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This "peace and safety" is therefore spurious; it is not of God, therefore it must be the
false travesty of the Devil, there is no other alternative. A false peace can destroy (see
Dan. 8: 25). At the rise of the world's last dictator (Rev. 13:), war will temporarily
cease, not because of the conversion of all mankind by grace, but the paralysis of all
nations by fear.
"Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Rev. 13: 4).
The figure "beating swords into plowshares" indicates a turn over to the more peaceful
employment of labour and resources, which, for a time at least will bring prosperity,
"peace and safety". It should be remembered that the chief aim of Satan is to dethrone
the Son of God. He, Satan, must deplore that crime and degradation ever follow his
efforts to rule this world. If he could have a Millennium without Christ it would suit his
plan completely. After six thousand years of blood and misery, Satan will appear to have
attained his goal, but the record reveals its utter failure, it lasts "one hour" (Rev. 17: 12;
18: 10, 17, 19). Some light upon the extraordinary prosperity that shall characterize
this pre-millennial travesty of Satan is found in the description of Babylon's
merchandise.
"The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine
linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thine wood, and all manner vessels of
ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine
flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves (Gk. bodies),
and souls of men" (Rev. 18: 12, 13).
Here is a luxury trade, mingled with provision for idolatrous practices giving
prominence to "costliness" (Rev. 18: 19), and including not only costly goods but "the
bodies and souls of men". A pre-millennial kingdom in the absence of Christ is the
dream and the goal of the Enemy of Truth. For a brief period he will attain a superficial
semblance to that goal, and then, at a later date, will himself be brought to an
ignominious end "and never be any more" (Ezek. 28: 19). Satan did not hesitate to
attempt a bargain with the Son of God (Matt. 4: 9) and what He, the Blessed One,
refused, will prove the bait to catch the Man of Sin (John 5: 43). As a travesty of the
Mystery of godliness, wherein "God was manifest in the flesh" this son of perdition will
oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; "so that he
as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (II Thess. 2: 4).
To the end his activities are in the realm of religion and worship, but he, Satan, cannot
prevent the crimes that are concomitant, though he may deplore them. Worship, not
wickedness is ever in the mind of Satan. Preposterous as it sounds "all the kingdoms of
the world and the glory of them" were offered to the Son of God for ONE ACT OF
WORSHIP (Matt. 4: 9), so much does Satan seek it. The immediate effect of the rise of
the Beast of Rev. 13: is the temporary attainment of this very same end:
"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they
worshipped the beast . . . . . and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed . . . . . as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed" (Rev. 13: 4, 12, 15).