What is Satan's Fate?

Argument V

From Spirit to Flesh

QUESTION:

If God can “transform” Christ from a spirit being into a human being in order that He might die, how could anyone think He couldn’t do the same to Satan and his demons?

~~~

In an attempt to prove that Satan and his demons can, and will die, many invoke the example of Christ’s incarnation and subsequent death. According to them, the fact that Jesus was an incorruptible SPIRIT BEING prior to His earthly life, stands as proof that the same process he went through could be applied to other spirits such as the devil and those who rebelled with him. Therefore, spirit beings, which heretofore were considered indestructible, can NOW be made into material beings and thus eliminated.

Advocates of the New Doctrine:

“…As far as we know, in the physical realm, fire can only affect matter. However, the devil and his angels are not physical. This brings up an interesting question.  What kind of fire is it that could possibly destroy these spirits?”

Their Theory Begins

“…When we consider the physical realm, we understand that it was not created from nothing. The laws of nature teach us that only nothing can come from nothing. The universe had to be made from something, but what? Certainly, it was not created of preexisting matter. The Scriptures reveal that it was actually made from spirit! As the author of Hebrews states:”

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3)

“From this, we realize that God created the material world out of something, but the substance was not visible to the human eye. Spirit is invisible, and therefore the only sound conclusion is that the physical universe was made from invisible spirit.”

“This leads to the profound realization that, when creating the physical universe, God has changed spirit to matter. This being the case, it is not only possible, but HIGHLY LIKELY that spirit beings can be transformed to that which is physical. Then, in this state, they could be burned up in an inferno such as the lake of fire.”

My Response:

In this particular statement, these advocates confidently offer the book of Hebrews to support what can only be described, in my view, as wild speculation—offered in a desperate attempt to convince their reader that there exists absolutely no discernible difference between an invisible, inanimate, spiritual component, referred to by some as “spirit essence,” and a one-of-a-kind, totally unique, living, cognitive, self-actualized immortal spirit being, complete with a spirit (mind) of its own, as well as unquestionably its own genetic code responsible for shaping its very uniqueness including its talents and personality.

To put the extraordinary complexity of the angelic realm in perspective consider it in the context of the human family. It has been estimated that the average adult human male possesses as many as 40 trillion cells and is comprised of up to 7 octillion (7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) atoms (that’s a 7 followed by 27 zeros). With that said, what do you think the spiritual composition of an immortal angelic being just might be? Before you answer this question, I would recommend you read the first chapter of the book of Ezekiel which should give you just a brief glimpse of the majesty, grandeur, beauty, and function of these magnificent creatures. When doing so GOD’S WORD describes among other things:

Ezekiel Chapter 1

Verses 1-28

• four creatures in human form, (verse 5)
• each with four faces. (verse 6)
• four wings, (verse 6)
• feet that shine like burnished brass (verse 7)
• four hands of a man under their wings (verse 8),
• four faces (verses 11-12)
• Two wings joined one to another (verse 11)
• a blazing torch in their midst (verse 13)
• perfectly coordinated flight configurations, (verses 19-21)
• wheels covered with eyes, (verses 15-18)
• the appearance of a throne with a man upon it (verse 26)
• an unimaginable spectrum of colors (verses 26-28)
• the ability to travel at the speed of light (verses 27-28)
• and the powerful sounds they make in flight (verse 24)

Now imagine comparing these extraordinary BEINGS to “spirit essence” and conclude that there is no discernible difference between the two. I ask this because that is exactly what these COG leaders have done. Sadly, their position is advanced solely because it appears to be the only one that can be reconciled with a preconceived false narrative regarding Satan’s fate—specifically that his destiny must be eternal death as opposed to eternal torment which the scriptures actually require (See: Revelation 20:10 & Jude 13).

