A World in Captivity
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Progress in science and technology has never been greater. Advances in knowledge have brought awesome progress, while immorality and human degeneration have never been worse. WHY? An unseen KIDNAPPER holds humanity hostage and has convinced his captives that he is a benefactor. Yet, events of staggering magnitude will soon shock the world—changing everything! Happiness, abundance, world peace—and DELIVERANCE—lie just ahead.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
The world has reached the twenty-first century. All my grandparents were born in the nineteenth century. Within that time span—just a little over one hundred years—the world has changed beyond recognition. Mankind now stands on the threshold of annihilation by weapons of mass destruction, with the frightening spectre of terrorism spanning the globe.
World conditions grow more ominous as the news of each day seems worse than the last. Events are speeding toward a great crisis at the close of this age. How did there come to be such appalling evils and terrible suffering on a worldwide scale? And why have world leaders failed to improve the countries they govern and the world at large? What is wrong? Why has progress in knowledge, science and technology not delivered man from his problems? Why does civilization stand on the brink of catastrophe—even extinction—without some kind of intervention and rescue?
Many know something is wrong—but do not know what. The supposed experts lack answers to life’s greatest questions. Few understand that there is a supreme purpose that God is working out here below. Fewer still know what this purpose is—they do not understand the forces at work that have controlled civilization since man first appeared on earth.
The Greatest Kidnapping
Most assume that things are the way they are because mankind has evolved to its present state or condition. This thinking permeates modern education but it is a false—an entirely WRONG—premise. Evolution is a fiction created by men who have been led to this theory by the one who seeks to blind all the inhabitants of earth to God’s awesome plan—His staggering purpose for mankind.
Those who hold to the evolutionary theory are prevented—actually blocked!—from comprehending why conditions on earth are as they are. Many statesmen, leaders and thinkers do feel trapped by these conditions, and the general flow of world events, and unable to do anything about them. Indeed, they are trapped. But we need to understand why.
This is not God’s world. It is cut off from Him and held hostage by an unseen SUPER KIDNAPPER. All of humanity has been deceived into believing the soothing words of this great CAPTOR, thinking themselves better off under his care and leadership. I speak of Satan the devil and his hijacking—6,000 years ago—of Adam and Eve and all of the inhabitants of planet Earth ever after! But the world has remained a willing captive ever since.
Anyone who reads newspapers understands kidnapping. This crime often involves executives of large companies, whose release is obtained through paying a ransom. Hijackers work in the same way, except that this crime usually involves seizing an aircraft, bus or some other type of vehicle full of victims.
Most hostage victims are captives until someone either performs a daring rescue or a ransom is paid. Earth is now in a state of captivity, requiring supernatural deliverance—rescue—through ransom payment.
Here is modern man’s predicament: Imagine picking up a twenty-chapter book and trying to understand it by starting with the last chapter. You would be lost, completely unable to understand the meaning of persons and events described. In the same way, none can understand events in the modern world because they do not have proper background of what has happened in the previous chapters of mankind’s existence on earth. And it is the very first chapter of the story of humanity that is key to all “nineteen chapters” that follow.
Whose World is This?
You may have supposed that the governments of modern nations reflect God’s way. This is almost everyone’s assumption. Actually, while we will learn that God does, in fact, establish and remove nations, we will also learn that this is not God’s world. This is why Christ foretold the coming of God’s world-ruling super government to replace the confused, ineffective and inefficient governments of man. These governments are powerless to solve any of the world’s biggest problems.
How did the world come to be the way that it is? Why is it in such a state of confusion, suffering and ignorance? Why can’t governments get along—avoid war—find peace—reach agreement? Why such constant instability, scandal and division among leaders and seemingly endless revolutions and military coups? Why is there no shortage of demagogues, dictators and revolutionaries, who always promise to make things better, yet are only able to preside over a continual worsening of problems and conditions?
Despite these conditions, most theologians, religionists and ministers blindly assume that this is God’s world—that it reflects His guidance, His way. Therefore, they conclude that if “all Christians would work together, in love and unity, to make this world and its governments a safer and better place for all, they could bring peace, happiness and prosperity to the world.” This is a completely wrong view. Nowhere did Christ say, “Go into all the world and strive to make it a better place by becoming part of it.” He often said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Christ did not come to make this world a better place. He came to announce the coming of a better world, under His government!
In short, blind, deceived men think that they can bring world peace through human effort alone. Ironically, this quest often involves “Christian” nations striving to achieve peace through war. They see certain evil forces at work and feel compelled to “do something about it.” They assume that Christ would be an “activist,” seeking to “make the world a better place.” Be honest! Haven’t you heard this many times? Haven’t you heard churches urge people to “get involved,” or “take a stand,” or something similar, in order to improve some local, national or world problem?
Who Holds Sway Over Earth?
Satan the devil is called the “god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4), the “prince of this world” (John 12:31;14:30; 16:11) and the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). The apostle John wrote that he “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).
Satan rebelled against God’s government prior to the re-creation of earth (Gen. 1:1-3) and the creation of Adam and Eve. He had led one-third of all angels into rebellion (II Pet. 2:4; Rev. 12:4).Isaiah 14:12-14 reveals that he had ruled the earth, and Ezekiel 28:15 shows that he was a created being—a great, perfect archangel. He remains as ruler over earth until Christ’s Second Coming. Christ qualified to replace him at His First Coming. (Read our companion booklet Who Is the Devil? It focuses on identifying who and what the devil is—as Lucifer, before his rebellion, and Satan afterwards.)
So, Satan was lying in wait for “baby” Adam and Eve. They were created on the sixth day of the week, Friday, rested on the Sabbath, Saturday, and were seduced by Satan (Gen. 3:1-6) the next day, Sunday—at the age of two days old. No two-day-old child knows how to discern right from wrong. Adam and Eve just thought they were grown-up enough to make their own decisions. Like most children today, they chose not to listen to their Parent, God. Instead, they believed Satan’s lie that they would not “surely die.” In so doing, they rejected the rule of God’s government in their lives.
If Adam had obeyed God’s instruction, he could have qualified to replace Satan and restore the government of God on earth. He chose captivity instead.
Now read this account: “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die: For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen. 3:1-7).
In this historic account, Satan lied to Eve, who led Adam into sin with her. The devil’s deceit captured these two adult children into the belief that they no longer needed to listen to God—their Parent. Being thrust from the garden, they were forced to fend for themselves. They rejected God’s perfect law and rule—His GOVERNMENT over all creation—as guides in their lives and were made captive to Satan and his way of sin. Because of sin, they no longer had access to God’s blessings, guidance, protection or the gift of His Holy Spirit, which would have come by eating of the Tree of Life.
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