The Trial of Job

The trial of Job, and the loss of his possessions as you have never before realized.

Please take the time to watch the attached video of the Trial of Job; and also to read and study the transcript so that you might gain a far better understanding, and appreciation of the trials and tests that Job was subjected to at the hand of Satan.

This presentation is given by Pastor Stephen Bohr of Secrets Unsealed and it is well worthy as one of his better studies on the works of Satan and how we might better prepare ourselves for the coming tribulation.

 

The book of Job is the most ancient book of the Bible; it is actually a literary masterpiece which was written by Moses approximately 1,500 years before Jesus was born.

 

But it actually tells the story of a patriarch who lived about 500 years before Moses wrote the book in the early patriarchal age. The book is composed first of all of prose in the first two chapters, and then from Chapter 3 all the way through chapter 42 verse 7 it’s written in poetry, and finally in chapter 42 and verse 8 through verse 17 once again it returns to prose.

 

 

Now this book has confused many theologians and there are many ideas on the purpose of this book; some say that the purpose of the book is to answer the question “Why do the righteous suffer”? Some also say that the purpose of the book is to teach us to be firm and constant in the midst of suffering.

 

Now there’s no doubt that these issues are included in the story of Job, but the story is much deeper than just why do the righteous suffer, or the need to persevere in the midst of suffering. What’s taking place in the book of Job is really a trial; it is a trial that is taking place in heaven, interestingly enough. And it really foreshadows the investigative judgment that is taking place now in heaven.

 

If you look carefully at this story you’re going to find that there is an accuser; who is Satan, there is a defense attorney; who is Jesus or God, there is a judge who sits on his throne, there is a jury, and they’re called the sons of God. Evidence is examined; and there are accusations and there are responses to those accusations, and we’ll notice that at the end of the story there is a final verdict. This book is saturated with legal language which is to be understood in a judicial context, it is actually a trial that is taking place in heaven.

 

Let me give you one verse as an example of the legal language that is used in the book, notice job 16 and verse 19; here Job is speaking to God and he says:

Trial of Job

“surely even now my witness is in heaven and my evidence is on high” Job 16:19

 

Witness and evidence is language of a court of law, now it’s very important for us to remember that there was no written revelation when this story took place, none of the books of the Bible had actually been written yet, so Job did not have all of the information that we have today that helps us know what’s going on in the invisible world. In fact we’re going to notice in this story that heaven knows what is happening on earth, but earth does not know what is happening in heaven, and if Job had had Scripture, and he had known, his trial would have been much easier for him to bear.

Trial of Job

Trial of Job

Now the scene in Job begins on earth, it’s kind of like a drama, the curtain opens and we’re on earth, and Job is introduced in chapter 1 and verses 1-3.

 

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.”

 

Many children in biblical times were a sign of God’s blessing, but he not only had many children because it continues saying.

Trial of Job

“Also his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

 

Job was a very rich and prosperous man, but he was also a very spiritual man, a strange combination indeed, rich, but spiritual; notice Job chapter 1 and verse 1, and then we’ll read verses 4 and 5 and also verse 8.

 

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil”

 

You know I read this because some theologians say that Job was an arrogant individual; that he was self-sufficient, but scripture does not sustain that view, now notice what it says in verse 4.

Trial of Job

Trial of Job

 

“And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, [probably on their birthday] and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, [notice he was a family man and he was interested in the spiritual welfare of his family] and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus job did regularly.

Trial of Job

Now verse 8.

 

“Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, [God is saying have you looked at my servant who lives down in your territory] that there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

 

Now notice here that it is God who is speaking; in the introduction to the book it is simply being recorded that Job was upright and blameless, but here it is God that is saying this about his servant Job, that he was blameless and upright, and that he feared God and shunned evil.

 

Job was also a very generous man, a philanthropic man, and he used his possessions to bless others, notice Job 29 verses 12 through 17; Job is here describing what he used his riches for.

 

“Because I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no helper. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe in a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the victim from his teeth.

 

Was Job a generous man? Oh yes, a very philanthropic, rich, spiritual, and generous man.