Based on this predicate, these Church thinkers have concluded that in order for their narrative to play out as they hope, it must be possible for Satan to be “changed” from an incorruptible immortal SPIRIT  into a corruptible molecular “PHYSICAL ENTITY” and thus subject to the laws of combustion governing the physical realm. In other words, if they can somehow convince God’s people that incorruptible “spirit essence” can be “changed” or “transformed” or, any other term they find convenient—into physical matter to form the molecular universe, then it’s not that far-fetched for these same believers to be convinced that an incorruptible spirit being can also be “changed” or “transformed” into a “material being” for their ultimate execution in the Lake of Fire—which is the whole point this new doctrine is endeavoring to make. After all, according to its advocates “spirit is spirit.” Thus, it must follow that if spirit essence can be changed into matter then a spirit being can be changed into matter as well. CASE CLOSED.

Sadly, what these learned men fail to grasp is that “spirit essence” (a term of their own making) is actually a component or element or property, while a “spirit being” is a REAL PERSON with its own feelings, emotions and psyche. As a result, these COG leaders are asserting an argument that makes about as much sense as claiming that there is no discernible difference between brick and mortar and a team of architectural engineers.

A Simplistic View of Creation

When examining the point advanced by these advocates it also becomes readily apparent that they take a rather simplistic view of creation. When doing so spirit is represented to be essentially a large incorruptible mysterious ingredient God used to build the universe as we know it.  They then suggest that He must have made this ingredient with the capacity to miraculously “transition” itself into physical corruptible matter and as such it could degrade and eventually perish like everything else in the molecular realm. Sadly, this is done without providing any explanation whatsoever with respect to how the GREAT MASTER ARCHITECT of the universe went about accomplishing this task. They just declare it to be true and expect God’s people to believe them without question. Very convenient.

Another Perspective

“The Principle of the Periodic Table”

What Can Be Learned?

With that said, consider that our world, which contains a massive array of solids, liquids, and gasses including vast numbers of metals, stones, woods, chemicals, and fabrics, not to mention an endless array of atomic and sub atomic particles as well as an endless array of types, sub types, groups and sub-groups of every possible piece of matter, that—with all the complexities in the finite molecular universe mankind calls home, that the infinite domain of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and His Heavenly subjects is at least as much, if not more intricate, more diverse and more complex? In other words, could the number of elements in the supernatural realm be vastly greater than those in the natural one?

An Interesting Possibility

When examined in this context, is it possible that within the THIRD HEAVEN there exists numerous spiritual periodic tables containing an endless array of elements that the Almighty may avail Himself to in His own creative endeavors? Furthermore, is it possible that at some point in eternity past that some of these elements were specifically designed by Him to be inter-dimensional? In other words they could be employed in different environments (spiritual or material) as the Almighty saw fit—anticipating their future application when building a home for His yet to be created human family—something the Scriptures reveal He was already mindful of before creation itself (See: Ephesians 1:3-5 & 1 Peter1:19-20, See also: Expositors Bible Commentary on the citation recorded on 1 Peter just mentioned). Additionally, is it possible that when creating the universe, He selected its building blocks from this vast inventory of components (parts if you will) as opposed to one brand of spiritual material. MY VOTE IS A RESOUNDING YES!

With that said I would like to offer a personal opinion regarding the approach taken by the majority of these advocates when pursuing their claim as well as to submit yet another (third) possibility concerning the origin of the universe altogether—one these COG leaders may never have considered.

A Reality Check

However, despite the undeniable clarity of Paul’s revelation—in which he specifically identified “GOD’S WORD” as the invisible ingredient from which the “WORLDS WERE FRAMED,” these COG leaders insist this is NOT possible by accusing that WORD of being the equivalent of “NOTHING”—and because, as they put it, “nothing can only come from nothing,” the only possible answer concerning the origin of the material universe must lie somewhere else.

They then assert that because spirit is invisible in God’s realm (See: John 3:8) it must be, by necessity, the ONLY possibility when identifying the primary building blocks of the Heavens and the Earth in accordance with the requirements of Hebrews.  Furthermore, when doing so, they offer this assessment as the linchpin of their entire argument. In other words, if they can’t find a way for spirit to become matter then Satan will NEVER die because he is a spirit. And DEATH is what they claim must be his ultimate FATE.

Another Possibility

But is this hypothesis correct? In other words, is there nothing else in the third heaven beyond the “spirit essence” they seek—something that also cannot be seen (invisible)—yet something that could actually perform the very creative function the Scriptures require without ever relying on “spirit essence” as these advocates do WHEN ADVANCING THIS NEW DOCTRINE?

