As we continue to prepare in the coming days for our participation in and appreciation of God’s Holy Days, let us look for a moment at the Day of Atonement and what follows.
In Revelation we read: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:1-2).
We, of course, recognize this as the binding and putting away of Satan. Our arch enemy will then no longer be able to deceive the nations and plague God’s people. This will be a momentous time in the history of mankind.
Further in Revelation 20, verse 4, we can see the following sobering, yet exciting passage: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
When Satan and his cohorts are removed from office and put out of the way there will be an urgent need for godly leadership in a war-torn and decimated world. That is what we are being trained and prepared for now. Christ will replace Satan, and God’s people will be involved in helping Christ to rule in love and mercy, but also with the firmness necessary to help the suffering masses to see and learn God’s way.
As we are learning, we must always remember that righteous rulership is not possible through a haughty and self-centered mind. If we are to rule with Christ according to God’s principles, then we must have a humbled mind that is yielded to God’s Holy Spirit.
This is one of the reasons that we fast on the Day of Atonement. Fasting reminds us of our humanness and our frailty. And it should reinforce in our minds our need for God’s strength.
It is sobering to experience the grip that Satan has on this world. Though there is a veneer of prosperity, civilization and tolerance, it is clear that this is only a veneer. Under the surface war, hatred and destruction of God’s values are the order of the day. Satan’s purpose hasn’t changed. He is the thief who comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (see John 10:10).
But God has a plan for mankind. And that plan foresees the deposing of Satan. Let us rejoice in these Holy Days and their tremendous meaning. And let us continue to allow God to mold and shape us, so that we may be the humble servants He desires us to be in helping to rule in the World Tomorrow.
Cliff Veal
