Who Holds Sway Over Earth?

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Satan the devil is called the “god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4), as well as the “prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) and “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). He “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).

Satan rebelled against God’s government prior to the re-creation of earth (Gen. 1:1) and the creation of Adam and Eve. He had previously led one-third of all angels into rebellion (II Pet. 2:4).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 was to remain as ruler over earth until Christ’s Second Coming. Christ qualified to replace him at His First Coming.

Satan was literally 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 probably seduced by Satan (Gen. 3:1-6) on Sunday—at the age of two days old.

Of course, 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, Adam and Eve chose not to listen to their parent, God. Instead, they believed Satan’s lie that they would not “surely die.”

Cut off from God by sin (Isa. 59:1-2; Jer. 5:25), mankind has believed the lies of the god of this world for 6,000 years. The core of God’s plan encompasses 7,000 years. Few have understood this. Many have correctly understood at least some of the verses describing Christ’s 1,000-year Reign, to begin at His Return (Rev. 20:4-6). But they know nothing of the fact that God has allotted 6,000 years, or six millennial days of a “seven-day week,” to man’s rule, prior to the seventh 1,000-year “day.” We are near the end of the “sixth day.”

We must understand! The Bible says, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Pet. 3:8). Sadly, most people are “ignorant” of almost everything that the Bible teaches. But this need not be true of you!

Man (under the invisible sway of Satan) has been given six days, or 6,000 years, to try his own ways, governments, religions, philosophies, value systems and forms of education. Under the influence of Satan, he has practiced sin and disobedience to God’s commands for nearly 6,000 years. He has then tried to treat all of the ill effects instead of treating the cause—breaking God’s commandments. God is letting man learn bitter lessons. The vast majority, who have never known the precious truth of God, have to learn that their own ways do not work! (You may request our booklet Does the Bible Teach Predestination? to learn much more about the overview of God’s plan.)

God distinguished between light and darkness on the fourth day of creation (Gen. 1:14-19). This paved the way for all living creatures and man to be created on the fifth and sixth days. Interestingly, it was after 4,000 years (the end of the fourth day in God’s Master Plan) that Christ came bringing the light of God’s truth to mankind. Most rejected Christ, because “men love darkness rather than light” (John 3:19).

Since we learned that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), Christ came as the second or “last” Adam (I Cor. 15:22, 45) to initially offer a very few (Eph. 1:11-12) forgiveness and access, once again, to the Spirit of God—and LIFE eternal!

Led By God’s Spirit

The apostle Paul wrote, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). A Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit leading him in his life. But is having God’s Spirit absolutely essential to being a Christian? By this point, Paul had already said, in Rom 8:9, “But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is NONE of His!”

It is just that simple! One either has the Spirit of God, and is a Christian, or one does not have it and is not a Christian—is “none of His.” All those who are truly converted must have the Holy Spirit in them.

But what does this mean? Is this all there is to Christianity and conversion, or is there more?

God is reproducing Himself by putting a little OF HIMSELF into each person that He begets. Through repentance and baptism, one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), after having been called by God to inherit the promise of salvation (Ac 2:39).

Peter, the one speaking in Acts 2:16-17, referred to the prophet Joel foretelling a time when God would “pour out [His] Spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28). That began with the birth of the New Testament Church on Pentecost in A.D. 31.

The churches of this world do not understand anything of the true path to salvation. They do not even realize what true salvation is. Only the Church that Christ leads (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18) understands these points. Jesus did not come to save the world now. He has never been on the “soul-saving campaign” many have assumed.

The false Christianity of this world is blinded to God’s truth and plan. Instead of obeying God, millions have been deceived into accepting the ideas and traditions of men. Christ said, “In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the TRADITION of men” (Mark 7:7-8).

We have seen that human nature is hostile to God. It hates the truth, law and government of God. It does not want to be ruled by anyone or anything. It wants the freedom to follow its own way—believe its own ideas, customs and traditions—without interference from God. (Read our free booklet Did God Create Human Nature? to learn much more about the origin of human nature.)

If one is even interested in obeying God, it is only because he has been “drawn” (John 6:44) by God’s Spirit and called (Matt. 22:14) to understand His marvellous truth. His eyes are opened to his incredible human potential. As a result, he wants to live a completely different way of life.

Christ instructs His servants—those whom He has called—to grow, change and overcome: “To him that OVERCOMES will I grant to sit with Me in My throne” (Rev. 3:21). And, “he that OVERCOMES and keeps My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them...” (Rev. 2:26-27).

Judgment is now on the Church, not on the world. Peter wrote to the Church, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God [the Church]” (I Pet. 4:17). Eventually, the entire world will learn the truth (Isa. 11:9), with all nations having access to the plan of salvation. But that time has not yet come for humanity at large. The focus of God’s plan of reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, overcoming, character development and receiving the gift of eternal life is focused entirely on the Church in this age!

Those called at this time must overcome the devil, the pull of this world and their human flesh, just as Christ did, in order to qualify to be part of the soon-coming kingdom of God—to be able to rule with Christ. We read earlier that they shall “rule” with Christ on His throne (in Jerusalem), when He calls all mankind to an opportunity for salvation—when the devil will have been removed from his earthly throne and cast into a bottomless pit where he will be “bound…a thousand years” (Rev. 20:2-3).

Those called later—during the Millennium or the time of judgment for all the billions who have ever lived—will not have to overcome either the devil or the pulls of his world. No doubt, very few of these will rebel against God and reject salvation. Of course, some few will choose this, and they will be destroyed in a molten lake of fire (II Pet. 3:10-12). They will be turned to ashes (Mal. 4:3) because a just and merciful God will, quite literally, “put them out of their misery.” The Bible describes this as the “second death” (Rev. 20:6), because all human beings are “appointed” to die once as a result of Adam’s sin (Heb. 9:27; Gen. 2:17).

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