What follows is a brief reconstruction of a real conversation regarding the origin of the universe and how it came into existence. Mind you, this is speculative as well, but it does offer something most believers, including God’s people, may never have considered.

“An Interesting Dialogue”
Science VS Faith

Several years ago a prominent theologian was featured in a discussion with an equally prominent astrophysicist. At issue was the origin of the universe and specifically, how it came into existence as well as what specifically the cosmos was constructed from.

To virtually no one’s surprise the theologian confidently responded, “God made it.”

This led the scientist to press the issue. “What did He make it out of? And don’t tell me He made it from nothing.”

Upon hearing this challenge the theologian responded, “Well, what I can say is that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth—when before there was nothing.”

Growing somewhat exasperated, the scientist continued to press the issue. “What do you think He made it from?” he asked. The theologian confessed that he was uncertain but allowed for the possibility that the ETERNAL created the molecular realm through the power of His mind. In other words, His WISDOM.

He then became more specific by attempting to add clarity to his answer. Here is what he said.

“The point I am trying to make here is that everything that exists in the natural universe came into existence because God commanded it to be so. There are NO exceptions.”

Feeling he had this “man of the cloth” on the ropes, this brilliant scientific thinker asked one last question. “Can you name one thing man has ever created out of nothing but WISDOM? Or, as you put it, the power of MIND?”

The theologian thoughtfully pondered this query for nearly 30 seconds—(imagine the           deafness of that silence) after which he quietly, in a near whisper, responded, “A Symphony.”

Something to Think About

This is a remarkable reply because it may very well go to the heart of the origin of the universe and the role an infinite God may have played in it. In truth, everything ever created throughout history began, not with tangible components (invisible or otherwise), but rather, with an idea—a vision that first appeared in the mind of its CREATOR. Now imagine that MIND being INFINITE. Furthermore, imagine how an INFINITE GOD could express this idea and actually ENGAGE its CREATIVE POWER.

With this said, is it possible that in the spirit realm, where the INFINITE is everywhere, and an ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, ETERNAL CREATOR resides, that wisdom and understanding may literally be actionable materials? And is it possible that God truly can speak things into existence by the POWER of His WORD and the FORCE of His WILL? According to the apostle John the answer just might be “YES.”

Revelation 4:11

“...for You created all things, and because of Your WILL they existed, and were created.”

At this point, it is interesting to note that the entire physical creation recorded in the first chapter of Genesis actually came about by divine decree. Light appeared because God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). The earth’s atmosphere appeared on the second day because God commanded it to be so (verses 6-8). The sun, moon and stars came about the same way (verses 14-18)—as did the seas and its creatures as well as every bird that flies (verses 20-22) and every mammal that roams (verses 24-25). Add to that, every body of water and every blade of grass and all manner of vegetation came into being after three short words, “AND GOD SAID.”

The dynamic power of God’s WORD is graphically expressed by the Almighty Himself through the great prophet Isaiah. Think about this for a moment.                

Isaiah 55:11

“So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return to me void (unproductive) but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper (bear fruit) in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Notice that it is God’s WORD that will never be unproductive and that it is His WORD that is sent and that it is His WORD that will always bear fruit. With this said, is it possible that God’s word is more than a phonetic utterance? Is it possible that it not only conveys the Almighty’s WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING, but actually executes His will as He directs? In other words, is it possible that when Paul wrote of the universe being made out of that which is invisible he was actually referring to God’s Word which he had just identified earlier in the same verse as the vehicle by which the universe came into existence?

Although there are those who believe that the language employed by Isaiah cited above, should be understood as literary (personification), many thoughtful voices are fully persuaded that they are literal and therefore, not to be so easily dismissed. When it comes to the Almighty, and His vast array of accomplishments, who honestly believes such a thing is beyond HIS POWER?

Here’s a hint.

Throughout His life, the Messiah performed spectacular miracles simply by uttering His voice. For example: He calmed a violent storm with the words, “Be still” (Mark 4:39). He raised a dear friend from the grip of death with the words, “Come forth” (John 11:43). He completely restored a man who was paralyzed for thirty eight years by telling him to:”Take up your bed and walk” (John 5:8-9). He exorcised a demon from a little girl when He told her mother, “Go and it shall be as you desire” (Matthew 15: 21- 28 NKJV).

