What is Satan's Fate?
Argument XIII
"A Vindictive Tyrant"
QUESTION:
If God would “CAUSE” Satan to be tormented for all eternity, why would anyone think of Him as anything other than a big bully who derives pleasure from the suffering of others?
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In the prior argument, it was asserted that God would have to be held personally responsible if He consented to Satan being consigned to a punishment that would last for all eternity. This particular argument takes it a step further. Here, the devil is actually portrayed as a victim of a great injustice whose perpetrator is none other than God Almighty.
According to the advocates of this new doctrine God would have to be vicious to impose such a horrible sentence (eternal torment in the Lake of Fire followed by total confinement in outer darkness) on anyone—even the devil. Furthermore, these advocates have actually characterized His administration of eternal justice as the act of a “vindictive tyrant.” They make this claim despite the fact that God’s Word declares that this is exactly what is going to happen. Here is how the apostle John expresses this TRUTH.
Revelation 20:10
New English Translation
And the Devil, who deceived them, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet had been cast; and they, Satan and his demons, shall be tormented day and night into the ages of eternity.”
Here is how the leaders of one particular COG attempt to counter John’s words followed by my response. I realize they will adamantly deny my characterization of their argument but if one carefully scrutinizes the facts, this truth will become abundantly clear.
Advocates of the New Doctrine:
“God’s mercy is an extension of His love. In fact, He is more loving than we humans could ever imagine. The phenomenal example of Jesus Christ shows that God is actually willing to endure unimaginable suffering in order to alleviate the pain and death that others deserve. The thought that God would “CAUSE” those who don’t love Him to suffer for all eternity is a horrible absurdity that contradicts the entire Bible. It makes God seem like He is some sort of “VINDICTIVE TYRANT.”
My Response:
Just as they did in the prior argument these advocates attempt to minimize Satan’s transgression while magnifying the consequence imposed by God—essentially implying that the penalty is unfair because it is so much greater than the crime merits. In other words because Satan has elected to not love God, the Almighty has decided to impose a consequence for this trespass by viciously inflicting on him “unimaginable pain and suffering” via consigning him to eternal torment—a fate these advocates adamantly reject because of its cruelty, even going so far as to refer to it as a “horrible absurdity” that contradicts the entire Bible.” Once again, they offer this opinion even though the Scriptures say this is precisely the FATE that awaits him (See again: Revelation 20:10 cited above).
A Little Perspective
In all due respect to these leaders, the only “horrible absurdity” here is the self-serving approach this argument takes. Furthermore, the notion that a loving God would extend mercy and compassion to those who hold these wonderful gifts in contempt is patently FALSE and totally foreign to God’s Word. There isn’t one syllable in the Scriptures that hints of such a thing. On the contrary, the Sacred Writings declare that when it comes to eternal judgment, God’s MERCY is ONLY expressed in REDEMPTION and HOPE to those who yield to Him, while His condemnation is reflected in the vengeance He executes on all those who don’t (See: Deuteronomy 32:43).
Additionally, the thought of God’s Final Judgment as recorded in Scripture being the act of a “vindictive tyrant” reflects a standard that is totally arbitrary. Furthermore, it is NOT God’s standard. Instead, it is manufactured by Church leaders more interested in clinging to a narrative of their own making than to humbly accept the wisdom of their Creator—a wisdom powerfully expressed in both the law and the prophets as well as the teachings of the Messiah Himself (See: Deuteronomy 32:41, Jeremiah 13:14 & Matthew 18:21-35). As a result, these COG leaders have become entangled in their own logic. Consider the ramifications of their argument. According to their reasoning, only a “vindictive tyrant” would ever consent to ETERNAL torment and because God is filled with compassion, He would NEVER do such a thing. But what about the other torment Satan is subjected to? Wouldn’t’ that be vindictive as well?
For example:
1) Would God, who is love, suffer anyone to an existence of “unimaginable pain” for 1000 years?
I ask this because that is EXACTLY what the Almighty will do to Satan during the millennium. At that time, the devil will be bound up and completely isolated from God’s Kingdom and His people (Revelation 20:1-3). This confinement is even referred to as a state of “torment” by demons themselves (See: Argument IX). Therefore, if Satan’s permanent confinement (Jude 13, Revelation 20:10) constitutes the act of a “vindictive tyrant,” as these leaders claim, why would his extended confinement in a GREAT ABYSS be any different? After all, the only difference between the two is their length, not the severity of the torment they inflict.
The Plain Truth
Contrary to what these ministers claim, Satan’s fate, regardless of what it is, is NOT an expression of God’s compassion. It is an expression of His utter contempt toward this diabolical spirit. Furthermore, although many think that what happens to God’s enemies is motivated by mercy, the Bible says something quite different. Consider the following.
Nahum 1:2
"…the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies.”
Although some may believe that eternal punishment is vindictive, God calls it “vengeful”—and never once does He apologize for it. To suggest that mercy plays any part in it is totally FALSE.
But there’s more.
2) Would God, who is love, suffer anyone to an existence of “unimaginable pain” for over 3000 years—the approximate time between Christ’s death and the great white throne judgment?
I ask this because on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus categorically stated that Satan had been condemned (John 16:7-11). Since that time he has roamed the earth awaiting his sentence to be carried out.
