The lesson this morning is in
Revelation chapter 20. And we've been over these verses
now for several weeks, but I wanna talk to you this morning about
this little season. A little season. Having bound
Satan, according to the purpose of God. Nothing he does is outside
his purpose. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. And having bound Satan according
to the purpose of God, Revelation 20 verse 3, 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
shall be fulfilled. And after that, he must be loosed
a little season. Now look down at verse seven. And when the thousand years were
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and 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. And the devil that deceived them
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast
and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night
forever and ever." Now it is beyond me. I just read this and
this thought came to me so I want to express it before it leaves.
It is beyond me how people can think of hell as temporary. The scripture almost always,
when it describes hell, uses these terms forever and ever. Almost always. And yet people
in their minds, through the deceit of Satan, through the deceit
of religion, They talk about hell as though it was a place
of temporary, God's gonna put you in there for a little while
and then he's gonna let you out. Our great Lord and Redeemer came
down from glory and by virtue of his glorious person and work
has bound the devil for a thousand years. That thousand years is
symbolic, as most of the numbers here in Revelation are, and it
simply means during this gospel age, for a long period of time,
he's going to be bound. And he's going to be bound a
thousand years or throughout the gospel age for the salvation
of God's elect to the glory of God. That's the purpose of his
binding. Were Satan not bound, nobody
would believe. Now that's just the truth. I
was listening to a hymn coming up here. I recorded several and
put them on CD so I can listen to them on my way up to church.
And I was listening to the old hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God.
and they were talking about satan in one of the verses and said
on earth is not his equal not his equal and i listen to these
pentecostals and and others some of these uh... uh... baptists and and different ones
and i hear them on the radio and on the tv and they're Screaming
and yelling and talking about telling the devil to go on back
to hell where he came from and ordering Satan around. Let me
tell you something. The scripture says Satan takes
men captive at his will. And so the hymn writer was right.
On this earth is not his equal. And were it not for the glorious
purpose of God which has bound him and the glorious revelation
of Christ's person and work, none would be called, none would
be saved, none would believe. And Satan, apart from the restraining
hand of God, is always successful. He's always successful, and he's
victorious over men. Throughout this gospel age, the
gospel has been and shall continue to be the effectual means which
God has ordained to deliver chosen sinners out of darkness and bring
them under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our great
God and Father has abounded toward us, the scripture said, in all
wisdom and prudence. Who did He abound toward? His
elect, those He chose in Christ before the foundation of the
world. And He's abounded toward them in all wisdom and prudence,
having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according
to His good pleasure which He had purposed in Himself. This is a verse I quote to you
often over in 1 John chapter 5 and verse 20. John said, and
we know that the Son of God hath come and given us an understanding. Those without understanding are
just at the mercy of the rulers of the darkness of this world. If you don't have that understanding,
given to God's elect by God himself, God the Holy Spirit, God the
Son, God the Father. If you don't have that, you'll
just find something in this world that appeals to you and appeals
to your character and nature and you'll swallow it up and
that's where you'll camp out till you die and go out to meet
God. For many thousands of years,
Satan was free to deceive the nations, and deceive them he
did. In Romans chapter 1, it gives
us an outline of their idolatry. They had conscience. Every man
has a conscience. And they had creation. You can't
live in this world and not walk outside and see God's creation. They had conscience in creation,
and when they knew God, they refused to glorify him as God,
but become vain in their imaginations. The word image comes from the
word imagination. That's all images are. But they refused to glorify him
as God, but become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish
hearts were darkened. And they changed the glory of
God into an image. All kinds of images. All you
have to do is get on your computer and type in some of these old
cities. Over there where Paul preached
and where the early churches were. Just type in those cities
and listen to the gods. and all of these images and things
that men worshiped in those various cities. They changed the glory of God
into an image made like unto corruptible man. Worship God
as a man. You know the scripture says at
one point God said, He said, you think I'm altogether such
a one as yourself. You worship me as though I was
like you. You thought I was altogether
such one as yourself. That's what Paul's saying here.
