1 Peter 1:10-12

[Hidden In Him]

Satan's Continued Opposition Until The Second Coming Of Christ



From now until the return of Christ, Satan will seek to destroy as many lives as he can. The greater purpose where the church is concerned will be to make believers afraid of death, hoping they will renounce their faith in Christ, lose their salvation, and bring shame upon the Lord Jesus Christ in the process. But the teaching of the early church was to not consider it a strange thing when one endured fiery trials. Rather, the mindset was to understand that such trials were refining their faith to the place where he could no longer dissuade them. No matter what Satan did he would never get the victory over them, for they would stand firm in the Lord Jesus Christ until His return.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has given us birth again unto a living hope... In which you rejoice, if for a little while it is necessary at present, having been put to grief amid various trials, that the proving of your faith, much more precious than gold that perishes, being proven out by fire, might be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-8)

At the present time, those who are drawing closer to Him are going through our own refining process. Yet in the end-times it is promised that the entire church will be purified and refined, in particular as the time of the Antichrist finally draws near. This is promised in two different places in the book of Daniel:

8 Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” 9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days." (Daniel 12:8-11)

“[The Antichrist] shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time. 26 ‘But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. 27 Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’" (Daniel 7:23-27)

Peter now referenced these passages in Daniel, but focused on the last verses, and the glory that the saints would inherit for having withstood Satan's attacks and remained faithful to the Lord until the end.

For you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls, regarding which salvation the prophets, having prophesied of the grace predestined for you, undertook research and investigation, searching into the time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was disclosing when He testified beforehand of the sufferings until Christ, and the glories [to follow] afterwards, to whom it was revealed that not to themselves but to you they were ministering these prophesies, which have now been conveyed to you by those having preached the gospel to you through the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven, [prophecies] which angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:9-12)

There is often a common error in the translation here, and it obscures the point Peter was trying to make. He was stressing to his readers the sufferings they would have to endure, but the glory that awaited them in eternity. However, the translation is often rendered as "the sufferings of Christ" even though the expression is not in the genitive. The actual wording on the Greek is simply "the sufferings until Christ" (εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα), and it refers more specifically to the sufferings the saints would have to endure until Christ's return, just as Daniel mentioned how the saints would be given into the hands of the Antichrist until Messiah came in power.

A similar construction is used in Daniel 9:25, where the Greek Old Testament has Daniel using a virtually identical expression, one almost invariably translated "until Christ the Prince":

And you shall know and understand, that from the going forth of the command for the answer, and for the building of Jerusalem until Christ the Prince (τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἕως Χριστοῦ ἡγουμένου), there shall be sixty-nine weeks... (Daniel 9:25, LXX)


What Angels Desired To Know

Who was Peter referring to specifically in mentioning how the prophets "undertook research and investigation, searching into the time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was disclosing when He testified" of the coming sufferings? Daniel, first and foremost, because as we have already quoted in the previous section, Daniel specifically asked the angel about this.

But how did he know that even angels were looking into the same question? Because Daniel 12 says they were. The prophet described a scene where he saw two angels standing on opposite sides of a river, and one inquired of the other when all these things would be fulfilled. The rest of the passage (here quoted again) states that Daniel then asked the same question himself:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people — everyone whose name is found written in the book — will be delivered... Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two [angels], one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the one clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” The one clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been broken, all these things will be completed.” I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, when will the end of all this be?” He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand." (Daniel 12:1, 5-10)

This then is specifically what Peter was referring to in describing how the Old Testament prophets were searching into things which even the angels of God desired to know about. But by New Testament times the church finally understood these things, and through their preaching even the angels of God were finally coming to a better understanding of the overall plan of God, such as how the Gentiles would be allowed into the kingdom of God, as Paul described to the Ephesians:

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery... 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church [even] unto principalities and powers in the heavens. (Ephesians 3:8-10)

 

[Hidden In Him]

Rising From Ashes To Glory

So what is the Spirit saying now regarding what is coming, and the opposition Satan will raise up against the church in the end-times? The same messages He was during New Testament times, only in increasing detail. Satan will still gloat over the lives he takes, but the keys of Death and Hell no longer belong to him, which means that his "victories" will be hollow ones. The Gates of Hell can no longer prevail over the faithful, and they won't even descend to Hades now. They will simply ascend directly to the Father forever, and Satan will be left with nothing to show for it.

