Chapter 5

Satan Cast Down

From the booklet Isaiah’s End-Time Vision
By Gerald Flurry

The book of Isaiah is like a miniature Bible. How wonderful are the truths of this book. Isaiah explains why the world has such horrid problems today. But Isaiah also shows us what an inspiring solution God has planned for mankind. This world doesn’t know God. And that includes religious people. They also don’t know Satan. That ignorance will cause our people horrible suffering. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can avoid Satan’s wrath, if you heed Isaiah’s warning.

Why End-Time Crises Intensify

Isaiah prophesied of a beautifully peaceful time just ahead of us. “The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing” (Isaiah 14:7).

Just before that happens, there will be an unparalleled crisis. The Assyrians, or Germans, will conquer Israel. However, God will break the Assyrian in Israel’s land. That is just the opposite of what happened in Israel’s first captivity (718 b.c.). This is obviously a prophecy that is yet to occur in the near future! This Assyrian attack on Israel will be inspired by Satan in this end time. Of course, this all fits into God’s plan (Isaiah 10:5-6).

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man [or one] that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms” (Isaiah 14:12-16). This is the story of Satan being cast down to the Earth when he tried to overthrow God. Isaiah then places this event in the context of the end time. Why? Because Satan is cast down again in these latter days!

This is a being who has “made the earth to tremble”—he has the power to “shake kingdoms”! And now he has been cast down to this Earth again. “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12). “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea” when this satanic powerhouse is cast down. And this time he has “great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Satan knows his time is short because the gospel has already been preached around the world (Matthew 24:14).

We publish booklets on all the major prophets. Two of the booklets—Isaiah and Ezekiel—discuss Satan being cast down (see Ezekiel 28). We discuss Satan in detail. Only the Philadelphia Church of God understands Satan today. Only we reveal Satan to the Laodiceans and the world. The devil rules this world and is worshiped by its inhabitants. Satan is their god! (2 Corinthians 4:4). This world is in abject slavery to the devil. The whole world is deceived by him (Revelation 12:9). Still, even most religions refuse to believe what God says about the devil.

Some in the world try to label the pcg a cult. Actually, we are the only church doing God’s Work on this Earth! That can easily be proved from the Bible. We are commanded to “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Only we understand what Satan is planning and doing. That is why Satan hates us most of all and persecutes us so intensely. “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child” (Revelation 12:12-13).

This Earth has never experienced the full wrath of Satan until this end time! He has already conquered the Laodicean Church. It happened in only months after Mr. Armstrong died! How can you explain that without Satan being cast down and confined to this Earth? When God’s Church loses His protection, the Work is rapidly destroyed. The majority of God’s own people have been deceived. Satan caused a Church split. That could only happen through his unparalleled, wrathful deceit. It is one of his greatest feats in this end time! He persecutes the Church intensely until God’s Philadelphians must flee to a place of safety (verse 14). Next, Satan focuses his great wrath on bringing the nations of Israel down.

This world has changed dramatically since Herbert W. Armstrong died. Everything indicates that Satan was cast down around that time. And now this world is on a downhill plunge to destruction!

How can we protect ourselves from this powerful and violent spirit being? God gives us the solution in the same chapter that describes Satan being cast down. “What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it” (Isaiah 14:32). God has founded Zion, or God’s Church. The Laodicean Zion has rebelled. But there is a Zion doing God’s Work and resisting Satan’s powerful onslaught. And God’s people “trust in it”—the Zion that God is using. They will trust God to protect them from Satan’s attack. They are “poor,” or meek and humble. Only God can lead and protect them. The Revised Standard Version translates verse 32 this way: “… The Lord has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” Obeying God causes them to be “afflicted.” They remain loyal, and God gives them “refuge” from the Great Tribulation. A cataclysmic storm is coming—only God can protect us!

We have seen the bloodcurdling horrors of World War II. That was mild compared to the nuclear holocaust that is fast approaching (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21). Nothing has ever happened on this Earth to compare with it! Nothing!

Continue Reading: Chapter 6: End-Time Eliakim