Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr19/snchains.zip/SNCHAINS.TXT

Text File | 1993-05-30 | 37KB | 640 lines

Satan In Chains

 Copyright by Joe Crews.
  All rights reserved.

How would you like to be seated before a gigantic stage about
2,000 feet wide and actually watch the play-out of human history
before your eyes?  There you could see the final destiny of
every man, woman, and child who has ever lived in this world.
God, indeed, gives us such a panoramic preview in one of the
most dramatic prophecies in the Bible.
Some people have harbored the dream that society will eventually
correct itself and will develop into a golden age of millennial
peace.  In this grand Utopia everyone is supposed to be
converted and will cooperate in building a new world of
brotherhood and peace.  I wish this could be a true picture of
the future, but it is exactly the opposite of what the Bible
portrays.  Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noe (Noah), so
shall it be also in the days of the Son of man."  Luke 17:26.
Paul said, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived."  2 Timothy 3:13.  No, this dream
of a temporal millennium is just a vast delusion, and we are not
interested in dreams or fancies.  We want to know the facts
about the future and what will happen to every person who has
been a part of this earthly scene.  So we turn to the Bible
subject of the millennium.
Most people know that the word "millennium" is not even found in
the Bible at all.  It is taken from two Latin words:  "milli,"
meaning a thousand, and "annum," meaning a year.  But even
though the word is not mentioned in the Scriptures there are
references to a thousand-year period of time.  Invariably, they
are clustered around the doctrine of the resurrection from the
dead.

Two Resurrections

Jesus taught that there will be two general resurrections:
"Marvel not at this:  for the hour is coming, in the which all
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come
forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation."  John 5:28, 29.
Before giving further specific proof on this point, we must note
that Christ referred to the resurrection of life and the
resurrection of damnation.  This seems to indicate that the
saved and lost do not arise at the same time.  Two separate
resurrections are described.  The book of Revelation confirms
this fact.  John wrote, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection:  on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with Him a thousand years."  Revelation 20:6.
The use of the term "first resurrection" is proof that there
must be more than one.  If I say, "This is the first house I
built," you know that I had to build at least one other.
Two points are established in this text.  First, only the good
people will have any part in the first resurrection.  It plainly
says, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection."  Second, we learn that the resurrection of those
saints is the beginning point of the millennium, because after
being raised they "shall reign with him a thousand years."
According to this verse, none of the wicked will have any part
in the first resurrection.  This is also established by verses 4
and 5 which describe the resurrection of those "which had not
worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
(came to live) and reigned with Christ a thousand years. . . .
This is the first resurrection."
This leaves no doubt about the class who will be included in the
first resurrection.  It is only for those who remained faithful
to Christ.  But in the midst of that text we find a very
significant, parenthetical sentence:  "But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished."  Verse
5.
Obviously, the "rest of the dead" can only be in reference to
the wicked.  They will come forth from their graves at the end
of the millennium--when "the thousand years were finished."
Now we have a clear picture before us of two resurrections
separated by a thousand years.  The good people are raised at
the beginning of the millennium, and the wicked are resurrected
at the end.

Christ's Coming
Introduces the Millennium

Can we now find from the Scriptures when this first resurrection
takes place, which introduces the millennium?  Yes.  Paul
declares that it happens at the coming of Christ.  "For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in
Christ shall rise first."  1 Thessalonians 4:16.
Here are the saints being raised "first"--in the first
resurrection.  And it takes place amidst the glory and grandeur
of the second coming of Jesus.  This marks the beginning of the
millennium.
When Jesus comes there will be only four groups of people for
Him to deal with:  the righteous dead, the righteous living, the
wicked dead, and the wicked living.  All who have ever been born
will fall into one of those categories.  The Bible gives a
fascinating picture of what happens to each of these classes
when Christ returns in His glory.  First, the righteous dead are
described as rising first to meet the Lord.  Then Paul continues
with these words:  "Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  1
Thessalonians 4:17.
Picture that scene of transcendent joy and rapture.  The saints
are raised from their dusty beds and changed into glorious
immortality.  At the same moment, the righteous living are
translated and are given immortal bodies just like the
resurrected ones.  Paul writes:  "Behold, I shew you a mystery;
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.  In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:  for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible
. . . and this mortal must put on immortality."  1 Corinthians
15:51-53.
Possessing those new bodies that will never suffer pain or die,
all the saved ones will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air.
His feet will not touch the earth at that time.  He has come to
honor the promise made to His people just before leaving this
earth:  "In my Father's house are many mansions . . . I go to
prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where
I am, there ye may be also."  John 14:2, 3.

