English – Chinese
Revelation 12:7-11 MKJV
(7) And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels warring against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels warred,
(8) but did not prevail. Nor was place found for them in Heaven any more.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called Devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(10) And I heard a great voice saying in Heaven, Now has come the salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.
(11) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony. And they did not love their soul until death.
Thus is described the climax in the heavens of the work and power of the serpent for which he was created for the benefit of the sons of God.
On the tenth day of the second month (February 10, 2015), I received a revelation that will surely cause a stir within nominal orthodox Christendom and other religious circles. This is the same day (the tenth day of the second month) Noah and his family entered the ark (Genesis 7).
By the Spirit of God, I declare to you that…
God appreciates Satan.
Now let’s see if the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, substantiate what God has given me to write here.
The Bible says this of when God had finished creating everything in six days:
“And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31 MKJV).
Everything God had made was not only good, but very good. How could it be otherwise with a God Who is Love, according to John, and Who is Perfect, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and the Creator and Source of All Wisdom and Goodness?
We find that among the “everything” God had made was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yes…not only knowledge of good, but also of evil. How could there be knowledge of evil, if there is no evil to have knowledge of? Therefore, God created evil, even as Isaiah prophesied:
Isaiah 45:5-7 MKJV
(5) I am the LORD, and there is none else, no God besides Me; I clothed you, though you have not known Me;
(6) that they may know from the rising of the sun, and to the sunset, that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else;
(7) forming the light and creating darkness; making peace and creating evil. I the LORD do all these things.
The apostle Paul declares:
“For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17 MKJV).
There’s someone else among all creatures God created that was very good:
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Is it so that God has said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’” (Genesis 3:1 MKJV)
A common belief is that the serpent was somehow used, inhabited, or possessed by an evil angel called Satan (or Lucifer) to tempt Eve. But God doesn’t say that. The Bible says God originally made the serpent (Satan) as he was – subtle or cunning – and that cunning was exercised to deceive Eve.
We can only conclude by the express words of the Scriptures that creating the serpent was “very good.” We have no right to read into the Biblical account and deduct what isn’t there. Satan, the adversary and accuser of the saints, was created very good and, by God’s grace, was perfectly successful at what he did in his God-ordained nature, for God had determined in the beginning that Adam and Eve should fall. Paul writes to the Roman saints:
“For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him Who subjected it on hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21 MKJV).
Is it not written at least three times that we are not to add or to take away from the Word of God, lest we be cursed (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18))? Man has been grievously cursed for his erroneous surmisings about, and attitude toward, Satan.
We hear no more of Satan in the early history of God’s dealings with man, not a word during Enoch’s day, Noah’s, Abraham’s, Isaac’s, Jacob’s, Joseph’s, or Joshua’s. Nor do we hear of Satan during the times of the judges in Israel. We don’t hear of him again until David’s day:
“And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to take a census of Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1 MKJV).
But wait…was it Satan, or was it the One Who created him?
“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go count Israel and Judah’” (2 Samuel 24:1 MKJV).
Same event. Is there a contradiction? No.
God appreciates Satan and the work he does in His service.
It was at the command of God, with Whom “the buck stops,” that Satan moved David to count Israel and Judah. God takes full responsibility for Satan’s action.
Interestingly enough, we do hear of the serpent in Moses’ day, represented as a righteous instrument of power and judgment in Moses’ and Aaron’s hands:
Exodus 7:9-12 MKJV
(9) When Pharaoh shall speak to you saying, Give a miracle for yourselves, you shall say to Aaron, Take your rod, and throw it in front of Pharaoh. It shall become a snake.
(10) And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh. And they did so, as the LORD had commanded. And Aaron threw down his rod in front of Pharaoh and in front of his servants, and it became a snake.
(11) Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers. And they, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
(12) For each man threw down his rod, and they became snakes. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
And whom did the brazen serpent represent? Was it Satan?
Numbers 21:5-9 MKJV
(5) And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water. And our soul hates this light bread.”
(6) And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And many people of Israel died.
(7) And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” And Moses prayed for the people.
(8) And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And it shall be when everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it, he shall live.”
(9) And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole. And it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.
The serpent was now not only a symbol of power and judgment, but salvation and healing, signifying the work of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of all men, Who would give His Life on a Pole for all men:
“But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:14-15 MKJV).
Why did God represent His Son as a serpent? Because He came in the likeness of sinful flesh to break the curse of sin:
Romans 8:3-4 MKJV
(3) For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh;
(4) so that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
God appreciates Satan.
In Job, we read that Satan is granted fellowship and equity, in a measure at least, with the sons of God, and access to the very throne of God.
Job 1:6-12 KJV
(6) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
(7) And the LORD said unto Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
(8) And the LORD said unto Satan, “Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil?”
(9) Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Does Job fear God for nought?
(10) Have You not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
(11) But put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse You to Your face.”
(12) And the LORD said unto Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself put not forth your hand.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Satan presented himself before the Lord. Can you do that? Are you allowed to? Only as a saint:
“Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 MKJV).
Isn’t that a high privilege?
Satan was among the sons of God. No big deal to them; no surprise or argument, not from the sons of God or the angels, not even from God.
