63. As God permits Satan to exercise more of his destructive power, things are going to get worse before they get better.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. {Matthew 24:21-22}
As easy as things are at present, they will apparently not stay that way forever. In the Bible, God has promised us that there will be a final end to this war, along with a return to peace, happiness, and harmony. But Jesus Himself also warned that things are going to get much, much worse before they get better.
Part of the reason God allowed His creation to be plunged into this war in the first place is because He resolves problems using the method of demonstration, not explanation. Instead of asking us to believe a claim He is making, He allows us to see the reality for ourselves. He invites us to “come and see,” not “shutup and listen.”
For a long time, God has been mercifully holding Satan’s destructive power at bay, giving time for him to slowly reveal the true and deadly nature of his principles. Since Satan’s motives for rebellion were not immediately clear and it was also not clear that the consequences of following such a path would be disastrous, God has allowed ample time for the truth to be revealed. He has also shielded us from being overwhelmed by Satan’s power.
But there is quickly coming a time when those who are left alive in the world will be so committed either for or against God that no amount of suffering will sway them one way or another. When that time comes, God will allow Satan to fully unveil his murderous motives and unleash his final fury. When that happens, I believe that those of us who live through that awful time will look back on these days and laugh about what we used to deem as “suffering.” For as high as the love of God goes, so is the depth of Satan’s barbaric cruelty. We may live to realize that we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
If you want to dig deeper—
Matthew 24:29-30
Luke 21:11, 25-26
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
Revelation 7-10