Before the fresco burned black candles. The flickering lights from the candles seemed to give the fresco a life of its own. The fresco began at its base with recounting after recounting of brutal tortures of some of God’s people. Those being tortured still seemed alive. The fresco was like none I had ever seen. It was similar to a hologram. Light from the candles caused the pictures to have progressive action, so that those suffering suffered again, with Satan supposedly gaining the victory again and again. Barbarous. My eyes traveled up this mountain of slaughter to about one-third of the way to the ceiling. Here the fresco began to depict a mound of skulls. This mound rose to a throne of skulls upon which sat the goat-like legs of a satyr. The enthroned creature had the torso and arms of a human but the head and horns of a goat. In this goat/man's left hand was held a picture of the world. In his other hand was the location for two keys. The outline of the keys was still there, but the keys of Death and of Hades had been removed from his hand. The fresco vaulted up until it covered the first half of the ceiling like a frightful canopy. It was Satan, goat-like, enthroned upon a mountainous pile of human skulls. He was gloating in sinister splendor. As God the Father is enthroned upon the praises of His people, Satan is enthroned upon his murderous savageries and sadistic cruelties. A chill ran through me. Flickering light from the black candles caused Satan’s face to move, seemingly to change before my eyes. His snake-like eyes glared at me. (The Priestly Bride, Rountree)​

Nevertheless, in keeping with the above vision, the Spirit is saying the churches need to prepare for severe tests to their faith as the time of the Antichrist approaches. But the threat of such evils will refine and purify their faith just as Daniel prophesied. They will master trusting the Lord for everything, including where their food comes from, and in standing for Christ in the face of Satan's every threat, they will know that great will be their reward in Heaven:

The beast will arise to the acclamation of the world, for he will bring peace and prosperity such as none can remember. When he has gained world dominion, those without his mark in their foreheads or their hands will not be able to buy food, clothes, cars, houses or anything else that is bought. Neither will they be able to sell anything they own to anyone else unless they have the mark. The Lord God expressly declares that those who take the mark have affirmed their allegiance to the beast and will be cut off from the Lord God forever. They will have their place with the unbelievers and workers of iniquity. The mark states simply that those who possess it have rejected God and have turned to the beast for sustenance. The beast and his followers will persecute those who refuse the mark and will kill many of them. Whatever pressures they can bring to bear will be used to force believers of the true God to be marked. Children and infants will be killed before the eyes of the parents who refuse to take the mark. There will be a time of great mourning.... If you do not obey the beast and refuse to take his mark, I will take care of you. I do not say that many will not have to die for their faith in these times, for many will be beheaded for trusting the Lord God. But blessed are those who die in the Lord, for great will be their reward. (Baxter, A Divine Revelation Of Hell).

Part of their reward will involve being remembered throughout eternity for standing for Christ in the darkest time in human history. Their resolute faith in and obedience to Christ despite the dangers will be a marvel for the world to behold, and they will lead many to righteousness as a result. Their wisdom will be in knowing beyond doubt that there is a life far greater than this one waiting for them in eternity, and that those who knuckle under to the enemy just to save their lives in this world will forego a perfect world in eternity for a dark and miserable one down here, and only for a short time anyway:

At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book... 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:1, 3)

As Paul once taught in 2nd Timothy, because they endured sufferings with Christ they will reign with Christ forever. But it will require the faith to withstand being sifted like wheat by the enemy, just as Peter was, and many of the promises Christ spoke to him will become increasingly relevant to us as well:

28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” 31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:28-34)

Hopefully many in the end-times do not have to experience the pain Peter experienced in denying the Lord, but so long as they don't take the mark and hand themselves over entirely to the enemy, there will still be time to correct the wrongs they have committed before Christ. And ultimately Satan will find that many would prefer dying for their faith rather than serve him, an ultimate insult to the "god" who supposedly controls everything. They will arise in victory, having proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ without fear, knowing that what they will have greater rewards in eternity than anyone down here knew anything about.


Questions & Applications

1. Do you think you will live to see the return of Christ, or the rise of the Antichrist? Why or why not?

2. Do you think you would be ready if Satan were to desire to sift you like wheat? What would it reveal about the quality of your faith, as it did with the apostle Peter and other New Testament saints of God?

3. A demon once told exorcists who were trying to cast him out in the name of the Jesus whom Paul preached, "Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?" Do you think you have raised enough trouble for Satan's kingdom that they know who you are, and take you as a threat?

A few threads that relate to this last question:

https://swf.community.forum/threads/does-the-enemy-know-who-you-are-part-1.91/

https://swf.community.forum/threads/does-the-enemy-know-who-you-are-part-2.92/

 

[Hidden In Him]

Bumping Up Christ