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Many people erroneously think that Satan has already been banned from heaven. This is simply not true and not what the Bible teaches. At the present time Satan and the fallen angels still have access to heaven. Revelation chapter 12 tells us that Satan will be permanently barred, thrown out of heaven at the midway point of the Tribulation.
The one thousand two hundred and sixty days mentioned in Revelation 12:6 is the halfway point of Daniel's 70th week. Halfway through Daniel's 70th week Satan and his angels will wage war with Michael and his angels in heaven and will be thrown out of heaven and confined to the earth. At that time Satan, knowing that his time is short will take out his wrath on Israel ( Rev. 12:8-12).
Again, the question you must ask yourself is whether you believe what the New Testament says about Satan.
I believe in what Jesus Himself taught. All else is distraction.
God inspires each of us to that which He believes we can accommodate. He continues to lead us into the next step, the next part of His Plan for us. It may take hundreds if not thousands of years. After all, God is eternal, and we are too puny to evolve fast enough.
It is a big wide wonderful universe in which God has inspired us to discover. I choose to to follow his dictates. I have no care about those who insist that The Answer was given 2000 years ago and that nothing has changed.
PS There is no Satan nor Dominion of Satan. That person, if he ever existed as a person at all, is in his own aionios kolasin, whatever you may believe that may be. Some of us have chosen the next step.
I believe in what Jesus Himself taught. All else is distraction.
God inspires each of us to that which He believes we can accommodate. He continues to lead us into the next step, the next part of His Plan for us. It may take hundreds if not thousands of years. After all, God is eternal, and we are too puny to evolve fast enough.
It is a big wide wonderful universe in which God has inspired us to discover. I choose to to follow his dictates. I have no care about those who insist that The Answer was given 2000 years ago and that nothing has changed.
PS There is no Satan nor Dominion of Satan. That person, if he ever existed as a person at all, is in his own aionios kolasin, whatever you may believe that may be. Some of us have chosen the next step.
Chuckmann, what you need to understand is that everything that Jesus said was recorded by someone else. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6). That was recorded by the apostle John.
Similarly, Jesus said , ''I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me (John 14:30).'' That also was recorded by the apostle John.
What you are saying is that you believe John when he records what Jesus said in John 14:6, but that you do not believe John when he records what Jesus said in John 14:30 which is in the very same chapter.
That is taking from the Scriptures what you choose to believe and discarding the rest. And many people do this. It is not unique to you.
But everything that Jesus said and which was recorded by the apostles, and in the case of Mark and Luke, by those closely associated with an apostle, is true. The apostle Paul recorded a saying of Jesus which is not recorded in any of the gospel accounts. In Acts 20:35 Paul states that Jesus said, ''It is more blessed to give then to receive.'' Now do you believe the apostle Paul regarding what Jesus said? It sounds nice and fluffy doesn't it? But not everything that Jesus said is nice and fluffy, yet everything that He said is true. But if you want to base your opinion on whether Jesus actually said something that is attributed to him based on how nice and fluffy it sounds then that is what you will do. And that's your choice. It's between you and the Lord. But Jesus did speak of Satan. And both the Old Testament and the New Testament speak of Satan as an actual being. Not as a mere symbol of evil, and certainly not as a myth.
When your next step is a step backwards away from the truth , it avails you nothing.
To enjoy the Light of God, we have to come out of the mentality of the dark ages of believing God is a God of war, wrath and destruction, that needs appeasing or face the consequences, which is the manner by which satan the dim light has deceived and held multitudes in fear throughout the ages.
It's the hallmark of fiction, where things are measured adversely or judged within the imaginations of men.
Chuckmann, what you need to understand is that everything that Jesus said was recorded by someone else. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Me (John 14:6). That was recorded by the apostle John.
And what YOU need to understand. Mike555, is that God's revelation is an ongoing process. I am on my path. You remain locked into the past, pouring over your sacred book, delving deeper and deeper, peeling the layers of that mighty onion.
I cant criticize too severely, because, after all, God gives each of us a direction, and you have been given yours. Please respect that I have been given mine. As have others been given paths similar to mine.
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Originally Posted by Mike555
both the Old Testament and the New Testament speak of Satan as an actual being. Not as a mere symbol of evil, and certainly not as a myth.
When your next step is a step backwards away from the truth , it avails you nothing.
In a former age, people like me who expressed the beliefs I have expressed were tortured then burned at the stake as heretics. I wonder if there are some who long for those days of yore.
once upon a time it was doctrine that the earth was flat, that the sun revolved around the earth. Now we know that neither is true. Whole doctrines were built around the geocentric universe. All PROVEN from scripture.