With Christ a Thousand Years

Where will Christ take those redeemed ones who meet Him in the
clouds?  To the mansions of His Father where He has prepared a
place for us.  Can there be any doubt as to where He ascended
after leaving this earth?  Peter had been curious and actually
questioned the Master about those mansions and that place.
Jesus was answering Peter's question in John 14:1-3.  Go back
three verses into the previous chapter:  "Simon Peter said unto
him, Lord, whither goest thou?  Jesus answered him, Whither I
go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me
afterwards."  John 13:36.
Here is interesting proof that Peter will someday go to the
place where Jesus was about to go.  And where was that?  Jesus
said, "I go to prepare a place for you."  Did He not ascend to
His Father's house, in the heavens, where the mansions were?
Christ told Peter that he could not follow Him then, but that
someday he would follow Him where He was going.
There are those who say that no one from this earth will ever
go to heaven, but this would be contradicting the words of
Jesus.  It would also be contrary to John's description in
Revelation 19:1:  "And after these things I heard a great voice
of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and
glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God."
John's vision of the future places the saints in heaven.  That
is where Jesus promised to take them--to His Father's house and
the place He had prepared.  This will not be the permanent home
of the saved, but it is surely the place where Christ takes them
to spend a thousand years with Him.
Now, let us find out what happens to all the wicked when Christ
returns.  We have already established that the wicked dead do
not live again "until the thousand years are finished."  They
simply remain in their graves during the millennium.  No change
takes place for them until a thousand years later.
But what about the wicked who will live until Christ's return?
How are they affected?  Paul answers:  "And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in
his saints."  2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.
Notice what happens to sinners at the same time the saints are
glorified.  Sin cannot exist in His presence and the wicked are
destroyed by His glory.  "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."  2
Thessalonians 2:8.
John describes the desperate attempts of the wicked to escape
from Christ's presence when He returns.  They will hide in the
dens and rocks of the mountains, and pray, "Fall on us, and hide
us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb:  For the great day of his wrath is come; and
who shall be able to stand?"  Revelation 6:16, 17.
The sinners will be cut down by the bright glory of God as
though a thousand volts of electricity had fallen upon them.
Jesus spoke of that moment in these words:  "For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For
wheresoever the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered
together."  Matthew 24:27, 28.  Christ indicated that the bodies
of the wicked dead will be scattered as a result of the blazing
glory of His return.
John described the wicked who survived the battle of Armageddon.
"And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon
the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth:  and all the
fowls were filled with their flesh."  Revelation 19:21.  His
words parallel those of Jesus.  The bodies of the lost will be
food for vultures, immediately upon the appearance of Christ in
the heavens.
Now we are prepared to answer a question that has puzzled many
people.  Can anyone repent and be saved after the coming of
Jesus?  Absolutely not.  The Bible is very explicit on this
point.  John records the actual words of a mighty decree which
Christ declares just before His return to this earth.  "He that
is unjust, let him be unjust still:  and he which is filthy, let
him be filthy still:  and he that is righteous, let him be
righteous still:  and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be."  Revelation 22:11,
12.
This indicates that every case has been settled for eternity.
Probation is ended.  Christ lays aside His priestly robes and
leaves the heavenly sanctuary where He has been interceding as
our great High Priest.  Now He returns as King of kings to
execute judgment.  There can be no more opportunity to repent.
All will remain as they have been found in the books of heaven.
In fact, who could repent and be saved during the millennium?
The righteous are already immortalized in heaven, and the wicked
are all dead.  It would be just as logical to think of someone
rising up in the casket and repenting, as to think of anyone
turning to God after Jesus comes.
Jeremiah beheld this earth in vision following the return of
Christ.  He described it thus:  "The slain of the Lord shall be
at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of
the earth:  they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor
buried; they shall be dung upon the ground."  Jeremiah 25:33.
Of course, they won't be gathered.  Nobody is here to do it.  No
one can weep for them, because the earth is entirely emptied of
all its inhabitants.  The dead bodies of the wicked will be
scattered all over the earth, in the same places where they were
cut down by the glory of God's presence.

