Even Satan obeys God

Originally Posted by Lutero 

That's right, it wasn't about Purgatory. 

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed," 

It has nothing to do with purgatory and everything to do with trials and sufferings on this earth.

But it sets a Biblical principle. We can pray for our brethren and God will set them free from the oppression of Satan.

2 Cor 12:7 "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited."

We are told that Satan seeks to kill, steal and destroy. Jesus came to DESTROY the *works* of the enemy. The word translated "destroy" is from the Greek "luó" which is translated as "loose, untie, release, break, destroy, set at naught, contravene, annul. 

That Satan is able to kill, steal and destroy upon the earth does not = purgatory.

Who said that it did? However, Satan does mean Devil. And Jesus showed that He can free a woman from the oppression of Satan. Thus He can free anyone from the oppression of Satan. Whether it be an illness or any other form of oppression.

Jesus is warning them that they are going to be persecuted, imprisoned and go through tribulations even unto death.

Yeah. Persecuted, imprisoned and suffer tribulations by the Devil:
Revelation 2:10

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁰ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

As Jesus told us just as the world hated Him, the world would hate Christians. Satan hates Jesus and therefore he hates Christians. So, Satan riles up the world to take Christians prisoner and throw them into real-life jails. Not purgatory.

Yeah, that's purgatory.

Still no purgatory.

You may not have a name for it. But we do. That's purgatory.

Luke 22: 31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; "

In the same way the Christians in the Rev verse you quoted were NOT thrown into purgatory, but were rather imprisoned and/or killed, Simon was not thrown by Satan into a giant sifter while Satan ground him out the meshing.

Jesus didn't say that Simon would be thrown into prison. But Scripture says that some saved Christians will be cast into prison by the devil. That prison is purgatory.

What exactly do you mean by "even Satan does the will of God"?

Read Job. Satan tested Job according to God's will.


Job 1:9-12
King James Version (KJV)
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

Eph 3: 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

That is simply telling you that the Church is infallible. The Church teaches the Wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose of Jesus Christ.

There are things in the heavenlies, including Satan's rebellion and its ongoing aftermath, that are a part of Christ's mission and what He accomplished on earth. Our salvation isn't just all about us, but includes God's use of us to reveal His manifold wisdom to spiritual beings in heavenly places.

The infallible Church will reveal God's manifold wisdom.

Still no purgatory. And no "purgatory is Satan's bond" bull is going to fly.

Reasonable readers will see that the place being described, is purgatory.

Because there is no purgatory. We may suffer trials, tribulations, sickness and weakness, deaths and sorrows, pain and terrors, IN THIS LIFE, but death ends that.

If you want to ignore the words of Scripture.

John 14: 1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Sure. After many of them have gone through purgatory:
1 Corinthians 3:15

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁵ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Jesus went to prepare a place for us. And that place was not purgatory.

True. But many will not get to that place without first going through purgatory.

As Stephen was being stoned, he gazed into heaven and saw Jesus STANDING at the right hand of the throne of God and called out "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." As Jesus said I will "receive you to Myself." He does not send us to Purgatory first.

But the devil does.

You guys describe and think of purgatory in a completely different way than the Roman Church used to. I've seen modern RCers talk about it like being a kind of bath. Augustine described it "This fire of Purgatory will be more severe than any pain that can be felt, seen or conceived in this world."

Have you not read in Scripture:
Hebrews 5:13

King James Version (KJV)
¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

1 Corinthians 9:22

King James Version (KJV)
²² To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

The Church does her best to explain things in a simple manner that can be understood by the many. Unfortunately, those who oppose the Church, twist anything she says to their own destruction.

But Scripture tells us in 1 Thess 4: 15 "For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."

No bus stop at Purgatory - straight to be with the Lord.

You're talking about one very special circumstance. The very last few who will survive the final destruction of the world. They will have already been purged of their sins in immense suffering. And Scripture says:
1 Peter 4:1

King James Version (KJV)
1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:
for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

The sufferings of those final survivors, who are left, will have purged their sins. No need to be purged again.

Sincerely,

De Maria