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unmitigated disaster. But man had rejected God's
guiding hand. Man thought he knew best. He would
have to learn the hard way.
In the Bible, God gave us the key to understanding
why we could never make a world that would work
through our own effor t. He also gave sorne clear
hope, then shows the way out of our dilemma.
Two major powers were not represented at EXPO
86. Both stayed away intentionally.
One knows tbat it is in its best interest not to
publicly display its power. The other is not a part
óf
this world yet, and it is not the right time for it to
show what it can do.
The first is a kingdom ruled by Satan the devil.
The second is the k:ingdom of God. These kingdoms
are real and they play an important part in the
history of mankind. Their influence will make or
break the human race. We humans do not control
our destiny as much as we might think.
To many today, Satan has become a joke
and "the devil made me do it" is a comic catch
phrase. Satan is a relic, a superstition, a
throwback to the Middle Ages. Fun to have
around on HaJloween maybe, but hardly a
force to be feared in the space age. That is
playing right into his hands. He can stay where
he works best, lurking behind the scenes.
The Bible blows Satan's cover. It shows
that he isn't a harmless figure of fun. He is
"the prince of this world" (John 14:30), the
one who "deceives the whole world" (Rev.
12:9,
Revised Authorized Version).
He is the
"god of this age," who has blinded mortaJs
from seeing the truth (11 Cor. 4:4, RAV),
and who even now works in the minds of the
"children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2).
1f Salan does reveaJ himself, he pretends to be an
"angel of light" (11 Cor. 11:14). Jesus knew that
Salan and his invisible, but very real, demon cohorts
are the de facto rulers of
this
world. They influence
decisions, they deceive, they stir up strife and
attempt to pervert everything constructive, good,
noble and uplifting that mankind accomplishes.
They exploit weak points, amplify negative
influences, and nurture quarrels, for the kingdom of
Salan has bul one goaJ.
It
is lo thwart the goals of
the kingdom of God, and it is to this end that they
bend all their efforls.
lf
the kingdom of Satan had had a pavilion al
EXPO 86, what would have been in it? Well, there
would have been plenty of communication. Satan
knows how to get our attention. The difficulty would
have been to arrange an honest display.
Satan is a master of propaganda and the fatber of
all líes (John 8:44). He would probably prefer to keep
up the illusion of being a harmless by-line of history,
and sidetrack us with an intriguing but innocuous
display of occult phenomena and quaint magic. ("Can
you believe people used to believe that stuff?") That 's
how his kingdom is thought of, isn'l it?
However, an bonest display would have shown how
Satan has goaded and pushed nations time and t ime
12
again into senseless and suicida! wars. It would show
how he has used music, art, literature, religion,
science, technology and sports to tear down ralher
than build up man's polentiaJ and greatness.
There would be exhibits explaining how he has
persuaded us to use our great accomplishments
negalively, so that the fruits of progress become
weapons of destruction.
A truthful exposition of the kingdom of Satan
would go a long way toward explaining why this
world does not have the peace and harmony that it so
desperately wants. Visitors would begin to
understand how the human race has been held
captive to work the will of an evil being whose only
aim is to cause hurt and deslruction.
(
Why
Satan is this way is beyond
the scope of this article. Our free
booklet
Did God Create a Devi/?
will help you understand. See inside
front cover for our office closest to you, and requesl
a copy.)
The nations who carne to EXPO showed us their
plans for the future. What would Satan's kingdom have
to show? Well , if he was honest , he would have to reveal
how he is waiting for the right time to step out of the
shadows for an unprecedented rampage of destruction.
He has plans to lead hurnanity further down tbe road to
ruin than they would dream possible.
Far frorn being a "world in toucb and a world in
rnotion" we are heading for a world that wil l lose
touch and cometo a shuddering halt. The United
Nations pavilion rerninded us that we have developed
the rneans to destroy ourselves. The kingdorn of
The PLAIN TRUTH