 

Now let’s go to chapter 1 and verse 6: The curtain closes on the earthly scene, the stage is rearranged and now the curtain opens and we are in heaven. Job chapter 1 verse 6, God is entertaining a dialogue with Satan, and it says there.

 

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord…”

 

We won’t go into the details at the moment but the sons of God here are the representatives of the worlds that never sinned. Each world has a representative in the heavenly Council, and so it says.

 

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.”

 

The reason Satan came among them is because he had stolen Adams position as the representative of this world, when Adam allowed himself to be conquered.

 

Verse 7

Trial of Job

“And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, [That is from patrolling my territory and from walking back and forth on it.} Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil”?

 

Have you seen my servant, even though he lives in your territory, he fears Me, and he loves Me, and he obeys Me.

 

And now in Job chapter 1 verses 9 through 11 Satan challenges God; and these are perhaps some of the most important verses in the whole book. Satan challenges God and he says does Job serve you because he loves you, or does he serve you for the loaves and fishes? Would Job love and serve you even if everything went wrong in his life? Let’s read it now in Job chapter 1 and verse 9.

 

“So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?”

 

Satan is here saying; you have put a fence around him and I have no access to him, you bless him and you have bought his allegiance. You know there’s this fundamental misconception about the book of Job which is that the devil was accusing Job, but the devil was not accusing Job, he was accusing God, and you can’t understand the theology of the book unless you understand that the accusation of Satan is primarily against God. Because Satan is saying that Job only serves you for the loaves and fishes, he loves you and he fears you because of everything that you have given him, but he would not serve you if you took everything away from him, he serves you because you have been good to him! And so he continues saying.

 

“You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

 

All heaven is listening and watching this conversation to see what is happening, and they’re asking themselves, “is it true what Satan is accusing God of, that Job serves God because He has put hedge around him and is good to him, does Job serve God only because of the blessings that he has received?”

 

So God says I’ll tell you what you can do; notice verse 12 Trial of Job

 

“And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has in is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”

 

And so the devil says I’m going to prove that Job serves God because God is good to him, and so the curtain closes, the stage is rearranged and the curtain opens and now we’re on earth again. And what happens on earth is truly calamitous, the Bible tells us that the Sabaeans, a tribe of desert like people came and stole all of Job’s oxen, and donkeys, and killed his servants. And then fire falls from heaven and burns up the sheep and the servants. Then the Chaldeans come and they steal all of the camels and kill the servants, a mighty wind comes and collapses the house where all of his children are gathered together, and all of his children perish. Now this did not take place over the course of several days because the story tells us that while one individual was giving a report, the next one was coming to give his report about the calamity that had taken place. This takes place within a period of minutes, he’s lost all of his possessions, and he has lost all of his children, he’s lost his oxen and donkeys, his sheep, and his camels, and his servants; he is totally bankrupt, and how did he react?  Job 1 verses 20 to 22 Trial of Job

 

“Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; [He was half right, the Lord gave but the Lord did not take away, but he didn’t know this as he had no written revelation. So he says] the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.”

 

And I can imagine the heavenly counsel saying yes, God is right, Job serves God because he loves him, and even though the Devil has taken everything from him he still worships God. Satan is here proven to be wrong, and all heaven is starting to catch a glimpse of the difference between God and Satan. This is a universal controversy with all eyes are riveted upon the earth, that’s why I Corinthians 4 verse 9 says that the earth is the theater of the universe, both before men and before angels, all the universe is watching as the curtain closes and the stage is rearranged.

 

The curtain opens again and now we are once again in heaven, another council is taking place, let’s read about it in Job chapter 2 verses 1 to 3. Trial of Job

 

“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan. “From where do you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

 

In other words; from patrolling my territory which Adam gave to me. And then God ask Satan.

 

“Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

 

God is saying to Satan what you did is absurd, there’s no reason for it, but Satan has an argument in his mouth, job chapter 2 and verses 4 and 5. Trial of Job

 

“So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hands now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

 

All heaven is listening and watching, and they consider the words of Satan and meditate on his words to see if what he is saying might be true. Now notice what we find in chapter 2 and verse 6

 

“And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold he is in your hand, but spare his life.”

