Thematic Bible: What satan does


Thematic Bible








Hear then the meaning of this parable of the sower. when any one heareth the doctrine of the gospel, and considers it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away what was sown in his heart: he is the person meant by the high-way, where some of the seed was sown: but the stony ground,

but if, said he, you don't comprehend this easy parable, how can ye understand any of the rest? the sower is he that soweth the word. they who receiv'd seed by the wayside, are those in whom the word is sown, who no sooner have heard it, but satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

now the meaning of the parable is this: the seed sown signifies the word of God. by the beaten road is meant, they who only hear: the word, by the lurking wiles of the devil, being hinder'd from taking root in their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

and there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a WOMAN invested with glory like the sun: the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: she was with child, and cried in her labour with the pangs of her delivery. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, it was a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. read more.
his tail swept the third part of the stars of heaven; and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, in order to devour her child as soon as it was born. and she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to be with God, and about his throne. but the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her maintenance, during a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Then there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; on the other side fought the dragon with his angels: but these were defeated, they lost their place in heaven: the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, call'd the devil or satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were precipitated with him. then I heard a loud voice, which cry'd in the heaven, "the time of salvation, and power, the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ are now come: for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, is cast down. they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word to which they gave testimony; for their lives they expos'd to the last. therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. WO to the land, and to the sea: for the devil is come down unto you, in great rage, because he knows that his time is but short." The dragon then finding that he was precipitated to the earth, persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man-child. but to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to her place, where she is to be maintain'd for a time, and times, and half a time. and the serpent spouted from his throat a flood of water, after the woman, in order to drown her with the flood. but the earth helped the woman, for the earth opened its jaws, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon threw out of his throat, which so enrag'd the dragon against the woman, that he went to make war with the rest of her race, who keep the commandments of God, and bear testimony to Jesus.

Afterwards I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, with a great chain in his hand. and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and satan, and bound him for a thousand years, then cast him into the bottomless pit, there shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should seduce the nations no more, till the thousand years should he fulfilled: and after that, he was to be loosed for a short time.