Furthermore, God gives His servant the serpent a job to do and as we read Job, we find that Satan faithfully performs his duty. Again he presented himself to God with the sons of God (Job 2) and is assigned more work with Job and dutifully performs it.
God appreciates Satan.
Why not? If you had a servant who faithfully fulfilled your wishes and commands, wouldn’t you appreciate him? We should hope so. If not, it would seem you have a problem.
One might say, “God tricked or used Satan, allowing him to wreak havoc to a good end for Job.” Must God trick a creature He created for the very purposes He had in mind for him? The Scriptures also show this isn’t what happened.
Do you realize that Job doesn’t once blame Satan, but attributes all that has befallen him to his Creator? Job knew Who was in charge, as did his wife (Job 2:9) and all four of his friends. Yet was it not Satan who brought the great damage to Job? The account is clear, but it is equally clear that God empowered and sent him to do so.
God appreciates Satan.
I was once given a vision of Satan along with another vision. These visions were given me back to back in 1975 and fulfilled in the 7th year of 1982.
The scene was a hilly pastureland with sheep scattered here and there, some white, some black, and some in between. I was a white sheep. In that field was an altar, about four feet high, five feet long, and two feet wide.
I was on that altar, and Satan was behind the altar killing me. He had a long knife, more like a short, slender two-edged Roman sword, and he was bringing it down on me. Facing the altar, standing and watching with pleasure, was the Lord Jesus (Satan and Jesus were facing each other). Jesus was about twenty feet away from the altar, relaxed, with arms hanging in front on him, hands clasped.
As Satan was about to kill me, I thought, “Lord, help! Do something! The Devil’s killing me!” But the Lord not only didn’t save or protect me, He was very pleased with what was happening. Down came the knife, and my soul left my body and, I think, “floated” up toward the Lord to become one with Him. (It either did that or I hoped that would be the outcome.)
I didn’t like what Satan was doing, but God did.
God was pleased with the sacrifice. He appreciated Satan’s work. Therefore, He appreciated Satan, who performed his duty according to God’s will.
Read Our Eighth Eviction for the Faith to see how this vision was fulfilled.
What of the man of Satan who performed the sacrifice? After serving God’s purpose, he went on in his anti-Christ ways, destroying himself. Is it not written God will give men for the lives of His people (Isaiah 43:4)?
Was Satan once a glorious angel who later fell as is so commonly taught in Christendom? That’s not what Jesus said:
“You are of the Devil as father, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning [the one created and classified as “very good”], and did not abide in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44 MKJV).
So what does God mean by “good”? A cup is good and a sword is good. An apple is good and a gun is good. Whatever serves its intended purpose is good. Satan, the serpent, the murderer and liar from the beginning, was “good” inasmuch as he was enabled to do his evil as appointed.
Was there not an appointment between the Son of God and Satan? Satan had a job to do:
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil” (Matthew 4:1 MKJV).
Satan was created to be an adversary for our sakes. Saints learn to do battle by conflict with him:
Ephesians 6:10-13 MKJV
(10) Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
(11) Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.
(12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world’s rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(13) Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Yes, Satan, the serpent, the dragon, shall be cast into the lake of fire, as predetermined. And he will be saved. All men will be baptized in the Holy Spirit and salted with fire. The fires will purge men of all impurity. As the Scriptures declare, there’s plenty to be purged from everyone:
Romans 3:9-18 MKJV
(9) What then? Do we excel? No, in no way; for we have before charged both Jews and Greeks all with being under sin,
(10) as it is written: There is none righteous, no not one;
(11) there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.
(12) They are all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none that does good, no, not one.
(13) Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips;
(14) whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
(15) their feet are swift to shed blood;
(16) destruction and misery are in their way,
(17) and the way of peace they did not know.
(18) There is no fear of God before their eyes.
If any should be offended at the thought that the serpent will be redeemed, they are offended at their own salvation, for all have been the serpent – liars and murderers who have not deserved the mercy God has determined for them all:
Romans 11:30-36 MKJV
(30) For as you also then disbelieved God, but now have been shown mercy through their disbelief,
(31) even so these also have not believed now, so that through your mercy they may also obtain mercy.
(32) For God has shut up all in unbelief, so that He might show mercy to all.
(33) O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!
(34) For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
(35) Or who first gave to Him, and it will be repaid to him?
(36) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things; to Him be glory forever! Amen.
“I accepted Jesus,” you say? “I repented so I’m saved, not like this other fellow, the sinner he is.” That isn’t true or even possible, according to the Scriptures quoted above from Romans 3.
“For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 LITV).
Put away all boast about how you accepted Jesus. It only tells us you have no part in Him, calling Him a liar. And who calls God a liar? It is none other than… the serpent, the liar from the beginning:
“And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4-5 MKJV).
So repent and give thanks that God has determined from the beginning to use evil to bring about good and will leave behind nothing in corruption, but will cleanse and restore all things through the glorious work of His Son.
“But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8 MKJV).
Invaluable related reading materials:
The Origin and Identity of Satan
The Purpose of Evil
Satan’s Redemption
The Great Promise of the Lake of Fire and the Second Death
The State and Fate of Hell
How Job’s Ordeal Ended for Satan
The State and Fate of Hell
Victor Hafichuk