The Earth in Ruins

The earth itself will be a shambles during the thousand years,
as a result of the devastating earthquake which attends the
coming of Christ.  "And there were voices, and thunders, and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not
since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so
great . . . And every island fled away, and the mountains were
not found."  Revelation 16:18, 20.
The physical results of this convulsive earthquake are alluded
to by both Isaiah and Jeremiah.  "Behold, the Lord maketh the
earth empty, and maketh it waste. . . .  The land shall be
utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled:  for the Lord hath spoken
this word. . . .  The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is
clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly."  Isaiah 24:1,
3, 19.
The shocks and the after-shocks of that earthquake will spread
desolation to every corner of the earth.  Inhabited islands will
disappear into the sea; great mountain chains will disintegrate
and vanish.  Jeremiah wrote:  "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it
was without form and void; and the heavens, and they had no
light.  I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all
the hills moved lightly.  I beheld, and, lo, there was no man,
and all the birds of the heavens were fled.  I beheld, and, lo,
the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof
were broken down at the presence of the Lord and by his fierce
anger."  Jeremiah 4:23-26.
At the coming of Jesus every work of man will be humbled to the
dust.  Skyscrapers are leveled to the ground, the sky darkens,
and even the birds disappear.  The righteous are removed from
the earth and all the wicked are slain.  No wonder the Bible
says that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God.  To be unprepared in that day is the greatest
tragedy to be imagined.

Satan Bound

Now, the question arises, "Where is Satan during all this great
manifestation?"  Going back to Revelation 20:1-3 we read about
the Devil during the millennium:  "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, that he should deceive the nations no
more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:  and after
that he must be loosed a little season."  What an amazing scene!
The Devil is bound for that thousand years and cast into the
bottomless pit.
Fortunately, we do not have to speculate about the location of
that bottomless pit.  The Bible makes it very clear.  The
original Greek word for "bottomless pit" is "abussos," from
which we get our English word "abyss," meaning "a deep place."
That same word is used again in the Greek version of Genesis
1:2:  "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness
was upon the face of the deep."  The word "deep" here is the
Greek word "abussos" which is translated as "bottomless pit" in
Revelation 20:1.  In other words, this earth was called the
"abussos" after God formed it; before He called order and design
out of it.  Lying in disorganized darkness it was referred to as
the bottomless pit.
During the millennium this planet will revert to a similar state
of desolation and chaos.  Jeremiah describes it in the very same
words, "without form and void."  Again, it is designated by the
prophet John as the "abussos," or "bottomless pit."  Satan will
be confined right here on this torn-up, destroyed world for a
thousand years while the saints are in heaven.
Someone may ask, "But what about the chain?"  Just remember that
Satan is a fallen angel, and spiritual beings cannot be bound
with literal chains.  The Bible speaks about the evil angels
being bound with chains of darkness.  The purpose of the binding
is "that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand
years should be fulfilled."  The only possible way to accomplish
this is to take Satan away from all the people, or take the
people away from him.  Even putting him into a deep, literal pit
would not prevent him from deceiving the people, because he has
millions of imps to carry on his work.
The fact is that the Devil is bound by circumstances which
forbid him access to any human being during the thousand years.
Recently, a man told me that Satan is already bound and has been
ever since 1914.  That struck me as one of the most incredible
of all statements.  Surely if he is bound today, somebody is
doing his work for him.  And if the world is in this shape
without his evil scheming, we had better pray that he doesn't
get loose, or we really are in for trouble.  If he is bound now,
it would have to be with a rubber chain that stretches from New
York to Moscow and all around the circle of the earth.
No, he is not bound today, but he will be while this earth is in
confused disorder.  Unable to deceive a single soul, he will
inhabit this desolate planet for a thousand years contemplating
the havoc his program has produced.  The righteous are in
heaven, the wicked are all dead, and he has no one to work on
till the end of the millennium.
I have tried to think about the Devil during this period.  What
is he going to do?  The earth is covered with darkness, dead
bodies are everywhere, and all is absolute confusion.  For six
thousand years Satan has been plenty busy.  He has followed folk
around trying to devise their destruction.  His chief employment
for centuries has been to accuse, mislead and destroy.
Suddenly, though, he has nothing to do.  They are all taken
away, and he is left with his own thoughts.  What will the Devil
do?  That will be the most miserable punishment that Satan will
have to suffer.  Forced to live with himself for a thousand
years!  No one to deceive at all; just thinking, thinking,
thinking.
I am sure he will think about the past and remember all the
terrible deeds of darkness he has committed.  He will think
about the future and the prophecies of God concerning his own
destiny.  Listen, the Devil is a good Bible student.  Do not
fool yourself.  Give him credit where it is due.  He knows the
Bible better than you do.  Oh yes, holy men of God wrote as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost, but the Devil was looking over
their shoulder and memorizing every bit of it.  The Devil knows
better than we do that every word of the Bible is true.  He
knows that everything about heaven is true, because he used to
live there.  He knows that it is just as beautiful and wonderful
as the Bible describes it, but he doesn't want anybody else to
believe that.  So, he is desperately working to keep people from
studying this Book and to keep people off their knees.
If people can once understand what the Bible teaches about the
great plan of salvation, Satan knows that his power will be
destroyed at that very moment.  So, I picture him as thinking of
these things and looking ahead to the future, knowing that his
utter destruction has already been determined.  The Bible itself
declares that he will be burned and brought to ashes.
I suppose, also, that he will think about many of the people he
tempted while the earth was still standing.  Perhaps his
thoughts will go back to the poor alcoholic who was struggling
to be free.  Time after time he crawled out of the gutter,
determined never to take another drink.  But Satan waylaid the
man with constant harassment and temptation, and down he would
go into the gutter again.  Finally, the desperate alcoholic
dared to lay hold of Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, and
he was delivered from Satan's power.  Now Satan knows that the
man is forever beyond his influence, and he will never be able
to assail him again.
Yes, I picture the Devil wandering over this depopulated planet
and stumbling over the decaying bodies of those who were slain
by the glory of God.  And perhaps one of those bodies will
attract Satan's special attention because he recognizes and
remembers the man.  He was a good, moral man with a fine family.
Everybody liked him.  He was honest and paid his debts.  People
were attracted to him.  He was a good neighbor and a good
citizen.  There were times when the man was drawn to make a
decision to follow the Lord all the way.  His wife pleaded with
him to do so, and his little girls prayed for him every night.
Only one thing really stood in his way, but somehow he could not
surrender his will fully to the will of Christ.  It was always
in his mind to do so someday, but the Devil kept supplying him
with excuses for waiting.  Then suddenly, unexpectedly, the
clouds rolled back like a curtain and Christ returned.  The man
was not prepared.  He was cut down with all the others who were
living for self.
Now Satan looks upon the tortured features of the dead man, and
a hideous grin spreads over his face.  His strategy was
successful, and this man, at least, will never have another
opportunity to be saved.  He is lost forever.
Oh, the utter folly of failing to decide for Christ while the
moments of probation linger!  Some are toying with sin and
trifling with the convictions of God's Holy Spirit.  You may be
a church member and a professed Christian, but if there is one
cherished sin in your life right now, you are playing games with
God.  Confess and forsake that sin without another moment of
delay.  Could our eyes be opened for one second to the awful
consequences of sin, no one would dare hesitate to follow Jesus
all the way.

