The Great and Unchangeable Truth

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"The Beast is no longer...and headed for Hell!" Revelation 17:11 (The Message).

What the devil cannot achieve in one disguise, he will attempt in another, and another, and another -- until he has gained his ground. He first arrived on the scene in the form of a serpent; here in John's Revelation we see him strutting about as an exalted king, and a beastly one at that. Indeed, over the course of human history the devil has been both serpent and king -- and many things in between.

But whatever he may feign to be in his vain imagination, we hold one thing certain and undeniable, unchanging and reliable -- he is doomed to destruction. He will not prevail. Indeed, he cannot. And, furthermore, he knows it.

That glorious Morning when death lost its grip upon our fallen Lord, the good news spread to all worlds everywhere -- heaven, earth, and hell -- that Satan's power was naught! Having already unleashed the full fury of his rage against Jesus on the Cross, he now pressed the total weight of his dark estate against that stone sealing our Savior's tomb -- desperate to prove God a liar.

But the promise of the Third Day held true, and (in the words of the old spiritual), "up from the grave He arose with triumph over all His foes! He arose the Victor from the dark domain; and He lives forever with His saints to reign! He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!"

Satan is defeated. He is disgraced. And he is damned. O shout it out loud, "The Beast is no longer; He is headed for Hell!"

Whipped by Jesus and put to an open shame, the devil now thrashes about in desperation -- especially against those who are followers of the Lamb. We, being flesh and blood, are indeed targets of his demented hatred. And should the Lord Christ grant that we receive a blow here, or a burn there, then we may indeed count ourselves doubly blessed.

First, for having been found in His sight as those permitted to share in the fellowship of His sufferings. And, second, for having been such a nuisance to the devil that his strike against us was targeted rather than random; specifically aimed with intent to take us out of the way, for we pose such a threat to his dark enterprises on earth.

Nevertheless, we know the certainty of this great and unchangeable truth -- the Beast is no longer, and is headed for Hell!
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