THE ARREST AND IMPRISONMENT

The fact of a possible victory through the Name of our great Conqueror does not alone satisfy all the items of the indictment. If such were the only background to the picture, great as it is, the human drama is not only a fierce tragedy, but a miserable farce. Thank God, personal victory is not all; there is a rift in the dark satanic cloud which has hung over the world for so many millenniums. Satan is in great wrath, and his power and influence grow steadily stronger; more and more his iron grip fastens about the throat of the world. The Apostasy of which Christ and His Apostles wrote is becoming a reality.

Satan will score one more gigantic victory; then is our “blessed hope of His glorious appearing,” when He shall come and catch away His Bride—the Church, both dead and alive; that part of His following who are united to Him and are earnestly yearning for His coming. This event is called by devout scholars “The Rapture.” Just where, how, when, or how long, we have only a vague prophetic conjecture. “Where, Lord?” they ask. “And He said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.”

When the Rapture shall have taken place, Satan will have undisputed dominion; then shall the “Man of Sin” appear, setting himself up as God—to be worshipped. His reign will be the Great Tribulation; all the influences of righteousness will, for the time, be removed—the earth will reek in corruption and bloodshed. It is implied that, so terrible will be this time, divine intervention must necessarily shorten the Tribulation, else no flesh will be left on the earth. The Great Tribulation will be the climax of the Devil’s rule on earth. It seems that he will incarnate himself in a Man, giving him supernatural knowledge and power.

However, something spectacular and sensational will soon occur. When the leader of a gang of thugs or desperadoes is arrested, his followers are filled with fear and consternation; then think of the excitement. An Angel officer will break in on the scene—yes, that is exactly what the Book tells us: the High Sheriff of Heaven will suddenly step down from headquarters, and will lay hold—arrest the Old Dragon—Satan—Devil—Serpent (observe all his names are mentioned). Whatever his titles and distinctions of the past have been, they will not save him in that hour. The Apocalyptic Vision is unmistakable.

Some can see in this wonderful language only an allegory: the good influences are to gradually bind the influences of evil, and to expect such an event as the literal arrest of the Devil is a wild, irrational, unscientific, unreasonable dream. Our Lord said, speaking of the time of the end, that the same social conditions as prevailed in the days of Noah were to be repeated: wicked ones waxing worse and worse; scarcely any living in the fear of God. To expect to see a gradual regeneration of society, politics, commerce, and the Church—until evil will be overruled, chained as it were—seems to be a gigantic travesty on language and the teaching of the Bible.

We prefer to stand by the Book rather than human interpretation—fixed up to justify the methods and results of modern religious propaganda. An angel appears—evidently an archangel: one belonging to the rank of which the fallen Prince formerly belonged. This Sheriff of the skies is equipped for his undertaking; Officers carry handcuffs with which to bind prisoners—the angel has a great chain in his hand; he lays hold—arrests the old skulking, hateful, murderous Devil. This angel-officer has also a key, and it is the key which locks the door of the bottomless pit. This door has been wide open; Satan and his emissaries could go and come at pleasure. Just as an officer arrests a desperado and leads him off to prison—so will the archangel arrest the Devil and lock him up in the pit of darkness and despair. What will be done with his millions of cohorts? We can judge only by inference. We want to stay close to the inspired record; of one thing, however, we are confident: the footstool of God will be absolutely cleared of Devil and demons; “that they shall deceive the nations no more.”

The prophetic picture of the divine court proceedings is very specific: we have the exact length of the prison sentence—one thousand years. When we remember the crimes, unnumbered crimes, the sentence seems to be an example of court leniency. But this is only a “binding over,” as it were, to the real trial and judgment yet to come. This will be temporary imprisonment; but oh, it will be such a glad, happy day. The vision of Isaiah, thirty-fifth chapter, will be literally fulfilled. The sceptre so long in the hand of a traitor—usurper—will pass into the hand of the Prince of Peace. Yes, we will strengthen our weak hands and confirm our feeble knees—Satan at last locked up. We shall witness with joy unspeakable and full of glory—“the Restoration of All Things.” “And the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Thank God forever.