Dramatic Close of the Millennium

Now we come to the closing events of the millennium.  What
dramatic developments will mark the end of the thousand years?
"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison."  Revelation 20:7.
This loosing of Satan is easy to understand when we read verse 5
again, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished."  All the lost of the ages will be raised
out of their graves at the end of the millennium.  This is what
releases the Devil to begin his work of deception once more.
Perhaps you are wondering how he could further deceive those who
have already passed the point of redemption.  Here is the way
John answers that question:  "And (he) shall go out to deceive
the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and
Magog, to gather them together to battle:  the number of whom is
as the sand of the sea.  And they went up on the breadth of the
earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the
beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them."  Revelation 20:8, 9.
Several important things are brought to view in these verses.
After the wicked are resurrected at the end of the millennium,
Satan leads them in an attack against the New Jerusalem.  He
deceives them into thinking they can actually capture the
dwelling place of God and the immortalized saints.  That Holy
City descends from heaven, following the thousand years.  "And I
John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out
of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
Revelation 21:2.
This is the event described by the prophets of old, when the
saints will return to this earth from Paradise.  According to
Zechariah, Christ's feet will touch the earth, and some
spectacular things take place.  "And his feet shall stand in
that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on
the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst
thereof toward the north, and half of it toward the south . . .
and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."
Zechariah 14:4, 5.
Please notice that Jesus will make contact with the earth when
He returns with the saints.  When He came for the saints at the
beginning of the millennium, His feet did not touch the ground.
All were caught up to meet Him.  But now as the great, heavenly
space city approaches this planet, the Mount of Olives splits
under the touch of the Son of God.  A mighty plain is created
for a landing spot, and the New Jerusalem settles to earth.