They changed the glory of the incorruptible God made into an
image like unto corruptible man, and then to birds, and four-footed
beasts, and creeping things. They changed the truth of God
into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than
the creator who's blessed forever. And there were, all throughout
the Old Testament, by comparison, only a handful of heathens who
were brought to know the true and living God. And after the coming of Christ,
his gospel went out into all the world, every tribe and nation
and kindred and tongue under heaven. Satan was bound. He wasn't allowed to deceive
them anymore. And the Lord sent out his gospel
into all these nations who were raised in idolatry. They were
raised worshiping snakes and birds and four-footed beasts
and creeping things. raised worshiping God as though
he were a man. That was ingrained in them from
the time they were born. And yet his gospel went out into
these nations, a gospel which they'd never heard. And because
he bound Satan, they were unable to hear it and believe it. And then he tells us at the end
of this age, it's going to continue that way. You and I were born
in idolatry. Did you know that? Most of us
were. We're born in idolatry. Well, you say, I wasn't in idolatry.
I went to a Baptist church. That's what I'm saying. You were
in idolatry. Well, I was raised in a Presbyterian
church. That's what I'm saying. You were
raised in idolatry. No different than those other
ones, but perhaps the image was a little bit more far-fetched
than it was, but same thing. And that's the way it will continue
throughout this gospel age. And then he tells us that at
the end of the age, the end of the time ordained of God, Satan
shall once again be loosed upon the nation. And while men always
justify their guilt and punishment, they always bring it upon themselves. And yet, at the same time, we
see that it's brought upon them by the hand of God. Does that
make sense? Well, it's so whether it does
or not. We deserve, we bring punishment upon ourselves Just
like Pharaoh, it says Pharaoh hardened his heart. But in another
place it said, and God hardened his heart. And in 2 Thessalonians 2, it
said, and for this cause God, God, shall send them strong to
delusion, to believe a lie. And to be damned for believing
it. Paul speaks of this little season
in 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 3 saying that the day of Christ shall
not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin
be revealed. The son of perdition who opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that is called God and all that
is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God
showing himself that he is God. This is Satan who has entered
into the heart just like he did the heart of Judas. And when
he did, Judas became the son of perdition. And Satan in that
day shall go out in strength and deceive the nations once
again. I don't believe 2 Thessalonians
was talking about a single man. Hollywood's made who knows how
many movies talking about the Antichrist and it always depicts
him as an individual. Religion, when they talk about
the son of perdition, they always depict him as an individual.
That's not what's being taught in 2 Thessalonians 2. He's talking
about Antichrist religion. He's talking about whole churches
and whole nations. I personally believe that our
Lord's words in Matthew 24, 22 are in direct relation to this
little season when he says, except those days should be shortened. There should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those
days shall be shortened. They shall be shortened. So here's
the first thing. At the close of time, Satan shall
be loosed for a little season. Secondly, he tells us why. To
go out and deceive the nations who are in the four quarters
of the earth. Now these nations, though some
of them still do practice bowing down to images like Buddha and
different things, but for the most part, it's free will works
religion that has spread like wildfire across the earth. And this is what I believe Satan
in his power when he's unloosed is talking about. He's talking
about one religion, one religion, not necessarily all Baptist or
all Nazarene, but I'm talking about all who believe in the
free will of man, all who believe in salvation by works, all who
despise the free grace of God, All those who believe in rewards
in heaven or the loss of rewards in heaven. This is what's spreading across
and it's universal. It's everywhere. You can't get
away from it. The size and power of these churches
is immense. It's immense. This is why Satan's going to
be loosed. He's going to go out and deceive the nation. Those
which would receive not the love of the truth. God's going to
send them strong delusion. Who is it that deludes men and
women? Satan. He's the master deceiver. He's what's behind the beast
of government and the beast of religion. Now the enemies of God have always
been scattered throughout the world, and for the most part
are all deceived by Satan into believing in a false god. He
speaks in Revelation 20 verse 8 of Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog
is taken out of Ezekiel chapter 38, where the people of the land
rose up in opposition to Israel, God's elect. and they rose up
against God. And this, he's borrowing that
term from there so that we understand what he's talking about. Satan's
gonna be loosed on these nations so that they're gonna gather
together in opposition to God and to God's elect. They're going
to come and be drawn by their delusion to encompass the camp
of God's elect and his holy city, which is, that's his church,
is what he's talking about. his church in this world. Gog and Magog represent all the
nations of the world who set themselves in opposition to God,
his Christ, his gospel, and his people. And Satan's primary work
and power is in deception. Don't ever forget that. It's
in deception. He's a master of deception. And
then thirdly, Under the satanic delusion of false religion, all
of the nations of the world are going to rise up in opposition
to Christ and to his gospel and to the sovereign grace of Christ. And it shall be that way towards
the end of time, toward the end of this gospel age. He's going
to be given a free course without restraint to deceive the whole
world with a false gospel. Let me tell you something. We are right now living in an
apostate religious world. Are we not? Go out some day, visiting, get
in your car and go out. Go to one of these churches.
