History of the Great War
“But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the MostHigh.’ “
Isaiah 14:13-14 NASB
Figure 1
This is simply a declaration of war between a created angel and the Creator God. This “war” has caused suffering on a global scale since Adam and Eve joined the rebellion in the Garden of Eden. They had fellowship with the living God, yet Eve allowed herself to be deceived and spread doubt to Adam who did now exactly what God had told him not to do. He chose to rebel and as all decisions have consequences, this one had some severe ones.
And the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:14-19 NASB
Death now existed. The perfect creation was now contaminated, and history witnessed the first casualties of war. The creation was no longer perfect and hospitable; our very planet is a casualty. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Romans 8:22 NASB) Adam and Eve now could not produce perfect and righteous offspring, so all mankind was automatically involved in a war that is fought in both the physical and spiritual realms. Mankind had the enemies of death and the grave that did not exist before he rebelled. The first battle of the “war” had ended with the creation cursed and mankind now “lost.”
God had a plan, a plan that would pay for the sins of man and would bring him back into relationship with Him. He made this promise known to mankind, and some clung to the promise and acted in obedience. But most men desired to not have God in authority, continued in rebellion, and did not accept the promise. Soon only eight were chosen because the man Noah accepted what God said, and God destroyed the earth with a great flood. Noah preached repentance to the people but they were unwilling to believe and be saved from the flood. God sealed Noah and his family in the ark, saved them from the deluge, and blessed them.
The next recorded battle took place in Babel. Man was arrogant in his disobedience and built a tower to learn the mysteries in the heavens. God simply confounded their language and the people, divided by language, went out from that place and spread over the world. Here the genetic pools of the various populations were smaller and the various characteristics associated with each ethnic group became dominant within each group. This act was the creation of various “races” within man.
More of God’s gracious plan was revealed to man as time progressed. There were those who would obey God and those in rebellion. God’s relationship with Abraham created the nation by which the whole world would be blessed. Events showed that the evil one was always trying to thwart the plan of God to send His Son to pay for our sins. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were strangers in a foreign land but received the promise of all the land they saw. The nation of Israel was in bondage, but Moses obeyed God and led them out. The battle raged, God working great signs through Moses and Satan working counterfeit signs through the mages of Egypt. Satan did all he could to keep God from freeing His people and fulfilling His plan for man through the nation of Israel.
Even after Israel took possession of the land there were many battles as the war continued. The Scriptures record the cycle of the chosen people as they turn away from God, repent, and turn away again and again. They become more depraved with each turning away from God and never obtain the level of closeness to God that they had earlier. Sin has consequences, so punishment comes as the nation of God’s chosen people are conquered and exiled.
God sends His people home and there is an apparent lull in the warfare as the time for the Deliverer approaches. God fulfills His promise just as He said and as the prophets recorded in the Old Testament. The Savior King comes. Satan tries to have Him killed, but he is losing this battle and the war. He tries to tempt the Savior to betray His Father; he knows the battle is going badly. Signs and wonders are done, and many come to know the truth; blinders are falling off as the Light is in the world. Satan attacks, infiltrates the followers of the Son, and gets one to betray the Savior to his forces comprised of the Pharisees and the Romans. The Savior is put to death—victory at last!
A new battle was just beginning; a new age for this planet was about to dawn.
Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Ephesians 4:8-10
The grave lost its power, and the enemy called death has been conquered. But the defeated foe continues the war, deceiving himself into thinking he has a chance or maybe just to drag as many down with him because he knows how much the Creator loves those He created. The oppression of the early church and the death of the martyrs show Satan’s attempts to destroy the work done at Calvary, to nullify it. When one has a personal relationship with the creator of the universe and has been set free from bondage, he will spread this news about, no matter the cost. The cost to many believers was everything.
Now during the church age the war continues in the battle of two worldviews, the view God created and the naturalistic view of evolution. Evolution by pure definition assumes no supernatural occurrence to existence or reality as we know it. Henry Morris states, “As we have seen, evolutionism consistently applied completely undermines biblical Christianity in particular and any form of monotheism in general. In its place is substituted the religion of humanism. As the name implies, humanism is centered on “humanity” as the pinnacle of evolution and as the measure of all meaning, rejecting altogether the concept of a transcendent Creator.” 1
The war is now a battle of the mind—which worldview explains best the reality we live in? The reality of spiritual things cannot be shown to those who are spiritually dead or unaware. The ramifications of spiritual warfare are also manifested in the physical realm by the paranormal things such as ghosts, UFOs, witchcraft, and demon possession or influence. Where the Christian influence in the society wanes or was not dominate, there are spiritual manifestations and activities leading to superstition and darkness in the mind that only the Creator can overcome. Evolution fuels humanism and hostility to the truth. To many, the truth of evolution is the fact that we exist. This is not logical thinking. “Life could never begin by any combination of natural processes. The very existence of living organisms testifies to a living God, for life can only come from life, as far as all knowledge, observation and history testify.” 2
The war continues as mathematician/physicist Wolfgang Smith relates, “We are told dogmatically that evolution is an established fact; but we are never told who established it, and by what means. We are told, often enough, that the doctrine is founded upon evidence…but we are left entirely in the dark on the crucial question wherein, precisely, this evidence consists.” 3 Smith continues, “The point, however, is that the doctrine of evolution has swept the world, not on the strength of its scientific merits, but precisely in its capacity as a Gnostic myth. It affirms, in effect, that living beings create themselves, which is, in essence a metaphysical claim. This in itself implies, however, that the theory is scientifically unverifiable (a fact, incidentally, which has often enough been pointed out by philosophers of science). Thus, in the final analysis, evolutionism is, in truth, a metaphysical doctrine decked out in scientific garb.” 4
Antichristian evolutionary thinking has permeated the fabric of every society on earth. The western societies once based on Christian principles are now compromised, and true worship of God is becoming rare. Many churches either think it is not important to show God’s word as accurate and perfect about origins or compromise to add man-made religion into the Scriptures. But it is very important, because reality includes the spiritual things of God as much as the things God physically created. Jesus is real, and the relationship a believer has with Him is real, just as real as the air we breathe and the sun that shines.
The war is almost over, and the pronouncement in Scriptures will be fulfilled. Jesus is returning again soon according to the Scriptures.
And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:10-11
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
I Thessalonians 5:2
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:20
Satan and his followers will be punished as foretold.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:14
This war has raged for thousands of years. The time of God’s victory is near. The final one to hear God’s word and repent is all that is necessary for the reality of God’s victory over all His enemies to come into the physical universe.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
II Peter 3:9