Almost all of our articles are based upon the premise that there are intelligences outside of humankind who seek to interfere with the affairs of life on earth and throughout the universe. Some of these intelligences are malevolent.
As C.S. Lewis pointed-out, we are a quarantined planet, forbidden and off-limits to the universe. We are “The Silent Planet.” If you think you are open to such a strange system, read on.
Follow the Money
“Follow the money.” That’s what we hear when someone wants to trace the origins of a plan, investigate a problem, explore the roots of corruption, or to answer a question.
Follow Anti-Semitism
There is a similar clue to discovering whether or not Satan is real and what he is up to as well. It is, “Follow anti-Semitism.” Following the clues of anti-Semitism include two things:
1. Attitudes toward the Jews 2. Attitudes toward the nation of Israel
Following these clues will lead you to the mind of Satan and those who fall under his influences.
Gulf War
For example, in 1991 Bible scholar Chuck Missler and Hal Lindsey, two prophecy scholars, were up late at night discussing the Gulf War. Hal purportedly turned to Chuck and quipped, “If you want to see spiritual warfare in action, turn on CNN.”
They turned on the television news and saw a report. Israel had been attacked by Scud Missiles from Iraq. At that point, Israel did not fight back. Yet, intelligent, educated Arabs with college degrees were discussing why the attack was all Israel’s fault.
Mind you, it was Israel who had been attacked by those Scud missiles! The mental contortions necessary to blame Israel for this defied all logic! Yet, we see rational minds following Satan’s lead.
Supernatural Phenomenon
In twenty or more years not much has changed, has it? World citizens still blame Israel for every problem in the Middle East. After awhile we begin to realize this is a supernatural phenomenon.
21st Century War Against Terrorism
Here we are witnessing the same thing again. As we fight against terrorism in the Middle East, it is Israel whom we pressure to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Hezbollah. These are all terrorists. Yet, we maintain that we do not negotiate with terrorists.
Oh, really? What gives?
Did Israel Cause 9/11?
Furthermore, what does Israel have to do with the events of 9-11? Why does the U.S. demand that Israel give back its territories to terrorists while we occupy territories in Iraq or Afghanistan?
As far as we are told, this war began because Saudi Arabian terrorists who were trained in Afghanistan used our own planes to take down the World Trade Towers, tried to destroy the Pentagon, and probably tried to hit the White House – all symbols of American strength. This has nothing to do with Israel, does it?
Follow the Scarlet Thread
We can do no better than quote from a portion of Chuck Missler’s book, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours. This section is called “The Scarlet Thread” beginning on page 158. In it, we find that God chose to redeem the creation and mankind by using the Jews and His Messiah. Following the history of the Jews and the coming of the Messiah gives insight to Satan’s mindset.
The Planned Coming of the Messiah
Missler writes
“We have seen that He (the Messiah) is to come from a specific nation, and from a specific tribe within that nation, the tribe of Judah. And finally, He is to come from a specific family, David, whose dynasty will endure, not for one thousand years, but forever.”
Satan attempts to Thwart the Plan
Missler continues,
“Satan, of course, watching all this, and recognizing that God has chosen to bypass the angels in His redemption, has tried to thwart the plan of God. That may sound preposterous to us, but this has been his entire career.”
Attacking Abraham’s Seed
“And he started by trying to destroy the human race by corrupting it with hybrids, by fallen angels, which finally led to the Flood (Genesis 6).
As God continued to reveal His plan to go through Abraham, Satan focused his attack on Abraham’s seed.”
Pharaoh
“In Exodus, Satan tried to destroy the male children in Israel…but there God raised Moses.”
“After the Ten Plagues, Pharaoh finally released them, but Satan put in his heart to destroy the entire nation. Pharaoh’s army drowned, instead.”
Nephilim
“When God told Abraham back in Genesis 17 that four hundred years later his descendants would come and occupy the land Canaan, Satan had four hundred years to lay down a minefield.”
“He (Satan) populated Canaan with the Nephilim, tribal groups that were, again, hybrids. The Scripture suggests these hybrids will be part of the end times. (Daniel 2:43 suggests they will even be a political constituency on the earth at the time).”
“As soon as God indicated that the Messiah would come through the family of David, that family was singled out by Satan.”
Haman
“Even in the Persian period, in the Book of Esther, Haman, a descendent of king Agag, tried to wipe out all the Jews in the Persian Empire to thwart God’s plan of redemption, but he instead met his demise.”
Herod
“In the New Testament, nothing changed. Joseph thought to put away Mary.”
– Herod attempted to murder all the babies in Bethlehem. – The villagers in Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. – The two storms on the sea in Mark 4 and Luke 8 tried to drown Him. – And, of course, the ultimate stratagem of Satan was the Cross.
And he’s not through yet…
“That’s the part that mystifies many. Why is Satan still after believing Jews?”