Go to these places around here. See if I'm telling you the truth. They don't have a clue to what
God's doing. Not a clue. Preachers, they go
home and some of them at least study and prepare and stand up
to preach. They don't get in a thousand
miles of the gospel. Talk about moral reform and obeying
the law and how good, there's a goodness in everybody and all
this kind of stuff. We're right now living in an
apostate religious world. Let me just give you a few things
to think about. Today is not the day of scattered
and various objects of worship as back in the dark ages. There's still some, but not like
in the days preceding the coming of Christ into the world as our
Redeemer. And there's never been a time
when so many have accepted, believed, and promoted the lying ways of
Satan as it is today. Roman Catholics and Presbyterians
and Baptists and Methodists and Anglicans and Campbellites and
Pentecostals, Mormons and Russellites, even the Jews and the Muslims
and the Hindus, even the Buddhists, All have embraced the heresies
of free will justification by works. Every one of them. It's
in their teaching. It's in their books. It's in
their faith. What are you saying preacher?
I'm saying that it just might be. I can't say for sure. But it just might be that we're
living in the little season. Just might be. I can't imagine. I look at religion
and I see it. It's like the dam broke and it's
just spilling out and pouring and flooding the whole earth.
This is what's going to happen during this little season. It
just might be we're in the little season. Might be. But I can tell you this. The condition of the world we're
living in is the result of God's judicial reprobation. It's God's hand. It's God's hand. I'm telling you, you can say
what you will and do what you will and you can't stop it. You
can't stop it. And I'm hearing this warning
more and more from the pastors I know and listen to. They stand
up, and Ashland, it was said time and again at the conference
up in Ashland, be careful how you hear. Be careful how you hear. Be careful
what you do after you hear. Don't sit and listen real intently
and then throw it all down and go back to the world. Be careful
what you do with what you hear. You're responsible for it. Listen to this scripture. Today,
now listen to all these words. It's not a bunch of big words,
it's just some little words, but listen to what he said. Today, if you will hear his voice, is that what you desire? Is that
what we came here for? To hear from God? Today, if you'll
hear His voice, now watch this. Harden not your hearts. Don't jump to a bunch of immediate
conclusions. Weigh the words carefully. Prove
all things. Go home and prove it. I'm trying
to prove these things as I go, giving you scripture references,
but you go home and look at it again. You prove all things and
hold fast that which is true. Be careful what you do with what
you hear. While it is called today, he
said, that's right now. See, tomorrow you can say today
again. But when he says today, and I
want you to look in Hebrews chapter three, how many times he says
that, and every time it's capitalized. Today, today, today. Well here he says it again. While
it is called today, exhort one another, lest any of you should
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Here again he talks about
men hardening their hearts. Well, how do we battle that? How do we resist that? Exhort
one another. Isn't that what he said? That's
why he tells us to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.
When we stand up to preach, it's not a history or a science class. not a public debate. This is
where and how the Lord speaks to his people. If he's going
to speak, this is how he's going to speak. Well, I can just go
out on the lake and hear from God. Go ahead and see how well
that works. It don't work. And because men
have become so complacent about worship and hearing and are so
indifferent about these things and so quick to denounce them
and just toss them aside. God has judged them and many
in our day are reprobate. They wouldn't have the truth.
Do you know at one time Billy Graham knew the truth at least
in his head? Knew the truth and tossed it
aside. went on to preach things totally
contrary to the word of God. That's judicial reprobation.