Resurrection of the Wicked

At the same time that the City descends the wicked are raised,
and this releases Satan to deceive them into attacking.  Again
he has someone to work on.  I have tried to imagine how the
great deceiver will address that host of lost souls.  Perhaps he
will even claim that they were resurrected by his power.
Charging God with unjustly throwing him out of the city, he now
urges the army of the wicked to help him reclaim his former
position.  No doubt he will make flattering offers of honor and
power to those who excel in the battle.
I suppose that Napoleon, Alexander, Sennacherib, Hitler, and
Stalin will be there.  Oh, I am not sure, of course; I am just
using these as examples.  Maybe some of these repented before
death, but there will be plenty of great generals and military
leaders in the ranks of Satan's army as he goes up against God.
Many of those men died with curses on their lips; and now, when
they are resurrected, they are still cursing, and they are still
in the frame of mind to fight.  It won't be hard for Satan to
get them in line as they march against the City of God.
Sometimes people ask me, "How long will they fight?  How long
will it take them to get ready for that battle?"  I do not know,
because the Bible is silent here.  I am certain, though, that
the Devil will not try to win by just throwing rocks at the Holy
City.  He will surely devise some terrible, devastating weapons
to use.  He has a mighty, ingenious mind when it comes to
preparing instruments of war.  No doubt there will be atomic
weapons involved.  They will set a D-Day.  There could be a
countdown at which time they plan to blast away at the Holy
City.  From all earthly viewpoints, it seems that the saints are
doomed.  The explosive, destructive weapons will be able to
shatter the walls into smithereens.  But then, suddenly, God
intervenes.  He turns His own fiery power loose upon that
assembled army of the wicked.  Read it in verse 9 of Revelation
20:  "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:
and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."
And that is the end of the wicked.  There it is.  Right here on
this earth the fire of God descends.  The wicked people are
burned up as they launch a final, desperate attack against God.
This is the hell fire of the Bible.

The Transparent Wall of Separation

Listen, one of the saddest pictures of all, I believe, is
revealed in Revelation 21:11.  In describing the Holy City it
says:  "Having the glory of God:  and her light was like unto a
stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as
crystal."  The walls of that City will be like glass.  The
wicked will be able to look right through and see everything on
the inside of that City.  Have you ever thought of some of the
sad meetings that will take place by those walls of the New
Jerusalem?  Talk about the famous wall of China or the Wailing
Wall in Jerusalem!  But this wall is going to reveal some of the
most heart-rending scenes that have ever taken place on this
earth.
I picture the resurrection of that man who had such a wonderful
family, and who almost made his decision for Christ--the one who
intended to do it later.  As he comes forth in the second
resurrection, he looks around for his wife and two little girls.
Nothing but open, empty graves meet his vision, and his ears are
assailed by the cries and curses of the lost.  He is swept up in
the maelstrom of frenzied preparation for the battle.
As he approaches the gleaming, transparent walls, he is
overwhelmed by the splendor of the scene.  Far in the distance
he sees the outshining of the glorious rainbow surrounding the
throne of God.  The River of Life flows forth from the throne,
and great branches of the Tree of Life arch over the river,
bearing their magnificent fruit of immortality.  The man is
transfixed by the beauty.  Glorious, radiant angels move around
inside the City.  He gazes at the streets of purest gold and the
indescribable mansions on every side.  As he stands, spellbound,
he thinks, "What a fool I was to lose all of this."
Then, I picture this man as his eyes try to encompass all the
grandeur of the landscape.  Moving figures inside begin to come
into clearer focus.  Suddenly, his heart skips a beat, as he
catches a glimpse of some familiar forms on the other side of
the wall.  His eyes light up with recognition of his wife and
children as they draw nearer.  The man waves and beckons.  He
cries out to catch their attention but the words bounce back as
an empty echo from the shining walls.
Then, and only then, will the true horror of his situation be
realized.  A flood of memories will fill his mind.  He remembers
so vividly the prayers of his little girls for their daddy to be
saved.  He lives over again the tender convictions that brought
tears to his eyes, the struggle with conscience, and the
decision to wait.  The words of his wife now return to torment
him.  "Honey, why don't you surrender to Jesus?  Don't worry
about your job.  I will work, and we will get along.  The Lord
will provide.  I love you so much, and Jesus loves you."  He had
fought the stubborn rebellion but slowly yielded to the
practical demands of his job and his carnal friends.  Now he
would give anything in the world to return to that moment.  If
only he could take his little girls in his arms again, and kiss
his dear wife, assuring them that their prayers have been
answered.
Oh, the remorse of that moment!  The man stretches out his arms
and cries out, "Please pray for me once more!"  But it is too
late, and before the jasper-clear wall, I can see that father
and husband fall on the ground, screaming and pleading for one
more chance that can never be granted.  Surely this will be the
greatest punishment for those who finally realize what it means
to be lost.

