became a full-glown worship of self, all the while claiming to be the humblest service to Jesus. “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” (Dan. 11:36,37).
The real Jesus stood for His Father’s Law of self-sacrificing love. In the light of His righteousness and trusting friendship those who look receive a power that transforms proud, self-centered hearts into humbled, self-forgetful hearts. But how many are hoodwinked into the wrong Jesus because of the love for self-indulgence! Repentance through renunciation of self, for the purpose of keeping the relationship with Jesus, is unknown by the sin-loving multitudes. Ellen White had a dream following the Great Disappointment, when the Son of God left the Holy Place and entered the Most Holy to cleanse it and to prepare for judgment. She explained what happened to the Protestant denominations when they rejected the preaching of Jesus’ Second Advent. Mrs. White relates:
There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, “My Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.
I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, “Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children. Early Writings, p. 55.
The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.
posted by David | 5:43 PM
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