 

The curtain closes, the stage is rearranged and the curtain opens again, and we are back on earth, chapter 2 verses 7 and 8.

Trial of Job

Trial of Job“So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd [That’s a piece of broken pottery] with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of ashes.”

 

So now he’s lost his health, and he’s about to lose the support of his wife, who has become the devil’s tempter, an instrument in the devil’s hands to tempt job, notice chapter 2 verses 9 and 10.

Trial of Job

Trial of Job“Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Trial of Job

Who was it that said Job would curse God? Satan, so Job’s wife becomes an instrument in the hands of Satan to try and convince Job to curse God, but he said to her. You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity, in all this Job did not sin with his lips.

 

Once again Job is only half right because he says “shall we accept good from God and not also adversity?” Only God doesn’t send adversity; but once again Job doesn’t know this, and this is a very important detail to understand in this book; Job does not know this, his knowledge is incomplete, and he doesn’t know what we know today from reading scripture. And then Job is going to lose his best friends, his three best friends come to console him and the book tells us that they become his accusers, notice chapter 2 and verses 11 to 13, it says.

 

“Now when Jobs three friends heard of all this adversity they had come upon him, each one came from his own place-Eliphas the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they raised their eyes from afar and did not recognize him, [he was disfigured from the boils and from scraping himself with a potsherd] they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.”

 

This sprinkling of dust on your head was a way of showing your terrible suffering and affliction in antiquity.

 

“So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.”

Trial of Job

Trial of JobSo what has Job lost? He’s lost all of his possessions, he lost all of his servants, he’s lost all of his children, he’s lost his health, he’s lost the support of his wife; and his best friends become his accusers. But you know what really distress’ Job? is that apparently his best friend God has forsaken him. Something that has greatly puzzled theologians as they’ve studied this book, is that after chapter 2 Satan seems to disappear, you know all of the main protagonists of the book reappear at the end, but Satan; who caused all of this suffering, and all of this grief seems to vanish after chapter 2, and it looks like he gets off scott-free. And they say this book is a travesty injustice because we don’t know what happened to the guy who did all this to Job.

 

The fact is we’re going find that Satan does not disappear from the book, he reappears at the end, but under a different name.

 

So after chapter 2 did Job curse God? He did not, he remained faithful; and I can imagine that after the second council that the heavenly beings would be saying “hallelujah, God is right. Job lost everything, and yet he still fears God, shuns evil, and loves God, in spite of everything going wrong.”

 

Now we need to understand, and I want to repeat this again; Job had incomplete knowledge, and as he suffers for a long period of time, he actually comes to believe that God is doing this to him, and he’s puzzled, he cannot understand the reason why. It’s inconceivable in his mind that his best friend would actually do this to him, and throughout the book he is tempted to throw in the towel, and do exactly what the devil said that he should do.

 

He’s plagued with nagging questions and doubts, because God seems to have forsaken him. In the rest of the book he constantly speaks out to God saying please explain what’s happening, why have you turned against me? And God’s answer is a deafening silence.

 

You know Job can tolerate the idea of losing all of his possessions, his children, the support of his wife; his health, and also the support of his friends, but he cannot bear the thought of losing his best friend: God. Especially when he was a man of integrity, he can’t understand what’s happening, and he pleads with God for an audience, and God’s answer, that is until chapter 38 is silence.

 

Let’s read some of those verses where Job is asking these questions of God, notice Job chapter 16 verses 11 to 14, he says God hates me and I can’t understand why, and He’s turned me over to the wicked and I can’t understand why; notice.

 

“God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but He has shattered me; [notice the number of times that Job says God is doing this] He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, His archers surround me. He pierce’s my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground. He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.”

 

So what does Job think has happened with his friend?

 

He thinks that God has now become his enemy; and he cannot understand why, Job 16 verses 16, 17 and also verse 20, Job says.

 

My face is flushed from weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death; although no violence is in my hands, and my prayer is pure. My friends scorn me; my eyes pour out tears to God.

