The Devil’s Demise

What about Satan, the one who initially caused all the misery that mankind has experienced? Revelation 20:7-15 provides the answer. In a final test of all perfect humans, Satan will be permitted to try to mislead them. The Devil and those who follow his lead will be eliminated everlastingly in “the second death.”  Because those within its grasp will be forever out of existence, this death will never be brought to nothing. “The second death” is, however, no enemy of humans who love and serve their Creator. Perfected mankind will then stand before Jehovah as fully approved for everlasting life, with no enemies anywhere. The commission given to Adam will have been accomplished without him. The earth will abound with his offspring, who will delight to oversee it and enjoy its many life forms. May we never lose appreciation for the way in which Jehovah lovingly brings the last enemy, death, to nothing!

COMMENTARY

Jehovah’s Witnesses are blessed to know the truth about life and death and God’s purpose to restore mankind to perfection. Churchgoers simply cannot get the sense of it. They imagine they know the truth, but for them it is like a house of mirrors, where every image is distorted. For example, the universal lie that humans have an immortal soul prevents people from understanding even the simplest concept of the truth. The deeper things are far beyond their grasp.

The end of death will certainly be a wonderful thing. It has brought so much grief and misery. Whereas, death is described as the last enemy that will be brought to nothing, that implies that there are others enemies too. What might these be?

Certainly Satan, who is the bringer of death, is our enemy. In fact, the Hebrew word for Satan means opposer, or adversary. Satan seeks to prevent us from attainting the life that Jehovah holds out to us all. As Jesus said of him, he was a murderer when he began.

Although the Devil is the god of this world and he is misleading the masses under his influence to certain destruction, Jehovah has merely allowed Satan to stay in existence up to this point in order to accomplish his purpose. Ultimately the Devil and all of the demons will be destroyed. His end, at least as far as his tyranny over mankind is concerned, is probably nearer than you think, as Paul noted in the last chapter of his letter to the Romans, where he said: “For his part, the God who gives peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”