That's what I'm talking about. And in these verses he's telling
us that God has sovereignly appointed Satan and his hellish religion
to secure the damnation of all who will not hear the gospel
and will not receive the love of the truth that they might
be saved. How do we recognize these messengers
of Satan? Pastor Fortner, in his book on
Revelation, gives three things. First of all, he talks about
their enchanting miracles. Miracles of their own making. In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 9,
he calls them signs. Now watch this. and lying wonders. None of these so-called miracles
are undeniable miracles. When Christ performed miracles
and his disciples performed miracles, it was raising the dead. These churches that believe in
miracles and talk about miracles and talk about all these things
and their ability to heal and all that Somebody raised the
dead and I believe you Raised the day Had that old leper
with happiest face right it off come up Be thou clean and he
walks away and look like a newborn baby, huh? Those are miracles
those are undeniable miracles but these so-called miracles
today are nothing more than lying wonders. Secondly, they have these enchanting
miracles and secondly, they have evident motives. What am I talking
about? Covetousness, greed, pride, reputation, self-glory. They want to be, and insist on
it, to be called reverend. And I'm going to tell you something.
No false prophet will ever give God all the glory. He talks about
it, but he never does it. He won't do it. How do you recognize
him? That's how you recognize him. Even in tokens. And then thirdly,
their enticing message. False prophets always mix something
with the work of Christ and the grace of God. They always mix
something. And all the false prophets, to
one degree or another, make salvation dependent upon man. God's done
all he can do. Now it's all up to you. all up to man, dependent upon
man, man's will and man's decisions and man's works and man's determination. And any man who preaches a conditional
grace is a deceiver. God's grace is unconditional.
Unconditional. And anybody that preaches conditional
grace don't know the grace of God. And he's a servant of the
devil. Salvation is by the free and
sovereign grace of God, and it's conditioned upon the work of
Christ alone. Now let's go back to my first
points. At the end of time, Satan shall
be loose for a little season. And then by an act of God, he
shall judge this world by a judicial reprobation brought about by
the devil himself. that by the reprobation of this
world they'll find themselves in opposition to christ in that
day and then lastly satan's greatest and by far his largest assault
on the kingdom of god shall utterly fail our lord told peter he said
upon this rock i'll build my church and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against him All his efforts, though they
be worldwide, though they be masses, though they be their
number, he said, is as the sand of the sea. A frightening prospect. They're going to encompass about
the saints. And you can tell right now the
saints are gathered in little groups of 30 and 35 and 40 and
some of them not even that many. Here's these masses of religion
gathering around some of these congregations, over a thousand
meeting together and they encompass the saints all around. Are we
encompassed? I'm telling you there's false
religion and false churches all around us, all around us right
now. That's why I'm saying it just
might be we're living in this little season. Maybe. But I don't care how many gather,
when they all get their masses together and they get where victory
looks sure, fire's gonna fall down out of heaven. It's gonna
consume them. They're gonna be consumed. I hope God will give you ears
to hear what I'm saying. The purpose of God will not be
frustrated, not at all. None can stay his hand, the scripture
said, or question his will. The truth of God cannot be overturned. His people shall know the truth,
and the truth will set them free. The saints of God will not be
deceived. They shall all know me, he said,
from the least to the greatest. All will know him. And the church
of God will suffer no lasting damage at all. Everybody that
God purposed to save will be saved. Everything he purposed
to do in his church for those saints shall be done. Not a one
of them going to be deceived, not a one of them going to go
back. We're not of them who draw back under perdition. Our Lord
said in John 6, 38, he said, I came down from heaven not to
do my will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the
Father's will which has sent me, that of all which he has
given me. Now watch this. I'm not going to lose anything. But I'm going to raise it up
at the last day. God's honor. I'm not going to
lose anything. Not one iota from the honor of
God. God's justice shall lose nothing.
God's glory shall suffer no loss. God's church shall be built,
and none can prevail against it. And not a single name shall
be taken out of the Lamb's Book of Life. Not a single body shall
be left in the grave. You think about it. Not a single
hope shall be crushed by the work of the Old Serpent. They'll
encompass the saints in a great show of power and unity, but
before they can raise A hand. God's gonna give them the victory.
Satan shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where
the beast and false prophet are and shall be tormented day and
night forever and ever. Somebody said to me the other
day, I was talking to them about this message and they said, boy,
these things you're talking about are frightening. I said, they
are if you don't know him. If you don't know him. But if
you know him like Elijah, you can just stay in the tent. You
don't even have to come out of the tent and look. You already
know what's taking place and why. But you know what can't
be seen beyond that. And all we can do is pray that
the Lord will give those who doubt, give them eyes to see.