 

Now Job chapter 19, verses 6, 7, and 11; I’m only choosing certain verses in this section but there are many more that I could have chosen. Job 19 verses 6 & 7 and then verse 11; Job says.

 

“Know then that God has wronged me, and has surrounded me with His net. If I cry out concerning wrong, I am not heard. If I cry aloud, there is no justice. He has also kindled his wrath against me, and He counts me as one of his enemies. His troops came together, and build up their Road against me, they encamped all around my tent. God has become my enemy, and I cannot understand it because I am His friend.

 

Job 19 verses 9 through 11; once again we find the same feeling that Job has speaking about God, he says.

 

“He has stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head. He breaks me down on every side, And I am gone; my hope He has uprooted like a tree. He has also kindled His wrath against me,  and He counts me as one of His enemies.”

 

Job says to himself, if only I could find God wherever He is, I would present my case before him, and I know that he would see the light. Notice job 23 verses 3 through 5.

 

“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat! I would present my case before Him, [You see this is really a trial that is taking place here, but what Job doesn’t realize is that it is God who is defending him, even though it appeared that God was punishing him] and fill my mouth with arguments.” Job 23: 3-4

 

What Job didn’t know is that God was representing him, God was defending him even though the opposite appeared to be true. Trial of Job

 

Now verse 5

 

“I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say to me.” Job 23: 5

 

And then he says in chapter 30, verses 20 and 21.

 

“I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me. But You have become cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand You oppose me.”

 

Remember Job did not have any written Revelation, he didn’t really have a clear view of what was happening behind the scenes, all he could see was that calamities were coming into his life, but he didn’t know who was causing them. He thinks God has turned against him, notice job 30: 9 through 11; The nation’s are making fun of Job.

 

“And now I am their taunting song; Yes, I am their byword. They abhor me, they keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. Because He has loosed [e]my bowstring and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint before me.” Job 30: 9-11 Trial of Job

 

In other words, because God is doing this to me, they’ve cast off restraint; and they do with me whatever they wish. In Job 31 verses 5 and 6, once again we find legal terminology, here Job says.

 

“If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has hastened to deceit, let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity.”

 

And in chapter 31 verse 35 Job cries out to God “please answer me” Job 31: 35.

 

“Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my mark. Oh, that the Almighty would answer me, that my Prosecutor had written a book!

 

See the there the word prosecutor, more legal terminology, this is a judgment that is taking place in heaven, and the case that is being examined is the case of Job. Now; not all of this part of the book of Job up to chapter 38 is negative, as Job also has his moments of triumphal faith, he’s saying. “Why God, why are you my enemy, why don’t you answer me, why don’t you hear me?” But then he has moments where he says. “I know my redeemer lives.”

 

Notice job 13 and verse 15, he says.

 

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.”

 

In Job 14 verses 14 and 15; once again this faith of Job comes out in the midst of trial and suffering he he asks the question.

 

“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes.” Trial of Job

 

This is when this mortal will be changed into immortality, and then he says.

 

“You shall call, and I will answer You; You desire the work of Your hands.”

 

In other words You’re going to desire me in that day, Job 19 verses 25 to 27 shows his triumphal faith, he says.

 

“For I know that my redeemer lives, and he shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” Trial of Job

 

I know my redeemer lives and I know that in that day I will see him; Job 23 once again has these words of hope and courage, beginning with verse 8.

 

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; when He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him. But He knows the way I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandments of His lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

 

Was job still faithful? Yes he was; only he was asking questions because he had incomplete knowledge of the situation. Let’s not be too hard on Job, we have the Bible, but he didn’t, we have all of the biblical truths about what is happening in the world as a consequence of the work of Satan, which Job didn’t.

 

Now we come to chapter 38, and God has heard enough, He is going to tell Job to be quiet, as He is going to ask the questions: Job 38 verse 1, finally God breaks His silence.

 

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? [See: Job didn’t have the knowledge] Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” Trial of Job

 

In the following chapters; 38, 39, and 40, God asks Job over 60 questions, and the main question is; where were you, you puny little man, when I laid the foundations of the earth, and if you read chapter 38 and 39 you’re going to discover something very interesting, and that is that God describes creation weak in its exact order.  1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th and 6th days, and He say’s to Job. Job, you’re so intelligent; where were you when I did all this, and as God describes his marvelous works of creation, and at each instant, Job gets smaller, and smaller, and smaller, and then Job realizes that the universe does not revolve around him.