There are many Christians who believe sincerely that the earth is only 6,000 years old, or 10,000, depending upon the cult. PROVEN from scripture, no less. But the earth is far older, and the universe is FAR more grand than what has been believed in the past.
Sorry, but I no longer accept that revelation has ended, that everything we need to know is found in ancient texts, that we have no future other than the the fear that has been the tradition of western Christianity these past 1600 years or so. God's plan for us is far more complicated than the words of long dead primitives can describe. On the other hand, the words of Jesus remain eternal. Be right with God, be right with your fellow humans, and eternal life is yours. THAT is the lesson to retain from the ancient world.
That having been said, I will no longer participate in this thread. I have my path. You have yours. God bless you and protect you in your journey.
Mike,
The devil was defeated by the death and resurrection of Christ. However, he is currently on earth running the major religions but he has a short time. The kingdom of God must grow to overwhelm and uproot the work of man, which in most cases is the work of the devil.
But Jesus did speak of Satan. And both the Old Testament and the New Testament speak of Satan as an actual being. Not as a mere symbol of evil, and certainly not as a myth.
There is so much wrong in your theology, Mike . . . but nothing so much as the superstitious beliefs about principalities, demonic warfare and Satan. Jesus called Peter Satan. Was He serious, being figurative, joking, or what? Satan is within all of us as the Serpent (reptilian brain) that manifests as the source of all our animal drives and urges. When we do not control our carnal drives and discriminate for it . . . we produce evil.
Mike,
The devil was defeated by the death and resurrection of Christ.
Yes. I mentioned in post #5 that Jesus won the strategic victory over Satan at the Cross.
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However, he is currently on earth running the major religions but he has a short time.
Also true. Satan is the originator of the false religious systems which is one way that Satan deceives mankind.
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The kingdom of God must grow to overwhelm and uproot the work of man, which in most cases is the work of the devil.
The kingdoms of the world will be overthrown and crushed when Jesus returns and sets of His Millennial kingdom upon the earth. The dream given to Nebuchadnezzar by God and recorded in Daniel chapter 2 illustrates this fact. The statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream represented the four major kingdoms of the world. The then current kingdom of Babylon represented by the head of Gold, followed by the Media-Persian Empire which was represented by the chest and arms of silver, the Grecian Empire represented by the belly and thighs of bronze, and the Roman Empire represented by the legs of iron and the feet partly of iron and partly of potter's clay. The ten toes represent the still future revived Roman Empire.
The stone which was cut out without hands which struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them represents the kingdom which Christ will set up when He returns. The stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Jesus' kingdom will fill the earth.
In the meantime, Satan is the ruler of this world though he is on borrowed time.
There is so much wrong in your theology, Mike . . . but nothing so much as the superstitious beliefs about principalities, demonic warfare and Satan.
Ephesians 6:11-17(that's New Testament by the way) says that we are engaged in a struggle against Satanic forces which include the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
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Jesus called Peter Satan. Was He serious, being figurative, joking, or what?
Jesus was speaking directly to Satan who was attempting to use Peter as his instrument. Jesus told Satan to get behind Him just as He told him in Matthew 4:10 to go. To get away from Him.
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Satan is within all of us as the Serpent (reptilian brain) that manifests as the source of all our animal drives and urges. When we do not control our carnal drives and discriminate for it . . . we produce evil.
No, Satan is not within all of us. Satan is a created being. A fallen angel. As such, he can be in only one place at a time. Man has a sin nature, but that sin nature is not Satan.
Post # 57 MysticPhD “ There is so much wrong in your theology, Mike . . . but nothing so much as the superstitious beliefs about principalities, demonic warfare and Satan. Jesus called Peter Satan. Was He serious, being figurative, joking, or what? Satan is within all of us as the Serpent (reptilian brain) that manifests as the source of all our animal drives and urges. When we do not control our carnal drives and discriminate for it . . . we produce evil. “
Post # 59 Mike555 “ No, Satan is not within all of us. Satan is a created being. A fallen angel. As such, he can be in only one place at a time. Man has a sin nature, but that sin nature is not Satan.” “
Mike555 : I am at work and have only a second to comment.
I wanted to take the opportunity to strongly agree with you on this specific point that Satan was a fallen angel and a discrete being. (since I don’t alway get the chance to agree with your theories). I believe you are historically correct, that authentic christianity believed in a specific being who was called Satan and that Satan was not a “reptilian brain” (or theoretical remnants thereof).
Clear
σισιφυω
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