Satan and his Angels at the Judgment.
IT is no accidental thing, or after arrangement, that the prince of darkness and his evil angels are to appear at the Judgment. It is a great mistake to suppose that the day of Judgment was originally appointed with reference to mankind, and that by some after arrangement the wicked angels were included in the number that should then appear to meet their doom. The truth is quite the reverse of this. The rebellion of the angels that sinned was earlier than the creation of man. When they became wicked they were cast down to the place called Tartarus, see the original of 2 Pet. ii, 4, and reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgment of the great day. Jude 4. This awful tribunal was therefore originally appointed for the trial of these earliest sinners against God. The connection of our race with this day of fearful retribution, grows out of the fact that we have joined Satan in his rebellion against God. And mark the distinction between what is said to the righteous and the wicked relative to the reward of each. The righteous are called to inherit the kingdom PREPARED FOR THEM from the foundation of the world. The wicked are bidden to depart into the fire PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. And when the wicked are about to receive their portion in the fire, Satan stands at their head as their prince, to assault the camp of the saints. Rev. xx, 7-10. And observe his awful retribution. The fire prepared for him is rained upon him out of heaven. And he will find in it something capable of inflicting adequate punishment for all his sins. The evil angels must meet this doom. But we can possibly escape it. Shall we make our escape, or shall we still go on in sin?