 

God is saying, I have a cosmic mess on my hands, who are you to question the Great I Am? And God ends His series of questions with a very penetrating question, in Job 40 verses 1 & 2.

 

“Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said: “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”

 

Do you understanding the question? God is saying to Job: “Do you have any right to correct the Almighty?” He who rebukes God, let him answer that question. And then Job answers God’s question, and basically he says you’re right, and I’m wrong. You’ve made your point, Who am I to question what you do, and what you want, I’m just a miserable insignificant small human being, demanding answers from the king of the universe. Trial of Job

 

And so job says you’ve made your point, I’m not going to speak again, notice Job 40 and verse 3 and we’ll read through verse 5.

 

“Then Job answered the Lord and said: Behold, I am vile; [that word vile really means insignificant, vile in English means evil, but really in the Hebrew it means insignificant] I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” Trial of Job

 

In other words I am not going to speak, anymore, and then in chapter 41 we reach the climax of the story of Job.

 

Satan once again reappears, but at the end of the book his name is not Satan. [Satan; which mean the adversary.] But a different name is given to him, the name that is given to him is “Leviathan”; that’s the same devil. Now I want you to notice several verses of chapter 41, and see if you can determine what Leviathan represents.

 

You see Job has said to the Lord; you’ve made your point, you’re great, I’m small, I’m your creature, I’m not going to ask any more questions. But God has a few more questions to ask job, Job 41 and verse 1, God says:

 

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, or Pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?

 

What is God asking Job?  He’s saying: “Can you contend with the Leviathan, can you take him as your servant forever?” Trial of Job

 

Now who is this Leviathan? Obviously we’re dealing with a symbol. Let’s go to verses 18 to 21, and I hope you will read this whole chapter because the chapter is captivating, job 41 verses 18 through 21. You know some scholars think that this is a crocodile, but this is no crocodile, unless you’ve seen a fire-breathing crocodile. It says in verse 18.

 

“His sneezing’s flash forth like light, and his eyes I like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lights; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke goes out of his nostrils, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.”Trial of Job

 

This is a dragon right? Notice verses 24 to 27 where it says that Leviathan is invincible. Trial of Job

 

“His heart is as hard as stone, [Oh, he has a stony heart] even as hard as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; because of his crashings they are beside themselves. Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; nor does spear, dart, or javelin. He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.”

 

Is this a powerful creature? Absolutely; it’s a fire-breathing creature, and God says Job: “Can you contend with Leviathan, and defeat him?” Of course Job would have known what Leviathan was because in his culture it was believed that there was a creature which was called “Lotan”, and also called Leviathan which the gods had to fight against in order to be able to create the cosmos, so this was within his culture. He would understand that this represented the enemies of the gods; and in this case the enemy of the true“God”

 

Notice chapter 41 verses 33 and 34; it clearly identifies who this creature is. Trial of Job

 

“On earth there is nothing like him, [God is speaking here] which is made without fear. He beholds [A better translation would be “he looks down on”] every high thing; he is king over all the children of pride.”

 

Who is king over the children of pride? The first one who was proud in the history of the universe! He said, “I will ascend to the heights, and I will be like the most high”, he who said, “I am beautiful, I am all wise, I am all rich?” It was Satan!

 

Now let’s look at a couple of passages from Scripture that prove this: Isaiah 27 and verse 1, Isaiah 24, 25, 26, and 27 is known as the little book of Revelation in the Old Testament. Isaiah 27:1 Trial of Job

 

“In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent; [What is Leviathan? The fleeing serpent.] Leviathan that twisted serpent;”

 

And because the translators think that this is some type of crocodile, they translate “he will slay the reptile that is in the sea” When actually the Greek word is “drakōn”, and the King James translates the word as dragon; so this is the dragon, and the serpent.

