Hi Reggie,
I have been listening & watching the bible study you guys covered in the ‘End Time Holy Convocation’ meetings, and somewhere during the Saturday session I think you mentioned something along the lines that when Satan is cast out of heaven by Michael, that from that time on he will no longer be able to have access or effect our consciences. I forget the exact words you used, but basically you were implying that he will not be able to accuse us & put guilt trips on our consciences any more.
I would greatly appreciate if you can elaborate or give me some scriptures to read on this, I’ve never heard this before, but the implications are fantastic.
Regards,
John
Dear brother John,
Michael’s middle of the week victory in heaven, and the affect this will have, not only in the realm of the mystery of iniquity (incarnation of Satan), but also in the realm of the believer’s inward life, is a topic close to my heart. Basically, it is nothing that is not already true and available in the gospel, but I am fully convinced that the church will be straightened to a corporate fullness that will be particularly constrained by the events of the last seven years. (see a piece I wrote some while back called, “Where God is Taking the Church“, posted on our website.)
I take the view that the church (true church or godly remnant) will know with absolute certainty when the seven years has begun. Perhaps even before the door of the seven years has shut tightly behind us, I believe there will be an increased corporate earnestness and urgency of travail and intercession among many, analogous to Daniel’s intercessory self abasement. I believe Michael’s authority to evict Satan at the set time is bound to the church’s travail, which comes in response, not only to the time, but to the revelation of the Spirit concerning what is at stake.
It is the same principle and dynamic that was present in Michael’s forcible removal of the opposing Prince of Persia in Dan 10, which I see as the background in both Paul’s and John’s revelation. I believe a sound and compelling case can be made that Satan is not only the “accuser” in Rev 12, he is also the “one who restrains” in 2Thes 2:7, since in both places Satan’s forcible removal permits the mystery of iniquity to be revealed, which is necessary for the tribulation to begin that ends the age (2Thes 2:3; Rev 10:7; Rev 12:10-12). (I see the mystery of iniquity as the incarnation of Satan when the beast’s deadly wound is healed, as the whole world is made to wonder when they see the beast “that was, and is not, and yet is.” I believe this will be a resurrection phenomenon of a demonic kind that is divinely permitted to test and expose.
I have touched briefly on this throughout many of the essays and email exchanges that were posted on our website, and perhaps Tom can help us track some of these down, but I’ve never written a formal paper that treats this topic specifically and in detail. I certainly need to at some point. I recently found an old paper typed many years ago when I was in school, called ‘the seed of the woman’ where I deal with this subject in greater detail than anything that has appeared in my email correspondence. Perhaps soon I edit that and make it available.
There is one session at the conference that was dedicated to another topic called, “Apocalyptic Evangelism”. Instead of staying with my assigned subject, I ended up going in the direction of your question. Tom is currently in the process of editing that is to be posted as a video on our website [Posting to YouTube has begun under the title “The Church’s Tribulation Fullness”]. It will probably get a title that is more appropriate to its content, but in the meantime, you can hear the audio version, which may go some way towards addressing your question. I will welcome your further questions after you’ve had a chance to check that out. It is true that we need to be clear on these things, and I welcome any assistance in that direction. I’ve always believed that the burden of our general perspective (one that matures as we go along) will only come forth through a corporate participation.
I do encourage your continued prayer for us, and always, any help to Tom is help to me and our common task to put these things before the body for these transitional days.
Your input and prayerful support is so greatly invited and appreciated.
Yours in the Beloved, Reggie
john alexander