"What Shall It Profit a Man?"

Oh, how I wish I could paint this picture so graphically
concerning surrender and its importance that every person would
settle it with God before going to bed tonight.  We must know
that we have given ourselves completely to the Lord Jesus
Christ.  I know there are some who would rather hear you say,
"Let's not get fanatical, let's not do anything extreme.  Let's
just wait, and things will take care of themselves."  The very
same people who say that now will some day be crying out on the
other side of the wall of the New Jerusalem and saying:  "Oh,
why didn't someone tell me?  Why didn't somebody make me do it
when I had the opportunity?"
I am amazed at the way people are influenced by their friends--
by the words of those who are very well-meaning.  What comfort
will those words be when the friends are also on the outside of
the wall looking in?  Sometimes people are held back by
possessions, or jobs, or bank accounts; but what comfort will it
be to have a great, heaping pile of earthly treasure and still
be on the outside looking through the walls?  What about the
religious leaders and teachers who have comforted people by
telling them not to worry about keeping the commandments?  The
same religious teachers are also on the outside.
Every one of us should now be searching the Word of God in order
to know what to do.  The Bible is the blueprint for salvation.
The most powerful, motivating forces in society today will soon
be exposed as less than worthless.  Finally, men are going to
throw their gold and silver into the streets to the moles and
the bats.  At last, people will have to give up those things
that meant so much in this life.  If it is going to come to that
finally--if men are going to throw them away as Isaiah 2
describes it--why won't they throw them away now in order to
make their calling and election sure?
If you wait, refusing to make a decision to follow Christ all
the way, I can promise you one thing, someday you are going to
know that the still, small voice of the Spirit has made its
final plea.  The Bible will be closed up forever on the pulpit,
and the pews will be completely emptied of all the people.
Suddenly, every man, woman, and child will be called to face
God.  The busy life of this world will grind to a crashing halt.
The jazz will suddenly be turned off, the bright lights will go
out into darkness forever, and the radio and TV chips are going
to melt together.  No one will go about his or her business,
because God will suddenly intervene and call every man, woman,
and child to account.  The world will be torn by the devastating
earthquake we read about in Revelation 16.  The sea will be
lashed to a fury by the voice of the hurricane.  The inhabited
islands of this earth will move, turn slightly, and drop out of
sight.  Great mountains will twist and turn, and then be thrown
out onto the plains disintegrated by the mighty, volcanic action
of the earth.  Dark, angry clouds will fill the sky, clashing
against each other.  The lightning will reach out from those
clouds to envelop this earth in a great sheet of flame.  Men,
white as ghosts, will run to and fro, hither and yon, seeking
for some shelter; and they will find none.  And then, amidst the
screams of terror, the great hailstones of God will come
crashing down with a sickening thud, making kindling wood out of
all the buildings and houses of this earth.
In the midst of all this, there will appear in the distant
heavens a tiny spot of glory that will draw nearer to the earth,
getting larger and larger.  At first, very few will observe it,
but then as it comes closer, the dazzling light of it will
attract every eye.  Inhabitants of every continent on earth will
look up and behold the glory of Jesus and all the angels.  What
a solemn moment it will be!  For the first time since the flood
there will be no fun-making, no giddy laughter, no levity.
Every mouth will be closed, and a solemn, sober spirit will fall
upon every heart.
How cheap the dollar is going to look then.  How ridiculous it
will seem that man allowed the mockery of some friend to hold
him back from making that decision.  On every side voices will
be heard crying out, "Too late!  Too late!"  And those words
will echo all around the earth, while the redeemed look up and
say, "Lo, this is our God.  We have waited for Him and He will
save us."
So the story of this lost planet closes just exactly like it
began.  After the fire has destroyed the wicked, and burned out
all the curse of sin, God will make it over again.  This earth,
delivered from all the blighting effect of transgression, will
be recreated into the original paradise that God intended it to
be.  "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new
heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."  2
Peter 3:13.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek:  for they shall
inherit the earth."  Matthew 5:5.  And so they shall!

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