But there is more.

Jesus revealed that the power of faith was so formidable that it could literally move mountains without the aid of a bulldozer or one ounce of explosives, but rather with a simple command, “Be moved” (Matthew 17:20-21). He also turned water into wine without using one grape (John 2). and actually healed the servant of a centurion without so much as visiting him because this roman military officer was convinced the Messiah could do so simply by giving an order! (Matthew 8: 5-10)

The POINT

Romans 4:17

“...even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”

This, of course, does not mean God created the universe out of nothing, but rather from an idea that took shape at His command including every sub atomic particle. Remember, He is El Shaddai, THE ALMIGHTY.

Perhaps the prophet Jeremiah expressed it best when describing God’s CREATIVE POWER.

Jeremiah 32:17

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

What’s Next?

The Example of Jesus

Advocates of the New Doctrine continued:

“Jesus Christ was the Word, He was with God, and He was God (Jn. 1:1-5). Yet, Christ was “changed” from an awesome Spirit being, to a human being composed of matter. Then, as a physical entity, men were allowed to kill Him. Jesus was dead and in the grave for three days and three nights. As the apostle Paul writes:”

1 Corinthians 15:3

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.”

“The Father raised Christ up from the grave and the grip of death. This was a divine miracle performed as an example for all of us who look to the resurrection as our hope. Thus, Paul writes to the Galatians saying:”

Galatians 1:1

“Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.”

“Christ was raised by the Father (1 Cor. 15:15, Eph. 1:20, 1 Thes. 1:10), but if this miracle had not been performed, Jesus Christ would still be dead. He would be in an unconscious state forever, and we would have no hope of eternal life.”

A Voice of Agreement

This fellowship is not alone in their assessment.  Another prominent COG expressed it this way.

“The fact that a spirit being can be destroyed, or killed, should not really surprise us.  Remember, God Himself, the Logos, the Word, literally BECAME FLESH and dwelt among us (John 1:1-2, 14).  Then, as Jesus Christ, our Savior, He DIED on the cross, for our sins.  Thus a spirit being literally became flesh, and died.  Only because He was later resurrected by the Father did His life resume once again!  Think about that.  What is to keep God from likewise, with His awesome power, from “converting” the spirit-body of Satan the devil and his demons into destructible, combustible, flammable material?”

My Response:

It is interesting that these COG leaders claim that Jesus was “CHANGED” or “CONVERTED” or “TRANSFORMED” to flesh when the Scriptures actually reveal that NO SUCH THING EVER occurred. According to God’s Sacred Word the Messiah was NEVER “CHANGED”, NEVER “CONVERTED”, NEVER “TRANSFORMED” “TRANSFERRED”, or, any other vagary these advocates employ, into anything. However, the Bible does reveal that He “became” flesh. Furthermore, when doing so it explains with striking precision how this miracle was accomplished. Even more remarkable is the FACT that this was done centuries prior to the moment this MIRACLE took place (See: Isaiah 7:14).

Meanwhile, the advocates of this new doctrine remain TOTALLY silent on this subject. The same is true when it comes to providing even the smallest details explaining how Satan will become flesh other than to employ code words that sound official but are in fact TOTALLY CONTRIVED. When considering the language they employ in this argument one almost gets the impression that these COG leaders are suggesting that God must have used a “transporter” and somehow “beamed” His Son down to the planet in human form. With that said, I’m just curious, but do these MINISTERS honestly believe the devil and his cohorts will go through the same process the Messiah experienced? If they do, I have some BAD NEWS.

Real Evidence

Although virtually every advocate of this FALSE doctrine contends that Christ’s incarnation represents evidence that Satan and his demons can (and will) become mortal (subject to death), the Bible says something quite different. God’s Word specifically reveals that the GENUINE FACTS concerning Jesus’ humanity actually PROVE that His entrance into the physical realm will NEVER be duplicated by any other Spirit Being. To better understand this TRUTH, consider the following:

Genuine Fact # I

The Evidence of Divine Conception

When describing Christ the man, the apostle John specifically declared that He was “the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). The clear implication is that Jesus entrance into the material realm was a direct result of supernatural conception as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 and fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-21. Furthermore, according to John, the Messiah is the only one that has (or ever will have) experienced this process and its result.