Although some advocates of this new doctrine imply that allowing protracted suffering is the act of a “vindictive tyrant,” this is NOT true. The Scriptures declare that a merciful God is fully capable of doing just that. Here is how God the Merciful expresses this truth. Notice who receives His mercy and who doesn’t.
Deuteronomy 32:43
Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.”
It would seem that this verse makes it pretty obvious who receives his mercy and it most certainly is not the devil as these advocates FALSELY assert. And for them to argue that the determining factor for deciding Satan’s fate should be what they themselves think is the most appropriate and NOT what God declares to be the most RIGHTEOUS is simply ARROGANT. These advocates don’t get to make that call, God alone has reserved that prerogative to Himself. And He has made His judgment graphically clear. CASED CLOSED.
3) Would God, who is love, suffer anyone to an existence of “unimaginable pain” for billions of years?
I ask this because that is how long it has been since Satan first rebelled and waged war against the Almighty in an attempt to seize His throne. From that point on, God stripped him of his position as the “anointed cherub that covers” as well as expelled him from His Government in the third heaven. (See: Ezekiel 28:16). Based on the argument offered by these Church leaders, God must be a “vindictive tyrant” because He didn’t simply put Satan out of his misery right away.
A Brief Review
At the risk of sounding redundant a brief review concerning Satan and his ultimate fate is appropriate. This is because, despite the dismissive tone taken by the advocates of this new doctrine regarding the gravity of Satan’s transgressions, the evil that defines him is truly severe and cannot be ignored when considering the scope of God’s final dispensation of justice that awaits him.
Consider that justice.
Binding Up Satan
The twentieth chapter of the book of Revelation begins with the apostle John recording an event in which an angel comes down from heaven with a special key and a great chain. With these items, he lays hold of Satan and binds him up. He then casts him into a great abyss where he will be restrained and cannot influence mankind. John goes on to indicate that he will be in this state for a thousand years, after which he will be released for "a little season" (Revelation 20:5) and ultimately cast into a Lake of Fire (verse 10, See also: Enoch 88:1) followed by banishment to “the blackness of darkness” forever (Jude 13) never to be seen or heard from again.
Although the advocates of this new doctrine insist that such a fate is repugnant and only deserves their contempt, they are sadly mistaken. To better understand why God would impose such a verdict on the devil, imagine the impact this single act of divine justice will have on the universe.
A New Hope
The Scriptures declare that at some point in the infinite past, Satan became so consumed with himself that he actually thought his wisdom was greater than that of his CREATOR. As a result, he waged a rebellion that was so filled with hate, his entire character became immersed in EVIL. Today His influence on the human family is so overwhelming that at the end of man’s reign on the earth the evil and violence Satan has spread will be so pervasive that God Himself will have to intervene or this insidious being will literally destroy creation itself (See: Revelation 20:7-10)
Satan, who is called the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) has sought to destroy everything that shows the Almighty as infinitely MORAL and he has perverted society into actually rejecting its Creator and Benefactor. As a result, man has been deceived from the beginning and that deception has not let up for six thousand years of human history. Now imagine a world without such an adversary. Such a place would be one in which all nations, races, and cultures will live together in peace, happiness, and mutual respect. In that world, war will be a thing of the past while crime and violence will be a distant memory.
But there’s more.
A world without Satan will be a planet free of the pollution that now threatens to destroys it (Isaiah 35:1). The terrible ravages of sickness and disease will also be gone (verses 5-6). There will be no more hunger (Isaiah 30:23), no prisons, no gangs, no flag draped coffins, no orphanages, no food banks, no hospitals, no abortion clinics, no domestic violence, no child abuse as well as no moral depravity.
A world no longer under the grip of Satan will be one filled with unimaginable peace, prosperity, health and unobstructed contentment. It will be presided over by Jesus Christ and a Royal family consisting of the greatest leadership team ever assembled in the history of the universe. In that world, true knowledge will literally cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). Furthermore, every human being will worship the same God, share the same values and embrace the same faith. Then, as a result of God’s presence and Satan’s confinement, optimism and joy will stretch from one end of time and space to the other. It is a place where the voices of children will actually be heard singing in the street and where truth will be set on a hill for all to behold. In short it is a place where GOODNESS TRIUMPHS. EVIL FAILS and HOPE SOARS!
The words recorded by John in Revelation 20 which describe Satan being cast into a bottomless pit and ultimately a Lake of Fire followed by permanent darkness (Jude 13) stand as one of the most powerful declarations of hope for mankind and God’s KINGDOM ever uttered. The day will come when this enemy, who was created with infinite potential, then at some point tragically decided to enslave the entire creation with every imaginable perversion and evil, will be removed and a new King will be installed who will establish a government driven by mercy, judgment, and faith (Matthew 23:23).
A Final ThoughtFinally, the idea that love and compassion for Satan is actually a component of God’s final judgment of him is a LIE—and for those who assert such a thing make themselves complicit in that lie. God’s Word describes the Lake of Fire as a horrible place totally devoid of any measure of pity. For corruptible man, who refuses to yield to his Maker, it is the location of his second and final death (Revelation 20:6). For incorruptible spirits such as Satan and his demons, it is the beginning of permanent exile and isolation (verse 10). One thing is for certain, you will never find one ounce of compassion there—only SHAME and EVERLASTING CONTEMPT (See: Daniel 12:2).
Argument XIV