 

Now Revelation adds its testimony to the identity of this being; and God is telling Job I have a big cosmic mess on my hands, and now Job is going to understand, you’re going to see it, notice Revelation chapter 12 verses 7 through 9. Trial of Job

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon in his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. [Notice the terminology] So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, [What was the name that was given to this being at the beginning of the book of Job? Satan: The first time in history that the name Satan appears, first time in Scripture because Job was written first before anything else, so three names are given in this passage, Satan, the dragon, and the serpent. So who is Leviathan? Leviathan is a symbol of the devil. And it continues saying.] called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Trial of Job

 

Now do you remember that Job said I’m not going to talk anymore, I put my hand over my mouth and I’m going to keep quiet. But now Job feels like he has the talk again after God shows him Leviathan.

 

Job 42 and verses 1 through 6, read carefully.

Trial of Job

“Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do everything, [including what according to the context? Which includes defeating Leviathan!] and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ [Now notice carefully] Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, [So what was the problem with Job? Lack of knowledge, understanding, information he didn’t have the scriptures, and so he thought it was God; but it was Leviathan, or Satan] Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”

 

In other words, “now I understand you”. Do you think the heavenly universe is watching this? What view are they getting of God? Ah this is a good God! What vision are they getting of Satan? Wicked, evil, destroyer, the whole universe has seen the difference between God and the adversary.

 

“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you, therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Trial of Job

In other words he’s saying I am sorry I ever questioned you. Did Job ever curse God? Never; because the Bible says that God gave to him twice as much as he had before. God would not have rewarded him if he had cursed God, and so the host of the universe says God is right, and Satan is wrong.

 

Now this story is going to be repeated in the end time, during the time of trouble such as never has been seen in the history of the world. The Bible tells us that the beholding universe will see on this earth an entire generation of human beings who love God so much, that they will be willing to die, rather than give up their trust in God. The Bible tells us that the devil will take everything from God’s people, he will take their possessions, he will take away their health, he will have them thrown into prison, he will turn their families against them, their friends will abandon them, they will have no earthly support, and yet, because they have the experience of Job, and other experiences in the Bible they will say; as Job said; “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him”. In fact, in Job 23 verse 10, Job understood, and he says.

Trial of Job

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”

 

You remember the story of the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace; did they prize their relationship with God more than they prized their life? They sure did, it was a matter of loyalty to God, no matter what, and they were willing to give up their life in order to be loyal to God. You know when they stood before King Nebuchadnezzar, King Nebuchadnezzar says, if you don’t bow before the image and worship it, there is but one sentence for you; you’ll be thrown into the fiery furnace. And what God will be able to deliver you from my hands? And they said, God will be able to deliver us, and we will not worship your mage that you have raised up.

 

And so Nebuchadnezzar has the furnace heated seven times worse than ever before. And I believe that that represents the period of the seven last plagues, the great tribulation. And they were thrown into the fiery furnace. They loved God so much they were willing to die, and the universe was watching what was happening, and then of course you know how the story develops. They’re in the fire and they’re walking around like they’re in a garden, the only thing that burned up were the ropes with which they were tied.

 

And Nebuchadnezzar says: “Did not we cast three into the fire, but lo, I see four walking in the midst of it, and they have no hurt.” And so Nebuchadnezzar says Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come out of the fire. And so when God delivers He really delivers, because not even a hair from their heads was burnt off, they didn’t even smell like smoke.

Trial of Job

Did God reward his servants; did He spare them the trial? He did not spare them the trial, he delivered them in the midst of trial, which is different than what many are teaching today. They’re saying, oh no the church will be raptured to heaven, and the tribulation is for the Jews. But; they will be found in the midst of the tribulation without any refuge, because they have not made any preparation beforehand.

 

Do you know the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 33 that it’s the righteous that will be able to live with the everlasting fire! Do you know why? Because they will have a fireproof character, the fire of God does not consume them. But for the wicked, the fire is going to consume them in an instant, they’re not going to burn forever and ever, the fire will consume them and that’s it. But God’s people will be able to live in the presence of a holy God, in the midst of the fire that consumes, because they have loved God more than life itself. Trial of Job