Genuine Fact # II

The Evidence of Human Birth

According to Scripture, there are only two ways one may enter into the physical realm as a mortal creature, and neither one can happen to Satan, or any other angelic being for that matter. The first is by being created into it. This is precisely what took place with Adam when God made man in His own image after His own likeness (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7 & 5:1).

However, it is important to understand that Adam was fashioned out of corruptible matter (dirt), not from some pre-existing “spirit essence,” let alone a spirit being (See: Acts 17:26-28). This is because every inhabitant of the physical realm is made from the elements of his environment just like every inhabitant of the spirit realm was fashioned from the elements of their environment. In other words, that which is flesh comes from flesh and that which is spirit comes from spirit (John 3:6). With that said, here is how Genesis describes the first man.

Genesis 2:7

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

The creation of Adam is so unique that it has never happened to anyone since. Furthermore, the Scriptures indicate that it never will. According to the apostle Paul, virtually every human being since Adam and Eve, has come from a woman (See:1 Corinthians 11:11). The name Eve was actually given because she is “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Therefore, in order for Satan and his demons to become members of the human family and subject to death, God would have to supernaturally conceive them in a woman—actually, perhaps millions of women. In other words, each of them would need a mother who was impregnated by God’s Holy Spirit and the scriptures already state that such a scenario is impossible (See Again: John 1:14).

Changing Satan into a Mortal Beast

Some may argue that the devil would not have to be human in order to die—he could be “changed” into an animal. After all, he is referred to as a “Serpent” and a “Dragon” (Genesis 3, Revelation 12:9) not to mention a “Roaring Lion” (1 Peter 5:8). Although this is true, the Scriptures nowhere hint that animals were created from spirit either. As physical beings, they came from the material world just like man—the sacred writings reveal that they were “brought forth from the earth” (See: Genesis 1:20-21, 24-25).

Furthermore, contrary to what this new doctrine asserts, the Scriptures also declare that there is ONLY ONE WAY any being may be condemned to die as a result of God’s FINAL JUDGMENT—and that path brings us right back to the human family.

Genuine Fact # III

The Evidence of the Origin of Death

When writing to the Church at Corinth, the apostle Paul made an extraordinary statement concerning the sentence of death and how it came into existence. Consider his words.                   

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (See also Romans 5:19-21).

Notice Paul states that death came through the sin of Adam, not the sin of Satan. This point is extremely relevant to the issue of Satan’s fate because he (Satan) had already rebelled against the ALMIGHTY long before the creation of the first human being. Therefore, if death was the consequence of Satan’s rebellion, as the advocates of this new doctrine claim, then Adam wouldn’t be the one by whom it originated.

A Significant Truth

The point to all of this is that in order to die as a consequence of sin one MUST be fully human and of the lineage of Adam. This was even true of Christ Himself (See: 1 John 3:5). As the Savior of the world Jesus bore the sins of all those who would claim His sacrifice. He literally paid its price with His own life—and this was only possible because He was born of a woman (Matthew 1:18) and was a descendant of Adam as the scriptures require. Adam is even identified in the Messiah’s genealogy (See: Luke 3: 23-38).
                                                                                                                                       

A Final Thought

The only thing this particular argument proves is that Jesus came in the flesh and died on our behalf.  However, this point is not being contested. The issue at hand is Satan’s fate—and based on the facts surrounding Jesus’ incarnation, one must conclude that the devil will NEVER become a member of the corruptible world in any form (human or animal). While man was created out of elements of his world, Satan was created out of that which comes from an eternal realm.

Finally, God’s Word TESTIFIES that the ONLY way mortal man may enter into the spirit realm is to be BORN into it (John 3:3-5). The same is true for all Spirit Beings who enter the physical dimension. They must be BORN into it as well—and Jesus Christ is the only one who can make that claim (See again: John 1:14).

Argument VI

Bruising Satan's Head

DIRECTORY