“He’s going to actually bring the whole world to war against Jerusalem to get the remnant. But they will have flown to a refuge. And Jesus Christ will come back, personally, and defend them. Why? Because the prerequisite for Jesus to return is for the believing remnant to petition His return. Satan believes that if he can wipe them out, he can thwart God’s plan.”
Satan’s Murderous Goals
Hitler
One can follow Satan’s murderous goals throughout modern history as well. It includes Hitler’s quest to murder all of the Jews, and the modern Arab states’ desire to “wipe Israel off the map.” Why? Because the Messiah will return to save a remnant from within Israel. If Israel no longer exists, if it is “wiped off the map,” then the Messiah cannot return – or so Satan reasons.
Why Satan Tries To Thwart God’s Plan
Why would Satan fear the Lord’s return?
Answer: Because after His return, the Messiah will cast Satan into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. What is the “bottomless pit?” Suggested answer: Dr. Missler theorizes that from the center of the earth all directions point up. That could conceivably be the location of a “bottomless pit.”
Furthermore, others speculate that gloomy caverns beneath a planet’s surface might deprive angelic beings of light-sources from which they derive energy. Inferences from Jude 1:6 give rise to this theory.
The Pits
“And the angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 1:6,KJV).
A Bottomless Pit
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1-3, cf. Jude 1:6, ESV).
Evidence of the Unseen
Just because we can’t see Satan does not mean he doesn’t exist. This may be evident to you. But, it might shock you to find that many think you must touch or see something for it to be “real.”
This reminds me of foster children we once raised. One of our children was a dear, deprived, tiny ten-year old Hispanic girl. Erica refused to believe that germs exist because she couldn’t see them. She equated hygiene or baths to delusional behavior on our part, similar to a belief in Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. She refused to take baths because she saw no evidence of “germs.” Her introduction to a microscope changed that, of course.
The Invisible World
All of us know that the world around us is made up of invisible atoms, molecules, and swirling electrons, even though we cannot see these tiny particles. We know that the world is made from invisible things. Science and the Bible confirm it for us.
“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3, NASB).
In the Beginning was Information
Please understand that scientists teach us that we are made from the same 17 elements which make-up dust. Hmmm…“the Lord God formed the man of dust” (Gen. 2:7).
How did Moses know that? Scientists also teach us that we are made from an alphabet of information in breath-taking variety (like letters which make-up coherent words and chapters in an encyclopedia). Are these letters the “worlds prepared by the Word of God?” (Hebrews 11:3).
(Dr. Stephen Meyer 2000, tape-set)
We aren’t Alone in a Vast Universe
Many of us suspect that we are not alone in the universe, either. We theorize that in such a vast universe filled with innumerable stars and solar systems, we are likely not the only created beings. To think we are “alone” seems selfish or egocentric to us.
Rulers & Authorities in the Heavenlies
The Bible tells us that we are not alone and that we have a mission to the universe “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:8-10).
Who are They?
But, just who are these “rulers and authorities?” Surely, they cannot be just those angels living in the presence of God, or they would probably already know “the manifold wisdom of God.” According to John MacArthur, “in the heavenly places” refers to the entire realm of spiritual beings,” fallen as well as unfallen angels.
“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on EARTH, visible and INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16, NKJV).
Understand that “thrones or dominions or principalities or powers” refer to Beings, not things.
Where are They?
Where are these beings that were “created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible? ” While we cannot say for sure, we can affirm that some are here on earth! How do we know that? Well, Scripture tells us so.
“The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” (Job 1:7, NASB).
It is clear that Satan roams around the earth, right here beside us “earthlings.” (I’m glad we don’t see him or his followers. It might scare us to death if we did)!
Warfare
It is important to know that almost everything we experience in this world is the result of spiritual warfare. We are told that Satan is the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2) who has “blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Cor. 4:4).
This likely refers to the vain, snobbish money-hungry pursuits and unjust, murderous political philosophies and ambitions of the world. It most certainly refers to the present Middle East conflict over oil and over dividing the land of Israel.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, NASB).
Specific Spiritual Warfare
Our daily conflicts and battles have less to do with human frustrations and more to do with spiritual battles than we can even imagine. Those of us who remember Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek episodes may remember his numerous themes having to do with mankind unknowingly goaded or pushed into hatred and wars by malevolent, unseen beings. In similar ways, the Bible tells us that malevolent beings consistently manipulate earthly events for their own purposes, to ruin mankind.
Satan is Alive & Active on Earth Today
There are numerous bible passages which refer to God granting the Israelites land, and what He will do to those who interfere with this sacred piece of real estate on planet earth. It is clear that Satan wishes to thwart God’s plan for Israel.
