TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Revelation 20:11-15
How do you picture the devil in Hell? The cartoon version of Satan gives him horns and a pitchfork. Most of us understand that he’s more subtle than that. Wolves prefer sheep’s clothing, and the devil likes to look like an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Satan’s appearance isn’t the only thing we get wrong in our mental picture; we also misunderstand his job. Almost every comic strip or image you’ve seen describing Hell pictures Satan as its landlord who is managing the torture division. Little could be further from the truth.
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus describes the eternal fire as a place prepared for the devil and his angels. Jesus isn’t saying that it is a place that is prepared for them to own and operate. No! He is describing them as the first residents, the reason that the place exists. God invented Hell because that was the best solution for dealing with the devil. The same idea is found in Revelation 20. Death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire so that their reigns of terror would continue no longer.
The Devil won’t be enjoying a corner office overseeing the operations of Hell; he will experience it just like rest of the damned. He will have no more authority there than he would in the throne room of Heaven itself. The people who served him in this life will see him for who he is. I suspect even the demons would turn on him there, if given the opportunity.
There is a lot that we don’t know about Heaven and Hell, but one of the things I am really anxious for is living in the presence of God with no tempter or temptation. Won’t it be wonderful to experience this new life without the presence of evil and wickedness? How awesome will it be when we know that our biggest enemy has been locked away without the chance of parole for all eternity?
Knowing that Satan will be locked up in Hell makes me want to sing, “How beautiful Heaven must be!”
Today, I will…select and sing a song about the joys of Heaven.
