New World Order Series

Information Brochure No. 7

Someone Cares

INTRODUCTION

As we near the crisis that is to come, many people are concerned as to what will happen to their family and friends. They know not where to turn, nor what to do. Why, they ask, has God allowed such calamity to come upon us? If God is a God of love, then why doesn't He do something to put an end to all the suffering that is in the world? If God can see the end from the beginning, then why didn't He intervene and prevent all the problems that man has brought upon himself?

These are all good and relevant questions that deserve answers. However, they can only be answered if we as part of His creation are prepared to look at the bigger picture. When we do this we shall see that there are answers to all of life's perplexing questions.

QUESTION 1: Why does God permit all the suffering, sorrow, war and strife that we see in the world today?

"And the dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:9.

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea. For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Revelation 12:12

NOTE AND ANSWER:

The history of the great conflict between good and evil, from the time it began in heaven to the final overthrow of rebellion and the total eradication of sin, is a demonstration of God's unchanging love. True love is not feelings or emotions, it is a principle. This principle can only be effective when all mankind esteems his brother better than himself.

So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. Then little by little, Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. Lucifer allowed his jealousy of Christ to prevail and became the more determined. To dispute the supremacy of the Son of God thus impeaching the wisdom and love of the Creator had become the purpose of this prince of angels.

This mighty and glorious angel had challenged the very sovereignty of God, and with this challenge came a strange, fierce conflict. Truth, justice and loyalty were struggling against envy and jealousy. After challenging the government of heaven Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God. Please read the study notes on "Why Was Sin Permitted?"

QUESTION 2: What was the real purpose behind the challenge to the sovereignty of God?

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:13, 14.

NOTE AND ANSWER:

Lucifer had presented the purposes of God in a false light, misconstruing and distorting them to excite dissent and dissatisfaction. He cunningly drew his hearers on to give utterance to their feelings, while claiming for himself perfect loyalty to God. He urged that changes to the constitution of God were necessary for the stability of the divine government.

Thus while working to excite opposition to the law of God and to instill his own discontent into the minds of the other angels, he was ostensibly seeking to remove dissatisfaction and to reconcile disaffected angels to the order of heaven. While secretly fomenting discord and rebellion, with consummate craft he caused it to appear as his sole purpose to promote loyalty and to preserve harmony and peace. The spirit of dissatisfaction thus kindled was doing its baleful work. Through deceit he hoped to seat himself upon the throne of God.

QUESTION 3: What was the result of Lucifer's desire for position and supremacy?

"And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

"And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

"And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:7-9.

NOTE AND ANSWER:

Lucifer was enshrouded with glory as the covering cherub (angel) in the courts of heaven. Yet this angel whom God had created and entrusted with power became desirous of the position of God. He gained the sympathy of some of his associates by suggesting thoughts of criticism regarding the government of God.

This evil seed was scattered in a most seducing manner, and after it had sprung up and taken root in the minds of many, he gathered the ideas that he himself had first implanted in the minds of others, and brought them before the highest order of angels as the thought of other minds against the government of God. Thus by ingenious methods of his own devising Lucifer introduced rebellion in heaven.

God desired that a change take place and that the work of Lucifer be brought out in its genuine aspect. But the under working was so subtle that it could not be made to appear before the heavenly host as the thing that it really was; and so there was war in heaven, and Lucifer was expelled with all who would not stand on the side of loyalty to God's government. This condition of things had existed a long period of time before Lucifer was unmasked and the evil one expelled.

In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer. The spirit of discontent and disaffection had never before been known in heaven, it was a new element, strange, mysterious, unaccountable. The only course remaining for him and his followers, he said, was to assert their liberty, and gain by force the rights which had not been willingly accorded them.

God permitted Lucifer to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. Then there was war in heaven and Lucifer and his sympathizers were cast out. Lucifer had fought for the mastery of heaven, and had lost the battle.

QUESTION 4: After Lucifer and his sympathizers were cast out of heaven, where did they establish their kingdom?

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child." Revelation 12:12, 13.

NOTE AND ANSWER:

Until fully developed it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; Lucifer's disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading. The discord which his own course had caused in heaven Lucifer charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve the statutes of God.

Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes to the divine constitution. His own work must condemn him. Lucifer had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked.

In so deceptive a way did Lucifer work that the sentiments that he inculcated could not be dealt with until they had developed in the minds of those who received them. He persistently defended his own course and fully committed himself to the conflict against his Maker. Thus it was that Lucifer, "The Light Bearer," the sharer of God's glory, the attendant of His throne, by rebellion became Satan, "the adversary" of God--cast out of heaven.

Satan set up his kingdom in this world, and ever since he has been untiringly striving to seduce human beings from their allegiance to God by joining him in his rebellion. Satan became the avowed antagonist of Christ.

On the earth he planted the standard of rebellion, and round it his sympathizers rallied. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, as well as to the inhabitants of this world, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression and to save them from committing sin and suffering its penalty.

QUESTION 5: After Satan had deceived Adam and Eve, what measures did God take that allowed them to avoid suffering the immediate penalty for their rebellion?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

NOTE AND ANSWER:

No longer free to stir up rebellion in heaven, Satan's enmity against God found a new field in plotting the ruin of the human race. In the happiness and peace of the holy pair in Eden he beheld a vision of the bliss that to him was forever lost. Moved by envy he determined to incite them [Adam and Eve] to rebel and bring upon them the guilt and penalty of sin.

The rebellion of man filled all heaven with sorrow. The world that God had made was blighted with the curse of sin and inhabited by people doomed to misery and death. The Son of God, heaven's glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before him.

It was to redeem us that Jesus lived, suffered and died. He became a man of sorrows that we might be made partakers of everlasting joy. The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving his Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ. Such love is without parallel.

QUESTION 6: What lesson do we learn from the statement made by Jesus to the apostle Peter?

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:31, 32.

NOTE AND ANSWER:

This world is the battlefield for the greatest conflict the heavenly universe and earthly powers have ever witnessed. It was appointed as a theater on which would be fought out the grand struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell.

Every human being acts a part in this conflict. No one can stand on neutral ground. Men and women either accept or reject the world's Redeemer, all are witnesses either for or against Christ. Christ calls upon those who stand under His banner to engage in the conflict with Him as faithful soldiers that they may inherit the crown of life.

Battles are to be fought every day. A great warfare is going on over every soul between the prince of darkness and the Prince of Life. We do not understand as we should the great conflict going on behind the scenes for control of this world--the conflict between invisible agencies. Over every man and woman, good and evil angels strive.

This is no make-believe conflict, it is not mimic battles in which we are engaged. We have to meet most powerful adversaries, and it rests with us to determine which will win.

Could human beings know the number of the evil angels, could they know their devices and their activity, there would be far less pride and frivolity. Satan is the prince of demons. The evil angels over whom he rules do his bidding. Through them he multiplies his agencies, he instigates all the evil that exists in our world.

QUESTION 7: What invitation does Jesus give to all those who are feeling the heat of the battle?

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.

NOTE AND ANSWER:

Come, you who are seeking your own pleasure in forbidden joys and sinful indulgences, you who are scattering from Christ. Look upon the cross of Calvary. Behold the royal victim suffering on your account, and while you have opportunity to be wise, seek the fountain of life and true happiness. Come, you who complain and murmur at the little inconveniences and the few trials you must meet in this life. Look on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.

Come, all of you who think you have no need of Him. He turned from the royal throne, His high command, and laying aside His divinity clothed Himself with humanity. For our sakes He was rejected and despised; He became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich.

Christ is seeking to uplift all who will be lifted to companionship with Himself, that we may be one with Him. He permits us to come in contact with suffering and calamity in order to call us out of our selfishness; He seeks to develop in us the attributes of His character--compassion, tenderness and love.

In heaven none will think of self, nor seek their own pleasure; but all from pure, genuine love will seek the happiness of the heavenly beings around them. If we wish to enjoy heavenly society in the earth made new, we must be governed by heavenly principles here.

Come, my friend, why put it off? Why delay? He is waiting with arms outstretched. He is waiting for you, my friend.

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