(Artwork by Duncan Long)
Watch God’s Timeclock
If you want to know where we are in biblical prophecy, keep your eyes on Israel. “No race on the planet has endured more systematic, heavily resourced attempts to wipe it out than the Jewish race” (Missler 2002, 160).
Missler’s Missive
We might find it helpful to memorize the following warning: “You and I are being plunged into a period of time about which the Bible says more than it does about any other period of time in history, including the time that Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea” (2002, 161).
Read that last statement again. Remember it. It refers to the “latter days” or “end times” in which we are now living.
Don’t believe it? Study Bible prophecy, and watch the news. You’ll see for yourself.
_______________________
Post Notes:
Biblical References to Israel
These are amazing references to Israel and the Middle East. Read carefully and prayerfully:
Israel
“I will bless those who bless you I will curse him who curses you” (Genesis 12:3).
Land Given to Abram & Children
“The Lord said to Abram, ‘Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward and westward: for all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed forever…” (Genesis 12:14-17).
West Bank given to God’s Children
God’s Word tells us that Abram built an altar before the Lord in Hebron, which is the West Bank. It is there that God said “I am giving you this land.” “So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord” (Genesis 13:18, ESV).
Judgment for those who Divide Israel
“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land” (Joel 3:2).
Word to Arabs who Confiscate Land
“Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two lands (Israel & Judah) will be mine, and we will possess them,’ although the Lord was there, ‘therefore as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your envy which you showed because of your hatred against them. So I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.’ (Ezekiel 35:10-11).
“Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all EDOM, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey” (Ezekiel 36:43-45).
To those who come against Jerusalem
“On that day, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zechariah 12:3).
“And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9).
Conclusion:
Stunning Prophecy for Today – Psalm 83
Turn to Psalm 83 in your Bible. In it is a clear prophecy which leaps from the pages into your heart. How many times have we watched CNN or FOX News as the Iranian leader or Hamas or other Arab leaders state that they desire to “wipe Israel off the map?”
Listen to this:
Scripture Forecast: Wipe them out as a Nation
“They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the Name of Israel be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:4, NASB).
Let’s look at this passage more closely.
Wipe Israel off the Map
“They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, ‘Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent. They form a confederacy against You. The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre, Assyria also has joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot.” (Psalm 83: 3-8, NKJV)
Hostile Nations led by Satan
Theologian John MacArthur notes that “The hostile nations, under Satan’s influence, repudiated God’s promise to preserve forever the nation of Israel. The list of nations represents Israel’s enemies throughout its history.”
“Edom descended from Esau and lived SE of Israel. The Ishmaelites, descendants from Abraham and Hagar, were Bedouin tribes. The Moabites descended from Lot, and were a tribal people living E. of the Jordan. The Hagrites were a nomadic tribe living E. of the Jordan. Gebal was probably a community S. of the Dead Sea, near Petra in Edom. Ammon, a nation descending from Lot, was located E. of the Jordan River. The Amalekites, nomads living SE of the Jordan River, were descendants of Esau. Philistia was located SW of Israel. Tyre was NW of Israel.”
(MacArthur Study Bible 2002,816).
Modern Day list of Israel’s Enemies:
To be even more specific, the “tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek” in Psalm 83 refer to all of the Arabs surrounding Israel. “Philistia” refers to those who later became residents of Gaza. The inhabitants of Tyre evolved into the Phoenicians who later became Lebanon. Assyria who has “joined with them and have helped the children of Lot” refers to Syria. Amazing!
Check your Bible Maps
We suggest that serious Bible students look at a current map of the Middle East to determine modern day locations of the tribes listed above for yourselves. Most Bible scholars believe that the nations mentioned in Psalm 83 not only refer to historical events in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, but are also representative of all of Israel’s enemies throughout time.
Psalm 83 is particularly relevant to battles occuring today in 21st century Israel! In ancient times, the psalmist pleads with God to rescue the nation of Israel from its enemies – as He has done before. His prayer is still relevant!
A comparison of a map of the United Israelite Kingdom, or Israel in the time of Kings Saul, David, and Solomon (1,000-924 B.C.) compared with a current map, is enlightening. Students, check your maps! It’s an eye-opener. On a map you will see that it includes all of the Islamic, oil-rich countries surrounding Israel who want Israel “wiped off the map!”
Is Satan Real?
Is the devil real? Do we see him at work trying to destroy modern day Israel? Is he trying to wipe Israel “off the map” just like Psalm 83 says? Just like the current Iranian leader says? Is he arousing anti Semitism and murderous hatred for the Jews once again?
“You betcha!”
Each time we witness words and deeds of anti Semitism we see Satan’s fingerprints all over current events. Yes…Satan is real and active in world events today.
Ryrie Study Bible, NASB. 1995. Chicago: Moody Press.
Authors Ken Emilio holds an MA in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Baptist University. Valorie received an MA in History from UCLA specializing in Christian origins.
