Did Jesus defeat Satan in 1914 or ....? One of the cornerstone teachings of the Watchtower is that Satan was defeated by Jesus in a battle. This battle is said to have occurred in heaven in the year 1914. However historic Christianity teaches that Jesus defeated Satan with his death. What does the Bible say? Hebrews 2:14 says, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil." According to Hebrews 2:14 was it not Jesus' death that destroyed Satan? Colossians 2:15 says in the New World Translation, "Stripping the governments and the authorities bare, he exhibited them in open public as conquered, leading them in a triumphal procession by means of it." Here Jesus disarms Satan and all the demons and triumphs over them. What is Jesus' weapon? What does He use to triumph over Satan and every demon? Col. 2:15 says that Jesus triumphs over them by it. What is it? Go back one verse to Col 2:14. It says "and blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us; and He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake." (New World Translation) What weapon did Jesus use to defeat Satan? The tree that Jesus died on was the very thing that Jesus used to triumph over Satan. His very death ripped away Satan's authority and his hold over death. (See Hebrews 2:15.) Jesus defeated Satan long before Satan is thrown into the lake of fire in Rev. 20:10. Jesus defeated Satan the moment he cried out "It is finished!" and then died. The price for our salvation was paid. The debt was paid and by Jesus' own death, Satan's kingdom was ripped apart. Colossians 1:13 says, "He delivered us (past tense) from the authority of the darkness and transferred us (past tense) into the kingdom of the Son of his love." In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, "All authority has been given me in heaven and in earth..." Because of the price that Jesus paid, Revelation 22:17 says, "And the spirit and the bride keep on saying: Come!' And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life's water free." Where does this water come from? Jesus said in John 7:27 & 38 "...Jesus was standing up and he cried out, saying: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He that puts faith in me, just as the Scripture has said, Out from his inmost parts streams of living water will flow.'" The Bible says that anyone can come to Jesus to receive this living water. No organization is qualified to supply living water. Only the Jesus of the Bible who defeated Satan by his death and who holds the keys of death in his hand issues living water. "...Do not be fearful. I am the First and the Last, and the living one; and I became dead, but, look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Revelation 1:17 & 18. Who has the keys of death and Hades? Is it Satan? No, it is Jesus!" The Watchtower has no Biblical evidence that say that Jesus defeated Satan in 1914.
|