Angels and Politics: Behind the Scenes

Last week I wrote about the huge moral/ethical divide currently ripping this nation apart. This week I’d like to explore why that’s happening. Are there evil people behind it? – of course, but there’s a bigger issue afoot. We go about our daily business – we gas up the car, send our kids to school, pay the bills, go to work, watch a little TV and we think that’s what life is made of, but the mundane things that fill our earthly existence are just window dressing, for something profound and astounding is happening and we’re in the middle of it. Follow me….

He’s slouching up against a pillar in the Throne Room, picking at his teeth and looking bored. His crew stands back a ways, each of them attempting to show the same disdain for the rapturous singing that’s going on around the dais. He turns back and glares at his cohort, meeting each one’s gaze, gaining an unspoken commitment before moving on to the next. Then with a lift of his chin and a tilt of his handsome head he orders them to follow him. They all approach the Throne of God.

A multitude of other angels part to let him pass. You can hear the rustle of their wings and the whispers of tension in the air. He is, after all, the most beautiful of them all, and by far the smartest, and they all know he’s up to something.

They are right – he doesn’t kneel before the Throne. This time he takes a stand, legs apart, fists on his hips. He looks directly at the face of God and says, “ I bow before no one for I will be like the Most High.” His voice – huge like a pipe organ – hangs in the air for one long, heavy moment.  Then…

Lightning flashes from the eyes of God, the air rumbles as His voice pronounces judgment on this creature of His, His masterpiece, for speaking untruth to His face. God raises his arm and points to the door. The other angels rush in to grab Lucifer and his gang and drag them off. Lucifer shrieks and wails as they lead him away –“This is not fair – you made me – I can’t help it that I’m as good as you are – you can’t do this to me – this is all your fault!” 

Now, I’ll admit to taking some poetic license here, but a careful perusal of the Bible* shows that something like this happened at some point before the creation of this world. It appears that our world exists for the purpose of showing this arrogant angel and his cohort that he’s wrong.  Evidently the earth (and its inhabitants) is Satan’s chance to demonstrate that he can “be like the most high.” The angels watch us to see if created beings can choose obedience to God (See Job).

Satan is not trying to muck things up, to get in our way, or make our lives unbearable. His main goal is to run this world better than God could. Which, of course, isn’t going to happen, but in the meantime, batten down the hatches, because his time is getting short.

Satan is also not wearing red tights and swinging a trident. He does not look like a Sith warlord. Lucifer, Son of the Morning, is a state-of-the-art angel, the top of the line. That hasn’t changed. And his case is in the appeals process – he’s out on bail – here amongst us and he has access to heaven. Meanwhile, he’d like nothing better than if you didn’t think he existed. It makes you more malleable.

http://www.whychurch.org.uk/worldwide.php

He has several tactics he’s working on. One is to make this planet run according to his ideas. His only interest in running the world is to show God up; he doesn’t want to be successful for your sake. He has no respect for human beings – he’s smart and knows we’re designed to be his undoing, and he really doesn’t understand what makes us tick. Many of us do follow him and buy into his I’ll-do-it-my-way denial of God’s instructions, but there are those of us who, like Job, hold onto our faith in our heavenly Father (cling to our guns and religion), and we will cost him everything.

But regardless of the reason, he does want to make this work, yet nothing he tries goes well. The emperors he’s wangled into office are all dead. The religions he’s made up to get us off-track haven’t been able to hold back the growth and power of Christ’s followers – not even torture and death have been able to stop it. He’s working at getting the whole world under his control so everything will be easier for him to manipulate. He thinks his beauty and his power are all that’s needed to turn us all into his slaves; occasionally and in limited places, that works for a while. And he’s working on Plan B.

Plan B: Get rid of Israel. You see, God made some pretty serious promises to Israel. He promised them land – a small part of which they inhabit today.  He promised them a king who would rule forever and that king would save the world. He promised them protection and prosperity. So, what better way to prove God unfair than to destroy the Jews before those promises can all be fulfilled?

These days we can easily follow his tracks as he muddles through current events. The push for one world government is happening just like the prophets said it would. The constant pressure to consolidate power into centralized hubs is just part of that process. The effort to entangle the world’s economies so they are all mutually dependent and therefore easily managed is also part of that pattern.

And look at Plan B. Satan’s been working on that one for a long time. We know he was picking on individuals from the time of Job – which was probably around the time of Abraham, but with the formation of the nation of Israel in the bowels of Egyptian slavery Satan turned his sights to the Jews. From the Exodus on they’ve been beleaguered by one nation after another for just being who they are – the recipients of the promises.

Now, just like the psalmist Asaph (Psalm 83) and the prophet Obadiah predicted, a confederation of the nations surrounding Israel are gearing up to attack her. It won’t be long now. Satan forgets that the more he abuses Israel, the more amazing it is that she’s still around. If you want proof God exists, look at the Jews.

I know that neither religion nor politics used to be fit topics for polite discussion, but unless we can start to see where all the fuss is coming from, and what it’s all about, we may actually help the devil, even if unwittingly.

Remember, he’s very attractive, persuasive (the father of lies), and he’s brilliant and powerful. What he can’t charm into happening, he’ll not hesitate to coerce. And the United States of America is groaning under the weight of both approaches culturally, economically, and governmentally.  

Not to worry, though. The second person of the Trinity – Jesus Christ, perfectly human and perfectly God – controls history, and the prophecies of His Word are coming into focus and He does have our best interests at heart. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16). We are here to glorify a God Who is perfectly just and Who has asked of us merely to trust Him. We can do that.

* Biblical references for the Angelic Conflict

Isaiah 14:13 &14

Job 1:6-12

Revelation 12:9

Ephesians 2:2

John 12:31

Matthew 4:8,9

Ezekiel 28: 13 -14

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Revelation 12:10-12

2 Thess 2:3-4

1 Tim 4:1-5

Matthew 25:41

I Corinthians 4:9

Hebrews 12: 1